Chapter 8

Chapter 8

[Episode 02] Unique (3)

To Shim Kang, the person called Jeong Hana was an existence with a special meaning.

Someone she met in kindergarten, went through the same elementary, middle, and high school, miraculously became the same [Unique] grade Explorer, and had been together until becoming an adult.

Rather than those people who were family in name only, the person she cherished and valued much more was Jeong Hana.

That was why.

Anger rose to the top of her head.

“Caregiver.”

“Yes?”

“Could you lend me your phone for a moment?”

“Phone?”

Currently, she was even controlled on her phone.

Because of the justification that if information about the failure of the 50th Floor clear spread, the country would become chaotic.

Since she didn’t use her phone much usually, she accepted it without much resistance.

“I couldn’t even tell my team members that I woke up.”

“Ah~. If it’s that, use it freely. Here.”

“Thank you.”

Shim Kang familiarly pressed the number and made a call.

[The customer’s phone is turned off...]

She pressed another number and made a call again.

However, even after waiting for a long time, the call was not answered.

[The customer is currently unable to answer the phone...]

If it became like this.

‘I have no choice but to check directly.’

The next moment.

Slide—

Shim Kang’s figure disappeared suddenly in front of the caregiver’s eyes.

“Eh?”

***

Inside the taxi going home, I checked the Status Window.

{Bonus Stat Points}: 30

‘······Unique grade is on a different level.’

30 bonus points per level-up.

The reason Unique-grade Explorers possessed particularly overwhelming force was understood at once.

Even just clearing the Tutorial and achieving Level 2 was equivalent to Level 6 of a Normal-grade dungeon.

However, at the same time, the Goblin Assassin I had faced in the Unique-grade dungeon Tutorial came to mind.

‘...It also seems like this much is natural.’

Because the Tutorial itself had higher difficulty than the Normal-grade 5th Floor right away.

‘If I hadn’t recalled the stealth skill, it would have been really big trouble.’

Elite monster. Monsters that use skills are collectively called elite monsters.

The basic specs are already on a different dimension from ordinary monsters, and on top of that they use skills, so facing them is quite tricky.

The reason I was able to deal with the guy’s stealth skill was purely thanks to the national group education.

From childhood, everyone dreams of being an [Explorer] at least once.

At least all my friends were like that.

They were heroes, and the center of the world.

Therefore, among education about dungeons, education about [Unique] grade dungeons was listened to particularly carefully.

‘Although it’s all the most basic information...’

Goblin Warrior, Goblin Assassin, Goblin Archer, etc.

It was because of that that I had grasped all of their characteristics and main skills.

And with just that, it was a great help in clearing the Tutorial.

‘The problem is that I don’t know well above that.’

Information about Unique-grade dungeons is all national secrets.

From the 2nd Floor, there was practically no officially released information.

It was not for nothing that most Unique-grade Explorers were affiliated with the nation.

The higher one went, the more the existence of a ‘party’ was essential, but I heard that obtaining ‘information’ was greater than that.

‘Should I also affiliate with the government?’

But for that, three things were holding me back.

One was the point that I had already reported as an Explorer to the government.

The existence of a Unique-grade Explorer is known nationwide as soon as it appears.

Who would believe if someone who had already done all the Awakening certification went again and said they had become Unique grade?

Next.

‘To make them believe that, I would inevitably have to tell about my secret.’

Even if I hid it well somehow, the possibility of being caught later was high.

Unique-grade Explorers bear many obligations as much as they receive full support on a national scale.

According to rumors, there is no private life either.

‘If I disappear somewhere every day at noon, I will inevitably be caught someday.’

Honestly, I didn’t want to be caught by anyone at least for this.

And the last.

This was the most decisive.

The death of Explorer Kang Hyuk I had seen in the community recently.

‘...A life where even if you die while proceeding with the clear, you can’t even hold a funeral.’

I cannot accept it.

I was the type who often thought about death usually.

Because I was in a situation a little more special than others.

Suddenly the condition worsening and dying, or dying of a heart attack while asleep, or dying because something went wrong during transplant surgery.

Every time such thoughts came up, I naturally recalled my funeral and the appearance of my parents crying sorrowfully there.

Late at night.

The appearance of Mom and Dad crying soundlessly in an empty funeral hall where no one was.

Enduring that pain alone would already be sufficiently hard, but not even being able to hold a proper funeral?

That was an act that tore the hearts of the remaining people.

Even if there was a firm justification of the country’s chaos, I hoped the people sacrificed because of that were not those precious to me.

I know it is selfish.

But I didn’t want to sacrifice myself and the people around me for strangers whose faces I didn’t even know.

‘Let’s hide it.’

That was the answer I came to.

By the time I organized my thoughts, I was able to arrive in front of the house.

“Thank you, have a good day.”

“Yes. You too, have a good day, customer!”

Had I walked about 10 seconds after getting out of the car?

“Excuse me. Huu, huu.”

A woman in a hospital gown blocked in front of me.

‘Is she a crazy person?’

An appearance as if she had run out of a mental hospital.

Moreover, she was barefoot.

I pretended not to know and tried to brush past her with the fastest steps possible.

But.

“Just a moment.”

At some point, that woman was holding my wrist.

But the strange point was.

‘What kind of strength...?’

I couldn’t shake off the arm as if caught by a stone statue.

Currently, my Strength value is 15.

It could be called top-tier among ordinary people.

Yet being overwhelmingly pushed in strength like this meant.

‘She’s an Explorer.’

Moreover, an Explorer with an enormously high level.

Only then did the woman’s face enter my eyes.

It was a very haggard appearance, but because she was such a famous person, I could recognize her quickly.

Because her appearance was particularly characteristic.

