Thumbs Up, Level Up

Chapter 34

Ji-Cheok received a call from Ji-Han.

– How have you been? I wanted to ask if you’d like to join an actual dungeon run. Of course, I’ve already organized the dungeon list, so you can just choose one and begin from there.

Ji-Han’s speech was casual, but nonetheless careful—so much so that Ji-Cheok felt an invisible barrier between him and Ji-Han.

“A dungeon list?”

– Yes, I’ll recruit some team members to tag along with you, so why don’t you stop by the center?

There was no need to refuse, but Ji-Cheok wanted to decide on the members by himself. Ji-Han continued as if he had read Ji-Cheok’s mind before he answered.

– Of course, you can take them out if you don’t like them.

Ji-Cheok didn’t understand why Ji-Han favored him so much, considering he was a rookie. When he hung up, Cheok-Liang spoke.

?He has a plot in his mind, but strangely, I don’t see any malicious intent from him, Master.?

“I think so, too.”

Cheok-Liang slowly wagged his tail.

?It’s very difficult to deal with this type of people because they act based on worthy causes beyond what is right and wrong and compassion.?

“Worthy causes?”

?…?

Cheok-Liang silently shook his tail like a White Feather Fan, then replied.

?Please take me with you, Master. It seems fun.?

***

Ji-Cheok headed to the office instead of the training floor when he arrived at the center. There were three people with Ji-Han.

“Ah, hello,” Ji-Han spoke first.

“Good afternoon,” Ji-Cheok replied. “Have you guys eaten yet? It’s already lunchtime.”

Ji-Cheok tried to make the atmosphere more friendly by asking more questions.

“Hello, I’m new here. My name is Um Ji-Cheok.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jung Ji-Byeok, and I’m responsible for tanking. I’m Ji-Han’s cousin.”

Ji-Cheok extended his hand for a handshake, and Ji-Byeok grabbed it with no hesitation.

‘It’s pretty funny, but she doesn’t look like Ji-Han at all.’

Ji-Byeok was a beautiful woman with big eyes and well-defined features. She was over a hundred eighty centimeters tall, and her body was muscular enough to be viewed as a weapon. Her lower body, with well-developed hip and thigh muscles, took people's breath away.

She looked more like a Westerner than an Asian, and her body was better-shaped than a professional wrestler’s. She was wearing a dark-colored sleeveless t-shirt that revealed her upper arms and shoulders, as if she enjoyed showing off her muscles. People meeting her for the first time probably thought that her outfit was a little too much, but right now, everyone looked at her in awe—with her perfectly defined muscles, she looked like a sculptor’s masterpiece.

‘What would it take to bulk up like her?’

Ji-Byeok spoke while chewing on some jerky.

“Let’s lure some monsters and put up a wall to defend against their attacks. Like this!”

She punched the floor and a solid concrete wall instantly rose.

Slam!

“The wall’s construction and durability depend on the ground material. I’m also good at luring monsters, since I can reinforce my body. Ah, I also love eating monsters.”

Although she had randomly performed her skill in the middle of the room, the rest of the people didn’t seem to be surprised.

“Wow, that’s an awesome ability! Oh, is that thing you’re eating right now monster jerky?” Ji-Cheok asked.

“Hahaha, it’s a Lizardman’s tendon.”

‘Wow, her skill and appetite are something.’

[Hunter Jung Ji-Byeok has a good impression of you.]

[You have received 2 Likes!]

She reminded Ji-Cheok of the Bang twins, as she had given him 2 Likes for his compliment even though he had just said it for courtesy’s sake.

“Would you like to try some?”

She placed a jerky in his hand even before he answered. Then, she spoke in a majestic tone.

“It’s a low-class Minotaur’s neck. Sharing this is a sign of friendship..”

‘I’m eating Minotaur’s neck jerky on the first meeting…?’

However, it smelled delicious. Ji-Cheok had already made and eaten Lizardman jerky with alchemy.

‘Since it’s Minotaur jerky, it must be expensive, even though it’s a low-class one.’

