Chapter 2. What Luck

As he entered the dungeon, Kim Do-Joon felt a strange unease wash over him. He glanced around, but he found nothing unusual. The dungeon looked just like any other, damp and densely forested.

"Hey, Mr. Kim! Hurry up! What are you waiting for?" Mr. Jang shouted.

"Ah, yes! Coming!" Kim Do-Joon scratched the back of his head and quickly followed after Mr. Jang, catching up in no time.

"What’s the plan? Want to team up?" Mr. Jang asked.

Kim Do-Joon briefly thought about it. While teaming up provided security, if they found any resources, they would have to split them. Since they were only given a day to collect resources, splitting up seemed like the better option for profit maximization.

"I’ll go off on my own this time," Kim Do-Joon replied.

"Well, alright. Good call. Seems like the others have decided not to team up either."

As if of one mind, the other Gatherers were going their separate ways.

"I’ll get going too. Take care; I’ll see you outside," Mr. Jang said.

"Alright," Kim Do-Joon replied.

Mr. Jang left afterward.

Kim Do-Joon, armed with experience, also set off and began exploring the forest alone. Since the Hunters had already dealt with the monsters, he didn’t have to worry about any danger.

Time to find a stream.

Kim Do-Joon mainly collected herbs. He was looking for Red Herbs, in particular, the base ingredient of Healing Potions.

He was not as skilled as mountain guides with years of experience. Nevertheless, by examining nearby leaves and trees, he managed to find a stream.

"Found one," Kim Do-Joon muttered.

He then spotted Red Herbs nearby, causing his eyes to sparkle. An information window about them popped up.

[Red Herb]

Description

- An ingredient for Healing Potions

Rarity

- Common

Classification

- Ingredient

Effect

- Minor boost in vitality when chewed

Information windows set system items apart from normal ones. Since ordinary vegetation did not trigger them, in Kim Do-Joon’s vicinity, only the Red Herbs had one.

I’m quite lucky today.

Rather than a scant few roots, a whole cluster awaited him. Excited, he took out his sickle and harvested all of the Red Herbs, swiftly storing them away in his inventory.

Swoosh. Swoosh.

[Inventory]

- Food Box x 3

- Drinking Water x 5

- Rope x 3

- Axe x 1

- Knife x 1

...

- Red Herb x 22

Twenty-two roots of Red Herbs were a decent harvest. Considering it usually took about five roots to produce one Minor Healing Potion, which sold for roughly three hundred thousand to four hundred thousand won, he had essentially just earned one to two million won.

Setting off alone was the right choice.

Had he made this discovery with someone else, he would have had to share and halve his income. This was why it was usually better to venture alone.

After adjusting his belt, Kim Do-Joon returned his sickle to his inventory. To make the most of his limited time, he decided to follow the stream since potion ingredients were commonly found near them.

Should I go upstream or downstream?

After pondering for a moment, Kim Do-Joon began heading downstream.

Normally, he would choose to go upstream. The water was cleaner there, making the area more likely to host rare ingredients. However, since people trying to efficiently use their limited time would naturally flock there, he decided to take his chances in going in the opposite direction.

Fortunately, luck truly seemed to be on his side.

"Is that a Blue Mountain Flower?"

Blue Mountain Flowers were a potion ingredient that temporarily boosted Cold Resistance. Not long after spotting one, Kim Do-Joon found and filled his inventory with even more useful herbs.

What a day!

Kim Do-Joon could not help but smile. Contrary to his belief that he would only make some pocket money today, he had already earned almost an entire month’s worth of income!

He continued downstream for a little while longer before finally coming to a stop.

"A waterfall?" Kim Do-Joon muttered.

The waterfall’s refreshing rumble continuously filled the air. Kim Do-Joon glanced over the edge, confirming that there was no way down.

Hmm, I don’t have the time to find a way down.

He had hoped to squeeze every last drop of his good fortune while he had it, but it seemed this was as far as it went.

Disappointed, Kim Do-Joon turned around but paused right after. He could hear a faint growl amid the rushing water.

"

Grrrrr...

"

With a dark expression, he took his axe out of his inventory. He then looked for the source of the sound, finding a beast that resembled a wild dog except much larger and fiercer.

Kim Do-Joon’s eyes trembled at the sight.

I thought the Hunters had already cleared the monsters?!

Hunters had to defeat all the monsters but the boss during the first phase of dungeon raids. Only once the Hunters had reported their success would the cleanup party enter.

