Mr. Kim Strikes It Rich with Auto-Hunting [Novel] Chapter 4

“Whoa…”

Articles, community boards, and an endless flood of comments.

“It’s all about me?”

– No way, lololol. I heard the original record for the 1st floor of the Tower of Chaos was 1 hour and 27 minutes, but 2 minutes? How’d they do that??

– Did someone awaken as an SSSS-grade or something?

– Is that even a thing?

– Who knows, lol. But unless it’s something on that level, it doesn’t even make sense, lololol.

The internet’s reaction?

Mostly pure shock.

And.

Amidst all that, there were naturally some sour skeptics.

– Is that really such a big deal? Couldn’t someone just level up, come back down, and steamroll it????

– Fr, feels like so much hype over nothing….

– I’ll put my money on hunters hyping each other up again, lolololol.

Hmm.

Hype over nothing?

Level up and steamroll it?

They had no idea what they were talking about.

“It’s not that simple, you know.”

Tower of Chaos records only counted the very first time.

Even if you cleared a floor again?

No record would be left behind.

Yoon Hajun briefly considered kindly enlightening them with the information he had looked up yesterday….

Huh?

Comments were already popping up.

A ton of them, at that.

– If you don’t know shit, shut your mouth, lolololol.

– FYI: Tower records only apply the first time you clear each floor. Meaning whoever broke it did it at level 1.

– Fr, you think everyone’s freaking out over nothing?…

– There’s always gotta be that one guy who thinks he’s the only smart one in the room, lolololol.

Damn, brutal.

Either way.

The consensus was that it was an insane record.

– There’s speculation that this is the same person who cleared that dungeon in Cheongna.

– Seems likely, considering the timing, lol.

– Wow, I’m dying to know what they awakened as….

– Just looking at it, you know it’s flashy as hell, lol. A Sword God, an Archmage, something like that??

Excuse me?

Not quite.

I’m a Manpower Office Director, actually.

Well, whatever.

It was a strange feeling.

People whose faces he didn’t even know were talking all about him.

At this rate, would people start snapping photos of him on the street later on?

Or swarm him asking for autographs?

After indulging in those silly daydreams, Hajun chuckled.

“Ugh, just imagining it gives me goosebumps.”

A young man who was the very definition of an ordinary citizen, Yoon Hajun.

Excessive attention was a burden.

Moderation was best in everything.

Therefore.

“Decided. I’m keeping the fact that it was me under wraps for the time being.”

Until when?

Hmm….

As long as possible.

Since secrets never stayed buried forever in this world.

Even if it eventually got out, it should only be after he had adjusted to some degree….

And how was he supposed to adjust?

By going to dungeons, of course.

“Shall I head out?”

[Active hunter breaks down just how insane a 2-minute clear on the Tower’s 1st floor really is]

Huh?

That looked interesting….

Maybe he’d just read that one?

[Why today’s broken records make zero sense]

[Breaking News) A new record that shocked the hunter world and stunned the Awakening Management Bureau]

Hmm.

Just one more?

Just one more….

*

“Crazy. It’s already eight?”

He had definitely intended to skim just one post….

Before he knew it, time had flown right by.

The internet was truly a dangerous place.

Time to get up.

The current time was 8:00 AM.

Normally?

Clang, bang, tap, hammer.

He would have been deep in the middle of hard labor by this hour.

And on his days off?

He would sleep the entire day.

The problem was.

“How am I supposed to sleep right now?”

Suddenly awakening out of nowhere.

Articles blowing up across the internet.

There was no way he could sleep with his heart pounding like this.

In that case, he had to get moving.

Where to?

To a dungeon!

Yoon Hajun.

A fresh newbie who had only awakened yesterday.

How did other hunters track down dungeons?

Naturally, he had no clue.

Did that mean he couldn’t go, though?

Nope.

Not a chance.

“I definitely saw it yesterday.”

He swiped open the Manpower Office screen.

——-

Manpower Office (Temporary)[Dispatch Laborers]– Tower

– Dungeon

[Manage Fixed Team (Locked)]

[Requests (Locked)]

[Worksite Scouting (Locked)]

[Unlock Additional Functions]

[Management]

——-

Sure enough, it was right there.

[Dispatch Laborers] – Tower was a feature that sent laborers directly to the tower.

Then what about [Dispatch Laborers] – Dungeon?

Naturally, it was meant to send them into a dungeon.

Which dungeon, though?

He tapped it lightly.

A list popped up.

——-

Available Dungeons for Dispatch

1. Hungry Wolf’s Den – F-grade

2. Spider Queen’s Nest – C-grade

3. Small Spider Burrow – F-grade

4. Corrupted Giant’s Grave – B-grade

……

…

——-

There were so many.

Fortunately, several F-grade dungeons were visible.

For now, sending them to an F-grade dungeon seemed right.

“This is pure gold, isn’t it?”

The more he learned about it, the more absurdly convenient it became.

Just dispatching laborers alone was sweet enough.

What about the other features, then?

[Manage Fixed Team]

[Requests]

[Worksite Scouting]

Requests, Worksite Scouting.

Even the mere sound of them hit him with the gut feeling that they were fantastic functions!

