“Ice cream and slushies at a campsite!”

However, today’s plan was to buy items to enhance the landscaping. Teddy had clearly said that decorating the landscape would improve the campsite’s effectiveness.

‘To enhance the campsite atmosphere, lighting would be crucial.’

Campsites are usually visited by guests in the evening. Currently, the only light outdoors was the large bonfire in the center of the campsite.

[Yu Bom(F) has purchased ‘Insect Repelling Lamp(A)’.]

Blue Starlight Valley was a jungle-type dungeon with many insects. Hanging this lamp in front of the tent would not only improve the atmosphere but also allow for comfortable sleep.

[Yu Bom(F) has purchased ‘Self-Cleaning Fire Pit(C)’.]

Currently, they lit fires and propped stones on both sides before placing the grill, but with a fire pit, the grill would be fixed, allowing for safer cooking.

Moreover, it was perfect for casually enjoying the fire.

[Yu Bom(F) has purchased ‘Blue Starlight Plant Light(C)’.]

This light is a string light made by weaving plants from Blue Starlight Valley like sweet potato vines. The blue glow seemed to match the dungeon perfectly.

And lastly, there was something left to consider. It was the ‘Mother’s Womb Hammock(A)’.

The hammock was ivory-colored, with a design that would suit any place. The thick threads were loosely woven, creating a natural atmosphere.

Hung between trees, it could be used for outdoor naps and would contribute to the campsite’s landscaping. Above all, it caught the eye as something rarely seen in the city.

‘It might end up being a pretty but useless item… Can’t I try it out once?’

She wanted to test it before buying, but no matter how much she looked, there was no function to test it before purchase.

‘Well, let’s just buy it.’

[Yu Bom(F) has purchased ‘Mother’s Womb Hammock(A)’.]

She felt she might regret not buying it. If it’s uncomfortable, she could just not buy it next time.

She took the hammock out of the inventory and set it up between trees. After tightly tying the loops, an impromptu bed was instantly created.

“But what’s this comfort like being in a mother’s womb? How comfortable could it be to be A-grade? It’s just a piece of fab…”

She was about to say fabric, but as soon as she lay down, she was speechless. The soft touch of the cloth felt like being wrapped in a gentle cloud or swimming in water.

Thump-thump, a sound that might be her heartbeat or an auditory hallucination resonated steadily. As the fatigue in her whole body melted away, her eyes slowly closed.

‘This is heaven… no, a mother’s womb… Warm and soft and just, I don’t know what it is, but it’s so cozy!’

“Master. It’s time for lunch!”

“What?”

When she came to her senses, the sun was high in the sky. It was clearly morning when she lay in the hammock…

“Lunch. I grilled the leftover meat and eggs from yesterday. Please come quickly!”

Unlike its ordinary appearance, its stats were incredible. This hammock was not just comfortable, it felt like being sucked in.

It seemed that once you lay down, you couldn’t escape by your own will. It was like an ant lion leading to heaven!

“This really was a terrifying hammock…”

Anyway, perhaps due to the high-quality sleep, her condition was at its best.

* * *

[‘Blue Starlight Centaur(A)’ throws ‘Immortal Spear(A)’.] [‘Blue Starlight Centaur(A)’ uses ‘Crescent Slash(A)’.] [‘Blue Starlight Centaur(A)’ uses ‘Fierce Charge(B)’.]

If monsters in the dungeon are not periodically eliminated, a dungeon break occurs, causing monsters to burst out through the portal. To prevent this, monthly expeditions were created where guilds take turns to subjugate over 50% of the dungeon.

However, guilds were obsessed with expeditions not because of the risk of dungeon breaks, but for the sweet rewards that come from defeating bosses.

To prevent uncontrolled competition, the Association distributed expedition rights centered on guilds that applied for expeditions.

The order for this Blue Starlight Valley expedition was Hwarang. Hwarang was a large guild that had secured third place in this year’s guild rankings.

“Grooar―!”

[Seol Mo Gyeon(S) uses ‘Roar of the Beast(S)’.] [All party members’ attack power and attack speed increase dramatically.] [‘Blue Starlight Centaur(A)’s morale drops.] [‘Blue Starlight Centaur(A)’s movement speed decreases.]

“Surround them on both sides!”

“Yes!”

The buffed Hwarang guild members and mercenaries moved in perfect unison.

In the dungeon, there are mid-bosses and a final boss, and all mid-bosses must be defeated for the door to the final boss monster to open.

Blue Starlight Valley has a total of 7 mid-bosses, but only 2 have been defeated so far.

The reason for chasing the ‘Blue Starlight Centaur’ is to catch the first mid-boss, the ‘Blue Starlight Ent’. The Ent appears when tracking the Centaur herd.

[Seol Mo Gyeon(S) activates ‘Alpha of the Beast(S)’.]

Hwarang’s guild leader, Mo Gyeon, activated his exclusive skill.

Mo Gyeon, who had completed his half-beast transformation, gained sensitive ears that could detect even the slightest sound and a tail that helped maintain balance even in high places.

Sharp claws and fangs tore the Centaur’s neck in an instant.

“Gaaak!”

For Mo Gyeon, jungle-type dungeons were like his own backyard. The unleashed beast rampaged through the jungle as if it were his home.

The situation quickly tilted in their favor.

