Chapter 1047: Side Story – What Happened in Dubai (4)

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but every dungeon gate has a proper ‘strategy’ for clearing it.

Not a method for efficiently infiltrating the deepest parts of the dungeon to periodically acquire the most expensive materials, but literally a strategy that can annihilate the dungeon.

Defeating every single monster inside the dungeon without leaving a single one behind. That is the most standard strategy for a dungeon gate.

When that happens, the dungeon gate loses its life energy and naturally dissipates.

It might sound impossible at first glance, but if you have enough manpower, it’s actually not that difficult. After all, the monsters inside the gate don’t have infinite numbers.

Other than that, the gate also disappears through a ‘monster wave,’ where all the monsters inside the dungeon burst out, emptying the inside of the gate and turning the surrounding area outside the gate into a dungeon instead, but naturally, this method is too dangerous to be used.

After pretending to pack some of the dungeon exploration supplies that President Kim Joo-ah had prepared, I entered, and what unfolded inside was the sight of some place resembling a vast desert.

Starting with me going in first, Do Yehee and Seolhwa-ssi also passed through the gate one after another, following behind me.

“Are you sure? I could just go by myself.”

“We didn’t bring you all the way to Dubai just for me to have fun alone. Besides, since you’re an S-class hunter, it’d be good to get the opinion of an A+ class hunter when assessing the dungeon’s rank, right?”

“That’s true.”

Even if the rank difference wasn’t significant, the dungeon’s difficulty viewed through someone else’s eyes is helpful in itself. After all, Do Yehee has a history of being a hunter as an earth mage long before I did.

“Seolhwa-ssi, you said you’re a shadowmancer, right? What’s your rank, by any chance?”

“I’m A-class.”

“Seolhwa-ssi, you’re high-ranked too.”

“It’s basic competence.”

Seolhwa-ssi said that while making a V-sign with her fingers next to her face. It was strangely like she was expressing pride in being an A-class hunter.

As we met more often, it seemed like she was starting to feel more comfortable around me and showing this side of herself, and honestly, it was quite endearing.

‘Maybe I should check her out with the Lust-Gaze later if I get the chance.’

It wasn’t some lewd intention to get intimate with Seolhwa-ssi, just that it seemed like it wouldn’t hurt to know more if we’re going to stay close in the future. From what I’ve learned so far, lust fetishes often influence a person’s usual behavior at a high rate, so it was sufficient just to use it as a simple way to gauge the other person’s personality or preferences.

-Rustle, rustle.

“Ah, you! Watch your step there….”

-Snap!

“I was already watching. Thanks for worrying.”

Well, obviously, now that we were inside the dungeon, it was time to focus on exploration.

After roughly crushing the venomous scorpion that approached my ankle with my greatsword, I continued the desert exploration with the two of them.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

About an hour had passed since we started exploring the unnamed desert dungeon.

After wandering around and hunting monsters for about an hour, I had a rough idea of the dungeon’s rank.

“It looks like it’s around A-class dungeon level. The monsters aren’t difficult to kill, but separately, there are many dangerous ones.”

“That’s right. Since it’s a desert dungeon, it seems there are many monsters with poison or ones that pop out from the sand.”

Sand scorpions and desert antlions are dangerous enough to spread poison through the body or sever an ankle in an instant if you let your guard down, but if you identify their locations and deal with them beforehand, they are monsters that can be sufficiently subdued even at A-class level.

And our party had me, with my detection skills, and Do Yehee, the earth mage, so there was no risk of letting our guard down or being ambushed.

Even Seolhwa-ssi, the lowest ranked among us, didn’t seem to be struggling against the monsters at all.

Since it’s an area with a roughly equal mix of B-class and A-class monsters, it’s safe to evaluate it as an A-class dungeon.

“Is the dungeon exploration finished now?”

“I don’t think we’ve encountered the boss monster yet… Let’s just check up to the boss monster’s level for now.”

“The boss monster in a dungeon like this would probably be S-class. Can you handle it?”

“If the situation gets too dangerous, we’ll have to run. If necessary, I have the skill to escape with at least you and Seolhwa-ssi, so don’t worry.”

“If that happens, please prioritize your escape, Master. As for me, hiding in your shadow is enough to conceal myself.”

“Yes, I’ve noted that.”

