“Did you say an item?” I asked.

“Yes, an item,” Kim Hyun-Sung replied.

“Where did you even get this, bro?” Park Deok-Gu asked.

“I haven’t told you yet, but after that incident, I coincidentally found a chest,” he answered.

“A chest?”

“I guess it would be appropriate to call it a treasure chest and it looked like one of those wooden boxes that were used a long time ago,” he explained.

“I guess there are all sorts of things here, right, hyung-nim?” Park Deok-Gu asked me.

I couldn’t find out whether what he said was true, but since it was called a dungeon, I guess there were treasure chests that contained these types of items.

I thought of the possibility that maybe these items actually belonged to Kim Hyun-Sung, but I decided not to bring it up because right now, what was most important was what kind of gift he wanted to give us and which item I was going to receive.

“That’s interesting, but if there are more chests like this nearby, then we could’ve looked for it…it seems like there’s a limited number of chests within the entire dungeon, so it’s possible that the chest that you found is the first and the last one in the dungeon. There could be a similar chest underground…” I explained.

“Yes, I’m sure you’re right, Mr. Ki-Young. I did search around this area, but this was my first time finding a chest. I didn’t go any farther, but…anyways, take a look,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

“Okay.”

I was going to take a look anyway.

There wasn’t a need for me to activate Mind’s Eye because the moment I held them in my hand, I immediately saw the relevant information about them. I thought about how it would have been nice if I was the only one that was able to see an item’s detailed stats, but that feeling only lasted for a moment.

[Iron Dwarf’s Bracelet of Steel - Average Rank]

[It’s an ornament created by the now fallen Iron Dwarf race. Unlike its crude appearance, the bracelet was created with fine craftsmanship. It’ll increase your stamina, endurance, and strength stats by one point.]

The owner of the bracelet had already been decided and seeing as how Park Deok-Gu seemed a bit interested, I guess it was a good item.

The bracelet increased one’s stats by three points and it was the same amount of points increased when one obtained a job.

The rank of this bracelet was average, so I assumed items that were ranked from epic to legendary had stats that I couldn't even imagine.

“Ohh…” Park Deok-Gu said.

He looked as if he got allowance money from his grandmother.

The problem was what happened next…

[Magic Shield Ring - Rare Rank]

[It’s unknown where this item was made, but it’s a very old item. This item allows you two to create a magic shield twice a day by using the magic that’s contained within the ring. The user will have to charge the ring using their own mana. (2/2)]

[Divine Healing - Rare Rank]

[It’s unknown where this item was made. The ring contains low-ranked holy magic and healing. It can be used once a day. (1/1)]

The remaining two items were rare-ranked rings and the moment I checked them, my eyes unknowingly widened.

‘They’re really good.’

I did think that I would be able to obtain something if I followed Kim Hyun-Sung, but I never imagined that I would be able to eat something this delicious so early on.

Most of all, they were rare-ranked rings and their skills were too good to the point that I was surprised. Even though they didn’t increase stats like Park Deok-Gu’s bracelet, they were more valuable.

The Magic Shield Ring, for example, let us say that about four magic points would be consumed when reciting the magic shield spell. Then, it meant that this shield had about eight stats of efficiency. It couldn’t be compared to an average-ranked item whose efficiency was only about three stats.

‘Good.’

It was the same for the Divine Healing ring. Seeing as how it had the same rank, this ring probably gave at least six stat efficiency, making this an insurance that could protect your body and tend to your injuries since it could only be used twice a day.

In order to go underground, the item that Kim Hyun-Sung selected for himself was probably the insurance that could prepare him for any accidents that could happen.

‘Right, we need to make proper preparations.’

When I lightly nodded, I slowly touched the bracelet.

“It looks valuable…can we really take it?” Park Deok-Gu asked.

“You don’t have to worry,” Kim Hyun-Sung answered.

“Ahem…t-then, it’s only right for me to take the bracelet. Thanks, dude. I feel bad since I haven’t done much…” Park Deok-Gu said.

“It’s fine.”

“I’ll pay you back,” Park Deok-Gu told him.

“It’s the thought that counts,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

The owner of the bracelet had been decided, so the issue was the remaining two rings. Honestly, any of the rings would be fine, but I wanted the Magic Shield Ring more than the other since I could protect myself with it. If Jung Ha-Yan wore the Divine Healing ring, there was a good chance that she would use the holy magic that was contained within the ring on me.

‘I’m sure of it.’

It was a bad thought to have, but I had no choice.

Unlike her who was able to use magic all she wanted, I would be spent after just using two spells.

While I was deep in my thoughts, Jung Ha-Yan spoke up first. “I-I’ll take this one.”

She picked the Divine Healing ring. I wasn’t sure if she noticed my expression, but she was definitely moving in the direction that I wanted her to move in.

“Then, I’ll take the remaining ring,” I said.

The corner of my lips kept going up; it would be strange if I wasn’t happy in this situation.

The insurance that could save my life twice a day just landed in my hands. A rare-ranked item landed in my hand without me having to work hard for it or taking risks to get it.

‘This is it!’

“But, is it really okay for us to take this…” I said.

“It’s fine since I have an item as well…for items that have special abilities, there’s a limit to how many times they can be worn, no, they can be worn, but it seems like there’s some kind of limit,” Kim Hyun-Sung explained. He even provided great information.

“So are you saying that even if we wear two rings, only one ring will activate?” I asked.

