The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices

The Dungeon Monsters Keep Offering Sacrifices – 120

EP.120 The Life of an Adventurer Who Gets By

“This might sound strange, but… I would like to invite you to be an advisor for the Phoenix Guild, Mr. Lee Kang-hyun!”

“?”

Jung Ye-rin’s statement came out of nowhere. An advisor, all of a sudden? I was momentarily at a loss for words due to the unexpected scout offer.

“……”

What was this? What was she thinking? Honestly, I was bewildered.

The Phoenix Guild was one of the top guilds in the country. And she was offering me an advisor position, not even as a guild member?

If I had been making significant public contributions that caught the Phoenix Guild’s attention, it might have made sense, but that wasn’t the case.

Recently, my only activity had been entering dungeons with Maru. And that alone wouldn’t have drawn the Phoenix Guild’s interest.

‘Is there something I’m unaware of?’

I looked at Jung Ye-rin’s face without saying a word. A brief silence fell, and she seemed to grow anxious, like a restless puppy whose owner had disappeared.

“I appreciate the offer, Miss Ye-rin.”

“Does that mean you accept?!”

Her face lit up even though I hadn’t given a definite answer yet.

“That’s not what I meant.”

As soon as I finished my response, she looked dejected. I felt a slight urge to tease her more, but I decided to stop there. I was curious why she was making this scout offer to me.

‘Could she have figured out my abilities?’

If that were the case, it could be dangerous. Depending on the situation, I might have to eliminate Jung Ye-rin right here to prevent any unfortunate outcomes. So, I asked cautiously.

“Why are you making such an offer to me?”

I genuinely didn’t understand. She began to answer my question.

“Well, I’m not sure where to start…. Oh, right. When we first met at the café—”

Jung Ye-rin began her rather lengthy story. Through her words, I could piece together why she wanted to scout me.

“And that’s why I really hope Mr. Lee Kang-hyun would join my team as an advisor!”

Jung Ye-rin even adjusted her posture to make a formal request.

“Uh…”

After hearing her out, I was once again at a loss for words. The reason was simple.

‘She’s completely misunderstood me, hasn’t she?’

Jung Ye-rin had a series of misconceptions about me that bordered on delusional.

‘Did she really base all this on what I said at the café…?’

A minor misunderstanding had led to the current situation. At that time, I was managing a dungeon through my smartphone, still under the impression that it was just a game. I had read the description of the Goblin Lord on the screen, but apparently, it had a different meaning to the woman in front of me.

“…So, by following my advice, you were able to defeat the Goblin Lord?”

“Yes! There was no strategy for the Goblin Lord, but thanks to you, I survived!”

I was dumbfounded. At that time, I had thought it was just a game. I had read the game’s settings without much thought.

The idea that the Goblin Lord would weaken if the number of goblins around it decreased seemed like a game mechanic to me. But she had taken my words seriously and entered the Goblin Lord’s dungeon based on them….

This woman wasn’t ordinary either.

Jung Ye-rin, who had been excitedly telling her story, suddenly bowed her head.

“I apologize for listening to your conversation without permission back then. But I want to repay you somehow—”

Her story was simple. She wanted to reward me for giving her the strategy to defeat the Goblin Lord.

‘I don’t mind, but….’

If she wanted to reward me, I wouldn’t refuse. However, I had no intention of accepting the advisor position. At least now I understood why she wanted to scout me, which eased my unease. But accepting the advisor position posed one problem.

‘It would cut into my time.’

It was simple.

I had to manage the dungeon and explore it with Maru. There might be situations like the last auction where I’d need to go to the El Dorad continent. Taking on an advisor position would make me incredibly busy. Moreover, I had learned more details about the advisor role. It wasn’t just an advisor for the Phoenix Guild, but specifically for the team led by Jung Ye-rin.

‘I didn’t expect such a complicated family situation.’

It turned out that Jung Ye-rin was the daughter of the Phoenix Guild’s guild master.

‘No wonder they share the same surname.’

The current guild master was Jung Taek-su. I knew the vice guild master was his son, but I hadn’t heard of Jung Ye-rin. It made sense since she was a child from a concubine and wasn’t widely known publicly. As a result, Jung Ye-rin faced discrimination within the guild, mainly from the vice guild master. She mentioned that if she had failed to clear the Goblin Lord’s dungeon, she would have been ousted from the guild.

