Thumbs Up, Level Up

Chapter 57

Seong Kwang brought out ham from somewhere. Ji-Cheok wondered if this ham was made from the ranch, but he didn’t feel like asking. The God that Seong Kwang worshiped was a God of livestock, not vegetarianism. Everyone had their own beliefs.

‘Tastes pretty good.’

Ji-Cheok used his Sword Qi to slice the ham as thinly as possible to make it into canapés. He knew that if he cut it too thick, it would become too salty to eat. Ji-Cheok put the thinly sliced ham on top of a piece of cheese and cracker to create a feast on the palate.

“It’s so interesting,” Ji-Han said.

“What is?” Ji-Cheok replied.

“I can’t believe that you would cut food using the Sword Qi. Also, the chopping board wasn’t damaged at all. I don’t think that’s a cooking skill, how did you do that?”

“Um… You just need to do it without using any skills.”

Everyone, except for Ji-Han, looked at Ji-Cheok in amazement.

“Without using any skills? Then, all the sword techniques we saw right now were not using actual skills?”

“There is no ham cutting skill among the Heaven and Earth Divine Arts.”

“I mean, of course. I get that, but…”

They all looked at Ji-Cheok as if he had just said something crazy.

Ji-Cheok had thought the same in the past. He’d never seriously thought about how the sword moved or how to use it better, he would just kill enemies with the skills he had.

‘It’s only natural to think it’s weird.’

[You have received 1 Like from Hunter Jung Ji-Han.]

“That’s a good story,” Ji-Han said, appearing impressed by Ji-Cheok.

Ji-Cheok thought that maybe it was because of his cooking performance.

The party was thus able to continue the meeting in a more friendly atmosphere.

“This time, a level-restricted dungeon appeared, and the request came directly from the government. They were looking for the best team at a relatively low level, and I think we were chosen.” Ji-Han said.

Ji-Han sent the file to everyone’s tablet. A picture of a dungeon floated over a tablet as thin as the ham Ji-Cheok was slicing.

[Party Limit: 10]

[Level Limit: 40]

[Estimated Difficulty: Unable to identify]

“As you all know, a request of the government…”

“...It’s more like an order, not a request, because the first duty of a Hunter is to protect the citizens from the dungeons.”

Ji-Han laughed bitterly as Ha-Na finished his sentence.

“Yes, that’s right. Of course, the reward for clearing the dungeon is going to be substantial.”

“...”

The atmosphere got really tense.

“What’s the reward?”

“First of all, there is the bounty, which is going to be three times the previous bounty. But this is not the most important part,” Ji-Han said.

‘What’s more important than money?’

“Full tax exemption for the next ten years. Also, you will be exempt from the obligation to declare your weapons,” Ji-Han continued.

“Woah…”

Everyone was surprised by the last reward. Being exempt from all taxes didn’t just mean not paying taxes. Taxes were an important means for the government to track what a Hunter was doing while also collecting money for the state. Hunters were also legally obligated to declare the weapons in their possession, which the government duly recorded. The government already knew about Ji-Cheok’s Monoblade, but this reward meant that he didn’t have to declare anything else to the government. Only a select few high-ranking Hunters had benefits this good.

‘This was just another way for the government to say that if we clear this dungeon, they will get off our backs and we can do whatever we want.’

However, the government hadn’t been able to estimate the difficulty, which meant that an average party could never clear it. It also meant that Hunters who had already entered were annihilated. Simply put, it was a dungeon without any proper information. They only knew that the party limit was ten and the level limit was forty. The probability of death in a dungeon usually varied depending on the party members, but from looking at the data, this was a suicide mission.

Ji-Cheok was in thought for a moment. He wondered what the Gods in the sky were thinking. He knew, in some sense, that all of this had been because of the influence of those Gods. As Ji-Cheok was lost in thought, Ji-Han started to speak.

“It seems like the government was very impressed with the fact that Ji-Cheok annihilated all the gnolls, including a level 80 boss.”

