How to Raise Your Skeletons

Chapter 35: Dungeon Maker

Which country is the world’s strongest hunter nation? Ask a hundred people, and they’ll all answer the same.

“The undisputed United States!”

“Yes, America is unquestionably number one.”

It was the country with the most rankers and a nation that poured immense resources into its hunting industry. America’s budget for the hunter industry accounted for about 30% of the world’s total budget.

And who would be the most difficult and mysterious hunter among these American rankers?

It all boiled down to one name.

Ranked 5th in the world, Delilah the Dungeon Maker.

“The Dungeon Maker?”

“What’s that? Does she make dungeons or something? That’s an unusual alias.”

Her ability was simple. As her alias suggested, she created dungeons. However, in application, this ability was anything but simple. It was, in fact, limitless.

“Did you hear that Delilah has released a dungeon artifact?!”

“Dungeon artifact? What’s that?”

“It’s an accessory containing a dungeon, allowing you to decorate it.”

“…?”

“Can’t you tell how incredible that is? You get your own emergency shelter, home, and pocket dimension! Its utility is limitless!”

“Wow, that’s true. So how much does it cost?”

“I don’t know.”

“…?”

“I heard she wouldn’t sell it for 100 billion won*. It’s said to consume an enormous amount of mental strength to create. Rumor says she only gives them as gifts to people she acknowledges.”

* ≈ $77 million USD

“Wow, that’s amazing. Well, makes sense… A hunter like Delilah wouldn’t be motivated by money.”

Delilah was a top-tier ranker and one of the single-digit world rankers. She was known to be extremely wealthy.

“So wouldn’t robbers constantly be after her?”

“Yeah, getting just one artifact could change your life.”

Naturally, many hunters targeted her. Not just regular hunters but rankers as well.

However, she was ranked 5th in the world for a reason. Delilah was elusive. Even when she appeared on occasion, it was only a mirage. The place she resided was rumored to be an S-rank dungeon, indicating its danger.

Moreover, her official record was 0 battles, 0 wins, 0 losses. Delilah was not someone anyone could fight even if they wanted to.

“…”

Her skills, aliases, and abilities—they all seemed like a mirage. No one knew what she was doing or what she looked like. She had never appeared in the media, and only rumors surrounded her.

Thus, she had another alias, the Mirage. Such was the Dungeon Maker.

* * *

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* * *

“This is…” Gi Soyul, who had been explaining diligently, briefly cleared her throat, “ahem, what the general public knows about the Dungeon Maker.”

“Yes, I’ve heard about her.”

Of course, I knew about her. She was listed as 5th on the World Ranking Board and frequently appeared on TV, even now.

“But what I’m about to tell you is known only to rankers.” Gi Soyul crossed her arms and touched her neck with her right hand. “In fact, the Dungeon Maker opens a trial dungeon every six months.”

“A trial dungeon?”

“Yes, no one knows why she creates such dungeons or why she opens them in secret. The most plausible guess is that her power grows by having many people participate. But that’s not certain either.”

“…I see.” I gulped. My brain buzzed with the new information. “So what kind of dungeon is this trial dungeon?”

“We don’t know the contents of the dungeons. They’re said to change every time. The only sure thing is that if you pass all the trials in that dungeon, you can secure a spot within the triple-digit rankings at least.”

Ah, I see. So that was why they called her the ranker who created rankers.

But whether you became a ranker because you passed the trial was uncertain. Perhaps you could only pass the trial if you had the skills to be a ranker. It was like the question of the chicken and the egg—which came first?

“Three years ago, the five of us, now called the Five Stars of Seoul, passed the trial and entered the ranks in the triple-digits. Of course over time, our rankings have risen.”

“…I see.”

That was still amazing, wasn’t it? Berserker was now ranked 20th, and Fine Bow was now ranked 58th. I could only wonder what they had done to achieve that, to rise in the rankings so much in just three years.

But judging by my own recent growth rate, it wasn’t impossible if one encountered a fortuitous opportunity.

“Anyway, there are two conditions for participating in the trial dungeon. First, you must be at least an A-rank hunter.”

“…Pardon?”

But I was still D-rank… I didn’t even know how to reach C-rank, let alone A-rank.

“Don’t worry too much. The trial dungeon opens every six months. You can participate when you’re ready. I believe you’ll achieve that soon.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yes, I do. And the second condition is to bring recommendation letters from five rankers.”

“Huh?”

“It seems Delilah only wants to accept verified participants. The recommendation letters arrive as notes via system messages which are only visible to us who have entered the rankings.”

“Wow.”

I was impressed. Did that mean Delilah was somehow connected to the system?

Or…

It could have just been a skill. For example, [Send a note to those listed on the World Ranking Board.]

Anyway…

Five recommendations from rankers, huh? Was that even possible? Rankers were harder to sight than celebrities.

It seems I couldn’t even become a ranker without these connections. What a dirty world!

Gi Soyul chuckled when she saw me muttering to myself.

“The note comes with a warning. If you disclose this information publicly, your right to make recommendations will be revoked and you won’t be able to participate in any of the Dungeon Maker’s future content. However, there’s an exception when recommending candidates. That’s why you’ll face a penalty if you disclose this information.”

As she finished speaking…

—Ring!

[You have learned information about the Dungeon Maker.]

