บท 56: C-Rank Lizards

Soon approached the day that we would be discharged from the hospital. With it, our bodies became absolutely shredded. Growing from their original light appearance to one that looked to be chiseled by the gods (not really, but close enough).

While I sat on my bed watching as Jinwoo finished his daily quest, one of the nurses entered the room. Her cheeks immediately turned red upon seeing Jinwoo's exposed upper body and asked us if we were being discharged today.

"If it's okay with you, could I have your number?"

Sighing that another person would suffer such an unfortunate defeat to Jinwoo's denseness, Jinwoo nonchalantly gave his cell phone number, not understanding the implications of such. And based on his face, he probably thought that it was so they could send test results.

Returning home, while I constantly tried to get it through Jinwoo's head that he was now handsome, a very pleasant reunion with Jinah cooking our meals awaited us. After that, we began to act like we had just a month before. Though this time, I got to witness as Jinwoo admired his own body a lot more.

"Why do you act like nothing has changed?" Jinwoo asks me with a straight face.

"Because I'm used to looking like this. Remember when you first met me?"

"Oh yeah, you were completely ripped, but then you turned into a taller me."

Nodding my head while grimacing at the fact my body deteriorated because I couldn't train properly, Jinwoo began to ask about my distribution of points.

"Mabey, I put too many points on strength…"

Hearing that he had 48 strength with 27 in every other stat, I couldn't help but nod my head in agreeance. At that exact moment, Jinwoo's phone rang, and even though I wasn't the one to answer, I could hear the landlord screaming at Jinwoo to pay rent. Hanging up, Jinwoo turns to me.

"Since we're awakened people, we should be able to make money quickly, right? And if we continue to grow at this rate then we'll soon become top-rank hunters." Even though Jinwoo said that we're still labeled as E-Rank and we haven't been accepted by any sort of guilds, so it's rather hard to find a job. "Mabey we should just get reviewed and raise our ranks?"

"But can we handle all the malicious eyes that fall onto us? …So, let's just wait to unveil our strength until we're sure that no one can mess with us." I answer.

"Well then, we need to make money." Jinwoo states while scrolling through his phone, "It would be great if we could enter an attack force first…"

Jinwoo turns wide-eyed, and upon scooting closer and looking, I can understand why. The request did only ask for one person, but the likelihood that they'll choose to turn down two E-Rank Hunters who were willing to split profits, was highly unlikely.

Leaving the house shortly after, we arrive in a group of nine others.

"This way!" Looking at the man who called us, we see a stocky young man with spiky black hair, neatly trimmed facial hair, and several scars on his left art that were partially blocked by his armor. "I'm Hwang Dongsuk. What were your names again?"

Shaking hands with him, I answer, "I'm Shiro Urokodaki and he's Sung Jinwoo."

"You said you were both E-Rank and were willing to split the rewards for one person amongst the two of you, right?"

"Yes…"

"Ah! I know them. He's a pretty famous person… What were their nicknames… World's Weakest Hunters?" One of the party members says aloud.

"Pfft! What the hell." Another cackles.

""…""

"Stop it. It's okay. The most important thing is numbers."

Hwang then confronts us about the contract and has the two of us sign it. The dungeon we're trying to enter is a C-Rank Gate, and the Korean Hunters Association had set the rule that there must be 10 people or more and at least half of them must be at least C-Rank. Because of that. There are cases where only numbers make up the attack force. Much like now.

"Excuse me, it seems we're both small fries."

Looking at the person who stopped me from rereading the contract for the 15th time, I see a young man with gray eyes, a boyish face, and custard-colored hair that is shaved on both sides of his head.

"I'm Yoo Jinho. I'm twenty-two, and the rank's D. I was called here as well, under the same circumstance as you." Instead of being enlightened by his introduction, we were instead blinded by the flashy equipment that he wore.

Hwang then informed us of the job that we'd be doing, Jinwoo and I split the porter load amongst us and entered the portal with the rest of the members. Being constantly 'harassed' by Yoo Jinho, the moment we enter the dungeon, we're assaulted by darkness and silence. Amidst all our parties murmuring, I hear scuttling sounds coming from above us.

Instead of me being the one to call it out, Jinwoo shouts out, "It's Insect-type monsters!! Coming from above!!"

All eyes turn upwards, and we see colony of ants swarm out from the ceiling, causing a sense of discomfort to wash over me. Looking at the party that was using us, they had clearly been in situations like this before. After all, they were fighting with such coherency and battle knowledge that it made even me nod my head. Though, they did tend to be a bit rough.

Turning my head just in time to find Jinwoo kicking one of the ant monsters, the battle ends and both Jinwoo and I get to work on getting the magic crystals, while also receiving a hidden threat from Hwang.

Walking forward, we encountered a multitude of ant corpses that hadn't died to other Hunters, but instead looked like they'd been eaten by something. Both Jinwoo and I noticed their change in aura upon this discovery, and Jinwoo warned Yoo Jinho.

Continuing like we hadn't discovered anything, we made our way through the C-Rank dungeon which had a layout kike that of a maze, but after taking a short break, we came across the boss room. A place with a vortex of webs, carrying a multitude of corpses, that eventually led us to a wall of mana crystals.

Looking above the mana crystals however, there loomed a giant spider, the Dungeon Boss. Luckily, the Dungeon Boss was asleep for now.

Hwang and his crew of 8 then made some very poor excuses to leave the room and the moment all of them were out, the mage of their party fired a blast and caused the entrance of the Boss room to collapse.

Lamenting said fact, I once again look to the boss and find that it had begun to crawl down towards us. The moment that it came down to a reasonable height, I got a sudden alert.

