'FWOOSH!'

Its beginning was humble, but its end would be glorious. The small flame devoured oxygen and dry branches, erupting into a spectacular blaze. This was no ordinary fire.

"As expected of a fire bought with good money, it burns well."

A normal fire would have been stomped out by the charging goblins in seconds. Even they could predict the danger of a small ember on a beginner's dagger. But this fire, they could not extinguish. It was, after all, an item he had purchased from the Dungeon Store for a staggering twenty thousand dollars.

[Wildfire Firecracker]

▶ Grade: Unique

▶ When used in a forest, it can cause a wildfire.

▷ The lit firecracker cannot be extinguished by normal means.

▷ Once lit, the fire can only be extinguished by water-attribute magic of a certain power level or higher. Please use with caution.

The world was filled with a vast array of items. While players preferred weapons, armor, and accessories, monsters dropped all sorts of strange and wonderful things—things they couldn't possibly have created themselves. This was one of the reasons dungeons felt so much like a game. The Wildfire Firecracker was one such item. Though not crafted by a player, it was incredibly useful. Buja, however, had swallowed his tears and bought it not for daily life, but for dungeon life.

He hadn't planned on using it here. It was an emergency item, purchased with the nagging thought that he might need it someday. 'Still, it's better to wrap things up cleanly.'

As the flames they were trying to stamp out grew larger than their own bodies and began to consume their crude village, the goblins scattered in panic. No matter how monstrous, they were as helpless as humans before the raw power of nature. This was a disaster more potent than any magic.

Seeing a few goblins still charging toward him, Buja gave his wrist a slight flick. With a sharp tug, the dagger flew back to his hand, reeled in by a five-hundred-dollar, single-use thread. The phrase 'cost-benefit analysis' briefly crossed his mind.

"From now on, I'm the one doing the chasing."

With a wicked smile, he plunged into the underbush, hunting the fleeing goblins.

"Kieeeeeek!"

"Kyaak!"

'FWOOSH!' The roar of the ever-growing wildfire and the acrid sting of smoke were punctuated by goblin screams, leaving no time to even tell who—or what—was responsible for their deaths.

[☆ Clear Condition has been fulfilled.]

[The dungeon will now be cleared.]

For the remaining four hours, a new mission had been given to the goblins. A mission called survival.

6.

"Hah! Hooo!"

He greedily gulped down the air, the familiar scent of exhaust fumes filling his lungs. "It's like the air in Seoul."

After four days of breathing nothing but fresh forest air, the smell of the real world wasn't entirely unpleasant. More than anything, it was proof that he had cleared the dungeon and returned alive. A deep sense of pride washed over him, especially since he had poured every ounce of his focus into the clear.

'I wonder how much I earned this time.'

He deliberately avoided checking his status window. Rewards were best savored all at once. Taking several deep breaths to flush the carbon dioxide from his lungs, he stretched his stiff body. This time, he didn't need to ask to be contacted.

"Good work, sir." A man who introduced himself as the Jeong Cheol Guild's support team leader greeted him. It was only natural for them to be waiting, given the dungeon's four-day survival timer. Seeing a crew of nearly ten people—more than the Dungeon Store had sent—Buja scratched the back of his head and looked around.

"Is Ms. Jeong Seora not here?"

"She is on her way. Shall we go in and begin the dungeon settlement first?"

"Ah, just a moment." He stopped the crew from entering and waited for Seora.

She arrived shortly after, and Buja waved enthusiastically as he hurried over to her.

"Looks like you had a spectacular clear," she commented, taking in his state. He was caked in mud, reeked of monster blood, and covered in a thick layer of ash.

Instead of wrinkling her nose, she applauded. It was the reaction of someone who not only entered dungeons herself but also respected the grit and effort it took.

"Let's head straight to the hospital. I'll have them prepare a shower for you," Seora said.

"Yes, let's do that," Buja replied, then leaned in closer. "But I don't think a settlement will be possible."

"Huh?" Seora tilted her head, confused by his whispered words as he glanced at the others. "Why not?"

It happened sometimes. When a player had killed every monster and confirmed there were no items left worth anything, they might forgo the settlement to save on the hefty appraisal fees.

Alternatively, it was a tactic used to seal a dungeon for the twenty-four hours before its collapse, typically when there was a compelling reason to keep people out—like a crime scene. Nothing wiped away evidence more thoroughly than a dungeon ceasing to exist. But no other player had entered besides Buja, and judging by his sheepish expression, that wasn't the case here.

"It's a little dangerous in there right now," he explained.

"Why?" Seora asked.

"A forest fire… broke out," he admitted. "The monsters are all dead, but the flames won't die down. I'm guessing most of the drops burned up with them, so we'll have to forget about a settlement."

Hearing the explanation from Buja himself, Seora understood why he had pulled her aside.