“I saw that! You were amazing,” Ji-Byeok said.

Seong Kwang spoke up as if he didn’t want to lose to Ji-Byeok.

“I subscribed and liked your videos with all three of my accounts.”

There seemed to be some tension between Ji-Byeok and Seong Kwang. Ji-Cheok didn’t know why.

“I saw that too, I thought I was gonna lose my place in the party since Cheok-Liang was so good at finding directions,” Ha-Na said.

Ji-Cheok realized that was why she was training so hard, even before the meeting.

?Hehe. You’ll need to train hard if you don’t want to lose to me.? Cheok-Liang said as he wagged his tail.

Ha-Na’s trap skill was good enough to get herself a place in the party. Even if Cheok-Liang was better at scouting, there was no reason for Ha-Na to be cut off.

‘I think Ha-Na has nothing to worry about.’

“Anyway, Ji-Cheok is now in the spotlight as the star player on our team. I think this is good for the team,” Ji-Han said.

“That’s right!”

“I agree!”

“Brother Ji-Cheok is my treasure.”

Seong Kwang started to call Ji-Cheok his brother. It seemed that Ji-Cheok’s ham and cheese crackers had made a good impression on Seong Kwang.

?He also said that Master was the only one who believed his words.?

‘I guess that might be a reason too.’

Ding!

[Jung Ji-Han, Jung Ji-Byeok, Seong Kwang, Byul Ha-Na, and Um Mu-Cheok sincerely praise you.]

[You have received 12 Likes.]

Ji-Cheok was happy that he kept receiving Likes, even though it was a small amount.

“What I am about to tell you now is strictly confidential, please do not tell anyone,” Ji-Han said as he turned off his tablet.

“...?”

“Going forward, dungeon requests from the government are going to get harder.”

“Why is that?”

“Because the person who wants me dead has a connection with the government,” Ji-Han said.

Everyone’s expression darkened at his words. There was determination in Ji-Han’s words.

‘Ji-Han told me that he chose the most trustworthy members for the party.’

That was why Ji-Han was telling this secret to his teammates.

“In about half a year, maybe a few months, we will be able to choose our dungeon to clear,” Ji-Han said.

Many things were implied in Ji-Han’s announcement.

?It means that Ji-Han will lay the foundation for the succession of the group in that time period. And I think he knows who has a connection with the government.?

“...”

Cheok-Liang was lost in thought for a while. Then, he spoke,

?I think there’s going to be bloodshed in the Jungha Group, Master.?

‘Bloodshed? You mean, Ji-Han’s gonna kill him?’

?Ji-Han is only nice to you, Master, but he is cold-blooded in nature. He is going to make that guy pay for it one way or another. He seems to not express his feelings, but he must be quite angry.?

‘Hmm, I didn’t intend to choose an easy dungeon anyway, since a harder dungeon means more Likes.’

?I understand. That is my Master’s Way of the Hunter. You are going to conquer the world by rejecting the easy path and blazing a yet unknown trail.?

‘I guess it’s a good thing that you are staying positive. Anyway, I’m fine with his decision. I was thinking of going to a difficult dungeon. So should I tell him that? Would that make him less angry?’

?It won’t help much. Rather, he will turn his anger toward those who hurt you.?

‘Um… Then I guess it’s best for me to just keep quiet.’

In a bright tone, Ji-Cheok changed the conversation flow.

“I think the title of our next GodTube live is going to be ‘Clearing the impossible dungeon!’.”

“Our live? Does that mean that we are going to be in it?” Ji-Byeok said.

“Yes. If there is anyone who doesn’t want to appear, please tell me now, because I can record it and edit it instead.”

“I’m in!” Ji-Byeok, Ha-Na, and Seong Kwang said at the same time.

?It’s human nature to want to be famous, Master,? Cheok-Liang said as he looked at their twinkling eyes.

