Chapter 149

Chapter 149

Chapter 149 – Job Change Quest (5) Lee Jun-young activated his X-ray vision.

He was currently inside the designated training area for archers.

He had been assigned a promotional trial to transition into the ‘Archer’ class.

The layout of the room closely resembled an indoor shooting range, with various targets popping up and disappearing behind different obstacles.

However.

“They are completely visible to me.”

With his specialized sight fully operational, any defensive cover blocking the targets was rendered entirely useless.

Thrum!

He merely had to coordinate his timing and strike each target the exact instant it cleared its obstacle.

Thrum!

Had he selected one of the traditional bows or crossbows arranged on the weapon racks before stepping inside, the difficulty would likely have proven far more demanding. Instead, he wielded a rifle that Kim Jae-hyun had directly provided to him.

Bang!

The very moment he successfully neutralized all ten marks.

[Phase 2 has begun.]

The voice of Kim Jae-hyun resounded through the space.

Anticipating this progression, Lee Jun-young was well aware that completing the initial ten targets would trigger the second stage, and he possessed a general expectation of the challenges ahead.

Hummm—

Utilizing his penetrating gaze, Lee Jun-young watched as wooden training dummies materialized in real-time, positioning themselves behind defensive barriers where no previous targets had been.

Every single dummy held either a crossbow or a standard bow in its grasp.

“Here they come.”

A trio of dummies stepped out from their hiding spots at practically the identical moment, aiming straight at Lee Jun-young.

Even so.

Thwip!

They failed to present any real danger because his exceptional vision had already pinpointed their exact coordinates.

The very instant a dummy’s head came into view, Lee Jun-young pulled the trigger, blowing it to pieces with a single round.

His coordination was flawless.

Furthermore.

Whoosh! Thud!

He cleverly utilized the available obstacles in the arena to deflect the incoming strikes from the remaining pair of wooden foes.

Twang! Bam!

Seizing the brief window while the mannequins were occupied reloading their projectiles, Lee Jun-young lunged out from behind his barrier and eliminated both targets in rapid succession.

“Whew!”

His special visual trait did more than just let him look through solid objects; it significantly sharpened his overall sight, letting him track the movements of the far-off targets without the slightest struggle.

Having flawlessly completed the marksman’s trial.

[You have completed the class advancement quest.]

[You have advanced to the ‘Archer’ class.]

He reviewed the glowing holographic message that materialized before his eyes.

[Superb work.]

As the encouraging words from Kim Jae-hyun echoed in his mind, his surroundings shifted, warping him back to where he started.

At the exact same moment, the firearm vanished from his grasp.

Sizzle—

Savory slices of meat were grilling beautifully over glowing charcoal right in front of Lee Jun-young.

“Back already?”

Kim Tae-hyun, who was seated beside the circular table, casually turned over a piece of meat as he asked.

“Did you go see Jae-hyun?”

“Yeah.”

“And? How did it go?”

“I successfully completed my promotion to the Archer class.”

“An Archer?”

“Yes, it’s a specific class… I’m not entirely sure what its full capabilities are just yet. I simply followed Jae-hyun’s instructions.”

“Is it comparable to the Hunter profession? What benefits do you get from changing classes?”

Details regarding hunters were common knowledge among those who actively raided dungeons.

In contrast, details concerning the recently introduced Warrior and Archer professions remained largely shrouded in mystery.

This was perfectly understandable, considering only a handful of individuals had actually managed to unlock those specific pathways.

“According to Jae-hyun, it grants a passive boost to long-range damage, alongside a short burst of accelerated movement. But I haven’t had a chance to test those abilities out yet.”

“So, how do you activate them?”

“Honestly, I haven’t figured that part out yet.”

Kim Tae-hyun offered a soft laugh. Pouring a beverage into Lee Jun-young’s cup, he remarked,

“Regardless, you did a great job. Though, why does your outfit look so filthy? Were you tumbling on the ground or what?”

Hearing Kim Tae-hyun’s observation, Seo Ji-hyun, who had been quietly paying attention, spoke up with clear concern in her voice.

“Oppa, did you get injured anywhere?”

“No, I’m completely fine.”

Lee Jun-young felt his cheeks warm up as Seo Ji-hyun reached out to inspect him, before he went on.