---

⸢A sudden quest has been issued.

[Sudden Quest: Kill the C-Rank Boss!]

There is a monster nearby that wishes to harm the 'player'. Slay it and ensure your safety. If this quest is not completed, a penalty will be applied. ⸥

---

Looking at the boss again, I step forward, "Jinho, Jinwoo, stay there. That's my quest."

Jinwoo quickly backed off, especially after having heard my choice of words. Jinho on the other hand immediately began to question my decision.

"If you plan to beat a C-Rank Boss on your own, it's impossible unless you're in the elite of B or C-Rank! How do you plan to kill it? Just think of a way to escape instead!"

Materializing my 'Rat King's Tooth', I can't help but give a tiny chuckle at Jinho's words.

Dashing above the spider, I skim my blade alongside its flesh, eventually landing behind it. Finding that my attack had gone through, the spider boss and I stare at one another. Striking forward with its front two legs, I weave between each of it pierces, before trying to cleave through its first leg. Though, all my attack did was leave a deep gash.

The spider has no blind spots, has eight legs, and has attacks which can easily punch through the floor or rocks. But even so, I rush towards the spider.

Trying to strike at me again, I weave my body and my sword to a position to strike at the same exact spot where I had nicked its leg. Easily cutting through, the spider boss screeches out in pain.

Staggering backwards with its seven remaining legs, the spider then cocks its head backwards and starts to gurgle green. Seeing as it spits poison at me, I dodge to the side, and watch as the poison easily melts the floor.

I had noticed that my fatigue has slightly risen, but it wasn't to dangerously high levels in which I would need to use my daily reward to heal myself.

Finding that the spider was now on the complete defensive, that left me to engage upon it. Luckily, that just so happened to be my specialty. Putting the katana to my side, the sharp sound of me breathing fills the room.

"Fire Breathing First Form: Unknowing Fire."

Instead of trying to decapitate the spider after rapidly rushing towards it, I instead swipe my blade across its eyes. Even if I didn't get all the eyes in this single swipe of the blade, they were still blinded by its own blood covering them.

Letting out a screech comparable to the Rat King, the spider boss begins to wave its legs around wildly and begins to have poison drool from its mouth, destroying everything in its surroundings. Knowing that it would involve Jinwoo and Jinho if this were to continue any further, I dart between its flailing legs and puncture my sword straight through its head inflicting a critical hit and incurring the status effect 'Infect' and 'Slow'.

Only a few moments after removing my sword from its head, the spider plopped to the ground.

⸢The Dungeon Boss has been slain⸥

⸢You have leveled up! X3⸥

Looking at my fatigue meter which was above seventy all because of using a singular breathing attack, I can't help but sigh. Taking my katana, I start to dig through the spider corpse trying to find it core. Just as I'm getting comfortable, the makeshift blockade is blown open with extreme firepower, revealing the group of eight which had left us alone.

"What, those guys are still alive? Is the boss dead?!"

"What happened? Did they kill it by themselves?! Was that spider just big and stupid?"

"If it's that guys equipment it's possible he could take down a C-Rank Boss. If a D-Ranker and E-Ranker beat it that's all the evidence."

Completely ignoring their ongoing conversation amongst one another, I turn towards Jinwoo and ask, "Have you got them?"

Turning his head, Jinwoo nods his head, "Yeah."

Hearing that, I plop down onto the ground, boredly waiting for Hwang to start their oh so grand plan. He at first tries to have Jinho kill the two of us, but he obviously refuses. Hwang's mage then shoots a fireball at Jinwoo and forces him into the opposing wall. Yet, in only a few seconds, Jinwoo removes himself from the wall and stalks towards the party of eight.

"It's great that it's clear. The system uses me, and I use the system." I hear Jinwoo mutter. "You played around with a person's life, so are you ready to face the consequences? After all, if you guys are hunters, I'm saying you should be ready to become hunted."

Acting completely nonchalant to his threat, on of Hwang's buddies throws his arm around Jinwoo, but he soon finds himself without a head.

Still trying to figure out what had just happened, Hwang orders his mage to fire at Jinwoo again, but Jinwoo just flashes past his magic and shreds the mage to pieces. Dealing with his next three opponents by stabbing one of them in the shoulder, the next in the stomach and the next all around, his passive effects of his weapon activate, and I watch the rather gruesome action that each status effect inflicts.

Within the next few seconds, only Hwang remained. Watching him recklessly charge towards Jinwoo, I watch Jinwoo simply maneuver around his shield, plant his hand on his face, and then shove him into the ground.

Hwang then begins to beg for his life, until he eventually resorts to the "Do you even know who my little brother is…" card.

Beheading him quickly, Jinwoo walks back to us.

"The boss was defeated; the dungeon is closing. Let's leave quickly."

Following his words, my eyes turn towards the blue box that's been open since I killed the dungeon boss.

---

⸢Quest Reward

'Sudden Quest: Kill the C-Rank Boss' completion condition have all been met.

Will you receive the reward?⸥

---

⸢Quest Rewards – Choose your rewards.

[You may choose from the rewards below]

Reward #1: Status Recovery

Reward #2. Experience Points +10

Reward #3: Skill – 'Venom Spread'⸥

---

⸢Skills

[Active]

100 Mana

-Licking a weapon to imbue it with the effect 'Paralyze' for 30 seconds.

-Multiple weapons can be given said effect.

-Can be reapplied

-Effect 'Paralyze': Has a chance to render enemies unable to move⸥

---

Upon reading its effect, I obviously chose the 'Venom Spread' skill. Even if it was a little weird to apply and the effect didn't last all that long, it was a worthwhile ability to have.