Ch.52The Double Dungeon Is Dangerous (1)

Having discovered the boss room, all that remains is to conquer it.

The hunters returned to the cliff top to report their exploration results, and they decided to take a day to prepare for the boss battle.

That night, Yoon Byungho, the raid leader and A-rank hunter of Hanul Guild, held an unofficial meeting with Lee Youngjin, a guild member who had been deployed for the cliff exploration.

“So, did you notice any outstanding talent?”

“Yes. There were two.”

In conducting this raid, Hanul Guild had deliberately selected and requested support from parties they had been keeping an eye on. This was to test their actual combat capabilities and, if possible, attempt to recruit them.

“First is Choi Hanna from Kim Kyungsik’s party. She’s definitely exceptional.”

“…Choi Hanna, indeed. The Guild Master had been watching her.”

“She has high potential and good instincts. I believe she’s someone who could definitely grow to A-rank.”

After speaking without hesitation, Lee Youngjin paused momentarily before opening his mouth again.

“The other one is Baek Eunha from Kim Seungmin’s party.”

“…Baek Eunha?”

While Baek Eunha had certainly been on their recruitment list, they had previously concluded that her severe limitations in group activities made her unsuitable for the guild.

Seeing Yoon Byungho’s puzzled expression, Lee Youngjin began to recall what had happened at the cliff.

“She definitely has constraints in party play. However, her combat skills… they made such drawbacks seem meaningless.”

The artistry Baek Eunha had displayed on that precipitous cliff, where one mistake could lead to immediate death.

It had reached a level that hardly seemed human.

“…I’d like to hear more details.”

“First, her skill as a necromancer is outstanding. In the midst of that chaotic battle, she immediately killed enemies and perfectly controlled them, which proved to be a great help.”

Turning monsters into undead servants isn’t as simple as it sounds.

The fact that she could perform such precise work so reliably was proof enough of Baek Eunha’s exceptional skill.

“What else?”

If Lee Youngjin, who had such discerning eyes for talent, was praising her this much, there must be other strengths as well.

To Yoon Byungho’s interested inquiry, Lee Youngjin let out a hollow laugh before answering.

“Honestly, you probably won’t believe what I say next.”

“…What exactly happened?”

“I’m not sure how to explain it accurately. Even I, who witnessed it firsthand, couldn’t fully comprehend what I saw.”

However, one thing was certain.

“Her combat style is somehow different from ordinary hunters. That’s the only way I can express it.”

“…”

Yoon Byungho showed a surprised expression at those words and fell into deep contemplation.

Lee Youngjin’s discerning eye had been a great help in growing Hanul from a small guild to what it was today.

And never before had Lee Youngjin given such high praise to anyone. This corresponded to Baek Eunha having tremendous potential.

“We’ll need to watch her carefully.”

“Indeed.”

And so, the final day of the raid was approaching.

#

“Watch out there!”

“How many people are left?”

“This is the last of them!”

After various twists and turns, all the hunters in the raid party, including us, moved to the cave where the boss room was located.

It had been truly challenging, but this was the end. The hunters raised their spirits as they prepared for the final battle.

“Given the size of this large dungeon, the boss will be quite powerful. Everyone, stay alert.”

“Yes!”

Creeeeak.

Boom.

And so we entered the boss room of the B4-rank large dungeon.

With chilling air and flesh-cutting wind, the interior of the boss room literally resembled an ice palace.

And in the center, a massive creature with pure white carapace was waiting for us.

GROOOOAR─!

A roar so loud it made the air tremble.

Its appearance somewhat resembled a dragon from ancient tales.

“W-what is that?”

It was definitely not a creature in my memory. Judging by how no one dared to speak up, it seemed to be a type of monster that had never been discovered before.

“…It’s similar to a drake, but somewhat different.”

“It looks like a serpent from the movies.”

If I had to give it a name, White Serpent would be fitting.

“Proceed as planned! Prepare to attack!”

Since there was no need to waste time, the raid party immediately engaged in battle.

As the White Serpent charged forward with a roar, we also began to move according to our assigned roles.

“Undead call!”

Whoosh!

[Grrrk.]

[Gigigik.]

“I’ll join the front line.”

Song Hayeon summoned all her specialty skeleton series, and Kim Seungmin helped the frontline hunters as a tank.

The rest of the members, due to their characteristics, had the role of accumulating damage from the rear.

And I, after summoning some useful undead to help, retreated to the back to watch.

“…”

It couldn’t be helped. Just looking at it made me dizzy, so there was no way I could enter the middle of such a large-scale battle. I had used my mental stabilization ring yesterday, so there was still about an hour of cooldown time left.