* * *

The next day, an announcement for a live stream appeared on Ji-Cheok’s channel. It was a short announcement, but the meaning behind the announcement was heavy.

[Level limit: 40, clearing the impossible dungeon!]

The number of views exploded in an instant.

-Wow, Ji-Cheok was really below level 40?

-So the theory that he was around level 20 when he killed that two-headed gnoll is correct.

-How is that possible…

-Were there any other Hunters who could do that in Korea?

In people’s minds, Hunter’s level was a measurement of strength, and Ji-Cheok broke that unspoken rule. The attention of the viewers snowballed. At the same time, there were many viewers who posted troll comments.

-Didn’t he become a mukbang GodTuber?

-Mukbang genius, Um Ji-Cheok. 乃 Follow your mukbang path to become the best mukbang GodTuber. 乃

-Don’t bite off more than you can chew, Umji. Let’s just do mukbangs now.

-He is a combat mukbang GodTuber.

-When are you gonna post Cheok-Liang’s mukbang videos?

? I think he is going to do a monster mukbang.

? Today’s mukbang menu is monster sashimi.

? Umji is going to pour sesame oil on the monsters’ heads.

The viewers who had joined Ji-Cheok’s channel to see his mukbangs were blending well with the usual atmosphere of the channel.

-Stay alive, Umji. You make my meal complete. 乃

-Umji, the guardian of people eating alone. 乃

The viewers commented jokingly, but there was some seriousness from the comments. The fans were delighted with the news, and at the same time hoped Ji-Cheok would come back alive. Hunters were like athletes in many ways, but there was one major difference: a Hunter who shone brightly today could come back as a corpse tomorrow. A small mistake could lead to irreversible damage for Hunters.

-He will come back alive. Umji will come back alive.乃

-I knew he was not the type of Hunter to take the easy route. I just hope he comes back safe. 乃

-Umji, you look cool even when you’re breathing, so don’t worry about your pride and run away if it gets too dangerous. 乃

-If you die, it’s over, Umji. Even if you fail, no fans will ever leave your side. 乃

-I had a lucky dream today, but I’m going to give that dream to you. Come back safe. 乃

Ji-Cheok had so many fans commenting on his channel that the malicious comments got pushed away. The fans wished him a safe journey in the dungeon.

Before long, the day of the raid had arrived.

* * *

The leader was obviously Ji-Han. With him in the lead, the team members were all gathered at the entrance of the dungeon, right in front of the Gate. Ji-Byeok was the tank, Seong Gwang the healer, Ha-Na and Mu-Cheok both support dealers, and Ji-Cheok—an all-rounder who knew how to do everything from tanking and healing to supporting. Together with Ji-Han, there were six members, a good number for a small raid. A standard party consisted of two tanks, two dealers, and one healer, but there were cases where the party brought in one or two support-type Hunters for a total of six or seven members. Ji-Cheok’s team in particular had two Hunters that were both dealers and supporters, and Ji-Cheok could do everything, which made it even stronger.

Ji-Han, who was the leader and the director of this team, had an irregular ability: time control. Ji-Cheok had no idea how Ji-Han’s skill worked, but he knew for sure that Ji-Han used that skill to kill the mushroom demon. Ji-Cheok was guessing that Ji-Han used something like [Time Stop] or [Time Acceleration]. However, the latter had yet to reveal his ability to his team members. Ji-Cheok thought it was because of the internal quarrel in his family.

Ji-Cheok realized it was time to stop being suspicious of Ji-Han. He was the team leader, and to successfully clear this dungeon, Ji-Cheok knew the team had to follow his orders no matter what.

The mushroom dungeon raid had been intended to help the party members improve their teamwork, like tuning a piano—well, in any case, that had been the intention before the dungeon suddenly evolved. In addition to that, they had also worked to improve their combat chemistry before entering this new dungeon. It was time to show the results.

Ji-Cheok’s and Ji-Han’s eyes met as Ji-Han turned around.