Pruina (5)

Gate Core.

It was a crystal-orb-shaped item, a bead that created a connecting link between reality and a dungeon.

It effectively created an entrance to a dungeon that was not yet known to the world, since no connecting link had formed.

So obtaining one Gate Core was the same as obtaining one dungeon.

‘Just getting a bound skill book already means I gained enough from Full Moon, but a Gate Core on top of that? If luck is this good, isn’t this completely like a novel?’

The corners of his mouth twitched on their own.

If he activated the Gate Core, he could create an entrance wherever he wanted.

In other words, he could freely implement an entrance even in a secret place unknown to the outside.

So naturally, there was no need to report it to the Public Safety Bureau or the like, and he could steadily monopolize the rewards inside.

“Hyung, I don’t know what this is, but I’ll touch it once. If you touch it wrong, you might get hurt.”

“You call that a reason?”

Squeeze.

“Aaah!”

Park Dong-jae, who had genuinely been trying to contact the Gate Core for Kang-hoo’s sake, was startled by Kang-hoo’s bold approach.

Because he had grabbed the orb as if it were nothing special.

Fortunately, nothing happened, but conversely, it was also a situation where anything could have happened.

“It’s fine, so don’t worry.”

“What is that?”

“A Gate Core.”

“What’s a Gate Core? That’s a name I’m hearing for the first time.”

Park Dong-jae’s reaction was the reaction of an ordinary hunter. The concept of a Gate Core was not a well-known concept.

Even in the original work, it was an item that only appeared when the story had nearly reached its conclusion.

Yet Kang-hoo had obtained a Gate Core far earlier than that, at least four years faster.

Kang-hoo explained the Gate Core while also scanning through the detailed tooltip.

“A bead that creates a connecting link with a dungeon unknown to the world. That seems to be what a Gate Core is.”

He did not forget to end the explanation not with certainty, saying “that is,” but with speculation, saying “seems to be.”

‘White Joy Ice Palace?’

Kang-hoo furrowed his brows.

White Joy Ice Palace. Looking at the words alone, he strongly felt that it was an extension of White Paradise, or that it was connected to it.

He took out the sacred relic “Tears of Margarita” and looked at the information again.

He had thought that the names were too similar for it to be a coincidence.

Of course, White Paradise and White Joy Ice Palace could be different places. He could not rule out the possibility that only the names were similar.

But Kang-hoo’s unique sharp intuition added certainty to the thought that there must be a connecting link somehow.

“Dong-jae, you check it too.”

Kang-hoo threw the Gate Core to Park Dong-jae and picked up the mana stones created at the spot where Pruina had fallen.

If he combined the appraised prices by type, it seemed they would be worth 100 billion won.

Kang-hoo pointed at the mana stones and casually asked Park Dong-jae.

“Dong-jae. Once we leave the dungeon, upfront settlement is possible, right? I’ll receive 50 billion won first, and you dispose of the rest.”

It did feel like he was leaving the troublesome processing to Park Dong-jae, but they were close enough to be considerate of each other to that extent.

“Yeah, no problem! But hyung, this…… if we’re going to use it properly, we definitely need to secure a place that won’t catch other people’s eyes. I think we need a more closed-off place.”

At Park Dong-jae’s words, having already finished checking the tooltip in that time, Kang-hoo nodded.

There was no need to deliberately reveal the existence of the dungeon to the world. A reason to report it to the Public Safety Bureau? Naturally, there was even less of one.

Because their thoughts aligned, the first thing Park Dong-jae had also thought of was searching for a place where they could burrow further into the shadows.

“Let’s discuss it together. It’s a reward you and I obtained.”

Kang-hoo answered with a smile.

From Kang-hoo’s position, since he would have many reasons to continue traveling in and out of the country, it would be difficult to meticulously care about each dungeon one by one.

Since he needed Park Dong-jae’s assistance in management, he did not intend to attach meaning to ownership of the White Joy Ice Palace dungeon.

To explore its interior, about which nothing was known at all, not one but multiple challenges would be essential.

The two began checking their bound skill books.

Before checking his own skill information, Kang-hoo glanced at Park Dong-jae, and Park Dong-jae, who had already finished checking, lifted his skill book with a proud expression and said.

“Hyung, I got auxiliary healing.”

“A healing skill?”

“Yeah. At this level, I’d say it’s about the level of a level 100 healer? This skill book advantage is too good! It shows from the start that it’s exclusively for buffers, so there’s no penalty either.”

“Buffs, debuffs, and healing. Fields that are naturally specialized separately have all been combined into one body.”

“That’s what I’m saying! Hyung, can I name myself the buffer who does everything alone?”

“If you mean to use it like a title, I’d like to stop you a bit. Even if I used it as a novel title, I wouldn’t name it that.”

“Is that so? But hyung, when you look at it, you’re exactly an assassin who does everything alone too, aren’t you?”

“In any case, that worked out well. I was just about to check mine too, and since your result was good, my expectations have grown even bigger.”

If he had become able to use a healing skill as well, Park Dong-jae’s value could only pierce through the ceiling and soar.

