Chapter 200. It Looks Like There's Nothing, But There Is. (2)

Epic, huh. No matter how many Legendary-grade items a hunter possessed, they would never underestimate the value of an Epic-grade one. Both were precious and irreplaceable to a hunter.

"Epic-grade... So that's why it affected me too."

A cold sweat dripped down Haseong's dry face. There was no major change in his expression, but he awkwardly spoke with a slightly trembling voice.

"Then, I'm sorry to ask, but could you possibly lend me an antidote potion?"

But I couldn't give him what he wanted.

"I don't have anything like that."

"...Are you saying that someone who handles an Epic-grade poison weapon doesn't have any emergency antidotes?"

In the end, we took an unexpected break. Seriously, what a sudden disaster in the middle of a smoothly progressing raid.

***

A little later.

"I'm sorry. I thought it was just a unique-grade item since you handled it so casually, Hunter Kim."

They were currently sitting on a large stump somewhere in the dungeon. The Green Dragon's nest had been famous for its vastness even before the dungeon began to expand. As long as the monsters were cleared out, there were plenty of places to rest.

"How about drinking a lot of water for now?"

Giryeo had learned a valuable lesson from the previous disaster and now made sure to bring basic supplies like drinks and necessities every time they went into a dungeon. So, he opened the messenger bag hanging from his shoulder and took out a bottle of water. Haseong, surprised at first, gratefully accepted it and took a drink.

"How is it? Are you okay?"

"Yes. If we just rest here, I don't think there will be any problems."

It's a good thing the victim is an S-rank, or it could have been a bigger issue.

"If a Hunter were to die from something like this, I wonder what percentage of responsibility I'd be held for."

Swish.

Giryeo firmly sheathed the Hydra that had caused the accident.

At that moment, Haseong, who was sitting on the stump, seemed unable to take his eyes off the scene.

"By the way, Hunter, you don't use a holder, do you?"

What Jung Haseong referred to as a "holder" was a leather belt commonly seen in the hunter industry, used to attach a sword to a scabbard and carry it around.

Moreover, there was no need to look far for examples of this. Items obtained from dungeons often had designs that made them difficult to wear or equip.

"Ah, that."

Giryeo, hearing those words, lowered his gaze and stared at Jung Haseong's waist. Through the long coat, the complicated design of the holder he had just mentioned became visible. However, even after seeing it, there was no real desire to have it.

"I'm just fine as it is right now. As long as the belt holds my item box, that's all I need."

He's not sure if it's just a trait of the Alphaurums, but for Giryeo, leaving a weapon imbued with magic lying around instead of holding it felt unsettling. So, he declared that he would continue to carry it this way in the future.

Carrying the longsword in its scabbard by his side or simply holding it loosely in his hand. Honestly, since he doesn't really engage in any major battles, isn't this enough?

"As for portability, now that I have the item box, it's all good."

However, after hearing that response, Haseong suddenly spoke up.

"What's the name of that sword?"

It was a series of questions about the artifact.

"[Hydra]. And as you can see from the effects you just experienced, it's related to poison damage."

As the answer answered nonchalantly, Jung Haseong nodded to himself and then continued the conversation calmly.

"Both [Screaming Stakes] and [Hydra], it seems like you use a lot of dangerous items. They all seem to be weapons that activate even when touched by their owner..."

"Well, that's true."

Wait a minute. By the way, did he ever mention to Haseong that I use [Screaming Stakes]?

"Hmm?"

Giryeo briefly felt puzzled, but then shrugged it off, thinking that he must have seen it somewhere, like on the news. In truth, these phenomena were signs of something he didn't yet understand.

"Uhm..."

Anyway, Haseong stopped staring at Giryeo's sword, cleared his throat, and spoke.

"But there's one thing I'm curious about."

"What is it?"

"Hunter Kim Giryeo, do you usually appraise your equipment yourself instead of outsourcing the task?"

In response, Giryeo nodded.

"Then... could you perhaps appraise my sword with that skill as well?"