"How could a fire just start on a perfectly normal mountain…?" she wondered aloud.

"I guess it was consumed by my burning passion," he quipped, flashing a smirk as he walked past her.

And just like that, the second Epic dungeon raid concluded with nothing to show for it.

"What? He's giving up on the settlement for an Epic dungeon?" a support team member asked in disbelief.

"But why?" another chimed in.

"He said there was nothing inside worth the appraisal fee," Seora explained smoothly, her voice just loud enough for Buja to hear as she managed the team.

* * *

[Achievement Information]

1. An Achievement for an Achievement

2. First Time (E)

3. Hundred-Man Feast! (E)

4. Goblin Slayer (R): Attack Power +5 against Goblins

▷ 4 achievements on record. Collective effects not yet active. (4/5)

▷ 1 Rare achievement on record. Collective effects not yet active. (1/10)

▷ 2 Epic achievements on record. Collective effects not yet active. (2/5)

Two new achievements, plus a powerful bonus attached to Goblin Slayer. After soaking in a therapeutic bath that both healed and cleansed him, Buja reviewed his rewards. They were more than decent.

'So that's why they went down so easily at the end,' he mused.

At the time, he'd been too preoccupied with finding cover, starting the fire, and then scrambling to kill every last goblin to check his status. But he'd felt his dagger sinking into their necks with an unsettling ease, and now he knew why. He had simply assumed they were easier to kill because they were fleeing and defenseless.

"These achievements are pretty damn good," he muttered to himself.

While the cumulative effects hadn't unlocked yet, conditional bonuses like these were a massive boon for any player who planned to run countless dungeons. It wasn't just a bonus against basic goblins, but an Attack Power +5 against the entire goblin race. Considering the variety of goblins that appeared in dungeons above one star, the bonus was as universally useful as one against orcs in a fantasy novel.

"It's satisfying, stacking these up."

More than anything, he felt a surge of pride. These were permanent stats—a power that was uniquely his, one that would last until the day he died. This was precisely why Buja, who had always chased money from game to game and got rid of his characters without a second thought, had so desperately craved his awakening. He was finally free of the need to chain himself to a single character for profit. In its place was a feeling he hadn't experienced in years—the pure, unadulterated excitement he'd felt when he first discovered RPGs.

"Gold Maker."

He had no idea why he'd been granted a Legendary Class, let alone a growth-type that suited him so perfectly. All that mattered was that it was his, and he would never let it go. He was having so much fun that even the grime and grit of fighting monsters in the wild felt exhilarating. This moment was everything.

"Status Window."

[Status Window]

▶ Name: Kim Buja

▶ Level: 1

▶ Class: Gold Maker (L)

▶ Stats: Strength (1)+2, Agility (1)+2, Stamina (1)+2, Magic (1)+1, Divinity (1)+1

▶ Special Stats: Gold Power (1)

▶ Gold Held: 82G

▷ Detailed Information (4)

▷ Item effects have increased Strength (2), Stamina (2), Agility (2), Magic (1), and Divinity (1).

From twelve gold to eighty-two in a single dungeon run.

"Hard work pays off."

Excluding the single gold he'd received at midnight, he had earned a staggering sixty-one gold purely from hunting. A fleeting thought crossed his mind, that it wasn't much for over a hundred goblins, but he quickly dismissed it.

"So, in an Epic dungeon, it's about one gold for every two monsters."

The wolves had yielded slightly more, but that was likely due to their higher level. They were far fewer in number than the goblins, and he could feel a distinct difference in their strength. Of course, if the final amount of gold hadn't met his expectations, he might have been tempted to curse at the wind. But not now. He had no time for pointless whining.

"Level up VIP."

This time, there was no hesitation, no comparison to his other skills. This was the plan.

['VIP' Level is increasing.]

[Level-up cost is discounted by 1% due to Gold Power (1).]

[50 gold has been used.]

The gold vanished instantly, leaving a feeling of emptiness, but it was the cost to get what he wanted. The Gold Maker system, true to its nature, returned something far greater to fill the void.

[You have reached 'VIP Level 1'.]

['VIP Level 1' benefits have been granted.]

['Gold Enhancement' has been activated.]

['VIP1 Skill' has been activated.]

['Equipment Enhancement Stage Set Effect' has been activated.]

It wasn't just a long list. The rewards were so substantial that they made him forget the fifty gold entirely.

"Whoa."

[24:00:00]

▷ (L) Wait for Free Gold effect is active.

▷ (L) VIP1 Skill: A Cornucopia of Daily Gifts! The effect is active.

[You have acquired 3 gold.]

[You have acquired 'VIP1 Attendance Box (1)'.]

Overwhelmed by the cascade of holograms, Buja leaned back, a tired smile spreading across his face.

"You're trying to kill me with kindness."

The payoff for four days of grueling effort washed over him like a triumphant tide.

* * *

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