The absolute best of the bunch, however, was obvious.

[Manage Fixed Team]

“I can already tell.”

A day laborer’s sharp intuition screamed inside him.

Once this feature unlocked?

He would be able to summon the exact laborers he wanted, guaranteed.

How was he supposed to unlock it, though?

Everything was locked tight….

Feeling a pang of regret, Hajun tapped it tentatively.

Chime!

[Unique Skill Grade Insufficient]

[Required Grade – Bronze]

What was that?

Unique skill grade?

Ah, don’t tell me.

——-

Name: Yoon Hajun (Lv. 2) / Republic of Korea

Class: Manpower Office Director

Unique Skill: Summon Laborers (Grade – Iron)

——-

There it was.

Clear as day.

(Grade – Iron)

How was he supposed to raise this?

Tilting his head as he examined it, he paused.

“Oh?”

This time, the Unlock Additional Functions tab gave off a faint glow.

A hint?

First, tap it to see.

[Unlock Missions – 10 Low-Grade Magic Stones]

Aha!

Now we’re talking.

He could feel it in his bones.

“Ten stones… that’s two hundred thousand won?”

Two hundred thousand won.

In the past, that was an amount he couldn’t earn even after breaking his back for a full day’s work.

He could certainly spend it.

He probably would have agonized over it for a long time, though.

What about now?

“That’s chump change.”

Yesterday’s earnings for a single day:

Twenty-five low-grade magic stones.

In other words, five hundred thousand won.

And it only cost ten?

There was zero need to hesitate.

An absolute yes.

[Confirm]

He pressed it.

Chime!

[Missions Unlocked]

[A new mission has arrived.]

A new alert popped up.

*

A new function had been added.

Missions.

What was the first mission?

——-[New Mission]Complete 1 domestic laborer summon (0/1)

——-

Huh.

A domestic laborer?

What did that mean…?

Certainly not the orcs, the goblins, or Arthur from yesterday.

None of them looked remotely domestic.

Anyone could see they were built for combat.

If it was a domestic laborer, did that mean they would do chores like cleaning or cooking?

“That’d actually be pretty convenient.”

Summon a domestic laborer.

He checked to see if there was a separate toggle, but there wasn’t one.

Then how was he supposed to call one out?

After pondering for a brief moment, he shrugged.

“Well, I’ll figure it out as I go.”

Yoon Hajun was quick to give up when stuck.

Clinging to things that couldn’t be helped?

It only gave you a headache.

For now, he should just enjoy the present.

How?

By heading straight for a dungeon.

“Let’s get to it.”

The house was cramped, so he went up to the rooftop.

He glanced around cautiously.

All clear.

Nobody was in sight.

Time to summon them, then?

“Summon Laborers.”

[Summoning laborers!]

[Grade – Iron]

[Summon Range: All Intermediate and Low-Grade Targets]

Flash!

A brilliant light flared.

Out they stepped.

“Chweeek!“

It was the orcs again.

“Are you the same guys from yesterday?”

When he asked, they responded eagerly.

“Chweek! Chweeek!“

Clutching the magic stones tightly in their hands, they shook them in enthusiastic greeting.

Oh, they really were the same ones.

Then they were completely trustworthy.

[Manual Mode] → [Auto Mode]

He switched the setting.

“Chweek! Chweek! Chweeek!“

While the orcs went through their warm-up stretches, opening the gate would make everything seamless.

Here, the choice split.

[Dispatch Laborers]

– Tower

– Dungeon

Tower or Dungeon.

The decision?

“Dungeon first, without question.”

The Tower allowed only one entry per day.

He had heard it was best to raise one’s specs as high as possible before going in.

Assuming one’s abilities could back it up, of course.

In that case, what were the capabilities of the Manpower Office Director?

[At your current grade, you may summon up to 2 times per day.]

Twice a day.

Raising his grade would likely increase that limit.

Well, there was no rush, so twice a day was plenty for now.

[Dispatch Laborers]

– Dungeon

[Would you like to enter Hungry Wolf’s Den – F-grade?]

No.

I already said I’m not going in….

He simply left the portal open.

“Chweek! Chweek!“

Having already chanted their safety slogans before he realized it, the orcs stepped smoothly through.

They had entered.

[The workers are entering the dungeon.]

[Auto-hunting initiated.]

Sweet.

Auto-hunting!

This was what it was all about.

Just how long would it take this time?

*

A short while later.

“Chweeek!“

[The dungeon assault is complete.]

[Auto-hunting terminated.]

The second dungeon expedition was finished.

As for the time?

[Clear Time – 00:09:37]

Insane.

Faster than yesterday.

A thirteen-minute clear had already stirred up absolute chaos, but nine minutes?

“Chweek! Chweeek!“

Man, look at them sweat.

They must have busted their tails in there.

If you worked hard?

You deserved to get paid.

What was their daily wage, though?

——-

Laborer Resume

Name: Orc Pack (5) / Low-grade

Specialty: None

Daily Wage: 2 Low-Grade Magic Stones

——-

Ah, so it was two.

He had given them five yesterday….

No wonder they worked so hard.