However, his nodding stopped at the next words. The 'my sword' that Haseong mentioned was the very first Legendary-grade weapon discovered in this world. In short, it was an item that scholars on Earth were raising their hands and feet for.

"I know that the skills used by appraisers are more or less the same, but since you're Hunter Kim, who made it through the labyrinth of the Magic Tower, I thought it might be different..."

The [Sword of Sunset] possessed by Haseong was a treasure, praised for its rarity, but in reality, no one had been able to uncover its true abilities. Appraisers, scientists, and even the owner, Haseong, had all struggled in vain to determine its power. As a result, by now, everyone had simply come to regard the weapon as a sturdy blade that wouldn't melt even when exposed to S-class flames.

"Hmm."

At Haseong's words, Giryeo looked down at the longsword hanging from his holder.

"Alright. Let me see it for a moment."

To be honest, he had always been intrigued by Legendary-level items, so a straightforward answer came quickly. However, for some reason, the moment the great wizard took hold of the red sword, his attitude changed.

"..."

There was no noticeable change in his expression. However, through the sharp eyes of an S-rank Hunter, it was clear—Kim Giryeo had momentarily held his breath the instant he touched the sword.

"This is..."

The silence lasted only a moment. Within three seconds, Giryeo resumed breathing and spoke in a calm tone.

"I don't know either."

It's an obvious statement. Legendary-grade items have remained undisclosed treasures even under the scrutiny of countless top-tier appraisers. Logically, Kim Giryeo shouldn't be able to analyze it either, right?

"Not at all?"

"Uh, um. Yeah. Sorry, but even I have no idea what this is."

Giryeo scratched his ear with his right hand, then quickly returned the [Sword of Sunset] to its owner. Haseong lowered his head with a hint of regret and spoke.

"I understand. Then, we should start the raid again."

But the appraiser beside him stopped him. His complexion had certainly improved compared to before, but there was still a bluish mark left on the young man's finger.

"Well, it might get worse if you push yourself. Wouldn't it be better to rest a little longer?"

"But..."

"It's fine. Besides, with the number you've already taken down, it'll take the Magic Tower quite a while to catch up."

Giryeo said that as he pulled out a new snack from his messenger bag. It was a high-calorie chocolate that has recently become quite popular in the hunter industry. They took a few more minutes of rest to replenish their lost energy.

Meanwhile, what was the Korea Magic Tower's raid team up to while these two were taking their time?

***

Meanwhile, the Korea Magic Tower's raid team.

"Green Dragon spotted at the rear! Green Dragon at the rear!"

"Those with area-of-effect skills, quickly use them over there!"

"Invisibility has been lifted-"

"Ack! My shield!"

As a certain Archmage had predicted, despite their relentless efforts, they still lagged far behind Haseong's achievements. Dragons, even among other A-rank creatures, were considered especially formidable opponents. Their scales were simply too tough, preventing attacks from dealing proper damage, which inevitably slowed down the hunting process.

Time dragged on. It felt like trying to take down an elephant with a single hammer blow.

"Ha, that's enough."

But our ancestors once hunted massive mammoths—so what's stopping us from doing the same now?

Boom!

Awakened users of the Frost skill chain continued to trigger their abilities, freezing the skin. Then, they would repeatedly apply fire, blasting away the altered protein layers with concentrated firepower.

The modern hunters continued their skillful attacks using the data they had accumulated so far. Then, one by one, loot began to increase in the empty blue plains.

"Everyone, stop attacking! Stop! The item has dropped. Confirming the death."

At last, the Green Dragon pack was annihilated. Normally, this would have been the only chance for Haseong's team to surpass his hunting count while he was resting, but the people here also decided it was time for a break.

Meals, restroom breaks—humans still had bodies unsuited for working nonstop all day.

"Whew— I'm exhausted. Seriously, why are these damn Green Dragons so cunning in their habits?"

"Haha! Right? The moment you let your guard down, they sneak up on you with their invisibility."

The guild members of the Korean Magic Tower soon secured a safe zone and took their lunch break. The food they brought out was not much different from the high-calorie preserved rations that Kim Giryeo had carried.

