Thumbs Up, Level Up

Chapter 38

“Anyways, we’re going to start the [Glowing Mushroom Forest] dungeon now. Wish us luck!” Ji-Cheok waved his hands to the camera.

Cheok-Liang also waved his cute paws to the camera.

?Meow~?

Cheok-Liang’s cuteness was too much for Ji-Cheok. It took superhuman strength for Ji-Cheok to suppress the urge to pinch his cheeks. Right then, he heard a voice inside the dungeon.

“The last member for this party just arrived.”

It was Jung Ji-Byeok, the tank. She informed Ji-Cheok that everyone else had set up their camp in the dungeon.

“You are right on time. Who is this little fella?” asked Ji-Byeok.

“This is my spirit animal. His name is Cheok-Liang.” Ji-Cheok replied.

?Meow~??

Cheok-Liang deliberately turned his head 45 degrees, pretending to be cute, but Ji-Byeok seemed like she wasn’t too fond of it.

“I see… If he is a spirit animal, I’m sure he’ll be able to protect himself, so I won’t worry,” Ji-Byeok said.

Ding.

[Hunter Jung Ji-Byeok is greatly impressed by the cuteness of Cheok-Liang.]

[You have received 3 Likes!]

Because Cheok-Liang was Ji-Cheok’s spirit animal, any Likes Cheok-Liang received went straight to his master. Ji-Byeok looked unimpressed on the outside, but Ji-Cheok knew from the 3 Likes he had received that she was just holding it in. He was surprised that she didn’t want to pet him.

“I can’t even go near small animals because I’m afraid I might hurt them with one touch,” Ji-Byeok said.

“Even if he is a spirit animal?” Ji-Cheok asked.

“...Yes. Anyways I double-checked the dungeon to see if we were the only party. Are you familiar with the Dungeon Restriction Law?”

“Yes,” Ji-Cheok answered.

The Dungeon Restriction Law enforced a limit of one party per dungeon, except for a few special dungeons. This law was implemented to prevent accidents where Hunters killed each other in dungeons. As such, there were many public officials and soldiers as security at the entrance of a dungeon.

‘Even with the laws and the officials, murders still happen in the dungeon.’

Not all public officials are Awakened, and even if they were, high-ranking Awakened were rarely assigned to this kind of security work. There had been cases where bribes and tricks were involved.

‘Still, even that level of security is better than nothing.’

Some dungeons were so popular that people put themselves on a waiting list. Fortunately, low-level dungeons didn’t need a waiting list as there were enough low-level dungeons for Hunters. Besides, this dungeon was considered hard compared to other low-level dungeons, thus no party had come near it for the past 4 days. Generally, excluding Dungeon Expansions, Hunters would clear these unpopular dungeons once a week.

“You know a lot about dungeons. I guess having experience as a Hunter Assistant comes in handy sometimes.” Ji-Byeok said.

When Ji-Cheok arrived at the base camp, a familiar face came running toward him.

“Hyung!”

It was his younger brother Mu-Cheok.

Mu-Cheok was glad to see his older brother and came running to greet him. It had been a while since Mu-Cheok had seen his older brother, as he had been busy studying for his Hunter Certification.

“How was your Hunter Certification? Did you do well?” Ji-Cheok asked.

“Heck yeah, I did. I got A-Class. Also, I’ve been leveling up in the dungeon.” Mu-Cheok replied.

‘No wonder he didn’t answer any of my calls.’

“I didn’t know you two were brothers,” Ji-Byeok said, surprised.

“You might be the only one in Korea who doesn’t know that Um Ji-Cheok and I are brothers,” Mu-Cheok replied.

‘Wow, he is talking back to one of the most famous Hunters in Korea. I hope he doesn’t get a media shower. He is not that famous yet.’

Mu-Cheok was wearing a leather T-shirt that went up to his neck. It was sleeveless, but he had bandages wrapped around both arms up to his elbows.

“Is your ability related to what you are wearing?” Ji-Cheok asked.

“You can say that,” Mu-Cheok replied.

