Chapter 9: Queen Bee’s Fall and Dungeon Beginnings
I watched the drama unfold with a calm, composed expression.
Baek Jangmi is just a guild member, not the guild master. She only wanted to put me in my place, fearing I’d threaten her position. She probably didn’t expect things to escalate like this.
“Look at her. Ugh, Jangmi, grow up. GM is a business partner, not a guild member. She’s not even planning to become a hunter.”
“Urgh.”
Even the guild master was siding with me. Baek Jangmi’s “queen bee” facade crumbled into something utterly pitiful.
So, how would she respond now?
“I’m sorry for our member’s rudeness.”
“It’s fine by me, but I’d like a proper apology from her. I may be a pack mule, but I’m a pro. I have my pride. For her to trample on it like that—it’s a bit much.”
It’s hard to let that slide. Sensing I wasn’t just posturing to boost my value but might actually walk away, Baek Harang grabbed Jangmi.
“What are you waiting for? Apologize. Now!”
Yes, that’s it. That’s how it should be. Baek Harang, true to her role as guild master, was quick on the uptake.
With no way out, Baek Jangmi finally stepped forward, her trembling lips parting slowly.
What kind of apology would she muster? I was curious.
“S-Sorry…”
“Oh, and you spoke informally to me right off the bat? There’s such a thing as manners between people.”
So rude, honestly.
“I’m sorry. I won’t use insulting words again. Please forgive me.”
“That’s better. So, wanna lick my boots?”
“!!”
Baek Jangmi clenched her fists, trembling. She raised her head slightly, glaring at me with resentment, but I responded with a mocking smirk.
Should’ve picked your target better. If I were a hunter, maybe it’d be different, but I’m just an awakener, not a hunter.
Her pride couldn’t handle the boot-licking part, and tears started streaming down her cheeks.
“Then I’ll lick them instead,” the bald guy offered.
“Sounds good.”
In the end, the bald manager licked my boots in her place. The other hunters jeered, calling it a “reward” while tearing him down.
Guild Master Baek Harang looked like she had a lot to say but just sighed.
Even if she didn’t dislike me, seeing her manager do this probably wasn’t a great look.
I didn’t accept his offer for nothing, though.
This scene wasn’t bad for White Tiger’s hunters. The guild manager licking a partner’s boots? It clearly established who’s in charge here. It showed how desperate White Tiger was, silently warning them not to mess with me.
And so, my dungeon exploration with White Tiger began.
Visually, the dungeon’s entrance shimmered like light pouring through shattered glass, but inside, it was similar to the cave-like dungeon I’d been in before.
This setup should let me quietly gather stones.
Sure, some hunters were sneaking glances at me, but if I detect veins and slip away to mine when monsters cause chaos, I’m set.
A question popped into my head.
“Guild Master, I’ve got a question. You and Baek Jangmi have the same surname—are you sisters?”
I asked, subtly using my Conversation skill.
Their names seemed similar.
Baek Jangmi and Baek Harang. Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but two people with the same surname in one guild? Kim, Park, or Choi would be one thing, but Baek? And the guild master and the queen bee being sisters didn’t quite fit.
“No, Baek Jangmi’s a game nickname. Baek Harang’s my real name. It’s just a coincidence that they start with Baek.”
“Oh, I see. No wonder you’re so refined and responsible, Guild Master. Definitely a different vibe.”
I threw in a subtle jab. Honestly, a name like Baek Jangmi didn’t seem like it’d belong to Baek Harang’s sister.
“Oh my, flattery won’t get you anything extra.”
“No worries, I mean it. If you ever want casual clothes with hunter suit-level stats, just let me know.”
I’ve got stuff like that. Might as well open the door to more deals while I’m at it. White Tiger’s a stable mid-tier guild that’s outlasted others. Building some rapport could pay off.
Who knows? They might rent me an abandoned mine.
Even if it’s not a cave dungeon, there are plenty of ways to make money.
“You can do that?”
“My inventory’s overflowing, and I’ve got plenty of items with enchantments. Female hunters can’t exactly dress up in dungeons, right? But as guild master, don’t you deserve a little special treatment?”