[‘Blue Starlight Centaur(A)’ feels a sense of crisis.] [‘Blue Starlight Centaur(A)’ orders the herd to retreat.]

The demoralized Centaur herd hesitated for a moment, then began to flee with their tails between their legs.

“Don’t let a single one escape!”

Pababbat, Swoosh.

Just as they were about to tighten the encirclement to maintain momentum, something brushed past in the opposite direction.

“What was that?”

Mo Gyeon couldn’t identify what it was because it was too fast. Mo Gyeon, who momentarily stopped the pursuit, stared in the direction where he felt the presence.

“Seol Mo Gyeon, what are you doing!”

Ji Seok Hyeon, the vice guild leader who was leading, shouted.

Hwarang is a guild formed by Mo Gyeon with his friends.

Although Mo Gyeon, who had the highest grade, was serving as the guild leader, there was little to no hierarchy based on power.

“Something just passed by?”

“Ignore it and come quickly!”

“Chae Dong Hwa, that bastard. Is he sniping and running away again?”

For several years, there had been rumors that Chae Dong Hwa, a hunter from Reconnaissance Team 7, had been scouting Blue Starlight Valley alone.

They wouldn’t mind if he was just scouting, but Dong Hwa unhesitatingly hunted any monsters in his path. Even during the expedition period.

Last year, Hwarang and Mo Gyeon, who had entered the dungeon for an expedition, directly witnessed Dong Hwa defeating monsters. As a result, there was a small dispute between Mo Gyeon and Dong Hwa.

No matter how much Dong Hwa claimed he didn’t pick up items, items that came out would disappear after a certain time. In a sense, it was no different from stealing.

Even if that wasn’t the case, Mo Gyeon personally didn’t like Dong Hwa.

The two, who had awakened around the same time, were often compared among hunters in various aspects. Given their young age and same grade, they often clashed.

The peak of their conflict was during the annual combat power test conducted by the Association.

Combat hunters often used those rankings to determine their standings, and Dong Hwa took 1st place while Mo Gyeon took 2nd.

Even though a hunter’s quality isn’t all about combat power, Mo Gyeon was frustrated.

Despite being the leader of Hwarang, which was on a successful path, he couldn’t shake off the feeling of falling behind Dong Hwa.

“I’ll follow him, so go ahead without me. If I catch that Chae Dong Hwa this time, I’ll beat him to a pulp!”

“Hey! Seol Mo Gyeon!!”

Seok Hyeon shouted, but Mo Gyeon had already turned back.

‘Sigh, his trigger button got pressed again.’

Their young boss had quite a hot-tempered disposition. Seok Hyeon clicked his tongue and rejoined the main group.

Hwarang soon discovered the ‘Blue Starlight Ent’.

[‘Blue Starlight Ent(SS)’ falls.]

Although the Ent had many area-of-effect skills and was tricky, the guild members who had practiced together many times were able to defeat it without much difficulty.

“Where’s Seol Mo Gyeon?”

“Yeah, where is Seol Mo Gyeon?”

Only after finishing the battle did the other guild members belatedly look for Mo Gyeon.

After asking each other about Mo Gyeon’s whereabouts, all eyes finally turned to Seok Hyeon.

“Seok Hyeon. Where did Seol Mo Gyeon go?”

“He said he saw Hunter Chae Dong Hwa and went after him. He said he’d follow us, but he still hasn’t come back.”

“Hunter Chae Dong Hwa? When?”

“When we were chasing the Centaur herd, he said Hunter Chae Dong Hwa passed by in the opposite direction, so he followed.”

“Really? Are you sure it was Chae Dong Hwa?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t see him.”

“But why is it so quiet?”

At those words, Seok Hyeon also suddenly felt something was strange. Usually when the two meet, Mo Gyeon picks a fight and Dong Hwa consistently ignores him.

But when attacked, Dong Hwa doesn’t just stand by and watch. If the two S-grade hunters were fighting, the dungeon wouldn’t be this quiet.

No matter how much they strained their ears, they couldn’t hear any explosion sounds or something breaking.

“But if it’s the opposite direction, isn’t that where the Giant’s Forest waterfall is?”

There was a waterfall below the cliff on the path they had come from. An ominous feeling flashed by.

“Surely he wouldn’t have rushed in like an idiot without realizing it was a cliff? If he gets wet, it’s game over.”

“Seol Mo Gyeon is an idiot, after all.”

“…”

A silent atmosphere settled among them.

Mo Gyeon’s skill ‘Alpha of the Beast’ transforms him into a wolf-human hybrid, greatly enhancing his physical abilities. But there was one penalty.

If his health drops below 5% or he touches cold water, he turns into a puppy. A completely useless, very cute puppy with no special abilities.

This was the ultimate reason for his nickname ‘Beagle’.

“That puppy needs to suffer a bit. Who told him to follow like that while throwing a fit? Let’s look for him after the expedition is over.”

“Yeah. He won’t die, right?”

“That’s right. The penalty only lasts a day anyway.”

“Let’s bring a monster bone or something when we go.”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

“But Dolly hasn’t been seen today? Did he take a vacation?”

“Hick, can’t you keep your mouth shut? Don’t you know the jinx that Dolly suddenly appears when you mention him?”

“Ah, sorry.”

After a moment of silence, they soon moved on, joking as if nothing had happened.

Only Seok Hyeon looked in the direction where Mo Gyeon had disappeared. Somehow, he had a bad feeling.