Ch.97Revenge Plays Are Dangerous (6)

“I, I can’t believe this……”

Vice Chairman Joshua was at a loss for words at the sight unfolding before his eyes.

‘Was he this powerful?’

In truth, the American side had estimated Lee Jichul’s maximum potential to be in the mid-to-lower tier of S-rank.

And that was a level that the hunters from the special operations department who came with him could sufficiently subdue.

However, seeing him in person, his combat ability was completely different from the information provided by the analysis team. At the very least, the Lee Jichul known to the public and the Lee Jichul standing here now might as well be considered different people.

“Kuh, kuheok…!”

“Is this all your guard has to offer? Not particularly impressive.”

Xenon, whom he had trusted, was already completely incapacitated and unable to move.

Moreover, it wasn’t just Lee Jichul on the other side, but Baek Seoha who had come with him.

She too was a hunter considered close to S-rank, and with her power intact, she was definitely not an opponent to be taken lightly.

In the end, Joshua had no choice but to let the two enter the gate with resignation.

“Nothing will change by you going in there. Your skills may be beyond expectations, but the same goes for the hunters inside. Despite that, are you turning your back on the United States?”

“…How many times do I have to say it? My sister didn’t do it. We’re just doing what we need to do.”

Tsszzzzz.

Whoooong.

With that, Baek Seoha and Lee Jichul entered the gate.

As their bodies were enveloped in light and the surrounding scenery changed, Lee Jichul suddenly stopped and turned his head toward Baek Seoha.

“I should tell you something before we clash with them.”

“…What is it?”

“To be honest, I didn’t intend to bring you along. I thought you still lacked the strength to jump into a battlefield full of S-ranks.”

That assessment was certainly correct.

Baek Seoha was still an A-rank hunter at the highest tier, not yet S-rank. Naturally, she was outclassed when it came to facing the American assault team.

If she were to get seriously injured in the upcoming battle, Lee Jichul wouldn’t be able to face Baek Eunha.

“Then why didn’t you object?”

To Baek Seoha’s questioning, Lee Jichul answered with a serious expression.

“Until recently, I was consistently gathering information on Korean hunters. Given my position, it was necessary.”

“……”

“Because of that, I’ve thought something was strange for a while.”

At that point, Baek Seoha could understand what Lee Jichul was trying to address.

“When you first appeared, you showed a growth rate that surpassed the records of almost all hunters worldwide. But at some point, that disappeared.”

“…Isn’t that case not particularly uncommon?”

“Yes. That’s why I initially thought it was just a simple plateau.”

Lee Jichul’s gaze sharpened as it gradually targeted Baek Seoha.

“But seeing it up close, it was strange. You acted as if you had no interest in this slowdown in growth. That would be a sensitive matter for any hunter who risks their life in battle.”

“……”

“Especially after seeing you at the reception hall recently, I became certain.”

Despite the volatile situation, Baek Seoha had displayed an unusual level of composure at that time.

Normally, her judgment is rational and cool-headed. That’s why it was even more questionable. It meant that instinctively, she didn’t consider the situation a crisis.

“Are you perhaps deliberately hiding your power?”

This was something Lee Jichul could realize because he had been watching her since she was a rookie hunter.

Baek Eunha, who was rather insensitive to others’ inner thoughts, might not have noticed, but Lee Jichul was convinced that Baek Seoha was hiding something.

And that judgment was not wrong.

“…Yes. In a sense, you’re right.”

Baek Seoha readily admitted the truth. Of course, it might be somewhat different from what Lee Jichul was thinking, but Baek Seoha definitely had an ace up her sleeve that she had been hiding all this time.

“So I’d like to confirm that. Either way, this won’t be an easy fight, and knowing a comrade’s exact capabilities would be advantageous in battle.”

But that was impossible.

Baek Seoha firmly shook her head and answered Lee Jichul.

“No. I can’t use it here right now.”

“Why is that?”

“Because you would get hurt.”

At those words, a meaningful silence fell between the two.

Baek Seoha turned her head away and opened her status window to check the information of one particular skill.

【Prohibition: Path of the War God】

▶ Restricts one’s own growth to expand the vessel of the body. The power accumulated increases with each battle, and when the prohibition is lifted, rapid growth is achieved.

– This skill disappears after its first use.

– When the prohibition is lifted, it releases enormous power proportional to the accumulated experience.