Nodding at Seolhwa-ssi’s earnest request, the three of us proceeded deeper into the desert.

After walking for another 30 minutes, we finally discovered something presumed to be the ‘nest’ of the boss monster we had been searching for.

“This place….”

“It seems like this area is the lair of the boss monster.”

A massive sand dune, scooped out in the center. Seeing the area, which resembled a volcano made of desert sand, made it difficult to even imagine the monster’s size. Building such a large nest meant it could move or shift sand on this scale.

“Indeed, I can feel something moving within the ground nearby.”

“Tell me when it gets close. I’ll scoop you up and run.”

“…N-now! Quickly!!”

Without hesitation, I scooped up Do Yehee, who suddenly said ‘now’. Anyway, my detection skill was also sensing something massive approaching us.

As soon as I heard Do Yehee, Seolhwa-ssi transformed into shadows and hid within Do Yehee’s shadow.

As soon as I kicked off the ground, heading away from the nest with the red-haired lady in my arms, something enormous suddenly surged from the sand into the air.

-Swish!!

“Rooooar…!!”

“A, a Sandworm!!!”

A giant snake covered in reddish-brown scales… no, it was a monster whose appearance was closer to an earthworm. Where its face should have been, there was only a single gaping maw, inside which hundreds of sharp teeth were densely packed, resembling a whirlpool.

“It doesn’t really have any particular weak spots, which is a bit daunting.”

Most hunters, upon first encountering a Sandworm, failed after trying to stab their blades or magic into its hard exterior. Hunters who thought a bit differently tried attacking from the inside, assuming the flesh within the mouth was relatively softer. After several generations of sacrifices, the ‘Sandworm Countermeasures within Dungeons’ were developed. Of course, even those countermeasures were ultimately just explanations on how to escape as effectively as possible.

“Sandworms, being S-class monsters, can only be subdued by the strength of at least two S-class hunters, so hunters of lower ranks should flee as quickly as possible.” That was the Sandworm strategy I learned back in school.

The hunter rank capable of even scratching a Sandworm’s body was at least A+, and inflicting fatal damage practically started from S-class. Considering Do Yehee’s earth magic efficiency drops in the desert, it meant I was the only one who could inflict damage on the Sandworm here.

In reality, escaping wasn’t impossible, but when else would I get a chance to fight a Sandworm one-on-one like this?

“Do Yehee, how much earth magic can you use?”

“I can create sand golems, but they’ll be much weaker than usual. Without moisture, their durability decreases accordingly.”

“That aspect can be compensated for with my shadow cohesion, Master.”

“Ah, right. If we work together, Seolhwa and I could probably create something up to the level of a mud golem even here.”

“Yeah, that should be enough.”

After confirming the extent to which I could utilize both their abilities, I immediately gave them instructions for the plan. Since they had been coordinating with each other longer than I had with either of them, I figured they could handle this.

Honestly, I didn’t feel a sense of crisis that required Do Yehee and Seolhwa-ssi’s help, but since we were here, it felt right to give them something to do.

“Rooooar!!”

-Swish!!

The Sandworm let out a low roar from its body, as massive as its length, before burrowing back into the sand.

This time too, using Do Yehee’s earth magic and my detection skills to predict its path, I leaped towards the outside of the nest carrying one and a half people, and just then, the Sandworm appeared again from beneath our feet, opening its maw to swallow us.

-Swishhhhh!!

“Rooooar!!”

The giant worm lunged, opening its whirlpool-like maw as if to swallow both me and Do Yehee whole. However, its body was noticeably slower than its previous vigorous speed. Due to the interference from Do Yehee and Seolhwa-ssi, who were currently in my arms.

“I-I can’t slow it down any more than this! Hurry!!”

“I know.”

While it couldn’t exactly be called slow, it had slowed down enough for me to ‘see and cut’ it. With the help of Do Yehee and Seolhwa-ssi, who reduced the variables, I precisely thrust my blade into the part corresponding to the Sandworm’s ‘neck’ and swung with all my might, feeling like I was slicing through the entire thing.

-Crackk!!

“Roar…!!”

The giant Sandworm, including its hard exterior, collapsed with its massive snout and body severed. Seeing as fighting a new S-class monster is no longer particularly difficult, I can definitely feel that I’ve become stronger than before.