Chapter 155: Chapter 155: Stimulation (2)

“It’s a bit hard to adapt. If I make a wrong move, I might get injured… but the taste of this boost is good.”

After casting a speed buff and indulging in selfish indulgence, this was the overall evaluation I came to.

It was fast. Insanely fast to the point that the problem wasn’t the speed, but whether my body could withstand it.

Especially when suddenly changing directions or trying to stop, the physical resistance was beyond imagination.

If I overdo it just to indulge in the speed, it wouldn’t be surprising if I end up with broken bones or torn muscles.

Going forward, I’ll need to learn how to handle my body at maximum speed buff when Park Dong-jae is around.

On a wide-open highway, speeding isn’t a problem, but speeding on a winding road is a recipe for disaster.

That’s exactly how it was now.

No matter how fast you are, if you can’t handle it skillfully, it’s just a one-way ticket to the afterlife express train.

After finishing the test, I set a save point for teleportation at the starting point.

Since I knew from the beginning that this dungeon had many variables, in case of an emergency, I planned to ensure at least Park Dong-jae’s safe escape.

When I explained the situation to Park Dong-jae in advance, his eyes sparkled with admiration.

“You’re worrying about the buffer first, hyung. Bad guys usually abandon buffers and let them fend for themselves.”

“Don’t worry. Those guys will get weeded out eventually. As long as buffers don’t have a bullet in their head, they won’t team up with those guys again.”

“Right. There’s quite a blacklist managed separately by the buffer network too.”

“What’s the buffer network?”

“It’s exactly what it sounds like. A secretive community just for buffers. It’s more closed-off than you’d think.”

“Makes sense. If internal information leaks out, it would cause trouble for many people.”

“Oh, hyung! Look over there. It seems like Canis hunters are tackling a large-scale monster.”

When I looked in the direction Park Dong-jae pointed, indeed, hunters were confronting a massive monster.

Canis.

They’re the managing entity of this open-type dungeon.

They’re a well-known guild in the US, though not quite on par with the Fortuna Guild.

At that moment, a group of hunters emerged from the direction where the Canis Guild was fighting.

All of them wore Canis Guild armbands, and most had hostile expressions.

No matter who was here, they didn’t want to interact with anyone not involved.

As expected.

“Everyone stay at least 500 meters away. You never know when this place might expand into a battlefield. If it does, we’ll kill any hunters who get in the way.”

A Canis Guild gunner hunter threatened, aiming his gun.

It was a strong indication that they didn’t want any hunters other than those from the Canis Guild to interfere.

If it were any other guild or group of hunters, a bloodbath would have ensued immediately.

But neither Kang-hoo nor Park Dong-jae had any such intentions. The Canis Guild was the managing entity, after all.

It’s a kind of privilege. As the guild managing the dungeon, they’re guaranteed special hunts.

If you don’t like it, you can challenge them.

But obviously, it wouldn’t end well. Especially for a well-regarded guild in the US.

So Kang-hoo and Park Dong-jae retreated without hesitation.

“Hyung, what did they say?”

Park Dong-jae, who was terrible at English, asked Kang-hoo, understanding it was a warning from the word ‘kill’.

“They said it’s their hunting area, so get lost. Or die.”

“Oh.”

“Simple, right?”

“Yeah. But hyung, you’re pretty good at English, aren’t you?”

“Korean, Chinese, Japanese, English, Latin. I can speak these five languages.”

“Wow… That’s crazy.”

“I regret not learning more.”

It was true.

Someday, I’ll be active on the world stage too. I didn’t want to face language barriers then.

Of course, just knowing English is usually enough to get by anywhere.

But the original author’s interest in language studies during his life was very helpful.

Especially Japanese and English, which I could speak as fluently as a native.

On the other hand, my Chinese was slightly weaker, relatively speaking. Although, it was still at a native level.

Kang-hoo turned his attention away from the busy northern area where Canis Guild’s monster ‘raid’ was happening.

He pointed towards the south and east.

As mentioned during the briefing before entering the dungeon, these were areas with relatively fewer hunter entries.

The terrain was very rugged and challenging, with many dense forests making visibility difficult.

For these reasons, hunters preferred the open northern and western areas for better visibility and response to variables.

“Dong-jae.”

“Yeah?”

“As I said earlier, this open-type dungeon is full of mid-bosses and main bosses.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“How about just hunting mid-bosses and main bosses? If you match my pace, I’ll give you all the loot.”

“Will you be okay with that? I’m just a buffer, but you’ll have to fight properly.”

“That’s my problem.”

“As long as it’s okay with you, I have no complaints. Especially if I get all the loot.”

“Deal?”

“But what do you get in return, hyung?”

At that moment, Park Dong-jae asked a sharp question.

It was a natural thought.

Offering the loot means there’s something else I want in return.

However, from Park Dong-jae’s perspective, if he took the loot, there would be nothing left for Kang-hoo.