Just as Park Dong-jae always wanted to be together with the versatile Kang-hoo, Kang-hoo also began feeling that thought strongly.

The fact that one hunter could double in various fields reduced the demand for companions by that much.

Considering that many hunters died while forming parties with the minimum number of people to get a little more experience in dungeons.

The fact that current Kang-hoo and Park Dong-jae could handle many fields alone was the greatest strength.

Kang-hoo and Park Dong-jae. Just the two of them could handle buffs, debuffs, healing, assassination, tanking, magic use, black magic use, and summoned minion use, couldn’t they?

If these role groups were all divided among individual hunters, the party would increase to as many as eight people.

Then the experience gained would also be reduced to 25% compared to when there were two people, and reward distribution would be reduced by that much as well.

“First, hyung, check yours too! I’ll go look around to see if there’s anything useful among the corpses of the monsters we killed!”

Park Dong-jae tactfully left.

It was Park Dong-jae’s consideration that Kang-hoo had begun to notice recently.

Whenever it was time for Kang-hoo to check something important, Park Dong-jae left the scene on his own.

Since Kang-hoo knew that the guy’s thoughtfulness always prioritized him, he always felt grateful for that.

‘It’s a skill that pulls either enemies or allies to the place I want.’

It was a skill that created an invisible entrance within a 100m radius and summoned targets without distinguishing friend or foe.

Its strategic uses seemed varied.

It was not something to be used simply in the process of summoning enemy monsters or hunters and attacking them.

When they needed to cross or break through troublesome terrain, Kang-hoo could cross over and summon them.

In games, this kind of summoning was usually described as “pulling,” and avoiding dangerous zones in that way would be fully possible.

It was a peculiar variant form of a space-utilization skill. It felt like there would be many occasions to use it meaningfully in tactics.

‘So the parts added by the maximum proficiency effect were increased radius and increased people. Originally, it was 35m and 2 people.’

After opening all the detailed tooltips, Kang-hoo could feel the maximum proficiency effect.

The radius had nearly tripled, and the number of people had gone from 2 to 5.

At this level, it was such a dramatic change that one could say the skill had undergone complete rebirth.

‘It’s packed full.’

With those words, Kang-hoo could give an overall evaluation of the Full Moon Dungeon conquest.

A level that had grown rapidly, a bound skill book that was difficult to obtain, and even a Gate Core that could be called a fortuitous opportunity.

It had been worth waiting for the moment of the full moon.

After coming out of the dungeon.

Kang-hoo received a deposit of 50 billion won from Park Dong-jae as upfront settlement for half of the mana stones obtained in the dungeon.

Then he immediately left for Busan.

Park Dong-jae also happened to have a dungeon schedule that had been agreed upon with Myeongga Guild, so they naturally parted ways.

It was good to see him focusing on managing his connections in his own way.

He decided to see Park Dong-jae again once Ayane entered Korea.

He had also declared the destination they would head to then in advance. It was North Korea. A land of challenge, opportunity, and death.

After parting with Park Dong-jae.

Just as he was about to call a safe taxi, a phone call came. It was Takashi. It seemed preparations were all done.

“Takashi.”

Shin Kang-hoo! Where are you!

“What do you mean where? Korea.”

Just hearing his voice, Kang-hoo could already feel Takashi’s excited snorting.

It felt like listening with his ears to the excited voice of a child who had just finished preparing for a camping trip.

Preparations are almost all done! Hurry over! I’ll send a driver from the airport to the place we’re meeting, and he’ll escort you respectfully! You know who it is, right?

“It’s the first I’ve heard of it.”

Ah, is that so? There is someone. A butler who’s worked beside me for a long time. He’s someone who knows all of Japan clearly even with his eyes closed.

“So anyway, you’re saying you’ll send someone trustworthy?”

That’s right! When do you think you’ll come?

“I had one thing to take care of first, so I was about to move to Busan. I’ll move from Gimhae Airport.”

Then tell me as soon as you book the plane ticket! After you enter Japan, leave it to me.

“Got it. I’ll contact you soon.”

Come quickly! I’m not the only one waiting! There are female fans waiting because they say they’ll see your handsome face!

“I’ll contact you again.”

Anyway, your reaction is filthy……

Kang-hoo hung up before he finished speaking.

He had deliberately hung up even while knowing Takashi’s words were about to continue.

It was an intentional prank.

By now, Takashi was probably chuckling and enjoying Kang-hoo’s reaction, in which he had tried to hide his embarrassment behind indifferent words.

It was a prank they could play because they both knew Kang-hoo’s normally serious personality well. It was also like a short comedy skit.

“For now……. I think I should go to Busan and release some of the money I’ve gathered so far. If there’s anything usable, I should buy it.”

Conveniently, Kang Bok-hwa’s market was in Busan, which was close to here.

He planned to look there for good-quality items worth spending money on aggressively. It was a place that handled many diverse items.

A feast of commas appearing four times in his balance!

Kang-hoo had the kind of money in his account that allowed him to covet even a zero-grade item if he needed one.