“I’m in a good mood! You guys worked hard, so here’s five including a bonus!”

“Chweeeek!“

“See you next time.”

“Chweek!“

Flash!

With a burst of light, the orcs clocked out.

As for Yoon Hajun?

Time for another round.

“I really want to hit the Tower, though… If only a trial voucher for a higher-grade laborer would drop from somewhere.”

Perhaps because he had already gotten a taste of high-grade labor.

He didn’t feel like sending low-grades into the Tower.

An intermediate-grade might be a different story.

All right, decided.

If an intermediate-grade popped up, he’d send them into the Tower.

With that settled.

“Summon Laborers.”

[Summoning laborers!]

[Grade – Iron]

[Summon Range: All Intermediate and Low-Grade Targets]

Who would show up this time?

Just as curiosity bubbled up….

Flash!

“Huh? Why is there noth—?”

Squish.

Huh?

Squish?

Where was that sound coming from…?

He slowly tilted his gaze down.

Squish.

A jelly-like creature wriggled on the ground.

“Uh… a slime?”

Oh.

Was that an affirmative?

It squirmed with frantic enthusiasm.

Squish, squish.

It was unexpectedly cute.

Could that little thing actually fight, though?

It didn’t inspire much confidence….

“Hmm…”

No, wait.

Come to think of it, he had felt the same way when he first saw the orcs.

It could probably fight just fine.

Nodding to himself, Hajun clicked the interface.

[Manual Mode] → [Auto Mode]

Just as he was about to open the dungeon portal….

Huh?

It was moving?

“Hey, where are you going?”

Naturally, there was no answer.

It kept moving.

Where to?

Squish, squelch.

Down the stairs it went, step by step.

It reached the ground floor.

And kept descending further.

Straight toward his semi-basement one-room apartment.

“That’s my house, though?”

Bullseye.

Even without him opening the door, it slipped neatly through the gap beneath it.

Beep-beep-beep-beep—!

He rushed in right behind it.

“What the heck? Why are there so many? Where did they all come from?!”

Dozens of slimes were skittering around!

Squish beneath the bed.

Squish behind the refrigerator.

Even in the kitchen sink?

Squelch, squish.

After darting about in a frantic flurry, they merged back into a single body.

Right then.

[The work is complete.]

[Would you like to clock out the laborer?]

Already?

He took a look around.

“Whoa…”

The apartment was sparkling clean.

The thick layers of dust that had piled up were completely gone.

The food scraps he had left sitting out to throw away on his way out were vanished without a trace.

Huh?

Even the dishes were done?!

Was this the power of a domestic laborer?

This was incredible….

On top of that, the daily wage was dirt cheap.

——-

Laborer Resume

Name: Slime / Low-grade

Specialty: None

Daily Wage: 1 Low-Grade Magic Stone

——-

Just one low-grade magic stone?

Talk about an absolute steal.

He could hand that over with zero hesitation.

“Here you go.”

Flash!

The slime clocked out and vanished as well.

Right after, a new message popped up.

[Mission Complete!]

*

A mission.

In other words, a quest.

Since he cleared it?

It was bound to give a reward.

What would it be?

[Mission Complete!]

[Complete 1 domestic laborer summon (1/1)]

[Rewards]

– Unique Skill EXP

– Daily Laborer Summon Count Reset Voucher

“Hell yes!“

First, the Unique Skill EXP.

Just as expected, clearing missions was the right way to level it up.

What about the EXP gauge?

He could see it.

[(1/5)]

Since it went up by one just now.

In theory, five missions meant a grade-up!

Not bad at all.

And the next reward.

[Daily Laborer Summon Count Reset Voucher]

The effect was literally resetting his summon count.

If he used it now?

He could summon two more times.

Finally, the next mission arrived!

——-[New Mission]Cumulative Laborer Summons: 5 times (4/5)

——-

This one was even easier.

Just one more summon and he’d be done.

Wonder what reward it would give.

“I really hope it drops a higher-grade laborer trial voucher…”

He had assumed there was no way to get another one.

Seeing the summon count reset voucher, though, made it feel entirely possible.

If it dropped?

He would send them straight to the Tower.

First things first.

[Daily Laborer Summon Count Reset]

[0 → 2]

Refilling the count.

Right away, he summoned.

“Kwoaaar!“

This time, trolls appeared.

The grade?

——-

Laborer Resume

Name: Troll (2) / Low-grade

Specialty: None

Daily Wage: 2 Low-Grade Magic Stones

——-

Bummer.

Low-grade again.

You guys are going to a dungeon.

He dispatched them to an F-grade dungeon once more.

As expected, it wrapped up in an instant.

[F-grade Dungeon Assault Successful!]

[Clear Time – 00:10:33]

And with five summons completed.

The mission cleared once more!

[Mission Complete!]

[Cumulative Laborer Summons: 5 times (5/5)]

[Rewards]

– Unique Skill EXP

– New Function Added: Monitoring

– 1-Time High-Grade Laborer Trial Voucher

“It dropped!”

A higher-grade laborer trial voucher!

In that case?

He was good to hit the Tower.

Having made up his mind, he dove right in.