[Chronicler]

[Class: A

You wield the power of Words that can change the world. These Words are retrieved from the Library of the Abyss, and they will strengthen the caster while destroying the enemy.]

This was Mu-Cheok’s job. Although Ji-Cheok knew about it from before, he wasn’t sure how much his younger brother had evolved.

‘I’m sure he can’t do any absurd things, like making it rain money whenever he wants to.’

The rest of the party came out of the base camp to greet Ji-Cheok. Jung Ji-Han was the first person that caught his eye.

“You are here,” Ji-Han said.

Ji-Cheok thought he would come in wearing some flashy and expensive gear, but Ji-Han was in his ordinary clothes. Except for the unique coat, he could just go back to his company wearing the same clothes.

‘Come to think of it, what is Ji-Han’s position in this party? Is he here just to leech off of us?’

Ji-Cheok worried for a second, then he realized Ji-Han was the boss of this party. He was the one who searched for the right dungeon, organized the party, and even managed the member’s paychecks.

‘After all, he did pay for my contract and even gave me a house. I still don’t know why he is being nice to me, but if he wants to leech off of us, he can do whatever he wants.’

Ji-Cheok had some doubts regarding Ji-Han’s reasons for being in the dungeon, but he decided to brush them off. Ji-Han had the right to leech off of them if he wanted to, but given Ji-Han’s considerable power, what need was there for him to do that?

‘Is that coat related to one of his abilities?’

“Alright, since all the members are gathered, let’s start hunting. I’ve briefed all of you beforehand, so I’m sure you guys are up to date. Mr. Um Ji-Cheok, please stand by during the next few battles and just watch closely how others fight. If we want to have a flawless victory in this dungeon, you need to know how to work with us in perfect harmony.” Ji-Han informed the group.

The members decided to start the raid by doing a quick hunt in the outer boundaries of the dungeon.

* * *

Kaaang!

Ji-Byeok hit the Shrooms—the dungeon’s mushroom monsters—with her brass knuckles. This was not an ordinary attack, but rather a taunt skill. More and more Shrooms started to gather toward Ji-Byeok.

Fooosh

Some of them started to let out steam as they were preparing to attack. There were many kinds of Shrooms in sight, and their cries sounded weird. Some were walking on two feet, while some others had multiple tentacles. They also came in many different sizes, from one to three meters tall. When these creatures grouped together to attack, they were pretty scary. They didn’t have eyes, so it was hard to tell what they were perceiving around them, but it was clear their goal was to attack Ji-Byeok. As Mushroom Monsters gathered around Ji-Byeok, she slammed the ground with her fist, and a wall rose up to block the monsters.

“Now!” Ji-Byeok shouted.

As soon as she signaled the group, Byeol Ha-Na pulled her bowstring and quickly killed the Shrooms with her arrows. Mu-Cheok also joined in the fight, and Ji-Cheok was shocked when he saw his brother pull out a pistol.

Bang! Bang!

‘Ordinary firearms never work on monsters, is he crazy?’

Contrary to Ji-Cheok’s belief, the monsters were torn in half with each shot. This was no ordinary firearm.

‘Is it possible that he endowed the bullets with the power of Words?’

Ji-Cheok knew that his brother was currently limited to one-Word abilities. That meant Mu-Cheok had used the Word [Strengthen] or [Destroy] on his bullets to kill these monsters.

?Wow, that is a good idea. You told me that he is an A-Class Chronicler? I think he has the potential to be at the top.?

Ji-Cheok always thought Mu-Cheok’s ability would be used to strengthen his own physical attributes. He had never thought of using the ability on an object.

‘Talk about thinking outside the box! I know I can’t be objective about my own brother, but his potential is something to look out for.’

The Shrooms that were hit by Ha-Na’s and Mu-Cheok’s collapsed and squirmed. Seven out of ten monsters were shot down by either Ha-Na’s arrows or Mu-Cheok’s magic bullets. The rest were against Ji-Byeok’s wall, trying to tear it down.

Bam! Bam!

Yet, Ji-Byeok’s wall stood still.

‘Wow, that is one sturdy wall.’

