9. The Cyclops

* * *

After tumbling down, it felt like we’d fallen not to the 5th floor but five floors underground.

By some unknown principle, we’d plunged into the abyss. Surviving felt miraculous.

“…Geum Taeyang, you fucking idiot! I’d rather you act like those perverts in adult comics than pull this dumb shit!”

“Eek, noona! Any guy would press a button if he saw one!”

“Fucking brat. You were the type to ring doorbells and run as a kid, weren’t you?”

No exit in sight.

We were screwed.

In this world’s logic, every dungeon has traps. Cloud Dungeon was no exception. Only one way out of a sealed boss room:

Kill the boss. Meaning this was a trap boss chamber.

“Bbeopmi-jjang, didn’t your amazing oppas clear the trap bosses?”

“Hawawa, Bbeopmi-jjang doesn’t know~”

I wanted to strangle her. Really.

Wait, then what’s the trap boss? If Cloud Dungeon’s main mobs are slimes, the regular boss should be slime-type. So the trap boss is?

THUD- THUMP-THUD

Ominous sounds echoed from the darkness ahead.

“Mariko-ssi. Light the torches.”

“Okay.”

Torch-obsessed Mariko lit the wall sconces.

The boss’s silhouette gradually emerged.

Twice a grown man’s height, muscles stacked like boulders. Ash-gray skin with one massive eye.

A B-rank monster – Cyclops.

Of all things, a newbie-crushing Cyclops appeared before us.

“Hawawa hawawa! Big trouble~!”

“Fuck. Of all things, a B-rank Cyclops.”

What now? My acceleration likely wouldn’t work on this.

I’m speed-based. Cyclops skin is too thick for my knives.

Even physical enhancement wouldn’t help.

Only a Divine Sword wielder like Choi Si-woo could handle this. I couldn’t guarantee victory.

“We’re doomed.”

Bbeopmi-jjang’s panicked squealing confirmed she’s useless. Torch-ninja Mariko trembled in combat stance. And Taeyang, who triggered this trap, wasn’t worth mentioning.

“Worst possible party composition.”

Class-wise: Party leader Bbeopmi – mage. Mariko – more mage than ninja. Me – assassin with insta-kill knives. Taeyang – warrior? Not tanky enough.

DPS mage, support mage, assassin, warrior.

What a cursed party setup.

Our highest rank was D.

Opponent: B-rank monster.

If I were Si-woo, maybe. But as irregular Yoo Eun-ha? Tough. Maybe stab its eye using acceleration and parallel processing?

“Hoeeeh. Hooeeeng~”

This one’s hopeless.

“Taeyang. Can you tank?”

“Noona, do I look like I can?”

“What can you actually do?”

No wonder I felt uneasy. This variable…

Not entirely hopeless. Cyclops’ weak point is that giant eye.

Stabbing it won’t kill instantly, but it’s the softest spot. Take out the eye, gang up after.

Not bad.

“Bbeopmi-jjang, Mariko-ssi, use magic to draw aggro.”

“Hoeeeh? What will white-haired noona do~?”

“Knock it down first.”

She asked like inquiring about hobbies.

“Noona, me?”

“Standby. Attack when it’s down.”

No choice but to take command.

“GRUUUAAAAA!”

The Cyclops roared.

Simultaneously, Bbeopmi-jjang and ninja-apprentice Mariko cast spells.

“Hoeeeh! Bbeopmi-jjang Thunderbolt!”

“Water Style: Water Bomb!”

Water and lightning combo stunned the Cyclops.

My turn.

I activated acceleration and parallel processing.

[As the mages’ spells hit, the Cyclops slowed.]

[Letting it attack first would endanger everyone. Gripping my knife, I charged.]

[Between spell volleys, I climbed its body and stabbed downward at its eye.]

SCHLUCK!

[I stabbed again before it could scream.]

[Mana-infused blades don’t just cause surface wounds.]

“GYAAAAAH!”

[Stab. Stab. Stab. Until it fell. Just a dream monster in a dream anyway.]

THUK! SCHLUCK! THUK!

Dozens of strikes before it could raise its arms.

The mages began roasting its limbs.

I didn’t stop – plunging my blade deep, then dragging downward with full weight.

“Ghk…GRAAAAH!”