Overwhelming beauty to the point of devouring even celebrities who made a living with their looks.

On the internet, her name was used to the point of being a synonym for beauty.

“Shim Kang-ssi?”

To my reaction, she brightened and smiled.

Even though she was in a sweaty, shabby hospital gown, that appearance shines.

They said face is everything, and it was true.

“Since you know me, the story will be quick.”

“Ah, yes.”

Shim Kang glanced at my bag and asked.

“Is that by any chance... the [Lightning Staff]?”

I, who had been appreciating Shim Kang’s face without knowing anything, froze in place as I was.

“······.”

I didn’t give any answer, but with just my reaction, it would have been an answer.

And the next moment, something unexpected happened again.

“So... it is. Really...”

A shocked face.

Tears flowed from eyes that were red and bloodshot.

Tears flowing as if seen in a movie.

And.

“What’s going on?”

“That woman seems barefoot?”

I perceived that attention was focusing toward us from some point.

If it continued like this and it became known that this woman was Shim Kang, all the people in the apartment complex might flock over.

“Excuse me, for now I want to get out of here, would you like to come to my house?”

Fortunately, both parents were in a state of having gone to work.

Taking Shim Kang who nodded powerlessly, I entered the house.

It was a great fortune that I didn’t encounter anyone in the elevator.

‘She has no one arm.’

With just that, I could perceive the seriousness of the situation.

Kang Hyuk and Jeong Hana seemed to have died, and seeing Shim Kang left in a state with one arm gone, retirement was confirmed.

Looking at the context of the conversation, it seemed even Shim Kang didn’t know about Jeong Hana’s death.

Even though they must have proceeded with the clear together, not knowing the life or death of a colleague meant it had reached that extreme a situation.

‘So this is why the Management Bureau has still been postponing the announcement.’

It seemed the situation of the Republic of Korea was more despairing than I expected.

After arriving home, I immediately entered my room.

Even until then, I said toward Shim Kang who was only following blankly led by my hand.

“As you expected, this is the [Lightning Staff].”

When I took out the [Lightning Staff] that was in the bag, Shim Kang covered her own mouth with one hand and tightly closed both eyes.

The appearance of sobbing without even being able to cry out loudly overlapped with Mom in the funeral hall of my imagination, so my heart ached.

So my mouth didn’t open easily.

“I’m really sorry to say this in this situation, but I have one request.”

Shim Kang composed herself for a moment and answered.

“Please speak.”

“I would like you not to tell the Management Bureau about me.”

“That means... you have no intention of entering the dungeon anymore?”

Shim Kang with a despairing expression.

I shook my head and answered.

“No, I intend to do solo play.”

Solo play.

Among the 9 [Unique] grade Explorers of the Republic of Korea, the only one whose identity has not been revealed.

Only the fact of existence is known through the full notice, and no one knows about his existence.

It meant I would do the same.

Then Shim Kang firmly shook her head and said.

“No. The Heavenly Punishment Mage is certainly a powerful class, but you absolutely cannot clear a Unique-grade dungeon alone. And—”

“I hope that when I die, my family doesn’t have trouble because they can’t hold a funeral.”

“······.”

“I’m sorry, but I will ask you.”

Shim Kang became a shocked face and slowly nodded.

“Understood... I will not report to the Management Bureau. I swear on my name.”

“Thank you.”

She continued with a face swollen.

“But please postpone the full-scale clear for a bit. If you are going to do solo play, you will definitely need information about the dungeon. I will organize everything and send it, so please wait only until then.”

Even without that, I was thinking of how to ask for that part, but since the other side came out first like this, my mind was at ease.

“Thank you.”

“No. It’s something I’m doing for myself. This mere information is nothing compared to the Salvation Points you will earn. Rather, they are things that should naturally be provided.”

“Thank you for thinking that way. Then how about contact... shall I give you my phone number?”

Shim Kang shook her head and answered.

“Then the Management Bureau will notice. Since I know the address, I will send a separate package.”

It seemed it was true that she wouldn’t hand over information about me to the Management Bureau.

“Then I’ll see you next time.”

“Yes. Yes?”

For a moment, cognitive dissonance came.

Because even though she spoke with a nuance as if parting, she was walking deeper into my room.

Soon after, she opened the window and disappeared as if melting into the empty air.

“???”

I approached the place where she disappeared.

Then I could confirm her footprints remaining on the window.

The dirt stuck on her bare feet had remained intact as marks on the window frame.

‘She fell from here? It’s the 30th floor?’

I looked down outside the window, but the woman in the hospital gown could not be found anywhere.

If it was specs enough to challenge the Unique-grade dungeon 50th Floor, would she be fine even falling from this height?

‘No, why leave the perfectly fine elevator...’

If she has a stealth skill, couldn’t she just leave normally?

While having such thoughts, the moment I saw my room floor.

“Ah.”

Clear footprints of Shim Kang engraved here and there in the house.

I quietly started cleaning.

***

Shim Kang looked up at the apartment for a moment.

‘He was a strange person.’

Unique-grade Tutorial.

No matter how well the education was, was there a person who experienced that and was this fine?

At least as far as she knew, there wasn’t.

Moreover.

‘...An unusual amount of Mana.’

A strength that could not be seen as Level 2 at all was felt from him.

The bonus stats obtainable by clearing the 1st Floor are only 30 at most.

Looking at the body condition, the Mana stat itself would have started low.

Was it a simple illusion?

Or was it something like the charisma that person possessed.

Anyway.

‘In many ways, he was a strange person.’

National emergency.

Even though it was a very serious situation, why did I have the thought that that person would solve it somehow?

Shim Kang is the type who believes in her own intuition.

‘I should help as best as I can.’

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