If the Hunters had followed the protocol, then what on earth was this beast still doing here?

Afraid that it would charge at him and tear his throat out, Kim Do-Joon froze and trembled in fear. His mouth dried up, and blood was rushing to his eyes, yet he couldn’t close them no matter how hard he tried.

During registration, Awakeners were sternly warned of situations like this.

"You never know what might happen inside a dungeon."

For that reason, he was told never to let his guard down.

Kim Do-Joon regretted not teaming up with Mr. Jang or at least going upstream like everyone else.

However, there was no use crying over spilled milk. He had already chosen to work alone and walk the path less traveled. He had no time to complain right now.

I have to survive.

The situation called for a more constructive mindset. Although not a Hunter, Kim Do-Joon was a seasoned Gatherer who had been exploring dungeons for six years. He was experienced enough not to panic in an emergency.

Thump, thump.

His heart beat faster. Blood rushed through his veins as he tensed up. In an attempt to avoid a dire situation, his brain pumped him with adrenaline with all its might.

"

Grrrr...

"

The beast quietly observed Kim Do-Joon.

Amid the tense standoff, sweat dripped down Kim Do-Joon’s forehead and seeped into his eyes, making him squint.

"

Grrrr... Grrrr! Woof! Woof!

" As if finding an opening, the wild-dog-like beast lunged at him.

Kim Do-Joon grimaced as he raised his axe and blocked the creature's fangs.

Thud!

Fortunately, he succeeded. Using the handle, he prevented the beast’s fangs from reaching him. However...

"Huh...?"

Kim Do-Joon lost his balance.

The monster not only dwarfed the ordinary wild dog in size. It was also significantly heavier. Moreover, Kim Do-Joon’s Strength stat was only level one. Being only slightly stronger than the average person, he could hardly support the added weight.

To make matters worse, he had been standing at the edge of the waterfall, back facing the cliff.

No!

He tilted dangerously at ninety degrees. Normally, his back would have already touched the ground at that angle, but he had nothing to lean against, much less step on. Entangled, he and the beast were thrown into the air.

Ah...

As the blue sky drew further away, Kim Do-Joon blanked out.

When faced with imminent danger, ordinary people would normally freeze. Those who could react swiftly in emergencies, like when an iron bar was hurtling down from above or a speeding truck was bearing down on a crossing pedestrian, were either extensively trained or inherently gifted.

If it could be called talent, then Kim Do-Joon was a very talented man.

Guh...!

Numerous thoughts raced through his mind. What actions should he take against the impending danger in this life-or-death crisis?

Crunch—

Kim Do-Joon gritted his teeth and curled up, hoping that the massive beast could cushion his fall.

The beast just kept barking at him. "

Grrrrr! Woof! Woof!

"

It was too focused on trying to bite Kim Do-Joon to pay any attention.

Kim Do-Joon couldn’t believe that this monster’s instinct to chase after any human it had spotted could be so helpful. However, he knew that it was still too early to celebrate.

Is this... really it...?

While desperately racking his brain, Kim Do-Joon hurriedly pulled out a Healing Potion with his left hand. It was one of the emergency potions he always carried in his inventory. Unfortunately, he couldn’t open the cork. The potion was securely sealed, and he couldn’t risk letting go of the axe lest the beast bite him before he could even drink it.

But he was prepared. Wary of situations where he couldn’t use his hands, he had chosen to store his emergency potions in a thin bottle.

He threw the entire Healing Potion, yakult-sized bottle and all, into his mouth. He then chomped down on it.

Crunch!

Although it was only level one, Kim Do-Joon was an Awakener engraved with a Strength Rune. Therefore, there was no problem doing this.

Keugh

...

The broken glass cut up the insides of his mouth. It hurt, but he endured.

System messages then popped up.

[You have consumed a Greater Healing Potion.]

[You have gained the Greater Regeneration effect for 15 seconds.]

Right after being notified that he had successfully consumed the potion, he felt vitality coursing through him and all cuts in his mouth healed.

Now, all he could do was pray to whatever gods were up there, whether they existed or not...

"Here I thought I was lucky for once, you son of a bitch!" Kim Do-Joon shouted.

... However, all that spilled from his mouth were curses.

***

Splash! Swoosh!

Kim Do-Joon couldn’t even scream. However, although his vision also blurred, he saw something flash in his eyes.

[You have defeated a monster. You have gained Experience Points(EXP).]

[Your Compatibility has increased.]

[Your Compatibility has increased.]

[Your Compatibility has increased.]