The Returnee's Hidden Strategy Stream

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 70

"I never thought of a dungeon at a time like this."

In the forest outside of Edlen, the two were making their way through a dense area of vines and shrubs.

-lol

-But isn't this place boring now?

-Yeah, it's better to just move on quickly.

-You've already hit number one in the challenge, that's enough.

Viewers suggested other places with questions. But Hanbit had a different idea.

'There definitely was no information about it.'

All the dungeons near Edlen were documented in the guidebook and community. But just one. There was one undiscovered dungeon.

"So, where are we going?"

"Just a little further."

Hanbit, who was ahead, looked at the map and set a direction.

"Ah, here it is."

Finding a familiar terrain, he descended along the slope behind him. Hanbit stopped at the slope, bent down, and cleared away the bushes and debris.

Thud-!

As he continued the work, an entrance made of gray stone appeared beneath the cleared slope. The eerie sound of water coming from inside and the musty smell reminded him of something.

"Is this... a water channel? Does it connect to the inside of Edlen?" Yeonwoo, who was helping to clear the debris, asked, plugging his nose.

Hanbit shook his head and said, "It was made by the same person, but it's a completely different water channel. It's a place where the architect poured out his desires."

-Desires?

-It just smells bad;

-Oh, do you have that kind of taste?

-I respect that.

-I support it.

-I support it;

This water channel, built 100 years ago, was the personal work of a creator, Irtelroger. The design began with the desire to create a space similar to a dungeon. Since he died without actually revealing it, Hanbit always became the first visitor to this dungeon.

"...It's too dark, is it okay?"

"If you're scared, stay here."

"Why would I be scared? I watch horror movies all the time."

Yeonwoo wasn't immune to dark spaces. He was so afraid that he even hesitated to enter the bunker during night training in the military.

"Don't worry. There's nothing to be surprised about."

"...Really?"

"Really. At most, you might hear strange crying sounds..."

"Ah, Hyung!"

When he lightly poked him, Yeonwoo reacted violently.

Hanbit chuckled and looked up at the top of the slope.

'A lot of people have followed.'

As if they had no intention of hiding, groups of players could be seen standing everywhere. Judging by the number visible at once, there must be several times more.

"This dungeon doesn't have a strategy guide, does it?"

Yeonwoo tried to bring up the system message by moving around. However, this place was a dungeon without any guidance.

"Is it solo? Or is it in a party?"

"It's probably open."

"...Then what do we do? There are so many competitors."

-Oh no.

-It's going to be a complete mess. lol

-Is this a participation content?

-Most of them are snipers.

Yeonwoo worried about the competitors who would rush in. However, that was exactly what Hanbit wanted.

"Those who want to come can come. But it would be better if they entered after I go through it first. After all, they’ll just follow what I do, won't they?"

"Hyung, is that right?"

"That's right. Anyway, keep that in mind. I'll go first."

Having warned them once more, Hanbit stepped inside. Yeonwoo, who looked at him with a bewildered expression, followed belatedly.

[Entering the dungeon - Irtelroger's Aquarium.]

* * *

Tip-tip-tip-

The sound of dripping water echoed through the dark passageway. A deep, seemingly endless waterway ran alongside the path.

Hanbit, in the lead, glanced back and asked, "I told you to wait outside, didn't I?"

"What? It's totally fine!" Yeonwoo replied in an awkward voice, sword drawn. He was ready to swing it at any moment, but it felt more like he might accidentally stab Hanbit in the back.

Taking a step further away, he opened his stats window:

[Black Dragon-Lv.40]

[Title: None]

Strength: 30

Agility: 35

Intelligence: 30

Vitality: 23

Remaining stat points: 76

-Wow.

-Damn lol

-The numbers are ridiculous;

-This guy cleared 3 episodes alone?

-I'm already running after resetting.

The massive rewards from the end of the main quest were clearly visible when looking at the remaining stat points.

After a moment of thought, Hanbit quickly distributed the stats:

[Black Dragon-Lv.40]

[Title: None]

Strength: 52

Agility: 55

Intelligence: 52

Vitality: 35

Remaining stat points: 0

-A well-rounded character.

-But it's a well-rounded character with a bit too many stats;

-With a total of 194, it's higher than a level 100 character. lol

-Just right for an advanced player.

Viewers poured out all sorts of reactions upon seeing the overwhelming numbers.

Considering that the lower-level advanced players were around level 250, they might be able to catch up soon. After all, they would be progressing through the episodes as quickly as possible.

Swoosh-

As they walked along the passageway, a wall mixed with luminous stones began to appear. The faint light that began to shine gradually brightened their vision.

'I suffered so much here.'

When he first came to this water channel, it was terrible. He had been dragged into the entrance and exit of monsters connected to the sea, not the path he was walking on now. The death he faced here had been particularly horrible.

"Hyung, how deep are we going?"

"Just give up. It's too late to turn back."

"...I don't plan to go back anyway. Once the company operations start in earnest, I'll have fewer chances to film directly. I'm going to get some good video footage and go back."

Despite his anxious appearance, his eyes were full of passion. How dedicated was he to growing his channel?

"Well, you'll get something out of it."

"Really? What is it?"

"It wouldn't be fun if I told you. Be careful, a ghost might come out."

"If there's a ghost here, it's just a monster. I'm not scared of that..."

Thud-!

