Teddy stamped his feet. It was certainly written in the skill description.

But to think it really meant forcibly binding to the campsite.

“Then is Teddy bound to the campsite for life?”

This was regrettable for Teddy as well.

“No. When I reach level 10, my master can go outside the dungeon and I can freely come and go too. Until then…”

What could level 10 possibly be to impose such restrictions? I wanted to protest to the system right away, but the situation wasn’t favorable.

While I was pondering, the monster opened its mouth wide towards the puppy.

It seemed like the puppy would be swallowed whole by the monster.

“No!”

“M-Master!”

It was in an instant that I stepped out of the shelter.

“Body Hide ON!”

[User ‘Yu Bom(F)’ has used ‘Body Hide’.] [User ‘Yu Bom(F)’s body becomes invisible.]

I quickly ran towards where the two were while using the skill. But as I got closer, I couldn’t figure out what to do.

[‘Blue Starlight Chimera(S)’ senses a presence.]

The Chimera looked around, perhaps hearing the sound I made when leaving the campsite.

Seeing nothing in sight, it tilted its head and soon turned its gaze back. Below it, the puppy was trembling.

‘I have to do something!’

I looked around and spotted a stone on the ground. I picked it up and threw it with all my might.

Thud!

“Eek!”

[‘Blue Starlight Chimera(S)’ is on guard.]

I succeeded in diverting its attention. The Chimera traced the stone’s trajectory and took a step towards me.

‘But what do I do next?’

The Body Hide skill is canceled if I make even slight contact with the monster. I wasn’t sure if I could get close enough to just grab the puppy.

‘I should eat a sandwich first.’

I hurriedly took out a sandwich from my inventory.

[User ‘Yu Bom(F)’ has consumed a sandwich.] [User ‘Yu Bom(F)’s movement speed increases by 100%. (Duration: 20 minutes)]

I only took one bite, so only 20 minutes out of 3 hours were applied.

‘This should be enough. If I distract its attention and run away with the puppy in that time…!’

I picked up several stones and threw them beyond the bushes. The sound of rustling leaves was heard.

It sounded similar to an animal running. I intended to lure the monster far away.

“Grr…”

The monster just watched at first, then slowly walked towards the bushes where the stones were thrown. Taking that chance, I approached the puppy.

“Whine… whimper.”

“Shh. You have to be quiet. We’ll be caught.”

As I, invisible, wrapped my hands around it, the puppy whined softly, seeming confused. Seeing that my invisibility wasn’t canceled upon touching it, this puppy was indeed not a monster.

But I couldn’t let my guard down. The invisibility didn’t apply to the puppy, so if the monster turned around, we’d be discovered immediately.

Up close, the puppy’s fur was mottled with scratches and red blood seeping through.

“You poor thing…”

As if understanding my words, the puppy quieted down, only breathing heavily. I walked stealthily while cradling it in that state.

Moving slowly like crawling, I checked the distance to the campsite. Teddy was fidgeting and biting his nails anxiously.

He seemed to be muttering something, but I couldn’t hear well. Originally, shelters block sounds from inside, and it seemed the campsite was the same.

“…!”

Then suddenly, he shouted with a surprised expression.

‘It seems like an important message.’

I focused on Teddy’s lip movements.

‘Be. hind…’

Just as I barely made out the first syllables.

Drip.

A shadow loomed over my head and cold liquid dropped.

‘Watch. out…?’

A viscous liquid trickled down my forehead. As I turned my head, a slimy tongue licked past my cheek.

“Grr…”

The monster was right in front of me.

[‘Body Hide(C)’ is canceled due to contact with a monster.] [‘Blue Starlight Chimera(S)’ targets the subject.]

It seemed my invisibility was canceled due to accidentally touching its saliva. Its pitch-black eyes, reflecting me, were greatly dilated.

“Ahhh!”

I ran towards the shelter at full speed.

“Arf!”

The beast’s fierce howl echoed behind me. My legs trembled with the fear that I might die.

“Roar!”

[‘Blue Starlight Chimera(S)’ uses ‘Scratch(S)’.]

“Aaah!”

As I looked back, the monster leaped high into the air. There were still about 20 steps left to the shelter.

At this rate, I would be crushed under its large body.

“Ugh!”

To make matters worse, my legs tangled and I fell. As I rolled on the ground, I realized.

‘This time I’m really going to die!’

Just as I tightly closed my eyes, a loud system alert sound awakened my senses.

[‘Teddy(A)’ activates ‘Berserker Mode(A)’.] [All of Teddy(A)’s abilities increase dramatically.] [Teddy(A) uses ‘Throw(A)’.]

Countless system windows popped up. Enough to fill my entire field of vision.

[Teddy(A) uses ‘Throw(A)’.] [Teddy(A) uses ‘Throw(A)’.] [Teddy(A) uses ‘Throw(A)’.] [Teddy(A) uses ‘Throw(A)’.] [Teddy(A) uses ‘Throw(A)’.]

Teddy grabbed whatever he could around him, like trees, and threw them.

While the shelter is a barrier to protect hunters and blocks sound, long-range attacks from inside to outside are possible.

