Chapter 77: About That Time When I Went to the Dungeon and There Was a Paladin (2)
Kyung-joon nodded his head as he saw the party recruitment notice of ‘DpsPaladin’.
TL: Original name: IBuyaPen*sThatCanBeUsedAsADldo
“I was thinking about giving it one last shot. I’ve been watching for a while, but strangely, people aren’t joining that party.”
A sturdy-looking body covered in shining plate armor.
The large shield on his back was embroidered in gold and gleaming, and the silver-sharp lance was beautiful.
And it wasn’t just his attire.
Slightly curly blonde hair that swayed.
Eyes that might look a little tired.
A roughly trimmed beard.
The image of a very attractive, middle-aged man was right there.
He was truly the image of a DPSPaladin, just like his nickname.
“His items look amazing, and he even has a ranker title, but it’s strange, right?”
<You’re right.>
“Anyway, I should give it a try. I hope he accepts.”
However, it seemed likely that he would be rejected once again because of his level and equipment.
Still, he had to at least try.
As Kyung-joon approached DpsPaladin, other players whispered amongst themselves.
“Whoa. Don’t tell me he’s trying to party with DpsPaladin?”
“He got rejected by our party earlier, and now he’s finally……”
“We should have accepted him earlier.”
“Forget it. It’s not like we’re running dungeons out of charity.”
“But that DpsPaladin, he’s a ranker, so his skills must be certain, right?”
“……His skills are certain. But he’s famous for stroking your arm while saying he’s better at melee healing.”
“The important thing is to say ‘No way! I don’t want to! Stop it!’ right there.”
“What if you don’t?”
“It starts with the arm, then it goes to the butt…… I don’t know much about what happens after that.”
“Ah, that’s scary.”
“Come on, no way. He saved me once when I almost died, and he wasn’t like that at all? He was just kindness itself.”
“……You’re a woman. He only does that to men.”
“Ah…….”
“Understood in one second, right?”
People continued to murmur, their words a mixture of misunderstanding and truth.
Regardless, Kyung-joon, whose goal was to enter the dungeon somehow, approached DpsPaladin, thinking that it was just an exaggerated rumor.
“Would you like to party with me? I’m a wizard dealer.”
The middle-aged man with dark gray blonde hair and a dignified impression, DpsPaladin, momentarily flashed his eyes and looked at Kyung-joon.
Soon, his face brightened up, and he erased the picket sign and wrote something new.
『Of course, I welcome you. Let’s party right away. Gogo!』
“Okay. I’ll send you a party invite right away. Oh, do you want to be the party leader?”
DpsPaladin wrote on the picket sign again.
『I’m fine with either. I like to lead and be led.』
“Really? Then, since I have the status window open, I’ll just create the party.”
『Alright. You’re the pitcher, and I’m the catcher.』
“Right? I’m the dealer, and you’re the tanker.”
As Kyung-joon responded appropriately and sent the party invitation, the other side accepted it immediately.
[You have joined a party with 『DpsPaladin』.]
Kyung-joon then asked about the strangeness he had been feeling.
“By the way, why have you been writing on a picket sign instead of talking directly?”
『I’m currently chat-banned by the administrator……ㅠㅠ』
“Ah, you’re chat-banned. Did something upsetting happen?”
『It’s not so much upsetting as it is unfortunate.』
“I see.”
Kyung-joon thought that he must have been chat-banned for swearing too much.
His friends at school often got chat-banned while swearing during dungeon runs.
Chat bans were common for Korean players who used a lot of profanity.
『I lost my composure at that time and went overboard without realizing it…… I won’t do that again, so you don’t have to worry.』
“Okay. I’ll do my best, so it’ll be fine. You’re Korean, right?”
『Yes, I’m Korean.』
“Same.”
If he was Korean, it was even more certain.
He must be a player who was very particular about skill.
Besides, he was a tanker, so he must have exploded after watching his party members fail to deal damage properly.
‘Well, I’m sure I’ll be fine.’
It wasn’t like Kyung-joon came here unprepared.
