Level Up Machine

Chapter 29: Another Jackpot (2)

**Dungeon.**

A perilous place teeming with traps and powerful monsters.

In this world, there were two types of dungeons. One type existed on the continent from the beginning, before the invasion of northern monsters. The other type was created directly by the northern monsters.

The dungeon Yeong-sik found, known as the “Abandoned Mine,” was presumed to be one of the dungeons that existed from the beginning.

Dungeons were filled with elite monsters and numerous life-threatening traps, making it a place where one could easily lose their life if not careful.

Despite the dangers, dungeons were incredibly popular among summoners.

The reason for their popularity was quite simple. Dungeons offered much more gold and experience points, which were crucial for summoners, compared to other hunting grounds of the same level.

Clearing a dungeon once could yield several rare items as well as a substantial amount of gold and experience points that could not be obtained in regular hunting grounds. It was natural for summoners to be drawn to such enticing rewards.

“This is… a jackpot.”

Bae Han-seong exclaimed as he stepped into the entrance of the dungeon Yeong-sik had discovered.

Although the exact nature of the dungeon was still unclear, it was certain that the rewards would be far greater than those for hunting Red-Maned Rakan.

“Are dungeons really that great?”

Having never experienced a dungeon before, Yeong-sik tilted his head and asked.

In response, Bae Han-seong nodded and answered.

“Do you remember what Kang Ha-rin of the White Sword Guild said before? She mentioned that by focusing on elite monsters in a dungeon, one could reach level 60 in just two months.”

“Ah… I remember that.”

Yeong-sik nodded, recalling Kang Ha-rin’s words.

“That dungeon was probably maintained by the guild for their new members, deliberately leaving it unconquered.”

“That’s an interesting strategy.”

Yeong-sik thought it was indeed a clever approach, befitting a large guild.

With a sly smile, Bae Han-seong continued.

“The rewards are already substantial, but in addition to that, we get a ‘First Sight’ bonus.”

“A ‘First Sight’ bonus?”

“It’s a bonus that includes increased experience, gold, and rare item drop rates for a week when a dungeon is discovered for the first time.”

“Ah.”

Yeong-sik nodded, recalling the message window that had appeared before his eyes earlier.

“Depending on the difficulty of the dungeon, if it’s suitable for your party, Yeong-sik, it will allow you to grow at an incredible speed.”

Bae Han-seong said this with a slightly excited voice.

Yeong-sik also smiled with satisfaction at his words.

At that moment, a thought flashed through Yeong-sik’s mind.

‘Come to think of it, my maximum level is still 35…’

Only then did Yeong-sik realize his level limit. His current level was 27.

Even if the dungeon guaranteed the kind of growth that warranted the term ‘jackpot,’ there was a limit once he gained just 8 levels.

‘Still, I can earn a lot of money.’

As long as he had the money to buy iron ore, he could continue to craft machines using his manufacturing skill, thereby raising the level of his Structural Analysis skill. With an increase in the level of Structural Analysis, new abilities and an increase in the level cap would follow.

‘This is an opportunity.’

Yeong-sik’s eyes gleamed as he stared into the dark depths of the dungeon.

This dungeon exploration was an excellent opportunity for him to take another step forward in his growth.

“Shall we get going right away?”

Yeong-sik said with enthusiastic eyes.

However, Bae Han-seong shook his head at his suggestion.

“Entering like this right now would be too dangerous.”

“Then what do you suggest?”

Yeong-sik asked, showing a hint of disappointment.

Bae Han-seong replied with a thoughtful expression.

“Well… Usually, it’s better to have more supporters when dealing with a dungeon.”

“But it’s meaningless to bring supporters blindly without knowing the difficulty of the dungeon, isn’t it?”

Yeong-sik tilted his head and asked.

As he said, for this dungeon to truly be a ‘jackpot,’ it had to be of a difficulty that Yeong-sik’s party could handle.

But if monsters over level 50 appeared, Yeong-sik’s party wouldn’t be able to handle them.

“Then let’s first check the difficulty.”

Bae Han-seong nodded, agreeing with Yeong-sik’s logical point.

Yeong-sik continued to ask.

“What if the monsters are too strong for our party to handle?”

“In that case, it would be unfortunate, but I think it’s better to give up the First Sight bonus and level up elsewhere before coming back. It would be a waste to leave the best hunting ground like a dungeon unused just because our levels aren’t high enough.”

Yeong-sik nodded at his words.

It was regrettable to miss out on the First Sight bonus, but it was far better than recklessly attempting the dungeon and getting annihilated.

“Then let’s just check out the entrance.”

Bae Han-seong said and took the lead.

Under normal circumstances, Gil-soo, the tank, would have taken the lead, but since the dungeon’s difficulty was unknown, the highest-level member, Bae Han-seong, took the lead.

Seeing the healer class at the forefront, Yeong-sik had a complicated expression. It reminded him of the significant gap in power that levels could create.

Thud. Thud.

As they ventured deeper into the dungeon, a heavy sound echoed through it. Yeong-sik and his party looked towards the source of the sound with tense expressions.

There, a massive stone golem, nearly 3 meters tall, was walking towards them.

-“Intruders. Eliminate.”

“Stone Golem, huh…”

Bae Han-seong narrowed his eyes sharply as he spotted the monster and raised one hand.

“Bless Fire.”

A pure white flame appeared on his right arm. He unleashed the flames towards the Stone Golem, which was approaching with heavy steps.

Whoosh!

The Stone Golem’s body became engulfed in the white flames, but it continued to stride forward, completely covered in fire.

