Chapter 27. The Noble’s Request (2)
“Is this the place?”
“According to the map, yes. Definitely a dungeon.”
Aren and Alfredo had come looking for a dungeon—not to fight monsters, but to harvest HardWood, a rare type that could only be found inside dungeons.
Following the map, they arrived at one near their territory.
“A dungeon, huh…”
The air grew damp and cold as they stepped closer to the dark cave.
A chill brushed Aren’s skin.
That was when Alfredo spoke up, voice serious.
“Village Chief, I’ll wait outside. You can go in.”
“What kind of butler sends his master into a dungeon alone?”
“A butler who’s originally a clerk, sir! I don’t do fieldwork!”
“You were a clerk? You carry wood so well, I thought you were field staff.”
“I’m office staff, sir.”
“Not anymore. Starting today, you’re field staff. Let’s go.”
“…Ughhh…”
With that pitiful protest swiftly crushed, Aren led the reluctant butler into the dungeon.
Cold, damp air clung to their legs.
Sand crunched softly underfoot.
Ding!
[You have entered the Goblin Dungeon.]
[Recommended Level: 25–35]
[First-time Dungeon Entry Detected.]
[Multiple Title Conditions Met — “Dungeon Newbie”]
[Dungeon Newbie]
Grade: F (Multiple)
Effect: EXP gain +10% (in Dungeons)
Item Drop Rate +5% (in Dungeons)
He had acquired a dungeon-exclusive title.
According to Kim Minsoo, clearing more dungeons could unlock stronger ones.
‘Not that I care about that kind of thing…’
Aren’s only goal was to cut down some Hard Wood and fix his wardrobe back home.
Still, special materials did intrigue him a little.
“It’s kind of eerie here. Feels a bit chilly.”
“Yeah, I feel it too. There might be monsters—here, take this.”
“This is…”
“A shield. I made it just in case.”
He handed Alfredo a wooden shield he had crafted in his spare time.
What began as boredom had turned out surprisingly well.
[Shield of Vitality]
Grade: C
Description: A wooden shield crafted by a skilled carpenter, simply for fun.
Thanks to oak’s natural density, it’s sturdier than expected.
Defense: 60
Durability: 110,000 / 110,000
Effects:
+5 Health
+10% Vitality
+10% Defense
Restores 0.1% HP every 10 seconds while equipped.
<Hidden Effect>
When blocking the first attack, Defense increases by 20% for 20 seconds.
Aren had once helped his father craft shields for clients—often for cosplayers, of all people. That experience came in handy now.
“Pretty solid, right?”
“It’s sturdy… but why are you giving it to me?”
“Just in case. If monsters rush at us, you block.”
“But I’m a butler.”
“And I’m the village chief. A butler’s supposed to protect his master, isn’t he?”
“…Ughhh…”
With a teary face, Alfredo lifted the shield while Aren drew Hector’s hunting bow.
They kept walking.
“Kiieek…”
“Kiik…”
Five goblins stood huddled ahead—small, green-skinned creatures with only their most private areas barely covered.
Alfredo raised his shield nervously.
“Village Chief, there are a lot of them—”
Thwack!
An arrow struck a goblin straight through the head.
It collapsed instantly.
[You have slain a Goblin.]
[You have gained EXP.]
[Your Dexterity improves your Archery.]
[You have obtained: Goblin’s Tattered Hide, Goblin’s Tendon, 100 Silver.]
The sudden attack enraged the remaining goblins, who began to screech and search for the attacker.
Alfredo looked shocked.
“Village Chief… why did you—?”
“…Well…”
“Pardon? What did you say?”
“Those goblins…”
Aren calmly nocked another arrow, aiming at the furious creatures.
“They look just like Assistant Manager Lee.”
Without pause, he loosed another arrow.
Later…
“Haah… haah…”
In another part of the dungeon, another player, Luck, sat among the corpses of his fallen teammates.
They had been clearing the same goblin dungeon—but only he survived.
Four players had entered.
A hidden goblin ambush had wiped out the others one by one—healer, tank, archer.
Luck, an assassin-type player, barely escaped alive.
‘I need to get out of here…’
In Illusion, dying carried harsh penalties: item loss, reduced levels, lower skill ranks, and a “Death Debuff” that weakened all stats for a week.
‘I can cure it… but it costs a fortune.’
He sighed. “If I just move carefully—”
“Kiieeek!!”