“Well, here is how it went…”

He gave a quick rundown of his experience inside the archer’s trial room.

“…and that’s how the advancement concluded.”

“So, even without that specialized vision, one could pass it if they knew what to expect beforehand?”

“That was my impression. The test itself wasn’t excessively grueling.”

“Do you think we could pass it as well?”

At Kim Tae-hyun’s inquiry, both Seo Ji-hyun and Lee Seo-young turned their hopeful, eager gazes toward Lee Jun-young.

Lee Jun-young pondered the question with gravity.

The first phase wouldn’t pose an obstacle.

‘Their marksmanship is definitely up to par.’

Out of their entire circle, only the four gathered here currently engaged in active dungeon crawling to earn a living.

This arrangement stemmed from a prior mishap.

Their other four companions had previously ventured into a Goblin lair, where one member suffered critical wounds.

The other three escaped with minor cuts and bruises, but the experience left them too terrified to ever step foot back into the Goblin territory.

It was an entirely logical response.

Once a person stares death in the face, they naturally steer clear of combat zones.

To be fair, the financial returns of a Goblin dungeon didn’t justify the lethal risks.

There were far safer avenues to secure a comfortable livelihood without risking life and limb.

Generally, mercenaries who profited from clearing dungeons belonged to one of two camps:

Those who had faced the true horrors of the abyss and resolved to press on anyway, and those who simply hadn’t faced a near-death experience yet.

Leaving Lee Jun-young aside, the other three at the table fell squarely into that second category.

‘But their raw shooting ability is top-tier.’

Whenever they hunted as a team, their precision was highly impressive.

Successfully sniping nimble goblins in pitch-black caverns by the dim glow of headlamps required extreme skill, and his friends possessed natural talent in that area.

‘Even so, Phase 2 is an entirely different beast.’

He harbored no doubts about this.

The rapid agility of those wooden constructs during the second stage, combined with the unerring precision of their projectiles, would simply overwhelm his companions.

Reaching this verdict, he addressed them honestly.

“To tell you the truth, at your current state, it remains far too perilous.”

Lee Jun-young simply could not bear the thought of seeing them get hurt.

“Ah, I see. Well, let’s eat then! Boss! We’d like some more meat over here!”

They proceeded to order additional helpings of pork, alongside hot soybean paste stew and cold mixed noodles, thoroughly enjoying their feast until the table was completely cleared.

“Man, that hit the spot.”

“Seriously, I feel like my stomach is going to burst.”

When Lee Jun-young began to rise to settle the bill, Kim Tae-hyun held him back.

“Let me handle this.”

“Wait, why?”

Currently, their primary livelihood relied on clearing Orc-infested dungeons.

These operations generally demanded a raid party of twenty hunters, which was structured into five distinct squads of four.

Among all these teams, their squad consistently achieved the highest metrics.

Nevertheless, Lee Jun-young’s personal share of the revenue vastly eclipsed what his three teammates made.

Unlike the arid caves of the goblins, the Orc territory was set within a dense, overgrown jungle. Using his wall-piercing vision, Lee Jun-young was able to detect enemy positions well in advance and plan his strikes, which meant he secured the vast majority of the kills.

His companions primarily functioned in auxiliary roles.

Because Lee Jun-young carried the bulk of the hunting duties and reaped the corresponding rewards, he had established a habit of footing the bill for shared expenses and restaurant outings.

Kim Tae-hyun insisted,

“Hey, I’ve got a decent bank account myself. Allow me to get the tab for once.”

With a light laugh, Lee Jun-young nodded.

“Alright, thanks for the meal.”

“Boss, check please!”

Once the transaction was settled and they stepped outside, Lee Jun-young suggested,

“Let’s head back. I’m dying to take a quick shower.”

The quartet shared a living arrangement in residential units allocated to Lee Jun-young.

In reality, they occupied two separate flats: Lee Jun-young and Kim Tae-hyun shared one, while Lee Seo-young and Seo Ji-hyun stayed in the neighboring unit.

As they prepared to head inside, Kim Tae-hyun took Lee Seo-young by the hand and announced,

“We won’t be heading back with you tonight.”

“Oh? How come?”

“Take a wild guess.”