It might look like I only have useful stuff, but that’s proof of my “sucker” status.
No combat skills? You need items like these. I’ve got a surprising variety of goods to sell to hunters.
I started out just mining stones, but for a good relationship with White Tiger, I could sell the guild master something.
Not give—sell.
“Heh, let’s talk about that after the raid. You must’ve spent a lot in the game, huh?”
A lot? More like a ton. Sure, some spent more, but no one’s hoarded as many random items as me.
It’s not a bad thing, though.
“Yeah, I was a bit of a sucker.”
“But in reality, that’s turned out to be pretty useful, hasn’t it? Can’t just call it being a sucker. I spent a fair bit myself.”
“Really?”
For someone who spent a lot, I don’t see much evidence. Her gear isn’t anything special, and I don’t sense any aura from high-end items.
“Yeah. Though I didn’t expect to sink so much into enhancements.”
“In Terra Chronicles, enhancements don’t degrade, and you don’t need high enhancements to clear dungeons. Why’d you bother?”
Unlike other games, Terra Chronicles didn’t require weapon enhancements. Or rather, you didn’t need to rush them. Dungeon parties didn’t care about your enhancement level, and you could still kill monsters without them. Enhancements never degraded, even if they failed, so you could farm materials and enhance later.
There were even enhancement packages from the gods for those lacking the patience to grind.
So, she bought enhancement packages.
There wasn’t direct pay-to-win for enhancements, but it’s weird that players spent money on something optional.
“It’s about self-satisfaction. You know how it is—when the guy next to you has a shiny high-enhanced weapon, it stings. In real life, it’s like your friend carrying a designer bag while you’ve got a cheap market tote. In reality, you can compromise, but in Terra Chronicles, I wanted a good weapon.”
“That makes sense.”
It’s true—when a friend brags about their high enhancements, you feel a twinge of jealousy or inferiority.
Another sucker like me, huh?
I bought enhancement packages too. They weren’t even that rewarding, so they were pretty low value.
But for me, it wasn’t just enhancements.
There was that event.
[Enhance and Enhance Again! – During the event, enhancement material costs are reduced by 50%, and material drop rates in dungeons increase by 50%.]
Let’s be clear: enhancements never degrade. Unless the devs nerf you, they stay.
Frequent enhancement events lowered demand for packages, but I still bought them.
A lot.
When writing, if I got stuck on a story, I’d agonize over a single line for hours.
Grinding in a game? No way.
Even when I neglected my main and raised a storage alt, I used enhancement packages to cut down on grinding.
Still, something’s off.
Unlike me, she doesn’t seem to have gotten much out of it.
“Bad luck, I guess. Enhancements didn’t go up, and the mileage boxes only gave me junk.”
“Mileage boxes are the real deal, though.”
Mileage boxes were rewards for spending money.
Their perk? You could get items unavailable in the game.
That’s where I got my rainbow tools. The downside? They’re mostly useless for combat.
If they were useful, combat players wouldn’t bother with low-odds rainbow series items from mileage boxes.
“They’re mostly junk, aren’t they?”
“There’s ultra-rare stuff too.”
“I’m a combat class, so I wouldn’t know. Never got anything good.”
In short: her weapons aren’t highly enhanced, her enhancements didn’t rank up, and she got nothing good from mileage boxes.
Basically, she’s an unlucky woman.
Top-tier players or successful hunters probably got good items from their spending.
“Well, alright then.”
“Anyway, let’s make today count.”
“Got it.”
The first thing we encountered was a Demon Flower.
It’s a man-eating plant from another realm, with a huge bud that attacks if you get too close—a nasty piece of work.
It’s not something to underestimate. New players might mistake it for a regular plant, since Terra Chronicles has plenty of collectible flora. Demon Flowers look similar to gathering plants, so if you’re not careful, you’ll get eaten.
But that’s only if you get close.
For veterans like White Tiger’s hunters, who’ve played Terra Chronicles extensively, this is child’s play.