Dungeon Hunter - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Episode 1. Beginner Protection Period (1) 1

When the message window that filled the air disappeared, I looked around.
‘I really…came back,’ I thought. I was back in the desolate cave.
The ‘Dungeon Core’, shining with blue light, was the only thing next to me. The object I had lost decades ago was right in front of me, and that could only mean one thing: I was really back in my past!
I couldn’t believe it. I was back in time.
‘Status window.’ When I thought the words, a window appeared in front of my eyes.
First Name: Randalf Last Name: Bruciel
Occupation: Count of Deveildom (Dungeon Master)
Title: None
Ability Levels:
Power 64, Intelligence 42, Speed 59, Strength 72, Mana 50
Others: N/A
‘Huh!’ I thought. ‘Did my ability level go back as well?’
If I had returned to the past, it was only natural that my abilities would be reduced. 1
I clenched my fist, and my eyes shone.
‘It was my only wish to have another chance.’ In my death, that was the only thing I infinitely desired.
Although my abilities had gone back to their initial statuses, that wasn’t really an issue for me. It was good enough to have a second chance.
Moreover, because I still had my memories, there were numerous ways to get strong again.
‘I will never lose it again.’
I turned around and looked at the dungeon core. It was an adult-sized stone that shone with bright blue light. The stone was the core of the dungeon. It was a precious treasure that I had to keep by any means necessary, even with my life. I’d lost it too quickly before. Now, I wouldn’t lose it. I would do whatever I needed to in order to keep it. I won’t lose any of the things that were given to me.
Shhhh.
Suddenly the blue light from the core became stronger and started to create a small figure.
The light slowly shaped into something I expected. It was the translucent shape of a fairy. A palm-sized fairy flew around the stone.
The fairy was pretty cute, and her emerald hair and shiny eyes were so beautiful that it seemed like she wasn’t from this world. A little later, the fairy stopped in front of my eyes and bowed down to say hello. 1
“Greetings, Dungeon Master. I’m Dungeon Master’s little helper fairy, Lyhee! Lyhee!” Lyhee smiled, showing her teeth. 3
Her name was Lyhee because she was smiling as if she was pronouncing ‘Lyhee!’. A name is something that you have to keep for your whole life, but fairies usually had names like this. They were creatures of simple thoughts.
Even so, I answered her sincerely. “It’s been a while. I’m happy to see you.” It was exactly twenty-five years ago when I last saw her.
The fairy had tried her best and gave her all to help me even though I kept pushing her away. Her effort didn’t get any reward and had ended in vain.
Back then, I was so stubborn that I tried to do everything by myself. Now, it was going to be different.
I swore that I would never lose my dungeon core and Lyhee again.
“Thank you for greeting Lyhee, Dungeon Master,” Lyhee said, flipping her small wings.
A fairy without substance had strength in its name, so the more it was spoken, the better. That was why Lyhee was calling herself by her name as if she was addressing a third person.
“But what do you mean when you say it’s been a while? Hasn’t Dungeon Master seen Lyhee somewhere before?” Lyhee put a finger on her lips to show her confusion, moving them with wondering eyes.
“It was just a figure of speech. Don’t you have a reason for appearing just now?” Although I was happy to see her, I couldn’t change how I spoke, but I still thought it was much friendlier than before.
Lyhee clapped her hands. “Oh, yes. It is Lyhee’s mission to explain things to my Dungeon Master. What do you want to know? Lyhee can find out just about everything. Or do you want me to explain everything from the start?”
I thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to listen to Lyhee’s explanation since it had been a long time, but I shook my head resolutely. I knew everything already, and I had to deal with things quickly. “I don’t need your explanation.” 2
“Really?” Lyhee opened her eyes wide with surprise. “But this is a whole new world! Everything is working under a totally different system. I can give you a comprehensive and brief explanation. Lyhee is an expert on explaining things.”
Lyhee flapped her wings as if she was disappointed and made pouty lips. She looked like she wanted to explain things desperately. Faries are chatterboxes, and Lyhee from twenty-five years ago was the same. If I let her, she wouldn’t stop for a few hours or more so she could explain all the tiny details.
“Sorry, but I don’t need it,” I insisted.