Ji-Byeok was giving him such expensive stuff on the first day—indeed, as expected of a chaebol.

‘Fine, let’s eat.’

Ji-Cheok closed his eyes and took a bite, then his mouth filled with a distinct and deep beef flavor.

‘Oooooh?’

It almost felt as if a cow was walking across his tongue, mooing. It really tasted like Galbi. Even though there were no added buffs in the meat from the System, Ji-Cheok wanted to save it because it was delicious.

“Is it good?” Ji-Byeok asked.

“Yes, yes!”

With an expression that said ‘why, would you look at that?’?Ji-Byeok continued, “You are the first person who ate a piece of monster jerky without hesitating at all. Everyone else refused.”

[Hunter Jung Ji-Byeok’s interest in you has increased, as you have recognized the true value of jerky.]

[You have received 2 more Likes!]

‘Hahaha, I had already created jery using alchemy under extreme conditions.’

Ji-Cheok actually understood the others’ reactions; there was no reason to chew monster jerky when so much normal food existed in the world.

Another person beside him said, “I have a weak stomach.”

Then, she reached out her hand toward Ji-Cheok.

“I’m the party scout and long-range dealer. Call me Byeol Ha-Na”

It looked like she would deal with both support and damage dealing.

“I didn’t know there was a last name ‘Byeol’ in Korea,” Ji-Cheok said.

“I named myself because I’m a gate orphan.”

“Ah…”

Gate orphans were kids who had lost their parents during the Monster Wave crisis. The older children knew at least who they were and who their parents had been. However, very young kids, or those who didn’t even remember their names due to PTSD from the war, received placeholder names for administrative purposes, then later named themselves. Even if they wanted to look for their birth registration, the community service center’s server had totally crashed during that time.

“Byeol Ha-Na… That’s a good name,” Ji-Cheok said.

“Thank you.”

Ha-Na released Ji-Cheok’s hand calmly.

“My main ability is to control animals, and I’m the one who figures the way out of the dungeon. I use a bow and a dagger as weapons, but I prefer setting traps.”

“Traps?”

Shwoooong!

A thin, almost invisible wire appeared in front of Ji-Cheok. Ji-Byeok frowned slightly.

“There are many Hunters who hate traps, did you really have to show us this during our first meeting?”

Traps were used to catch monsters, but they were also often used to capture Hunters. Among dungeon runners, this kind of move was known as a “backstab”. Since such a despicable method was more annoying than any direct attack, many Hunters hated it.

Unperturbed by Ji-Byeok’s comment, Ha-Na continued with a composed attitude.

“You’d find out anyway. Also, if you don’t like it, then you don’t need to join us in the first place.”

Ha-Na threw a pen, and as soon as it hit the wire, the wire loosened and split the pen into pieces.

Slice!

“This is what my ability is.”

She said it in a businesslike manner. Her eyes were weary, as if she had been familiar with people having their guard up against her. It seemed like there had been drama that Ji-Cheok didn’t know about. Ji-Cheok smiled brightly.

“It seems very useful. Please use it if we camp out!”

“I’m glad you don’t mind. Okay.”

Ring-

[Hunter Byeol Ha-Na has set some boundaries, but she has a somewhat good impression of you.]

[You have received 1 Like.]

She seemed single-minded, but Ji-Cheok thought she was a nice person.

The only one person left had a unique appearance. He looked like a pretty teenage boy with tanned skin, fancy, white hair, and long, similarly white eyebrows. He had a straight nose, and his red lips reminded Ji-Cheok of tropical fruits. He was lean and muscular and was wearing a summery sleeveless shirt that exposed his back. His white nails shone like jewels. All in all, he was a beautiful youngster who seemed to have embraced sunlight with his entire body.

“I’m a priest. I’ll be responsible for healing. Call me Seong Kwang.”

“Seong Kwang? That’s a unique name.”

“I’m also a gate orphan, so I named myself. Ah, don’t worry too much about how I look, it has nothing to do with the god I serve.”