‘So, my actions changed her situation.’

She had overheard my mutterings at the café and learned the strategy for the Goblin Lord. Consequently, she successfully cleared the Goblin Lord’s dungeon and solidified her position within the guild. On the other hand, her second brother failed in the Incubus dungeon, which was filled with male hunters, leading to his downfall. It was a twist of fate.

Therefore, Jung Ye-rin said she needed my help. She believed that her eldest brother, the vice guild master, would eventually try to undermine her. I wanted to help her a little, but the problem was that I didn’t have the capability she thought I did.

“Thank you for the offer, but the advisor position is beyond my abilities. Even if I joined, there would be controversies about favoritism.”

“No, that’s not true! Mr. Lee Kang-hyun, you’re an academy graduate, aren’t you?”

She had done a lot of research. However, my mind was already made up.

“I won’t discuss the strategy any further since it’s in the past.”

Besides, Jung Ye-rin hadn’t widely shared the strategy, so I wasn’t in a position to criticize. In the world of hunters, information was the most valuable asset, so it was understandable.

“However, I must decline the advisor position you offered.”

“……”

Jung Ye-rin looked dejected at my firm refusal.

Was this really such a sad situation?

“As expected… the position I offered must not be satisfactory for you, right? Mr. Lee Kang-hyun, you could easily be a guild master.”

Huh?

What was she talking about? Why would I become a guild master?

“I understand your feelings. If I were you, I wouldn’t be satisfied with an advisor position in a guild that’s no better than a small shop….”

Did she just compare the Phoenix Guild to a small shop? Then what would she compare other guilds to?

“But I really need you, Mr. Lee Kang-hyun!”

Jung Ye-rin’s bold statements continued. At that moment, Ciel, who was in the kitchen, covered her mouth with her hand.

‘No, it’s not what you think.’

Jung Ye-rin didn’t stop.

“And the moment I came here, I realized. There’s no one like you, Mr. Lee Kang-hyun.”

Maru, who was next to Ciel, was clapping silently.

“So, I’ve made my decision.”

Even the gargoyle, which I had moved to the room earlier, was peeking out and watching the scene.

‘Wasn’t it supposed to move only when intruders appeared?’

While everyone except me focused on Jung Ye-rin’s next words.

“Mr. Lee Kang-hyun, please join me! You don’t even have to come to work. Ah, you won’t have any separate duties here either! Just help me out when I need it. I’ll come here to find you then! I won’t bother you, so please!”

Huh? The flow of the conversation was getting weird.

“I promise the benefits guild members receive and a salary that won’t disappoint you! If you need any items or want to sell something, the Phoenix Guild will cover all the related taxes!”

So, I’d get a salary and benefits just for staying at home and doing nothing? And they’d even cover the taxes?

Wasn’t that just being a freeloader with a guild name?

‘She’s crazy….’

Jung Ye-rin seemed to have a screw loose.

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***

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A man stood in front of the adventurer’s guild. His race was Dhampir. A hybrid born between a vampire and a human.

Even though he was a hybrid, his appearance was not much different from that of a human. However, upon closer inspection, subtle differences could be noticed.

First, his skin was paler than that of ordinary people. His white skin, as if he had never been exposed to sunlight even in the middle of winter, was striking. Yet, instead of looking sickly, his pale skin exuded a mysterious and alluring aura.

When he opened his mouth, his fangs occasionally showed. However, they were not very large and were not easily noticeable unless he intentionally revealed them. Apart from these traits, he was no different from a human.

“Is this the place?”

The Dhampir’s black eyes scanned the adventurer guild office. He had come here to carry out the orders given by Celia. The General Manager Celia had given him one command: to build his reputation as an adventurer for the sake of the Great One.

“I guess I’ll be working here from now on.”

Muttering to himself, he stepped inside the building. As he opened the door to the adventurer guild, a lively noise greeted him. The hall was filled with adventurers of all kinds.

“Isn’t this mission too dangerous? At least a silver rank should be able to handle it.”

“It’s fine, we can do it with our skills!”

On one side, party members were discussing strategies for their upcoming adventure, while on the other, adventurers who seemed to have just completed a quest were laughing and chatting loudly. The guild’s interior was bustling with energy.