He had read the guide and memorized all the characteristics of the slimes that appeared in the dungeon, and he had also prepared a separate strategy for dealing with them.
“Then shall we go right away? It’s just the two of us, is that okay?”
『No, on the contrary, it’s more than welcome. It’s better to go as a duo.』
“Oh, nice. But you’re not asking about my level or items or anything, are you sure? I’m only level 136.”
『I don’t judge my party members based on such trivial matters. I look at more important things.』
“Hmm. More important things, huh.”
Was this the difference between a ranker and a regular player?
DpsPaladin didn’t seem to mind Kyung-joon’s beginner clothes or low level at all.
‘Right, TikiTiki didn’t call me strong based on my equipment or level either.’
As the saying goes, a strong person knows a strong person.
Surely, this was another case of that.
“Alright. Let’s go then.”
『Wooho~ Beautiful boy Get!.』
“Haha, what’s with that funny line?”
Kyung-joon immediately headed to the dungeon entrance with him.
A total of four magic circles.
It was said that stepping on at least two of these magic circles would automatically activate them and allow entry into the dungeon.
“This is my first time, so I’m a little nervous.”
『It’s alright. It’s only a little awkward at first, but once you get used to it, you’ll come to enjoy it.』
“I’m sure you’re right? Then please take care of me inside.”
『Yes~! Trust me!』
‘As expected of a ranker. No matter how difficult the dungeon is, he enjoys it. With that confidence, I’m sure we’ll clear it in no time.’
Kyung-joon stepped onto the magic circle with a satisfied look on his face.
DpsPaladin did the same.
Wooong!
Soon, with a flash of light, the two of them entered the dungeon.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
DpsPaladin.
At first glance, his ID might seem like he was aiming for something strange, but it actually had a sad story behind it.
Originally, he wanted to make his ID 『D*do Holy Knight』.
However, the maximum number of characters for a nickname in the world was nine, so he had no choice but to settle for 『DpsPaladin』.
There was also a reason why he had no choice but to aim to be a DPSPaladin.
It was because no one wanted to party with him.
‘I just wanted to be kind to the poor lambs, but why wouldn’t anyone party with me…….’
If he couldn’t party, it was too difficult for a tanker to hunt alone.
There was a sad story behind why DpsPaladin had no choice but to aim to be an all-rounder tanker who could deal damage, heal, and tank.
But then.
Couldn’t he have just made his ID 『DpsKnight』?
Wouldn’t he have been able to party properly if he hadn’t made his ID like that in the first place?
Thinking about it, making an ID came first and playing the game came later, so it didn’t seem to make sense?
……If you thought that, you would be praised for your excellent insight.
Wooong!
After entering the dungeon.
DpsPaladin glanced at Kyung-joon next to him with sticky eyes and thought.
‘A wizard boy who still has a bit of youthful innocence left in him, and alone with him in a dungeon full of slimes…… Heh, this is getting exciting.’
Throb!
DpsPaladin felt his blood boiling all over his body.
“Huh? Paladin-nim. Your face is really red, are you okay?”
『I’m alright. I’m just keeping my whole body tense in preparation for the upcoming battle.』
“Aha.”
『There’s no problem with our brilliant and intimate future ahead of us, so it’s fine.』
“By future, you mean clearing the dungeon, right? That’s a relief. I was worried that there might be something wrong with your condition.”
『Hehe, thank you for your concern.』
‘Ah, the concern of a young boy. It’s the best.’
That’s right.
DpsPaladin was a delusional pervert!
In fact, the reason he got chat-banned like this was because the victims of his delusions kept reporting him.
‘Okay. In the past, I failed because I was too hasty and aggressive. This time, I’m going to approach this very carefully, like handling a willow tree.’
That’s how DpsPaladin came up with the strategy of 『slowly digging into his heart so that later, he would become an indispensable part of his life without him even realizing it.』
So, in this Slime Labyrinth, there was only one objective.
Show him a cool side and get him to add him as a friend!
If he could just get him to add him as a friend, he could whisper to him anytime, anywhere, and that meant he could make plans to meet again later.