At that moment, a vibration shook the interior. It was the sound of something moving.

"W-what is that?"

"I don't know? Is it a monster?"

"Right? It's a monster, right?"

Yeonwoo nodded, slightly relieved. But then...

Thud-!

Boom-!

The distant noise gradually grew closer.

Thud-!

Thud-!

"W-what?"

Yeonwoo spun around as the frequency increased. Hanbit grabbed his arm and pulled him sharply.

Crash-!

At the same time, the ceiling collapsed.

Dozens of large frogs with glowing red eyes glared from atop the fallen debris.

"Aaargh!" Yeonwoo yelled, suddenly grabbing Hanbit's arm and starting to run.

-Crazy. lol

-Emergency, emergency.

-Look at how disgusting they are;

-They look so violent. lol

Bang-!

Bang-!

The frogs chased after them, shaking the ground. Their very appearance was menacing.

Hanbit glanced at the name tag floating above his head.

[Distorted Aquatic Frog (Lv.30)]

"We're gonna get caught, we're gonna get caught!" Yeonwoo ran as if he'd forgotten he was in a game, with the determination to outrun the system itself. His stamina, already at its limit, was draining his character's life.

'He's definitely changed a lot,' Hanbit thought, surprised by Yeonwoo's lighter movements. It was due to the significant increase in his stats.

Thud-!

Hanbit planted his foot and sped up.

Yeonwoo, who was running beside him, was left dumbfounded.

"Wait, Hyung! Why are you so fast?!"

"That's why you should've put more points into agility."

"No, it's not that level!"

-Run lol

-He's so fast though;

-It's time to let go of Roper.

-I won't forget. ㅠㅠ

Yeonwoo ran desperately, his voice filled with injustice.

Hanbit, ahead of him, found a fork in the road.

"Hyung! Why are you stopping!" Yeonwoo shouted with wide, maniac eyes, having run hard to catch up.

After a moment of thought, Hanbit immediately changed direction. "Let's go this way."

"Okay!"

They turned right, and Yeonwoo followed closely behind. However, they couldn't go much farther.

Bang-!

A horde of monsters crowded in front of them. The frogs that had been chasing them were closing in from behind.

-Ugh, gross;

-There are so many. lol

-The frogs are gonna have a feast.

-A good source of food.

"Ugh!" Trapped between two groups, Yeonwoo took a step back, frantically looking for an escape route.

Hanbit patted him on the shoulder and asked, "Hey, you know what?"

"Aaaah! Yes! What? What is it?!" Yeonwoo spun around in panic.

Hanbit pointed at the frogs and said, "Those are just monsters, aren't they?"

"Huh?"

"Monsters, I said. Not ghosts."

"W-well... I guess so? Why did I run away?"

-?

-What is this. lol

-He's finally lost his mind.

-He lasted a long time.

Yeonwoo, with a dumbfounded expression, gradually realized the situation.

Hanbit, amused, asked again, "Isn't it because there's such a big level difference between us and them?"

"I'm level 32 now. I've been logging in whenever I have time to hunt."

"Really?"

Yeonwoo was wary of Hanbit's growing strength. It wasn't competition, but simply a concern about the difficulty of filming. If Hanbit got busier, he might not even be able to log in.

"Then you take the back. I'll handle the front."

"Yes, leave it to me!"

Thud-!

Yeonwoo charged towards the frogs.

Clack-!

His sword was caught by a frog's strong tongue. The struggle was intense.

'He's doing well,' Hanbit thought as he watched. He turned his attention to the other monsters.

Whoosh-

Wind gathered around Hanbit, swirling around him.

He drew his sword and took a step forward.

Croak-!

Several frogs at the front let out strange cries and charged.

Reading their movements, Hanbit easily slipped between them.

Swish-!

With a single step, he swung his sword diagonally.

Despite not putting much strength into it, the power was sufficient.

Slash-!

The three frogs within the attack range were sliced cleanly in half, following the trajectory of his blade.

Ding-!

[You gained 3,000 experience points.]

-Instant kill;

-No need to use an active skill;

-The stat effects are insane.

-The weapon is already ridiculously good.

-Look at the experience.

-This is why we dungeon dive.

The hunt was over far too easily. The dramatic increase in his stats wasn't just a physical enhancement. The power granted by the spirit, Sylph, had become even sharper and stronger.

Thud-!

Hanbit planted his foot and charged towards the remaining frogs.

Slash-!

Slash-!

The creatures were sliced apart instantly.

Noticing the wind gathering around his sword, Hanbit was slightly surprised.

'This is faster too.'

It used to take quite a while to concentrate the wind. But now, the process was significantly quicker.

Dancing with his sword, Hanbit returned to Yeonwoo.

"Hyung, there are too many of them!"

Yeonwoo was holding his own, but the number of frogs had increased. They were multiplying faster than he could kill them.

Gripping the hilt of his sword with both hands, Hanbit took a stance.

"Get ready."

"Yeah?"

Yeonwoo, who had been focused on the monsters, turned his head slightly.

In that moment, Hanbit swung his sword in a wide arc.

Hiss-!

A crescent-shaped wind blade shot forward with a sharp sound.

The monsters in its path couldn't avoid it.

Slash-!

Slash-!

The attack pierced through the frogs and the passageway.

All the creatures in sight were killed in one blow.

[You gained 40,000 experience points.]

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]