[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-adventures-of-hulim":3,"chapter-the-adventures-of-hulim-the-adventures-of-hulim-chapter-365":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Adventures of Hulim",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1882459,2498,"Chapter 365: Reasons for Staying in Bongisto","the-adventures-of-hulim-chapter-365",365,"\u003Cp>Luigi made a tactical retreat and clamped his mouth shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the trio who seemed perfectly accustomed to one another’s antics, Hulim Heyerar asked another question, “Mr. Luigi—are you and Mr. Monroe staying at Changs Inn too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, my senior brother and I aren’t lodging there......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Luigi could finish speaking, Lore cut in with a snort, “Ha~! Hulim, take a good look at them. Do those two look like they have the money to stay long-term at a fancy inn like that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hulim glanced over at Monroe, who was currently pouring the premium wine he’d ordered at the Golden Pavilion Tavern into his cheap, dented wine bottle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alright, fair point. With someone like him around, it wouldn’t even be surprising if the two of them were crashing in a livestock shed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speaking of which, we only exchanged quick greetings before. I never got around to asking—what brings all of you to Bongisto?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luigi and his senior brother were disciples of the Sword Saint, while Lore was an apprentice of the Sage. Their lifestyles were vastly different from those of ordinary adventurers. Logically speaking, they wouldn’t linger in Bongisto for long without a good reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no particular reason for being here,” Luigi replied. “We left our island this time to spar with the strongest warriors across the land and hone our skills. Bongisto is the city with the largest concentration of powerful fighters in the world—and new powerhouses pass through here almost every single day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see. So as long as you stay in Bongisto, you’ll always have new, formidable opponents to challenge. But......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hulim tilted her head, a faint hint of amusement in her voice. “Mr. Luigi—aren’t you worried about getting jumped from behind?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by how Luigi had acted during the Martial Arts Tournament, she could easily picture exactly how he went about challenging those so-called “strongest warriors”......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At her words, Luigi’s expression turned distinctly awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft——! Hahahaha......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side of the table, Lore doubled over, clutching her stomach and laughing uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he had been jumped from behind before......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahem. In any case, I’m here for training—let’s not dwell on that. As for my senior brother——”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luigi cleared his throat loudly, forcefully steering the conversation onto another topic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm? What about me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Monroe put on the innocent look of a random passerby who’d just wandered into the tavern, then took a big swig from his now-premium-wine-filled cheap bottle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luigi shot him a sidelong glance, his tone flat and matter-of-fact. “Senior Brother Monroe is here hiding from his creditors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“SPLUTTER——!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wine Monroe had just taken a sip of went spraying across the table. He whipped his head around, his mouth twitching violently. “Hey now~, Luigi—don’t go spreading nonsense!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luigi ignored his panicked protests and continued calmly, “Bongisto is a chaotic, bustling place. It’s easy to disappear here, and creditors will have a hard time tracking you down. Even if they do find you by some miracle, you just need to duck into any dangerous dungeon—and they’ll be helpless to do anything about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey! Luigi! I’m not as pathetic as you make me sound! Do I look like the kind of guy who would default on his debts? You’re smearing my good name!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Monroe yelled indignantly, slamming his fist on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately for him, no one paid the slightest bit of attention to his protests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To everyone present, his flustered outburst was nothing more than the classic case of the thief crying “stop the thief”.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My reason for staying is simple too,” Lore said, picking up the conversation after Luigi had finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I left the White Tower to complete the mandatory training mission assigned to me. Considering Bongisto’s unique environment, it’s undoubtedly the best place to finish my training. If I can clear every single dungeon within my capabilities here, my mission should be done and dusted.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh right, Hulim—what about you? I think you mentioned before that you were here to report to the headquarters. Did you get assigned some kind of mission?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. I’m here to take the High-Rank Adventurer Certification exam.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hulim replied simply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The High-Rank Certification?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three of them stared at her in obvious surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......You’re only taking the exam now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve had a lot of other things to take care of until recently.