‘Hehe…… Just you wait, boy. By the time this dungeon is over, I’ll make you fall head over heels for me, at least 10%. Ah, I’m getting delusional again. But I can’t stop……!’
DpsPaladin, who had been heating up and emitting steam from his entire body.
He looked like a walking steamer.
‘Is he really okay……?’
Kyung-joon was even more worried than before if he was really okay.
After a while.
(During this time, Kyung-joon found and destroyed the Video Memory Stone.)
The two finally encountered a monster.
[Bouncy Slime]
▶A weak monster that only knows how to bounce around, developed by Limurimu while thinking of those who underestimate slimes. It’s so bouncy that impact attacks don’t work at all. Slashing attacks are also ineffective unless the blade is extremely thin.
▶Level: Lv.183
▶Attribute: Water
▶Characteristics: Impact Nullification, Impact Reflection, Slash Resistance, Regeneration
Kyung-joon’s eyes sparkled as he saw the ‘Impact Nullification’ characteristic.
“I’ll try attacking it right away.”
‘Okay. Let’s see how bouncy it is.’
Kyung-joon gathered mana in his hand and shot an Energy Bolt at the Bouncy Slime.
However, he aimed it slightly diagonally instead of head-on.
Taeng~! Boom!
As expected, the Energy Bolt, unable to harm the slime at all, bounced off to the side and only destroyed the innocent dungeon wall.
‘The bounciness to deflect my Energy Bolt…… This is exactly what I was looking for.’
Kyung-joon was overjoyed at the situation he had been hoping for.
However, DpsPaladin, witnessing the same scene, thought differently.
‘As expected, the boy doesn’t know the proper strategy.’
DpsPaladin thought that Kyung-joon had shot the Energy Bolt because he didn’t know the strategy.
Who in their right mind would think that he did that to test the bounciness of the jelly used in pens?
‘If I show him my cool side and kindly teach him one by one, I can score some good points.’
Determined, DpsPaladin stood in front of Kyung-joon, as if to protect him from the monster.
His broad back, as if to block anything and everything.
He held his large, beautiful shield and lance forward, tilting his head slightly and flashing his pearly white teeth.
Behind him was a picket sign with a message written on it.
『Ah, this is how you deal with it. With a ‘piercing attack’, that is.』
Thud!
DpsPaladin stomped on the ground.
At the same time, he used a skill.
[Rare Skill 『Divine Taunt (Lv.6)』]
[Consumes divine power to provoke the enemy. Decreases all stats of the enemy by 14% and increases those of allies by 14% for the duration of the provocation.]
A skill that combined provocation, debuff, and buff!
━Sla, Slaat!
Provoked, the slimes charged relentlessly at DpsPaladin.
The powerful body slam of the Bouncy Slime!
However, it wasn’t that difficult to deal with due to their slower speed.
[Rare Skill 『Divine Thrust (Lv.6)』]
[Stabs the target multiple times with a lance imbued with divine power. Ignores 16% of defense with its strong piercing power.]
Fwoop fwoop fwoop fwoop!
The golden mana-clad lance stabbed the slime multiple times.
A total of 16 stabs!
And one of them hit the core.
━Slaaaaat……!
Squish~
The Bouncy Slime let out a painful scream and melted into water on the floor.
He couldn’t stop here.
There were still other slimes left, still under the effect of provocation.
‘I need to use a defensive skill right away……!’
[Rare Skill 『All-Round Shield (Lv.6)』]
[Summons a dome-shaped shield that surrounds the user, providing all-around protection.]
Thud!
DpsPaladin slammed his shield into the ground, deploying the shield.
Now the slimes would bounce off on their own upon hitting his attack.
He would then seize the opportunity created by the gap to kill another one and use the provocation skill again.
After that, he would use the All-Round Shield again and repeat the process.
He truly was a Paladin who could tank, deal damage, and heal all by himself!
However.
‘Huh? Why aren’t they attacking?’
The slimes weren’t attacking at all.
Could it be that they broke free from the provocation and were targeting the boy behind him?
‘Ugh……! That can’t be!’
DpsPaladin turned around in a hurry.
But something even more unbelievable was unfolding behind him.
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