Chapter 35
Who’s the strongest nation in the hunter world?
Ask a hundred people and a hundred will answer—
“Obviously, the United States!”
“Of course, America’s the undisputed number one.”
They have more rankers than any other country on Earth, and they pour massive resources into the industry at a national level.
It’s said the U.S. spends about 30% of the world’s total hunter budget—that says it all.
And among America’s rankers, if you had to choose the most difficult to deal with— and the most mysterious—
Everyone would agree on one name.
Rank 5.
Dungeon Maker, Delilah.
“Dungeon Maker?”
“What’s that? Does she make dungeons? Kind of a strange alias.”
Her ability is simple.
Just as her alias suggests—she creates dungeons.
But how she uses that ability is anything but simple.
In fact, its potential is limitless.
“Hey, did you hear? Delilah just released a Dungeon Artifact!”
“Dungeon Artifact? What’s that?”
“They say she can embed a dungeon into an accessory so you can customize your own private dungeon.”
“…?”
“Come on, that’s huge! It’s your own shelter, home, and subspace all in one! The uses are endless!”
“Oh, you’re right… So how much does it cost?”
“No idea.”
“…?”
“I heard even when a conglomerate offered over a hundred billion won, she wouldn’t sell. Supposedly it drains a massive amount of mental power to make, and she only gives them as gifts to people she personally approves of.”
“Wow… I guess someone like Delilah wouldn’t be swayed by money anyway.”
Delilah was a ranker among rankers, in the single digits of the world ranking.
And known to be wealthy.
“Wouldn’t that make her a constant target for thieves?”
“Yeah, one artifact alone could change your life.”
Naturally, plenty of hunters—
not just regular ones, but rankers—
had their eyes on her.
But—
Do you think she’s rank 5 for nothing?
Delilah was elusive.
On the rare occasions she appeared, it was only an illusion.
There was even a rumor that her residence—a shop—was an S-rank dungeon in itself.
Above all—
Official record: 0 matches, 0 wins, 0 losses.
Delilah was not someone you could fight just because you wanted to.
“……”
Her skills, alias, and abilities were all like a mirage—hazy and out of reach.
No one knew what she was doing, or what she even looked like.
She had never once revealed herself to the media.
A being surrounded only by rumors.
That was—
The one known as the Mirage.
The Dungeon Maker.
—
“That’s as far as…”
Ki Soyul, who’d been explaining intently, cleared her throat.
“Ahem, that’s the ‘Dungeon Maker’ the public knows.”
“Yes, I’ve heard of her.”
Of course I had.
Her name sat firmly at rank 5 on the world ranking board, and she still popped up on TV from time to time.
“But what I’m about to tell you now… only rankers know.”
With her arms crossed, Ki Soyul raised a hand to rub her neck.
“In truth, the Dungeon Maker opens a Trial Dungeon once every half year.”
“Trial Dungeon?”
“Yes. Why she makes them, why she opens them in secret—no one knows. The most accepted theory is that she needs many participants to grow stronger herself, but even that’s not certain.”
“I see…”
Gulp.
My nerves sparked with the new information.
“So what kind of dungeon is it?”
“We don’t know the content either—it changes every time. The only thing certain… is that anyone who clears all the trials inside is guaranteed to make it into at least the triple digits in the ranking.”
Ah… so that’s why—
She’s called the ranker who makes rankers.
Though, who’s to say—
Do they become rankers because they clear it?
Or do they clear it because they have the skills to be rankers?
It’s the chicken-and-egg question.
“Three years ago, we—now called the Five Stars of Seoul—also passed the trial and entered the ranking, all in triple digits. Of course, our ranks have risen since then.”
“…That’s incredible.”
Berserker was rank 20.
The Master Archer was rank 58.
To climb that much in just three years…
‘Then again…’
Given my own growth lately, if you had the right opportunity, it wasn’t impossible.
“Anyway, there are two conditions to join a Trial Dungeon. First, you have to be at least A-rank.”
“…Huh?”
I was still D-rank…
I didn’t even know how I’d make C-rank, and now they wanted A-rank?
“Don’t worry. The trials are held every half year. You can go when you’re ready. At your pace, I think you’ll get there soon enough.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Second—you need recommendation letters from five rankers.”
“What?”
“It’s Delilah’s way of saying she only accepts verified participants. Recommendation letters arrive as private messages to those in the rankings—messages only we can see.”
“I see…”
So she might actually be linked to the system?
‘Or…’
It could just be a skill.
Like, [Send a message to those on the world ranking board].
‘But still—’
Five ranker recommendations?
That was absurd.
Rankers were harder to meet than celebrities—now I’d have to network just to get in?
What a rotten world.
Ki Soyul chuckled at the look on my face.
“There’s a warning in the message—if you reveal the information publicly, your recommendation rights are revoked, and you’ll be banned from all of the Dungeon Maker’s content in the future. Only candidates are exempt, so if you tell anyone, you’ll trigger a penalty for the one who recommended you.”
As she finished speaking—
[Ding!]
[You have heard information about the Dungeon Maker.]
[Warning! Warning! Warning!]