[Warning! Warning! Warning!]

[If you disclose this information to non-rankers, you cannot participate in any of the Dungeon Maker’s content in the future!]

[The only exception is when recommending a candidate.]

[If the recommendation candidate discloses the information, the penalty will be imposed on the recommender!]

[Tip: Say ‘Register recommendation’ to set a recommendation candidate.]

“My god.”

Now I finally understood why White Swine was sensitive about revealing this information.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it? Delilah’s identity is such a mystery. By the way, Donghoon, I’ve already registered you as a candidate.”

“It seems she can control the status windows. At this point, is she not a god or the force behind this world?”

“No one knows,” Gi Soyul said bluntly. “But considering no one has disclosed this information yet…”

“It means no ranker wants to go against Delilah.”

“Exactly.”

It was refreshing to hear such an idea. If Delilah truly was a hunter, it’d be incredible. She’d be the hunter who rose to the top with the unique authority to create dungeons—moreover, a strategist who could firmly get a grasp on every ranker.

By the way.

I suddenly realized that the Dark Lord also became a ranker through the trial dungeon. He kept yapping about dungeons… Did he mean the trial dungeon?

Well, that wasn’t important. What was important was that the possibility of realizing my dream had increased significantly.

“So… that’s why the five of you gathered. The trial dungeon is what you wanted to introduce to me.”

“Gahaha.” Jang Daewoong, who had been listening quietly, stepped forward. “Yes, that’s right. We formed a group to be able to recommend someone without trouble. That’s us in essence, the Five Stars of Seoul.”

His broad shoulders on display somehow looked impressive.

“So.” He stared at me intently. “This is the most important part.”

“…Yes.”

“Do you have the confidence to receive our recommendation?”

I understood the gist of his question. He was asking if I could become an A-rank hunter, the previously stated condition.

“…When is the next trial dungeon?”

“The next one? Hmm, it’s exactly five months from now.”

“Five months, huh…”

It felt terribly short. It took me three years to go from E-rank to D-rank.

“Haha, that’s not the important part. We can always reserve you a spot as long as you have the determination. We’ve been recommending one person every six months, and you’re the first to be personally recommended by Gi Soyul.”

“I see.” I turned to look at her.

She subtly avoided my gaze. Why did she do that?

Anyway…

Five months seemed doable. Jang Daewoong said I could take eleven months, but I didn’t like that idea.

I have to aim high.

Because things were different now than they were before. I had a great teacher, and I possessed a medium. My growth over the past three years paled in comparison to my growth over the past month. Moreover, there was nothing to hesitate about. Instead of me having to beg for this opportunity, they were offering it to me on a silver platter.

“Fine.” I nodded confidently. “Alright, let’s do it. What kind of fool would refuse an opportunity given by five rankers?”

“Kahaha, that’s my little bro. Bold and straightforward.” Jang Daewoong laughed heartily. “But don’t take it too lightly. We’ve recommended five people so far, but only Kim Hyukseon has managed to pass. That’s not all. Less than 50 rankers have emerged from the trial dungeons. Many who failed have become disabled or just disappeared.”

“…”

Why mention such scary facts now?

Of course…

I never thought becoming a ranker would be easy.

“I’ll be prepared.”

I clenched my fist, and White Swine walked over to me.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“By the way, I’ll collect my fee once you become a ranker. Transactions must be fair.”

As expected from a ‘merchant,’ he was saying that this was an investment for the future.

“Of course. I’ll even repay this debt with interest.”

I gave back as much as I received. That’s my principle.

Especially Gi Soyul.

I looked at her, still leaning against the streetlamp. I didn’t know why she was helping me so much, but I owed my biggest debt to her.

* * *

“…”

After the commotion ended, I stared blankly at the ceiling after returning to my room.

“…”

I still couldn’t believe it. A trial dungeon—content created by Delilah, known as the Mirage. I even scoured the Hunter Board just in case, but there was no related information.

I’ll have to move quickly from now on.

I fiddled with the medium I had taken out of my pocket.

[Item: Roots of Racial Conflict]

[Rank: A]

[Type: Medium]

[Description: Roots that can uncover the secrets of hidden ruins.]

[Effect 1: Can unlock the dungeon ‘Forest and Stone.’]

[Effect 2: Bound to the hunter ‘Joo Donghoon.’]

[Effect 3: This item can only be activated for hunters C-rank and above.]

Forest and Stone, huh?

I instinctively knew that this was the dungeon I needed to clear to grow further.

To do that, I needed to raise my rank to C-rank first.

[Hunter: Joo Donghoon]

[Alias: X]

[Energy: 120/120]

[Unique Authority: Cursed Necromancer]

[Rank: D]

Compared to the hunters I met today, my status was pitiful, with a low rank and no alias.

C-rank, huh?

When I didn’t know how to do something, I could only do one thing: put in effort. Starting tomorrow, I’d divide my time into three parts. Wake up early at dawn to train with the old man and then practice on repeat into the morning. After that, I’d be off to a dungeon since I could handle dungeons alone now.

Let’s not miss this opportunity.

The fortuitous opportunities I’ve had so far, including today’s meeting with the Five Stars of Seoul, have been priceless experiences.

I’m looking forward to my future.

I was excited to see what my journey would be like.

In the darkness, I closed my eyes and firmly resolved myself.

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