In the meantime, Ha-Na and Mu-Cheok’s long-range attacks poured down on the monsters once again. The Shrooms were killed, but new problems arose.

Pop!

The corpses exploded, and several small Shroom monsters burst out from inside them. As soon as these Baby Shrooms appeared, Ji-Byeok clanged her knuckles together.

“Look at me!” Ji-Byeok shouted.

Clang! Clang!

Almost all of the monsters were now by the wall, and they started to climb the wall to attack Ji-Byeok. The Baby Shrooms were merely 50 to 80 centimeters but they were smart and worked as a group. Some of them weren’t affected by the taunt, however, so they ignored the wall and started moving toward Ha-Na and Mu-Cheok.

Shiiing.

Ji-Cheok unsheathed his sword and got ready for battle, as he believed they were in danger. As he stepped forward, Ji-Han grabbed his shoulder.

“You don’t have to worry. This happens all the time.”

“This happens all the time?”

“Yes.”

“Hm…”

Ji-Cheok was skeptical, but he decided to listen to Ji-Han. Suddenly, most of the monsters stopped in their tracks.

“Oh, it’s Ha-Na’s traps!” Ji-Cheok shouted.

It was one of Ha-Na’s special abilities. Ha-Na had already thought of what to do if things went sideways. The trapped monsters couldn’t survive Ha-Na’s arrows.

‘What about the rest of the monsters…Wait!’

Ji-Cheok tried to warn Mu-Cheok of the three remaining Baby Shrooms that were rushing toward him, but Mu-Cheok was ready. He put his pistol down and started to run toward the monsters. He took a boxing stance and punched a monster in the face as it jumped at him.

Pop!

The Baby Shroom exploded from one punch. Mu-Cheok instantly stepped back and kneed another monster that was approaching from the side.

Pop!

That monster instantly exploded as well.

‘Is that also a Chronicler’s ability?’

?Yes, Master. I believe he used his Words on his arms and legs. He really has the potential to help you.?

Ji-Cheok couldn’t believe someone as talented as Mu-Cheok would sacrifice everything to help him succeed. He remembered the last time he had told Mu-Cheok to make his own channel on GodTube for his own success. However, the only thing that came back to Ji-Cheok was his younger brother’s anger and scolding. Mu-Cheok wanted to help gather as many Likes as he could for his brother.

Suddenly, the silhouette of a flying pig appeared in the sky. It was Seong Kwang, the healer. He was flying around to heal the wounded. Ji-Cheok still couldn’t get used to his religious clothing. Seong Kwang was wearing a southern-style white clerical uniform that exposed the shoulders and collarbone. He also had fancy accessories that were shining while he was using his healing abilities. Ji-Cheok believed the accessories were related to his abilities, probably enhancing them.

Seong Kwang’s healing light surrounded Ji-Byeok. Although she was technically a tank, she was still tearing apart monsters with her bare hands.

“I wonder if these mushrooms can be eaten if we dry them. Isn’t there a dish made with dried vegetables? Malaengyi? I think they are called Malaengyi.” Ji-Byeok asked.

Ji-Cheok couldn’t believe that food was all she could think of at this time.

Meanwhile, Ha-Na was shooting arrows at the remaining monsters. Finally, the Shrooms were eliminated.

‘From my Hunter Assistant experience, this party might be the most coordinated party I’ve seen.\'

Ji-Byeok was very reliable as a tank. Her taunt missed a few monsters due to their large numbers, but Ha-Na’s traps were enough to cover the rest. Additionally, Mu-Cheok could perform ranged attacks as well as melee attacks.

‘I don’t think there is anything that could stop them.’

Ji-Cheok realized Ji-Han hadn’t even done anything in this battle. He had just been watching the whole time. Ji-Cheok didn’t mind; he was glad that Ji-Han wasn’t hurt.

“If you are finished with the fight, you can start distributing the loot. You can take me off the list,” Ji-Han announced.

Ji-Cheok’s suspicions regarding why Ji-Han was here only grew as he heard this. He believed Ji-Han had ulterior motives for tagging along in the dungeon.

1. A spicy Korean dish that can be made with any kind of dried vegetable, commonly made with radish.