“Yes, that’s right,” he replied.

I thought there was a need to take my time in testing it out later.

I thanked Kim Hyun-Sung again while displaying a small smile. “Thank you very much, Mr. Hyun-Sung, and as Deok-Gu mentioned earlier, we haven’t really done much for you…”

“T-Thank you…Mr. Hyun-Sung,” Jung Ha-Yan said.

“It’s nothing. Also, Mr. Ki-Young and Miss Ha-Yan, you don’t have to worry about it so much since we’re comrades,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

There was a smile on my face.

Kim Hyun-Sung probably thought that we were indebted to him after he saw how thankful me, Park Deok-Gu, and Jung Ha-Yan were. He probably thought that we trusted him completely. After seeing that, I became more certain, and to be exact, I became confident after hearing his last line.

‘He’s thinking about sticking with us.’

Since we were comrades.

Kim Hyun-Sung was thinking about sticking with me, Park Deok-Gu, and Jung Ha-Yan. In addition, he had always tried his best to win Jung Ha-Yan over to his side. She was a mage with a fixed future, so he probably thought that it was reasonable to cherish and make a connection with her.

Park Deok-Gu wasn’t that bad either. It may only happen in games, but a reliable tank was always popular. Compared to Jung Ha-Yan or Jung Jin-Ho, his judgment, stability, and the potential he showed during the hunts so far may not be as good, but the stats that he currently possessed was decent. His growth potential may not be as good as the real monsters like Kim Hyun-Sung, Jung Jin-Ho, or Jung Ha-Yan, but I believed that he was good enough to do his part. My future felt a bit iffy though.

By being close to Park Deok-Gu and Jung Ha-Yan, I was a hyung-nim that he could trust and to Jung Ha-Yan, I was close to her, to the point that our relationship was close to lovers. If Kim Hyun-Sung wanted to take Park Deok-Gu and Jung Ha-Yan, he would have no choice but to take me in too.

I may get points for not making mistakes during a hunt and for being quick-witted, but people like me were all over the Continent. He may use me as an administrative staff in his kingdom that he was going to grow from now on. Of course, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to live like a crow-tit like Lee Ji-Hye, but in order to protect myself better, there was a need for me to work hard sometimes.

‘It may be difficult to keep up though.’

I thought it would be best to follow along and take advantage of whatever I could.

I spoke while slightly raising the corner of my lips.

“That’s true, we’re comrades.”

We were comrades that protected and cherished each other. After that statement, it felt as if we have gotten even closer to each other. I couldn’t help but feel good about it.

“It has a great ring to it, hyung-nim. Yeah…comrade! Oh, so when are we heading underground?” Park Deok-Gu asked.

“We’ll probably head there soon. I haven’t told Mr. Jin-Ho’s party yet, but…I'm sure they’re waiting for us to take them out on a hunt,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

“Hm, they did ask if I wanted to go hunting with them, but I refused because hyung-nim told me not to go out…” Park Deok-Gu said.

“Good job,” Kim Hyun-Sung said as he looked at me again.

It was reasonable for him to set boundaries on the new party that had just joined, but I guessed he was thankful for what we did.

“Since it’s just us…I can say that I don’t have a good feeling about the new party,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

“Bro, seeing as how you’re saying the same thing that hyung-nim said, I guess smart dudes really are different. I actually feel the same way,” Park Deok-Gu said.

“Even if we go out to hunt and enter dungeons together, we need to set certain boundaries. Since we don’t know what might happen, it’s only right to be cautious. What happened to Park Hye-Young can happen again, so let’s be more cautious this time,” I explained.

“I-I understand what you’re saying,” Jung Ha-Yan said.

Both Jung Ha-Yan and Kim Hyun-Sung nodded.

“Mr. Ki-Young is right. If I were to exaggerate a bit more…” he started.

“Okay.”

“Please think of it as fighting with the enemy,” he said.

Everyone nodded.

“An enemy?” Park Deok-Gu asked.

“Yes.”

Kim Hyun-Sung decided to take the stage.

“You don’t have to think so much about it right now, but I think it’s best to be somewhat prepared since we don’t know what will happen once we go underground,” Kim Hyun-Sung explained.

“It’s best to assume that the difficulty is harder than the first floor,” I commented.

“Yes, you’re right. Rather than standing around here, I’ll go tell Mr. Jin-Ho right now. When we’re available, we’ll leave as soon as possible,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

“That fast?” Park Deok-Gu asked.

“We can make preparations on our way there.”

“Oh, I see.”

I was sure that Jung Jin-Ho wasn’t going to decline because whether their goal was to survive here or enjoy their hobbies, going outside was advantageous for them.

Jung Jin-Ho was aware that compared to Kim Hyun-Sung, there was a difference in their levels and that was why he withdrew back then.

Variables were the most important thing when it came to fights that were considered disadvantageous. There was a good chance that the dungeon would create the variables that Jung Jin-Ho wanted. If he got rid of Kim Hyun-Sung, then his own world may start to unfold.

If he was really a killer, then to him, the shelter was where he would be the happiest. Thus, there was a good chance that he would gamble.

If I were in Jung Jin-Ho’s place, then I would use any means necessary to kill Kim Hyun-Sung’s party. But of course, this opportunity did not belong solely to him. This was also a good opportunity for Kim Hyun-Sung.

I couldn’t help but smile since Jung Jin-Ho was going to die anyway. Considering that, sucking out every bit of benefits from him was the right choice.