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you finished the assessment yet? What kind of test is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hulim shook her head. “The exam hasn’t started yet. They’re still waiting for all the candidates to arrive, and the exact format of the test hasn’t been announced either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speaking of exams......” Luigi mused, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “From what I’ve heard, the tests are almost always dungeon-related tasks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dungeon-related?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right. At least for the past few years, every single certification task has revolved around dungeons. After all, delving into dungeons is the most direct way to test someone’s true strength.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Luigi—could you tell me a bit more about what those dungeon tasks entail?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Certainly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The certification tasks don’t have a fixed format. Sometimes, you’re required to clear a low-difficulty dungeon. Other times, you need to retrieve a specific material from a high-difficulty dungeon. There are even tasks where you have to place a particular item in a designated spot within a dungeon......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Luigi explained each type of certification task one by one, Hulim nodded slowly, a clear understanding dawning on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you. That clears things up a lot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Luigi—you know so much about this. Are you a High-Rank Adventurer as well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thanking him, Hulim asked another question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luigi nodded. “I am. It makes earning a living much easier, and delving into dungeons becomes less of a hassle too. I’m not the only one, either—my senior brother and Lore have both completed their High-Rank certifications as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right~! Hulim, look—this is my High-Rank Adventurer proof of certification!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lore pulled out her certification document and waved it proudly in front of Hulim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, we just got back from a dungeon earlier today. Otherwise, this mutt wouldn’t have had the spare cash to bring us to the Golden Pavilion Tavern.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hulim suddenly realized why Monroe had been starving for an entire day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hulim turned to Monroe, looking at him with a puzzled expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here was a man who was clearly a Rank A Powerhouse—yet he never seemed to delve into dungeons to earn money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Monroe noticed Hulim’s curious gaze and immediately hugged his cheap wine bottle defensively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you looking at me like that for, Hulim? Sure, I tried to mooch a meal off you earlier, but it’s not like you actually lost anything, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......I’m not going to ask you to compensate me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hulim said, utterly speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, good. That’s a relief then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Monroe let out a big sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What I’m more curious about is—Mr. Monroe, why don’t you go delving into dungeons to earn money? With your abilities, you could pay off all your debts in no time if you just stepped into a dungeon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph! Hulim, it seems you’re just as clueless as the rest of them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Monroe stroked his chin, putting on a look of profound wisdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You see, when it comes to making money—selling your own strength is the least efficient way to do it. The truly sophisticated methods of accumulating wealth rely on things like investment, leverage, and using small capital to gain huge returns......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, Monroe launched into a long, rambling speech about his so-called “brilliant” financial strategies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......In short, if you want to amass a fortune that most people can only dream of, delving into dungeons won’t cut it. It never will. The people who truly control wealth don’t lift a finger—they just sit in their cozy rooms, twiddle their thumbs, and watch the money flow into their pockets all by itself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take Luigi, for example——”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Monroe clapped Luigi heartily on the shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How much did you make from that dungeon run this time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“About 200,000 Kohl......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You hear that? 200,000 Kohl! That paltry sum could be multiplied tenfold in the blink of an eye if you just bet it on the arena fights...... Wait a minute——”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Monroe whipped his head around to stare at Luigi, his eyes wide with disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only 200,000 this time? That can’t be right!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There was a bit of an unexpected incident during the dungeon run.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An incident? Don’t tell me...... You got into another fight with some other adventurers again? That’s not good, Luigi! You need to learn to avoid people like that! You’ve made way too many enemies—you’ll end up getting ganged up on and beaten to a pulp inside a dungeon one of these days!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s not what happened at all!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luigi retorted sharply, his face flushing slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The dungeon we went to had some issues of its own. We spent a lot of extra time investigating those problems, which is why we ended up earning so much less money than usual.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1511,"2026-06-10T06:36:37.918Z",1,"novelbin.me","17a4124f8540011ade019df6322d70eb62347a7927d5b1e7e9bd970fda0d3730","the-adventures-of-hulim-chapter-316","the-adventures-of-hulim-chapter-315",528,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-adventures-of-hulim-cover.jpg"]