Gil-soo stepped forward and raised his shield.

“Holy Strike!”

A fist-sized ball of light shot out from Bae Han-seong’s hand.

The Stone Golem, hit by the attack, staggered greatly. It couldn’t hold out for long and collapsed right in front of Yeong-sik’s party.

A deep smile spread across Bae Han-seong’s face as he observed this.

“Perfect. It seems to be about a level 30 monster.”

“Shall we start the dungeon raid right away?”

Yeong-sik proposed that they begin the dungeon raid immediately, considering the monster’s level wasn’t that high.

Bae Han-seong shook his head in response.

“No. Let’s return to the guild first and bring additional supporters.”

“Hmm. Is it too difficult for you to handle alone?”

“Yes. Not only am I not a combat class, but level isn’t everything in this world. If dozens of Stone Golems suddenly appear, we’d be defenseless.”

Even a high level wouldn’t guarantee victory against a large number of enemies. Yeong-sik had heard that since he first arrived in this world.

“Then let’s scout a bit more and return to the guild.”

Yeong-sik’s party explored the abandoned mine for about an hour before heading back out.

During their exploration, they discovered that the main monsters inhabiting the abandoned mine were not the Stone Golems, but zombies dressed in tattered miner’s clothes.

Bae Han-seong estimated the zombies’ levels to be around 20, making them easier to deal with than the Stone Golems.

Back at the guild, Yeong-sik and his party explained the situation to Tiria and requested additional support.

Tiria, concerned upon hearing about the dungeon discovery, suggested not going, but the reactions from other guild members were positive.

The supporters selected were Yu-na, Chae-rin, and Han-seong.

Yu-na scolded Chae-rin, saying she was useless in a dungeon-type field, but Chae-rin insisted on going, saying she was too bored staying in the guild house all the time, clinging to Yu-na’s arm to persuade her.

Unable to resist Chae-rin’s persistence, Yu-na eventually agreed, making the supporter group three members strong.

Although sending three summoners over level 80 into a mere level 30 dungeon seemed inefficient, it wasn’t a bad idea from the perspective of ensuring safety.

“Be careful, everyone.”

The next morning.

Tiria came out to see them off, her face filled with worry. Now a group of six, Yeong-sik’s party received her well-wishes and headed toward the forest where the dungeon was located.

“Ah, it’s been a while since I went out!”

Yu-na stretched energetically, clearly relieved after being cooped up in the guild house for so long. She wore a loose robe and pulled the hood deeply over her face, hiding it.

Yeong-sik glanced at her and spoke.

“Come to think of it, why didn’t you cover your face when we first met?”

“Well, it was a beginner’s hunting ground for summoners… And it was a swamp. Wearing a robe in that crazy hot weather would have been unbearable.”

Yu-na replied with a disgusted expression at the mere thought.

Yeong-sik chuckled at her words.

“Ugh… It’s so stuffy, Yu-na unni.”

“Just bear with it for a bit. You can take it off once we enter the forest.”

Chae-rin, who was clinging to Yu-na’s side and following closely behind, whined. Yu-na patted her head as they walked forward.

Just then.

“Would you like to buy a refreshing fruit juice?”

An old woman with a friendly expression approached them.

Behind her was a stand filled with magic tools for making ice and various fruits.

Chae-rin’s eyes sparkled at the old woman’s words.

“Hehe! Yu-na unni! Buy me a juice!”

“Ugh… This leech.”

Sighing, Yu-na approached the old woman selling the juice.

“How much for one?”

“All of them are 50 coopers.”

“Alright. Six, please.”

Yu-na couldn’t buy one just for Chae-rin, so she ordered six from the old woman.

With a kind smile, the old woman took out ice from the magic tool and started making the juice.

“By the looks of it, you’re summoners, aren’t you?”

The old woman asked Yu-na while preparing the juice.

Yu-na nodded and answered her.

“Yes, we are.”

“Heh. It’s amazing to live so long and meet people from another world.”

The old woman said with a light smile.

Yu-na smiled awkwardly, unsure of how to respond.

The old woman glanced at Yu-na’s waist and spoke again.

“By the way, you use a rather unusual weapon.”

She was looking at the two red twin swords strapped to Yu-na’s waist.

Yu-na shrugged and replied.

“There’s even someone who fights by pulling a sword out of their hand.”

“Oh? Is there really someone like that?”

The old woman looked at Yu-na with a fascinated expression.

Yu-na chuckled and turned her head towards Yeong-sik.

Yeong-sik sighed deeply, as if he had a headache, and looked away from her.

“Here you go.”

The old woman handed six cups of juice to Yeong-sik’s party.

Yeong-sik took the juice, drank it, and started walking again.

‘This feels more like a picnic than a dungeon raid.’

Yeong-sik had a puzzled expression at the incredibly peaceful atmosphere.

‘Well, I guess it makes sense.’

He had heard that Yu-na’s level was 92.

Given that she had a hidden class specialized in combat, unlike Bae Han-seong’s healer class, tackling a low-level dungeon like this must have felt like a stroll in the park for her.

While for Yeong-sik and his party, the dungeon raid was a life-or-death challenge, for her it was just a simple walk. This thought made him feel quite complicated.

Determined to level up quickly himself, Yeong-sik headed towards the forest.

“Take care of yourselves!”

The old woman waved at them as they left.

Yeong-sik’s party disappeared beyond the city. Once they were out of sight, the old woman’s expression hardened.

She turned around and opened a drawer in the stand. Inside, there was a communication crystal ball, which she grabbed.