Chapter 23. Your Name

"

Ha... Ha...

"

After making his escape, Kim Do-Joon fought to catch his breath. Unfortunately, the familiar view of his home did little to alleviate his distress.

He exhaled deeply in an attempt to settle his nerves. Encountering a boss with over seventy percent Compatibility would unnerve any Hunter, and he was no exception.

Once calm, Kim Do-Joon cast his mind back to the boss room.

It looked like some kind of chapel.

He had only caught a glimpse, but that was all he needed. Based on what he had seen, the boss seemed to be another ghoul variant.

He continued to analyze and dissect the fleeting memory. His urgent retreat right after seeing the boss’s status menu had given him little time to digest what he had witnessed, but he intended to fix that.

"

Ha

... That boss has to be at least A-rank," Kim Do-Joon muttered.

If the boss had a tricky nature or a unique ability, it could even be an S-rank! He couldn’t dream of punching so far above his weight.

His lips curving into a deep frown, Kim Do-Joon pulled out his phone and made a call.

Ring— Ring—

Click.

— Hello?

"Hi, Ms. Ji-Ah. It's Do-Joon."

— Oh. It’s been a while, Mr. Do-Joon. Looking to schedule another dungeon run??

"No, I'm good on that front. Um... Well, actually, I have a favor to ask..."

Kim Do-Joon requested a copy of all information the Association’s monster database had on A-rank or higher undead monsters.

— Huh? What for? You're only F-rank, so you wouldn’t be able to enter an A-rank dungeon...

"I just have something I need to check. Will it take long?"

— No, I'll send it over right away.

Shortly after ending the call, Kim Do-Joon received an email containing the requested information.

Whether it was the Death Knights of Deocon or the Doom Warmer of Evilheim, Kim Do-Joon pored over every record he received. He read about the Necropolis, a dungeon that was itself a monster, and the S-rank Bone Dragon that had once been called a disaster. He read every word and every passage multiple times to ensure he did not miss anything.

However, it was all for naught.

None of these monsters look like the one I saw earlier.

There was no lead for him to follow. All he had to show for his research was the obvious: undead monsters were weak to the divine element, which even a grade-schooler would know.

Kim Do-Joon clenched his teeth in frustration.

What should I do? Find some other way to raise my Compatibility to seventy percent?

Prudently training his Compatibility would be the orthodox approach, but it was far from ideal. Although Compatibilities effectively functioned as levels, raising them was hardly as linear as the numerical system suggested.

Monsters with over sixty percent Compatibility were too difficult to hunt using conventional means. Hence, most Hunters retired as B-ranks. Only the most talented and powerful among them could break through the sixty percent bottleneck and qualify as A-ranks, much less reach the peak of S-rank.

Thanks to my copy-paste ability, I’d be able to break through to A-rank. But...

Kim Do-Joon was not sure how long it would take him. He only reached thirty-five percent in under six months because of the labyrinths, his unique hunting grounds.

Without access to the fourth labyrinth, he’d be forced to rely solely on dungeons. It would take him years to get to where he had to be.

It could even take a decade...

He could not afford a decade.

A-rank Hunters were often household names, but fame alone would not be enough to carve a path toward the legendary Golden Divine Elixir. Ten valuable years were too high a price to settle within their ranks.

I need to find another way.

No matter what, Kim Do-Joon had to clear the labyrinth and get the fourth-tier key.

But how?

The problem led him back to the beginning. How could he possibly defeat a potentially S-rank boss?

Kim Do-Joon spent the ensuing week brainstorming a solution only to come up empty. The time passed nonetheless, and the cooldown for his return skill reset.

***

[You have entered the Collapsed Temple.]

Devoid of its insectile swarm of ghouls, the labyrinth was still as desolate as the last time he had visited it. Save for Kim Do-Joon, the ruins were wholly empty and eerily quiet.

As if to welcome him, a familiar message popped up.

[A hidden quest has been created.]

A hidden quest?

As he read, Kim Do-Joon recalled the time he had received a hidden quest in the Catacomb, the first-tier labyrinth. As soon as he entered, the message about a hidden quest appeared, and he gained the Insight skill as an additional reward.

Kim Do-Joon’s heart pounded in anticipation.

The Insight skill had proven invaluable. However, although the prospect of a similar reward was enticing, his focus was on something else entirely.

Could this quest provide some hint for clearing the labyrinth?

Kim Do-Joon could use the help. With a serious expression, he began reading the quest details.

[Hidden Quest]

- Collect forgotten names.

- A name, the basis of existence, distinguishes an individual from the countless nameless things in the world. A forgotten name leads to a forgotten existence, which eventually vanishes.

- By finding the name, the soul will leave its mark once again in the memory of the stars.

Kim Do-Joon tilted his head in confusion. "What is this?"

Unlike the Catacomb’s straightforward message to clear the labyrinth, the Collapsed Temple’s quest only provided him with vague information. Whose name did he have to find? And where could he find them? Was there a diary somewhere in the temple?

Is it telling me to find the name of the boss?

Kim Do-Joon remembered the boss’s name next to its Compatibility.

[???]

Was he supposed to figure out the name of the boss? How on earth would he do that?

I might as well give it a shot.