“Okay.” She dropped her wings with disappointment, but at the same time, she looked up with her shiny eyes. It was her attempt to make me have mercy and let her give me explanations, but that didn’t work on me.
“I will use the shop.”
“What! Do you know the shop? Did you study before coming here? Or, or are you…?” Lyhee jumped with surprise. Her habit to overreact to things was still the same.
Since I knew what Lyhee would say next, I answered to stop her. “Yes, I am a mind reader.”
“Wow, that’s amazing, master! Mind reading!”
‘That’s why master didn’t need any explanation~’ thought Lyhee. Lyhee was the symbol of simple and naive things. 1
“Now you know, so open the shop.”
Lyhee tried to calm her facial expressions and make a few dry coughs. As soon as she waved her hands in the empty space, some words appeared.
[Welcome to the shop for everything.]
Under the message window, there was an inventory. All I needed to buy those items were my points (pt).
As a count, I owned 200,000pt. I’d heard rumors that the dukes and archdukes started with way more points compared to mine.
There were many things, from regular potions to extremely strong magic weapons.
Some expensive ones cost more than several hundred pts, but what I was looking for was not those luxury goods. I quickly turned the pages, checking out the list. Soon, I reached a list where there was a line up of ‘Skill Books’.
By purchasing skill books, the buyer could use different abilities. It depended on the level, but skill books were clearly interesting items. That also meant that with many points, you could easily get high-level kills and become strong.
I had regretted it so much when I lost my dungeon! Now I’d traveled twenty-five years back in time and had another chance to use the shop.
There were a few thousand skill books, but the inventory was limited. For really good skill books, there was only one of each in the inventory, and they were obviously expensive. If another devil bought one, the book would disappear from the inventory list.
I spent some time to check if there were all the skill books that I needed. They were all there.
I quickly moved my finger. Skill Combination (Rare), Long Sight (Normal), Zoom-in (Normal), Closing eyes (Normal), Staring Contest (Normal), Calmness (Exceptional Normal).
After I’d chosen six different skill books, Lyhee murmured next to me with her finger in her mouth. “Ma…Master? You should be careful when you are using points. It’s really hard to gain them back. Besides, I don’t recommend these books. All of them aren’t exceptional skills anyway…”
Lyhee tried to stop me, but I’d already clicked the purchase button.
“Oh my god…!”
150,000 points evaporated instantly.
Flop! Lyhee lost the strength in her legs and fell down on the ground. She looked like she was shocked.
I could understand why. The fairy of a dungeon core supports the Dungeon Master with everything they have in order to make the Dungeon Master the Dark Lord. That was the only way to keep the dungeon safe and to level up. She had just witnessed me burn 150,000 points as soon as I started, so it wasn’t surprising that she was in shock.
Zing! The empty space started to vibrate as if it was a whirlpool. When the movement stopped, there were six skill books.
It was easy to learn the skill; all I had to do was to hold the skill book and say one word: “Learn.” It was as simple as that.
[Learned Skill Combination (R). Now, you can combine skills below the Rare level.] 1
[Learned Long Sight (N). With training, you can look further.]
I quickly learned all the other skills, but that was not the end of my work.
“Skill Combination,” I said.
[Choose skills that you want to combine.]
“Long Sight, Zoom-in, Closing Eyes, Starring Contest, Calmness!”
[Combine Long Sight, Zoom-in, Closing Eyes, Starring Contest, Calmness. Do you want to proceed?]
I simply nodded. That was enough to communicate.
The highest level of skill I could combine was Exceptional Normal. I was able to do that because none of the skills were over the Rare level.
Lyhee was looking at me, drooling. Her eyes asked me how I could do such a crazy thing.
Skill Combination sounded glorious, but often it failed. If you were lucky, you might get a skill that was not for sale in the shop, but it was a gamble with the lowest odds. Usually, it was a miss and caused the loss of all the points. And sometimes strange skills were created that weakened the person.
But…
[Congratulations! A unique skill, the third eye that can see through everything, ‘The Mind’s Eye’ has been created. Skills over Unique level can be learned only by one person.] 2
[You created a unique skill with combination for the first time. You gained 30,000pts.]
My face broke into a smile.