He seemed well-aware that his appearance drew the attention of people. He didn’t seem to belong to Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhism or Islam. His hair fluttered like feathers, contrasting with his tanned skin.

“What is your religion…?”

“Ah, I can’t tell you that. I’ll show you my ability, though.”

As Seong Kwang brought his hands together in prayer, a winged pig appeared, descending from the air.

“Please restore this…”

The pig flapped its wings and flew toward the pen that Ha-Na had destroyed. Then, it reinstated the pen into its original form.

“It’s easy to repair the pen, as it is a small weapon with no mana, but it will be difficult to recover people.”

“What about the flying pig though…?” Ji-Cheok asked.

“It’s an apostle of God.”

“An apostle of God?”

“Yes, it has been with us from the beginning of civilization and has sacrificed its flesh and bones to save others from hunger, so it deserves to be an apostle.”

“An apostle of God…in the form…of a pig?”

“Yes. There are other apostles in the form of chicken, cow, and sheep.”

‘Fried chicken, beef… Mmm… Lamb…’

Ji-Cheok thought of those animals in a completely different way, but wisely decided to keep his mouth shut.

“That’s such a useful ability. I’m honored to be on your team.”

“I’m grateful to be with you at the party.”

[Zealot Seong Kwang shows pure interest in you.]

[You have received 1 Like!]

Others were labeled as ‘Hunters,’ but Seong Kwang was referred to as a ‘Zealot.’

‘His god is most likely a god of cooking or farming’

Seong Kwang continued.

“I hate wasting food. Promise to take only the amount of food that you’ll be able to finish. Please don’t waste food, as much as possible. I hope you finish the jerky you got.”

“Ah, okay.”

‘He really is eco-friendly.’

Ji-Cheok thought that Seong Kwang probably served an environmentally friendly god. Society really need this kind of god pretty badly.

Then, Ji-Han spoke,

“These are the people I trust the most. I hope you like them.”

“I’m grateful for being able to join this group,” Ji-Cheok said.

“As always, you’re way too humble,” Ji-Han sighed.

[Jung Ji-Han has fallen in love with your personality again.]

[You have received 2 Likes!]

Ji-Cheok had definitely saved Ji-Han in a past life.

All three of these Hunters had wonderful abilities, so Ji-Cheok could feel how much Ji-Han cared about him as he placed them in his party.

“The three of them usually hunt together, right?”

Ji-Han nodded at Ji-Cheok’s words.

“Our company is planning to give them key roles in the next major team. People also have high expectations toward the three of them, as they are considered super-rookies.”

Ji-Han then looked at Ji-Cheok, as if implying that he was also one of those people the company was paying attention to.

There was a tank, a supporter-dealer, and a healer in the party. The tank, Ji-Byeok, had high-quality equipment, as the Jung family could afford it. The supporter-dealer was quick and could deal damage safely from a long distance. The healer handled the others’ injuries and buffed them from the back.

If Ji-Byeok’s ability was outstanding, the monsters wouldn’t even pay attention to the other two members, so it was a well-balanced team.

A small team of elites wasn’t particularly suitable for large-scale combat, but it was certainly appropriate for fighting against a small group of strong monsters. In fact, each of the three seemed to be in a rare class that Ji-Cheok had never seen before, even while working in the industry as a Hunter Assistant. They all were quite the characters, but Ji-Cheok liked how they could complement each other without invading each other’s area.

“Your brother, Um Mu-Cheok, is nearing the end of his training. He’ll join you after he finishes the Hunter exam,” Ji-Han said.

“You seem to be certain that he’ll pass,” Ji-Cheok responded.

Ji-Han nodded.

“I think you guys will be the most powerful rookie brothers of all time.”

‘How strong has he become? I’m satisfied as long as you can protect yourself, Mu-Cheok.’

1. The full name Jung Ji-Byeok means ‘immovable wall’

2. Korean-style grilled ribs.

3. It means ‘one star’ in Korean.

4. Yes, Catholicism is Christian. It do be like that sometimes in novels.