Standing still would not accomplish anything. With his muscles tensing up, he headed toward the underground area of the temple, ready to use his return skill at any moment.

Stopping a little ways from the door, Kim Do Joon pulled a pole out from his inventory and used it to cautiously push the door open. Though a timid approach, he had to be cautious. Coming back despite knowing that the boss was here was already reckless enough.

Through the open door, their eyes met.

“...!”

Kim Do-Joon would have immediately activated his return skill if not for what the boss did next. After briefly locking eyes with Kim Do-Joon, the boss turned away as if uninterested.

Huh? What’s going on?

Kim Do-Joon was confused. Monsters typically exuded hostility upon sensing a human presence, as if loathing their existence. However, this one was different. It showed neither hostility nor curiosity, merely returning to its task.

Is it carving a stone?

The monster seemed to be grinding a hard stone on the floor. Serving as a testament to its strength, it was still gradually wearing the material down despite its crude technique.

Though Kim Do-Joon was not sure what the monster was doing, it was clear that it had no intention of attacking. Hence, he cautiously entered, leaving the door open for a quick escape if needed.

As he remembered, the interior resembled a chapel. The room had numerous massive pillars and an altar in front of the monster. The floor was littered with tattered, unrecognizable cloths, possibly old cushions.

Ignoring him entirely, the boss monster continued its slow, methodical task.

Kim Do-Joon remained silent, observing it as tension coiled in his muscles and prepared him to flee at any moment.

Tap, tap, tap.

Scrape, scrape, scrape.

The creature, moving slowly but with practiced familiarity, ground not just stones but also wood pieces and bone fragments of unknown origin. It seemed to be crafting something or perhaps just engaging in a repetitive, meaningless action.

The latter is quite plausible.

After all, the boss monster was a ghoul, a type of undead notorious for its low intelligence. No one would think twice if it were merely grinding a stone against the ground for no reason.

About an hour passed before the boss monster stopped working and sluggishly rose. Kim Do-Joon tensed, but it did not approach him. Instead, it simply wandered off. After some time, it returned with what appeared to be a bunch of plants.

He wondered what the boss monster needed the plants for. As he frowned in confusion, the ghoul began chewing on them.

Kim Do-Joon was speechless. He had seen undead creatures gnaw on humans and feast on their own kind, but a ghoul eating plants was a first. Was it a vegetarian?

While observing the creature, an idea struck him, albeit a seemingly silly one. He retrieved a can of vegetables that he had bought at the market from his inventory.

Maybe this is a clue.

An undead that ate plants had to have some secret. It could be nothing, but Kim Do-Joon was a man of action.

If this works, maybe I can use poison on it or something.

Kim Do-Joon was not sure what would be poisonous to an undead, but finding any clue was crucial.

Set in motion by Kim Do-Joon, the can rolled across the floor, eventually stopping near the creature. The boss monster looked at it and let out a low growl. It was still ignoring Kim Do-Joon, but it was at least finally showing interest in something else.

“

Kurrek

...?”

It picked up the can with its decayed, skeletal hand and examined it curiously. It then tapped on the can, twisted the lid off, and stirred the vegetables inside with a finger. Finally, it popped a piece into its mouth.

Kim Do-Joon gulped nervously as he watched. The sight seemed ridiculous, yet it felt crucial. Hence, he tried to shake off his self-doubt and focus on the potential breakthrough.

Would the monster like the taste? Wait... Does it even have taste buds?

The ghoul's face barely moved due to its lack of muscle, making it hard to tell if it could actually taste the food. Still, it continued to eat. It could just be Kim Do-Joon's hopeful interpretation, but it appeared to like the vegetables.

Soon, the ghoul finished the canned food and smacked its lips. It then looked at Kim Do-Joon.

"Huh?"

To his surprise, the boss monster mimicked his earlier action; it stuffed the plant that it had been eating inside the can and rolled it back to him. Perhaps this was its way of showing appreciation.

Kim Do-Joon picked up the can and examined the plant.

[Raygium]

Description

- A plant that only grows in holy and serene places.

Rarity

- Rare

Classification

- Ingredient

Effect

- When its extract is applied to a weapon, it can deliver a divine element attack to the undead, but only once.

Wait! This is an ingredient for a divine potion!

Kim Do-Joon recognized the plant immediately. It was a key ingredient for creating a divine potion that imbued a weapon with divine power for a single use.

Why is an undead eating this?

The plant was still in its raw form, which meant it would only have a mild effect., Even so, divine power was supposed to be excruciating for an undead.

Maybe the boss monster could tolerate it since it was at least an A-rank. Alternatively, the plant could simply be almost harmless in its unrefined state.

Perhaps it was similar to dolphins playing with pufferfish to experience a mild toxin-induced high.

Regardless of what the boss was using it for, Raygium could be processed into a divine potion. While not extremely rare, the potions were valuable, selling for over a million won per bottle due to their utility against undead monsters.

The potion was a popular option among high-ranking hunters who did not require a weapon with a divine element but wanted something just in case.

A thirty-thousand-won can of vegetables turns into a million-won return?

The margin was staggering. Nevertheless, before this extraordinary business opportunity, which required little investment and no labor, Kim Do-Joon remained focused on clearing the labyrinth.

Is this the key to finding its name?