‘…With so many people here, one less won’t matter.’

This had been discussed beforehand anyway.

I clicked my tongue while giving Kwak Minji, who was also standing aside, a contemptuous look.

“Tsk.”

With an assassin-type title and a low level, she naturally couldn’t do much against such a massive monster.

Feeling my gaze, Kwak Minji grumbled with an aggrieved expression.

“Come on, you’re in the same situation…”

“S-shut up. My contribution is different.”

While we were bickering, the battle at the front was becoming increasingly fierce.

Whoosh.

FWOOOOSH─!

“B-breath attack! Block it!”

BOOM!

CRASH!

“Kyaaah!”

“Kugh!”

“What power…!”

An attack so powerful it damaged the tank line despite various protective barriers.

The White Serpent was certainly stronger than what you’d expect from a B4-rank dungeon boss.

But it didn’t matter much. Because right now, A-rank hunter and raid leader Yoon Byungho was here.

“Tousem.”

SLASH!

CRASH─!

KIEEEK─!

With Yoon Byungho’s carefully prepared skill, part of the White Serpent’s body was completely torn off.

A power clearly different from other hunters’ attacks. As I had felt during the fight with Jackson before, A-rank hunters were truly in a different league.

“Attack all at once!”

BOOM!

CRASH!

SLASH!

KIEEEK─!

Yoon Byungho was experienced. Despite facing an unfamiliar type of monster, he calmly and steadily chipped away at the enemy’s strength.

Despite its initially impressive appearance, the White Serpent’s body was now covered in numerous wounds.

At this rate, the battle itself seemed likely to end in an easy victory for the raid party.

But.

‘…Something feels off.’

In fact, I had felt a strange sense of discomfort since first discovering the dungeon’s boss room yesterday.

It started with the cave in the middle of the cliff. Though my intuition wasn’t as sharp as before, based on the magical energy in the air and the surrounding environment, something felt artificial.

It was as if the space around the cave and boss room existed separately from everything else.

Because of this, I remained vigilant and kept a close eye on my surroundings despite the favorable battle situation.

“First team! Defend again! We’ll finish it with the next attack!”

KYAAAK─!

BOOM!

CRASH!

“Now! Attack!”

BOOM!

CRASH!

CRACKLE─!

In that tense atmosphere, the White Serpent finally collapsed, breathing its last.

THUD!

Was it just my imagination?

Feeling foolish about the anticlimactic result, I awkwardly turned my gaze and shot another look at Kwak Minji.

“Tsk.”

“…”

Finally, plunging a knife into the fallen White Serpent’s neck, Yoon Byungho declared the raid party’s victory.

“…Good work, everyone.”

Only then did the tense atmosphere among the group relax.

“Damn. First time I’ve taken down something this big.”

“This was a particularly challenging dungeon.”

“Everyone worked hard. It would have been much more difficult without your cooperation.”

Having finally achieved the dungeon clear, the hunters of the raid party engaged in candid conversation, each relieving their own stress.

In that cheerful atmosphere, Kim Seungmin, with a hardened expression, muttered quietly.

“But why isn’t a portal appearing?”

“What?”

At those words, everyone hurriedly looked around.

However, there was no return portal signifying dungeon completion in any direction.

They waited for about another minute, but nothing changed. The implication was simple.

“D-did we fail to clear it?”

It was hard to believe even after saying it out loud.

We entered the boss room and defeated the boss. What possible reason could there be for failing to clear?

As the raid party’s hunters froze in place, a strange sound began to echo.

Crackle.

Crackle crackle.

What formed was a shimmering haze of various lights and colors—a portal.

“Ah, damn. Thought my heart was going to drop. Do portals malfunction these days too?”

A man laughed incredulously and tried to enter the portal first, and feeling uneasy, I hurriedly opened my mouth.

But Yoon Byungho’s shout was faster.

“Stop right there─!”

“W-why so suddenly?”

“…Look carefully. That’s not a return portal.”

At those words, everyone anxiously stared at the portal. It was definitely different from the return portals they had seen before.

Rather, if anything, it was more like…

“A-a dungeon entrance portal?”

It certainly looked more like that.

The completely frozen hunters turned their heads stiffly to look at the faces of those beside them.

Each hoping the other would tell them what they saw wasn’t real.

In that scene, the raid leader Yoon Byungho, who had been coolly leading the group all along, muttered.

“…Well, damn.”

For the hunters of the raid party, it was like a confirmation of their worst fears.