“……”

Kim Tae-hyun offered a knowing grin before walking away with her.

“Sigh.”

Lee Jun-young looked over at Seo Ji-hyun.

“Well, I guess it’s just the two of us going back?”

Although they had grown close enough to drop formal honorifics, a slight tension still lingered whenever they found themselves entirely alone.

The moment they reached their floor.

“Have a good night.”

Lee Jun-young said, reaching for his doorknob. But Seo Ji-hyun gently caught his hand.

“Oppa, why don’t we go to my apartment for a nightcap?”

Observing the soft pink hue on her cheeks from their earlier drinks, Lee Jun-young instantly connected the dots and understood the silent message behind his buddy’s knowing smile.

‘I owe you one, Tae-hyun.’

‘That settles that part.’

The class transitions for the retainers with overlapping job roles had been fully executed.

Furthermore, the class upgrades for the members of Shin Dong-hoon’s squad who wished to transition into the Sentinel class had also been successfully finalized.

‘Next on the agenda is upgrading the facility.’

Because starting a construction project would lock down the building’s functions, he made sure to process everyone’s class advancements before initiating the upgrade.

[Upgrading this structure’s tier requires 3 clay figurines (土俑) for the duration of the building phase (14 days).]

[Would you like to upgrade the Job Research Institute to Level 3?]

[Yes / No]

Promptly, the ten idle clay figurines were assigned to the Job Research Institute, wasting no time in beginning the labor.

[More than 10 clay figurines are currently active on the building site.]

[Construction productivity has surged by 100%.]

[Time remaining for the Job Research Institute (Lv. 3) upgrade:]

-167 hours 59 minutes 53 seconds

Once he saw the clay figurines diligently performing their tasks, Kim Jaehyun redirected his attention to the Absolute Dweller’s Eye, scanning alternative regions.

He kept himself occupied by scouting for promising new retainers and keeping tabs on the freshly integrated populace.

On top of that, he closely tracked the highly volatile political climate unfolding across Seoul.

It was then that a couple of new system messages flashed.

[The forward base at ‘Seoul Station’ has been completed.]

[The forward base at ‘Sindorim Station’ has been completed.]

‘The real game begins now.’

The groundwork required to destabilize and reshape the hierarchy of power within Seoul was now firmly established.

Grrrr—

Over at the Job Research Institute construction area, one of the clay figurines began to grumble.

Grrr. Grrrrrrrrr. Grrrrr, grrrrrr.

(What a life. I suppose I’m destined to just toil away like this until my clay crumbles.)

This particular worker was moving at a noticeably more sluggish pace than his peers.

The rate at which loose soil shed from his frame and gathered on the ground was far slower.

The worker beside him snapped back.

Krrrik! Grrrrr!

(I honestly hope so! That sounds absolutely wonderful!)

……

(……)

This second worker appeared vastly more passionate about his duties than the typical laborer.

Indeed, the general sentiment among the surrounding clay figurines matched his zeal.

Grrrrrr?

(Just contemplating a lifetime of work makes my heart race!)

Grr Grrrrr Grrrrrr.

(I was practically dying of boredom yesterday when we had no tasks assigned.)

Grrk. Grrrrr Grrr!

(Exactly, having a job to do is pure bliss!)

……

(……)

The worker who had initiated the grumbling stared at his peers in absolute disbelief.

Grrrr Grrrr!?

(Are you all seriously not bothered by this!?)

But his coworkers paid no heed to his frustration.

Grrr?

(What’s there to be bothered about?)

Grrrrr Grrrrr? Grrrrr Grrrrr Grrrrr?

(Are you just worried I’ll outperform you and take your shift? Because I’m fully prepared to take on extra labor.)

Another coworker cast a doubtful squint at him and added,

Grrr. Grrrrr. Grrrrrrrrrrr Grrrrrrrr. Grrrrrrrr!

(Don’t even think about it. We established a strict first-come, first-served policy for these stations. I claimed this spot fair and square, so this shift is mine!)

Shaking his head in defeat, the grumbling worker let out a soft sigh.

Krrrik.

(Forget I said anything.)

And so, the industrious clay figurines labored on with joy, refusing to pause even for a second as they worked round-the-clock for a full week.