[If you reveal this to a non-ranker, you will be barred from all future Dungeon Maker content!]
[Exception: Candidates are exempt.]
[If a candidate reveals it, the penalty is applied to the recommender!]
[Tip: Say ‘Register Recommendation’ to set a candidate.]
“…Wow.”
Now I understood why Yoo Sangdon had been so wary about sharing information.
“Strange, isn’t it? Makes you wonder what Delilah really is. By the way, I’ve already registered you as my candidate.”
“…You’re right—it’s like she’s manipulating the status window. At this point, isn’t she basically a god? Or the mastermind behind the world?”
“No one knows.”
Ki Soyul’s tone was matter-of-fact.
“The fact that no one has broken the rule yet means—”
“That no ranker wants to make an enemy of Delilah.”
“Exactly.”
It was ingenious.
If Delilah really was a hunter—
She’d climbed to the top with the rare ability to create dungeons, and had the cunning to keep every ranker in her grasp.
‘By the way—’
I remembered something.
So the Dark Lord had also entered the rankings through a Trial Dungeon?
All those times he’d gone on about dungeons… was this what he meant?
‘Well—’
That didn’t matter.
What mattered was that my dream had just become far more possible than I’d imagined.
“So that’s why the five of you gathered. And what you wanted to introduce me to was the Trial Dungeon.”
“Hahaha.”
Berserker finally stepped forward.
“That’s right. Our group exists to make recommendations easier. That’s the true purpose of the Five Stars of Seoul.”
With his shoulders squared, he somehow looked more imposing.
“So.”
He looked straight at me.
“There’s only one thing that matters.”
“…Yes.”
“Do you have the confidence to earn our recommendation?”
I understood what he was really asking—
Could I become an A-rank hunter?
“…When’s the next Trial Dungeon?”
“The next one? Hm, five months from now.”
“Five months…”
It felt incredibly short.
It had taken me three years just to go from E to D.
“Haha, that’s not the point. If you’ve got the will, we’ll save you a spot. We’ve recommended one person each half year, and you’re the first Ki Soyul has ever personally vouched for.”
“I see…”
I turned to look at Ki Soyul.
She averted her eyes.
…What was that about?
‘Anyway—’
Five months was doable.
Even if it were eleven months, I wouldn’t want to wait that long.
‘Aim high.’
This time was different.
I had a good teacher.
And a good catalyst.
My growth in the last month had far outstripped the last three years.
And really—
what was there to hesitate about?
When someone offers to spoon-feed you, you take it.
“Alright then.”
I nodded decisively.
“Let’s do it. Who in their right mind would refuse a chance given by five rankers?”
“Kehahaha, that’s my boy—bold as ever.”
Berserker roared with laughter.
“Still, don’t take it too lightly. We’ve recommended five hunters so far, and only Kim Hyukseon passed. Fewer than fifty rankers have ever come out of the Trial Dungeon. Most of the failures ended up crippled or missing.”
“….”
And you tell me this *now*?
‘Still—’
I never thought the path to becoming a ranker would be easy.
“I’ll be ready.”
I clenched my fist.
Yoo Sangdon stepped up beside me.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
“Just so you know, I’ll be collecting on that recommendation when you’re a ranker. Business should always be fair.”
A true merchant’s mindset—investing for future profit.
“Of course. I’ll pay it back with interest.”
I always return what I’m given.
Especially to Ki Soyul—the biggest debt I owed was to her.
—
“……”
After the whole episode ended,
I lay in my room, staring at the ceiling.
“……”
I still couldn’t believe it.
The Trial Dungeon.
Content made by the Mirage, Delilah.
Even after scouring the hunter forums, I couldn’t find a shred of related info.
‘I’m going to have to move fast from now on.’
I fiddled with the catalyst I pulled from my pocket.
[Item: Root of Racial Conflict]
[Grade: A]
[Type: Catalyst]
[Description: A root that can uncover the secret of hidden ruins.]
[Effect 1: Unlocks the dungeon ‘Forest and Stone.’]
[Effect 2: Bound to hunter Joo Donghoon.]
[Effect 3: This item can only be activated from C-rank and above.]
*Forest and Stone.*
I knew instinctively—
Clearing this would take me to the next level.
‘Which means…’
First, I had to reach C-rank.
[Hunter: Joo Donghoon]
[Alias: X]
[Energy: 120/120]
[Unique Ability: Cursed Necromancer]
[Rank: D]
Compared to the hunters I’d met today, it was a pitiful status.
No alias, low rank.
‘C-rank, huh…’
When you don’t know the shortcut, there’s only one option—
Hard work.
Starting tomorrow—
I’d divide my day into thirds.
Up early for training with the old man, review until late morning, then hit the dungeon nonstop afterward.
I was ready to solo dungeons now.
‘Don’t miss the chance.’
The opportunities I’d gotten so far—and today’s meeting with the Five Stars—
They were worth their weight in gold.
‘The future’s going to be interesting.’
I felt a thrill at the thought.
What kind of wild ride was ahead of me?
In the quiet night,
I closed my eyes with firm resolve.