Though he was slightly taken aback, Kang-hoo smoothly navigated the situation with a prepared answer.

“Exclusive experience points.”

“Ah, so you want me to step back at the last minute? So you can get all the experience points?”

“Exactly.”

“That means I’d have to give up the experience points… Well, I guess it’s a good chance to make some money.”

“Deal?”

“Okay. Deal.”

The transaction was finalized.

The reason Kang-hoo was so eager for the mid-bosses and main bosses was none other than skill plundering.

In an open-type dungeon of immense scale, numerous mid-bosses and main bosses existed.

For Kang-hoo, this place was akin to a giant buffet.

It was so vast compared to the Hell of Judgment that there were many ‘side dishes’ worth coveting.

Of course, the high level of the dungeon meant that the difficulty was quite high. There wouldn’t be any easy targets.

A single skill is invaluable.

Even if he yielded loot worth hundreds of billions to Park Dong-jae, Kang-hoo wouldn’t feel any regret.

Depending on the skill acquired, a single skill could replace that value.

Skill books fetch high prices. Similarly, acquiring skills inherently holds great value.

After moving south with Park Dong-jae for about an hour.

As they distanced themselves from the dungeon entrance, which served as a sort of assembly point, the surroundings became quieter.

The number of hunters they occasionally encountered on the way significantly decreased, and the frequency of encounters dropped noticeably.

Although there were minor skirmishes along the way, hunting isolated monsters was not a big deal.

It was just enough to get a taste of combat, making them long for a proper fight.

At that moment.

A hunter, who had been scarcely visible, appeared.

Though his appearance was different from typical hunters, he was undoubtedly a hunter.

Park Dong-jae suddenly clasped his hands and spoke to Kang-hoo when he saw the unexpected appearance of a priest.

Of course, he lowered his voice so the priest couldn’t hear.

“Hyung, why is there a priest here? Judging by his outfit, he seems like a father.”

“Who knows.”

“I think I see a dead hunter’s body over there? And it looks like he’s praying for him?”

“Hmm.”

“It must be tough, coming all the way here to pray for a deceased hunter…”

Seeing the priest’s genuine appearance, Park Dong-jae’s wariness quickly dissipated.

Naturally, since the priest was holding the hands of the dead hunter and praying for him.

He even drew a cross over the book and cross placed on the hunter’s chest. Tears falling in the process were a bonus.

From the start, Kang-hoo was observing the priest with narrowed eyes.

The information about his constellation was too alien for him to be a devout priest.

【Despicable Priest】

【When you perform a ritual praying for the soul of a hunter you killed with your own hands, you get 1 to 10 bonus stat points at random once.

You can do this up to twice in 24 hours, and if you reach the limit, you must wait 24 hours before the next attempt.】

A constellation that conditionally grants bonus points from hunters he kills himself.

It’s a constellation that incites serial killing. Essentially a murder-encouraging constellation. It’s designed to be that way.

He was certain this wasn’t a real priest. It was more likely a demon disguised as a priest.

At that moment.

The fake priest, who had slowly risen, wiped his tears and bowed cautiously to Kang-hoo and Park Dong-jae.

Kang-hoo and Park Dong-jae also greeted him.

However, Kang-hoo signaled behind his back where the priest couldn’t see.

One middle finger. The agreed-upon signal to indicate an ‘enemy.’ A target to be wary of.

Park Dong-jae quickly understood and greeted more politely.

Going even further.

“It’s admirable. There aren’t many who would pray for the souls of the dead in a place like this.”

“No, it’s just heartbreaking to see such tragic deaths. Are you heading this way?”

“Yes, we are. And you, Father?”

“I was trying to solo here but realized my limits. Unfortunately…”

The priest turned back to the dead hunter and made the sign of the cross.

However, the direction of the cross was completely wrong. He didn’t seem to notice and remained serious.

Park Dong-jae gulped, sensing tension. It could transition into a combat phase at any moment.

Kang-hoo took a step towards the fake priest. It didn’t seem like this situation would pass quietly.

If he was hunting hunters alone here, his skills wouldn’t be ordinary.

Moreover, the disguise of a religious figure, ideal for breaking others’ defenses, made him even more effective.

Kang-hoo began.

“You’ve worked hard.”

To which he replied.

“No, not at all. If it’s alright, may I pray for you two? I have a constellation that significantly boosts luck.”

‘Even his lies sound creative and convincing.’

Kang-hoo laughed inwardly.

If he hadn’t been able to scan his constellation information, he would’ve been easily fooled.

Who would refuse a prayer to increase luck?

It could even instill belief in those who previously had none. It could be interpreted as a kind of buff.

At that moment.

Realizing further pretense was pointless, Kang-hoo took another step closer to the fake priest.

And in a low voice, whispered in his ear.

“Cut the crap, you bastard.”

A short, sharp insult aimed at someone selling out faith for their own gain.