“…Guess not.”
A horde of goblins had spotted him.
With almost no HP and no mana left for escape skills, he was trapped.
‘This is it… I worked so hard for that EXP…’
Despair filled his eyes. He just hoped he wouldn’t drop his prized dagger.
Then—
Whizz!
An arrow whistled through the air and pierced a goblin’s skull.
“What the…?”
Before he could even react, more arrows rained down, dropping the goblins one after another.
He turned toward the source.
Two figures stood there—one holding a shield, the other a bow.
“That accuracy… is that even possible?”
The distance between them and the goblins was huge.
Yet every arrow struck a head—no misses, no hesitation.
‘Even Halibel from my old party couldn’t do that…’
This wasn’t luck. It was skill.
“Who is that? A national-level athlete? A pro gamer?”
Whoever they were, they had saved his life.
Luck ran up to thank them.
“Thanks so much! You saved me.”
“Ah, it’s fine. Glad you’re okay.”
“Are you an archer? That aim is insane! Are you a pro?”
“Me? Oh, no. I’m not an archer.”
“…You’re not? Then what are you?”
“I’m a carpenter.”
“…”
A carpenter?
Now that he looked closely, the man really was wearing a craftsman’s outfit, dusted with sawdust.
Luck blinked. “Then… the guy with the shield—is he the tank?”
“I’m a butler, sir.”
“…”
What kind of party was this?
A carpenter with a bow, and a butler with a shield?
“Then how do you shoot so well? Some special trick?”
“Of course. It’s simple—visualization.”
“Visualization?”
“Yeah. Just imagine your target as the person you hate most, and you’ll never miss.”
Aren drew his bow again to demonstrate. His eyes hardened.
“That one… looks just like the guy who used to throw documents at me.”
His arm trembled faintly, but his aim never wavered.
Breath in… exhale… release.
Thwack!
The arrow struck dead center in the goblin’s forehead.
Aren turned back to Luck with a bright, satisfied smile.
“See? The more you hate them, the better you shoot.”
Luck forced a weak laugh.
“Ah… I see. G-good tip. Thanks.”
Exhausted and confused, he just wanted to leave the dungeon and drink a cold glass of water.
[You have slain the Goblin Chief.]
[You have gained EXP.]
[Level Up!]
[You have obtained: Goblin Chief’s Tendon, Goblin Chief’s Emblem, 1 Gold.]
After parting ways with Luck, Aran and Alfredo leisurely cleared the dungeon—right up to the boss.
“Its attack pattern’s simple. Just watch for ambushes.”
“You’re right. I didn’t even need the shield. You killed everything before they got close.”
Indeed, Alfredo hadn’t blocked a single attack.
Every goblin that approached had already died from Aren’s arrows.
Even the boss had fallen after three shots—to the head, chest, and groin.
The scream when that last arrow hit… still echoed in Alfredo’s ears.
“Status window.”
[Status Window]
Name: Aren
Level: 35 EXP: 35.55%
Class: Star Carpenter
HP: 3,100 / 3,100 MP: 1,300 / 1,300
STR: 30 (+7) VIT: 26 (+5) AGI: 11 (+3) WIS: 10 (+3)
Dexterity: 149 (+41)
Unused Points: 5
‘Leveled up nicely. Guess solo clearing a party dungeon pays off.’
He dumped all points into Dexterity and checked his loot.
[Goblin Chief’s Tendon] – Grade C
A tough tendon from the Goblin Chief.
Can be refined and used for crafting equipment.
[Goblin Chief’s Emblem] – Grade C
A token carried by the Goblin Chief.
Might fetch a reward from the Mercenary Guild.
‘The tendon’ll make a great bowstring later. The emblem—I’ll cash that in.’
Finally, he looked up.
At the far end of the dungeon stood his real goal: the Tree.
Massive and glowing faintly with magical energy.
“Village Chief… are you sure we can chop this? It’s… huge.”
Indeed—it was far bigger than expected.
Aren drew the enchanted axe the lord had lent him and swung.
CLANG!
His palms stung. The blade bounced off.
“This thing’s tougher than I thought.”
“That’s an understatement, sir…”
Only a small dent marked the trunk.
“Yeah… this won’t be easy.”
Aren frowned, thinking hard—until one idea flickered in his mind.
‘Wait… maybe that skill would work.’
He grinned.
“Alright. I think I’ve got a way.”