As it reached for me, I’d already jumped off.

THUD!

“My turn now?”

When the Cyclops collapsed, Taeyang began pummeling it with enhanced strength.

Surprisingly skilled – proper martial arts stances.

“HIYAAH!”

With each shout, he crippled joints until the Cyclops couldn’t rise.

Multiple CRUNCHES confirmed its helplessness.

I’d have joined the beating, but my knife shattered.

“Bbeopmi Power! Rolling Thunder!”

The finale was Bbeopmi’s ultimate.

Mariko’s water spit soaked the Cyclops before a massive lightning strike.

KZZZZZT!

The Cyclops became instant fried calamari.

Hunters indeed. Though a grown woman going “Bbeopmi~ Hoeeeh~” was cringe.

Well, flat-chested at her age warrants some pity.

“Hey, Bbeopmi-jjang.”

I called her softly.

“Hoeeeh? What is it~?”

“Must you shout spell names? Like ‘Bbeopmi Power Rolling Thunder’?”

“Hawawa~ That’s how my magic strengthens~!”

Ah, her gimmick. Pitiable. Seeing my sympathetic look, she kept insisting she’s Bbeopmi-jjang, so I dropped it.

Some abilities have conditions – like Kim Ji-hye needing her bat.

If this was her power’s requirement… depressing. Thank goodness the author didn’t add worse conditions.

“Then Taeyang, you too?”

“Huh? Noona, what do you mean?”

“Fuck, you don’t belong in this dream.”

Why’s this brat calling me noona anyway?

“Huh? Anyway, this bastard’s got five B-rank cores!”

“How to split them?”

“Hoeeeh~ Though we helped, white-haired noona dealt the final blows~ She takes two, we take one each~”

Generous of her.

“B-rank core prices?”

“Sell to my oppas for 500,000 won each~”

Wow. Corpse-cleaning pays 500k for a full day’s work. Killing monsters for same amount? Profit.

“Sell directly?”

“Hawawa~ Let’s exit first~”

Truly pitiful – can’t use magic without that act.

Either way, leaving now wasn’t bad.

With the trap boss dead, no need to suffer on floor 5. Dungeon cleared.

That crawling sensation returned. The dark dungeon seemed blacker.

Reaching for cigarettes – none.

Forgot to bring any.

“Taeyang. Give me a smoke.”

“Here, noona.”

He lit it for me as I puffed.

Nicotine flooded my brain, clearing my vision.

The tingling faded. My body relaxed so much I nearly collapsed.

“Ahh, that’s the stuff. Finally comfortable.”

“Noona, that face while smoking… dangerous. But that ability earlier?”

“What?”

I glared at the overly familiar Taeyang.

“Your speed was insane. Vanishing and reappearing. Like time control.”

“Maybe. My ability.”

An ability that darkens the sky with overuse.

Darkens my vision. But its performance is solid. With proper weapons, I could’ve soloed it without Bbeopmi-jjang.

Time to gear up. Might as well go full hunter.

“Hoeeeh~ Such a good atmosphere~!”

“Quiet.”

This Bbeopmi-jjang shipping us? Infuriated, I pinched her cheeks.

“Hawawa hawawa~ Bbeopmi-jjang’s cheeks stretching~!”

“Chewy.”

After stretching her cheeks, we split loot. Two B-rank cores = 1 million won. A fortune for students.

After exiting, we visited Bbeopmi-jjang’s guild to sell cores.

“Wow, Bbeopmi-noona’s in a major guild? Impressive.”

“Hawawa~ No praise~! My face turns red~!”

Her guild was Korea’s giant – Reform.

No S-ranks but many A-ranks. Top-tier.

No wonder they lent a whole dungeon to a member’s sister.

“White noona, blond oppa~”

“Yes?”

“Bbeopmi-noona, speak up.”

“Give numbers~ So I can call you directly next time~ No more job postings~”

More money-making opportunities? Fine by me.

But can students dungeon-dive freely?

“But as students, can we keep doing this?”

“White noona already went and asks this~? Hanseong Academy students get free passes~ Especially Divine Sword’s sister~ Blond oppa has high grades so no guardian permission needed~”

No objections then. Any income source works.

Maybe ditch academy entirely?