"Hmm."

But a few minutes later, the A-rank hunter sitting on the tree stump seemed to have grown tired of the jerky he ate every day. With a playful expression, he suddenly struck up a conversation with his teammates.

"But you know, that Hunter Kim Giryeo."

For reference, the topic of their chat was the S-rank Awakener who had come with them.

"Doesn't it totally seem like there's something going on between him and our Guild Leader?"

The young female hunter, who was the listener of this conversation, chewed on her kimbap as she pondered. That middle-aged man, the leader of the Korea Tower's A-1 team, was usually a pretty decent person. Except for one fatal flaw—he was way too interested in other people's love lives.

"The thing is, I heard they were even spotted shopping together at a clothing store before! Just the two of them!"

Does this team leader even know that he's nicknamed 'nosy old man' behind his back? The subordinate hunter, looking unimpressed, spoke to her superior.

"You really take every chance to pair people up, don't you?"

However, the other person didn't even bat an eye.

"Well, that's because there's no such thing as just friendship between a man and a woman. With Hunter Kim and the Guild Leader being of similar age and keeping in touch so often, how could I not be suspicious?"

"What do you mean there's no such thing as friendship between a man and a woman?"

"Haha, I used to think like you once. But after living life a little, I realized that friendship between a man and a woman is pretty hard to believe in-"

There must have been a reason for this foolish tendency.

"Well, my ex-wife said he was just a 'friend,' but he was actually cheating on me for five years until I found out..."

"Ah."

A heavy silence fell. The guild members of Korea's Magic Tower focused on their lunch with stiff expressions, but the troublesome team leader continued the conversation.

"But well, now that I think about it, I really can't picture Kim Giryeo flirting with anyone anywhere."

As the leader of this raid, he had spoken with Kim Giryeo the most among the members of the Korean Magic Tower Guild.

"No, I mean, he looks like a total thug, but he's unbelievably polite. I was really shocked when I talked to him this time, you know?"

The hunter munching on her kimbap suddenly thought that if that particular description of the S-rank hunter reached his ears, the team leader might not live to see another day.

"On top of that, he dresses like a company worker, always putting on a suit every day. His appearance alone gives off such a serious vibe, making him quite an impressive guy."

"Hmm."

"I guess I'll buy myself a suit."

After hearing that remark, the hunter munching on a kimbap thought that no matter how many suits the team leader bought, he would never pull off the same look... And besides, since the team leader wasn't even an S-rank, his lack of defense would soon leave him gravely injured anyway. However, that hunter decided not to say anything about it.

"Green Dragon spotted at the front!"

It was at that moment. A guild member monitoring the area with an analyzer suddenly shouted. This at last, the Magic Tower hunters immediately raised their weapons, and amidst the sharp clanging of cold steel, a man spoke.

"I'll hold it off! Those of you still chewing, swallow properly so you don't get indigestion, and get up slowly!"

Giving up his break to take the lead for his subordinates—at times like this, he truly seemed like an ideal leader.

"Well, since it's a good opportunity, let's experiment with this as well..."

At that moment, a guild member of the Magic Tower noticed their superior pulling out an unfamiliar piece of equipment—an antique wooden-handled weapon with a sharp dagger attached.

"[Screaming Stakes]? When did you buy that?"

Isn't this a Unique-grade item that became famous for being used by a certain S-rank Hunter?

"I, it's not like I bought it just because of someone—I just thought it might be a clever trick against such a high-defense opponent."

Something felt uneasy. The leader of Team 1, firmly gripping the [Screaming Stake], used his area-of-effect skill, Stone Spike, to reveal the enemy's hidden position. Then, he thrust the dagger's blade toward the exposed target.

Then, the scene that unfolded was...

"Kaaah!"

"Oh my!"

"That, reckless fool."

Stimulated by pain, the Green Dragon went on a rampage, trampling everything in its path. Seeing this, the guild members of the Magic Tower put down their chopsticks and rushed to the scene.