After a brief silence, Lee Jichul was the first to move forward and start advancing.

“I understand. Then I’ll consider us equal in strength.”

Baek Seoha nodded and naturally followed behind him.

‘……’

She felt her explanation might have been insufficient, but there was no need to add various details at this point.

Either way, the timing for using this was already determined.

#

Kieeee─!

Kuuuung.

“Team 2, fall back and watch for ambushes! Don’t stop searching below ground! Team 1, continue to deal with the remaining two!”

Facing an attack of seven Red Worms in total.

Jacob, the leader of the assault team, was busy assessing the battle situation and giving instructions to the hunters.

‘Damn, this is tough as expected.’

Indeed, this was an S-rank large dungeon. Just walking through it brought out seven of these giant worms.

Even though they had an overwhelming advantage in terms of combat power, the worms’ tenacity was draining their stamina unnecessarily.

‘Well, even so, this assault team’s strength is three times that of the incident seven years ago. Clearing the dungeon should be possible even with some losses.’

So the problem was the Flame Maiden. Jacob was also one of the people who had attacked the Flame Maiden in the past, so he couldn’t help but be concerned.

‘What could she be aiming for?’

No one would believe the words of a ghost who had already died, but if they didn’t deal with her quickly, there was no telling what problems might arise.

For that reason, Jacob had already spoken separately with Michael and Forden, who were involved in the incident seven years ago.

If they found the Flame Maiden, they would use all their strength to dispose of her immediately, without giving her a chance to mention the past.

‘I don’t think we’d lose if the three of us joined forces, but…’

Since they didn’t know where she was hiding in this dungeon, they needed to conserve their strength as much as possible until then.

Jacob led the hunters gathered from various countries and steadily advanced through the dungeon interior.

In the midst of this, a report came in from several A-rank hunters assigned to reconnaissance.

“12 o’clock direction! Two Red Worms visible above ground! At 10 o’clock, there are also three Flame Scorpions!”

“We’ll use the same formation as before! Ask the Saint for another blessing.”

“Yes, understood.”

Whoosh.

Chwaaak!

The blessing of Saint Yesiel, which enhanced all abilities, enveloped the assault team, and they once again faced the monsters with their coordinated movements.

However, during this process, Jacob felt a sense of discomfort.

‘It’s not just my imagination. These are stronger than the ones before.’

Even among the same species, there is a difference in strength between those located at the entrance and those in the deeper parts of the dungeon.

However, the assault team had not yet left the entrance area, so it was a bit strange to see such a difference already.

“All Red Worms have been dealt with.”

“…Same here. Their shells are tougher than the ones we encountered earlier.”

It definitely wasn’t his imagination. But it wasn’t serious enough to worry about. In the end, Jacob decided not to dwell on it and moved the assault team forward.

‘…We can’t waste time here unnecessarily.’

That’s why he failed to notice. That these were sacrificial pawns deliberately placed to gauge the assault team’s strength.

“It doesn’t seem to be a multi-layered structure, so let’s break through as far as we can.”

While they needed to be wary of the Flame Maiden who might be somewhere in this desert, the progress made on the first day, when they had the most energy remaining, was crucial for large dungeon conquests.

So Jacob led the hunters and continued the conquest smoothly.

And this time, he could feel a definite sense of discomfort.

‘What is wrong with this dungeon?’

Something was clearly off. Especially the behavior patterns of the monsters.

According to Jacob’s experience from clearing S-rank large dungeons before, by this point, the monsters should have recognized the presence of intruders and shared information with each other, showing more active and intelligent movements.

But look at the current situation—they were like mindless puppets maintaining only consistent actions.

After finishing another battle, Jacob, who had been thinking this far, suddenly stopped moving.

And others in the assault team who had the same doubts began to speak up.

“This does seem a bit strange, doesn’t it?”

“There’s a considerable difference from what we’ve heard. We need to be careful.”

“…Those two might be up to something.”

However, what happened next was something none of them had anticipated.

Kugugugu.

Kuuung.

Ssuk.

Ssssssuk.

“W-what is this……”

“Everyone be careful!”

The monsters that had been slain by the hunters and were lying on the ground until just now.

As if they had been acting all along, they all began to rise with their mangled bodies.

And after looking at the confused assault team as if mocking them, they gathered together and disappeared to the north.

“……”

At this bizarre sight, the hunters of the assault team were rendered speechless.