The Dhampir took in the scene for a moment, observing his surroundings.

“Welcome! Welcome to the adventurer guild!”

A bright voice called out. It was a guild staff member standing behind the counter. She seemed to be a receptionist.

With that thought, the Dhampir walked towards the counter.

“I’m Catherine, the receptionist at the Sael Kingdom branch of the adventurer guild! Oh, there used to be another staff member, but they had to leave due to personal reasons, so I’m filling in as the receptionist! The weather today is really—”

“I’m here to register as an adventurer.”

The Dhampir cut Catherine off, getting straight to the point. If he let her continue, she might talk all day.

“Oh! You’re a newcomer!”

Even though the Dhampir interrupted her, Catherine didn’t mind and pulled out a sheet of paper.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

The Dhampir was about to answer immediately.

“My name is Dham-”

He paused for a moment. Dhampir was his race. While it could be used as a name, he needed to be cautious.

“Yes, my name is Dambi.”

“Ah, your name is Dambi? It sounds like a cute name!”

Just by stating his name, the next procedures were completed swiftly. Shortly after, Catherine held a metal plaque in her hand as proof.

“This is a kind of identification card. It’s made of iron, so it’s called an iron plaque. And from today, Mr. Dambi, you can start working as an iron-ranked adventurer.”

Catherine smiled brightly and gestured with her hand. Following her hand, he turned his head to see a large bulletin board.

“First, there are requests posted on that bulletin board. The rewards vary depending on the difficulty and rank of the requests! Oh, here’s a tip, if you want to raise your rank quickly, you should frequently take on high-ranked requests! Of course, if you die trying, it’s not my responsibility. Hoho.”

Whether she was cheering him on or cursing him to die, Dambi headed towards the bulletin board. There were indeed various requests posted on it.

「Herb Gathering Request for Beginners」

• Available to iron-ranked adventurers.

「Village Festival One-Day Security Job!」

• Available to iron-ranked adventurers, preference for bronze-ranked adventurers.

There were simple requests that even beginners could handle. However, they didn’t seem efficient in terms of time.

Dambi’s gaze shifted to another section.

「Seeking Companions for Ancient Ruins Exploration」

• Recruiting two gold-ranked or higher adventurers.

• Expected to involve artifact excavation and monster subjugation.

• Estimated difficulty: at least silver rank.

• Reward: 2000 gold coins + artifact distribution.

「Notorious Bandit Group Extermination」

• No questions asked, 200 gold coins per head.

• Very difficult. Preference for those with combat experience.

More challenging quests caught his eye now. The rewards were certainly appealing, but unfortunately, Dambi’s adventurer rank was the lowest, iron rank. Most of these quests required silver or gold-ranked adventurers. Regrettably, Dambi began searching for other quests.

While browsing the bulletin board, something unusual caught his eye.

「Capture a Living Zombie」

• Bring back a zombie alive

• Reward varies depending on the zombie’s condition

“Hmm.”

A quest to capture a zombie alive? Dambi found the request incomprehensible.

As he pondered, Catherine approached him.

“Oh, I wouldn’t recommend taking that quest. It’s about capturing a zombie alive. Do you think that’s even possible? It’s probably going to be incredibly difficult.”

She was right. Zombies are in a state of decay. They would resist continuously during transport, likely losing flesh in the process. Bringing a zombie back intact seemed nearly impossible.

“And the person who posted that quest… there are some bad rumors about them. Even if you bring the zombie, they find faults to avoid paying. Moreover, they say it’s for research, but actually…”

Dambi listened intently to Catherine.

“It’s for… sexual pleasure… you know, there are all sorts of people in the world.”

“Ah.”

Despite Catherine’s words, Dambi had already decided to take on the quest. Capturing a living zombie might be daunting for others, but for Dambi, it was almost as easy as a walk in the park.

“Are you really going to take that quest?”

Despite Catherine’s concerned question, Dambi was resolute. As he left the guild office, he remarked,

“I’ll be back soon.”

Dambi’s destination was a dungeon inhabited by zombies. Recently, a large number of zombies had entered the dungeon owned by his Great Master.

All he needed to do was extract one, and the quest would be complete. In essence, it was a quest he could easily ace.

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