“Roar! Ugh, gak!”

The Chimera managed to deflect some, but couldn’t avoid them all. It was visibly hesitating to come closer.

‘This is not the time…!’

I gathered my wits again and stood up. Clutching my body that was scraped from rolling, I ran towards the shelter.

And finally, I was able to enter the campsite.

When we suddenly disappeared from view, the Chimera retreated in confusion.

“Master! How worried I was! Are you alright?”

“Yes. Thank you so much. I survived thanks to you.”

“You suddenly ran out, I was so surprised.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

“What about the puppy?”

“Here it is.”

I took out the puppy wrapped in my clothes.

“Whine, whimper…”

The puppy whimpered thinly. We succeeded in rescuing it, but it didn’t look good.

“For now, we should put it in small tent number 1. Are there any first aid supplies in the campsite?”

“There weren’t any first aid supplies… Oh! There’s an herb in the dungeon that’s good for treating wounds. If you grind those yellow leaves and apply them to the wound, it should be effective.”

In the direction Teddy pointed, there was a plant that looked like its leaves had turned yellow.

“That’s… Yellow Sage, right?”

“Yes!”

Yellow Sage is a common plant that can be seen in other dungeons as well. It’s effective in treating wounds and has even been released as an ointment for civilian use.

“Since I got the gathering skill today, I’ll try gathering it. Teddy, can you move the puppy to the tent?”

Small tent number 1 has a health recovery speed buff. It increases by 10% per hour, so it will take time to see a significant effect, but it’s better than nothing.

“Yes, understood!”

I left the puppy with Teddy and walked to where the Yellow Sage was. Normally, you’d have to carefully dig it up with a shovel to avoid damaging the roots, but with the gathering skill, you can extract the herb at once without damage.

However, my gathering skill had a somewhat special condition attached.

“I saw it(C)!”

I said while grabbing the stem and pulling it out all at once.

[User ‘Yu Bom(F)’ has gathered ‘Yellow Sage(F)’.]

At first, the lowest grade appeared. I was momentarily flustered but repeated the same words in a louder voice.

“I saw it(C)!!”

[User ‘Yu Bom(F)’ has gathered ‘Yellow Sage(C)’.]

The grade of the herb increased. By three levels, at that.

They said if I insist, it would make me a master hand, and it really was a skill that matched the description perfectly.

How high would it go if I keep insisting?

“I saw it(C)!!!”

I shouted at the top of my lungs.

Please give me a high grade! I need to save the puppy!

[You have completed the quest.] [You have acquired ‘Plant Encyclopedia’ as a quest reward.]

Not the quest notification! Quickly tell me what grade it is!

[User ‘Yu Bom(F)’ has gathered ‘Yellow Sage(S)’.]

“Wow! S-grade!!”

Yellow Sage, being a common plant, is difficult to gather at high grades. To get a high-grade Yellow Sage, you’d normally have to gather hundreds in what’s known as ‘Yellow Sage grinding’.

So I thought getting an A-grade or B-grade would be fortunate enough, but this is unexpected. The highest grade appeared.

S-grade Yellow Sage can restore 100% health in a day, so only high-ranking hunters use it due to its rarity.

I returned to the tent, highly excited by this unexpected situation.

“I got an S-grade Yellow Sage!”

“Master…”

“Why haven’t you gone inside yet?”

Teddy, who was supposed to move the puppy into the tent, was still lingering in front of it.

“Well…”

[A ‘Rental Bracelet’ is required to use the tent.]

When Teddy tried to put the puppy in the tent, a message appeared saying it was not possible.

“It seems the puppy needs to rent the tent to use it too. But the puppy doesn’t have coins, so it can’t rent the tent…”

Coins were a currency unit used only by awakened individuals. Not only was it unlikely for the puppy to be awakened, but transferring coins was also impossible in the system.

So when hunters trade coins, they use tricks like buying useless items at high prices in the hunter market.

‘If the owner uses the tent, couldn’t they go in together?’

However, the puppy’s owner was still nowhere to be seen.

“This is a big problem…”

Even if we restore its body with Yellow Sage, the night in the dungeon gets very cold. It might die if we let it sleep outside.

Even as we were pondering, the puppy was breathing heavily with difficulty.

We had to find a way somehow.

“Can you give me the puppy?”

“Yes.”

I received the puppy from Teddy.

Originally, I don’t need a rental bracelet to enter the tent, but I put it on my wrist.

I thought if I pretended to be the owner and went in, coins would be deducted from my pocket, and I might be able to let the puppy in too.

[※Entry Not Allowed※ This tent is for single occupancy only.]

But a warning window popped up at an unexpected point. It seemed to be counting even animals.

I walked to the medium-sized tent we newly set up today.

[※Entry Not Allowed※ Tent users must wear a bracelet.]

But entry was restricted here as well.

[※Entry Not Allowed※ Tent users must wear a bracelet.] [※Entry Not Allowed※ Tent users must wear a bracelet.] [※Entry Not Allowed※ Tent users must wear a bracelet.]

“I am wearing it!”