Test (3): Asura's Flames and the Porter's Betrayal
As soon as we entered the boss room of the test dungeon, a massive figure came into view. It was the monster called Asura, with four arms and three heads.
“Kuoohhh!”
The Asura spotted us too.
Thud—! Thud—! Thud—! Thud—!
The hulking beast charged toward us, leaving flaming footprints in its wake.
“Hoo… Keep the formation tight… Here it comes!”
The party members were sweating bullets. In contrast, I was completely dry.
What’s going on? Am I just really good at handling potions?
We’d all drunk the same flame resistance potion, but I was the only one unscathed. There was no way that porter uncle had slipped me a special one just for me.
Which meant…
So it’s this after all?
I glanced at the Gram gripped in my hand. One of its effects was “extreme resistance to fire attributes.”
Apparently, that applied not just to attacks but to natural phenomena too. The Asura was closing in fast by now.
It swung a massive fist wreathed in flames.
Bam—!
It collided with the tank’s shield.
“Urk!”
The tank held somehow. He blocked the first strike, but…
“Kwaaaahhh!!”
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
Four fists rained down in rapid succession. Hayul and I dashed toward the Asura at the same time.
Swords slashed from both sides. The Asura countered with two of its hands.
“Ugh!”
Hayul groaned from the flames and pulled back, but…
This is nothing!
With my extreme flame resistance, I sliced right through the Asura’s arm.
“Kraaaah!!”
The Asura, feeling the pain, turned its aggro on me. Our eyes met.
It immediately attacked with its remaining three hands. Pretty fast punches.
But none of them touched me.
This is manageable.
For me, now grown through combat evolution, the Asura was a decent matchup.
This is definitely an A-rank dungeon, right?
After grinding out all those requests, I had so much leeway that I could afford to think about other things even in front of an A-rank boss. I hadn’t realized just how strong I’d gotten from all the solo requests.
At this level, I didn’t have to worry about “newbie stomping” anymore. But I wasn’t updating my hunter rank yet.
This was life-or-death stuff. Better to play it safe.
Well, I said that, but I planned to renew it after the next request. It’d probably take a few years in my current situation, though.
I dodged the Asura’s attacks leisurely but pretended to be struggling, too busy evading to counter. The party members jumped in to support me.
The tank stepped forward to block for me, the archer targeted weak points to restrict its movements.
And Park Hayul striking at the openings. Great teamwork.
So this is what veterans are like?
I’d never partied before, so I was curious. I didn’t want to work under anyone,
but I did want to try teaming up.
Should I start a guild?
Sounded good. Fill it with my heroines, and it’d be perfect.
They were from other dimensions, but they all had abilities, so faking IDs was no big deal. The association hands out Korean citizenship to anyone with powers, so no worries.
As I mulled over guild plans, wounds started piling up on the Asura. An obvious opening appeared.
I’d tried to hold back my strength as much as possible, but…
Ah, how do I hold back on the finisher?
A clean path presented itself. I charged along it and severed the Asura’s neck.
Summoning the Sun Holy Sword Gram into Gram made for a perfect cut. Thunk—the head hit the floor.
“Hoo… It’s over.”
Everyone collapsed in exhaustion. The only one still standing was Kang Yongwon.
Hanging back to buff meant less stamina drain, apparently.
“Leave cleanup to the cleanup crew and head out.”
Kang Yongwon suggested we leave and rest easy outside. The party started getting up one by one.
“Aigoo…”
Park Hayul groaned like an old man as she rose.
Screeech—!
The boss room door opened, and a bad feeling hit me. I shot out my hand, grabbing Hayul’s nape and yanking her back.
Whoosh—!
An arrow whistled past exactly where her forehead had been.
“Huh? You dodged that?”
A sleazy voice rang out. Several people stood outside the door.
All armed, radiating obvious hostility even to the oblivious.
And among them was someone we knew—the porter called “E-50” or Mr. Park.
“Why the betrayal?”
Kang Yongwon demanded.
“Why? Why?”
E-50’s face twisted.
“You have no idea? You all treated me like dirt!!”
Lots of grudges, huh.
“Even Hayul, the only one who ever acknowledged me… she fell for that punk!!”
E-50 pointed at me and yelled.
“I get it. Hayul, you were just tricked. So stay put. You won’t get hurt.”
E-50 advanced.
I can guess the rest.
E-50 had a thing for Hayul. That crew approached him with a deal:
trap us, and they’d hand her over.
“You underestimated us.”
Kang Yongwon ordered battle prep, but the party couldn’t obey.
They started collapsing one by one. Even Kang Yongwon hit the floor.
“You idiots. You think I’d ambush you without prep?”
The leader-looking guy stepped forward.
“Huh? Why’re you still standing?”
He gaped at me, unscathed.
“Oh, he gave you plain water instead of flame resistance potions, figuring you’d burn alive in there.”
Ah, so that’s why it tasted like nothing. Mystery solved.
“What the… you moron…”
The leader sighed.
“One guy’s no big deal, but…”
As the leader muttered, E-50 crept forward toward Hayul.
“Then, as promised, Hayul’s mine…”
Before he finished,
“Gahk!”
A sword pierced his chest from behind. E-50, skewered through, spat blood and glared at the leader with trembling eyes.
“Why?” “Why? You know our faces—think we’d let you live?”
The leader swung, decapitating E-50.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
He grinned at us innocently. Probably aiming for menacing, from his perspective.
What a clown.
That shit’s scary in novels. In person? Pathetic.
Hmm… lots of them.
This should’ve been terrifying. But I felt no fear.
Just impatience to end it. I thrust my hand forward.
“Too many for captures.”
Usually, you take ambushers alive in dungeons, but numbers meant killing them.
“Hahaha! You against all these guys?”
The leader laughed at me. I gave him some advice.
“Normally, when someone’s this relaxed, you stay on guard.”
Next time, be careful. Oh, no next time.
Whoosh—!
A small flame sparked at my fingertips. It drifted toward them, then…
“Kaaaah!!” “S-save m—!!”
Everything in front of me burned. Just like the first time—total annihilation.
It happened in an instant. They didn’t even struggle before turning to ash.
“Hoo!”
Mana exhaustion hit, and I slumped down. I could’ve summoned Holy Sword Gram to minimize MP drain against them,
but…
That leaves bodies.
The feel of slicing flesh, blood stench, corpses everywhere—no thanks.
I’m no heartless thug numb to killing, so I chose total erasure to skip the trauma.
“What… was that…?”
Kang Yongwon, who’d seen it all from the floor, whispered.
“Keep it secret, please.”
I wasn’t revealing my power yet, so I asked for discretion. It’d reach Joo Hwayeon the guild master, but better to contain the rumors.
“I’m sorry.”
Kang Yongwon apologized for the guild’s internal mess putting me in danger.
“Not your fault to apologize for, team leader.”
I didn’t say it was fine, though. This gave me leverage to squeeze Joo Hwayeon dry.
Breached the contract. Time to milk every compensation possible.
Time passed after that. No reinforcements, thankfully—they didn’t barge in while we recovered.
We escaped the dungeon and contacted the guild.
“Sorry!”
Joo Hwayeon bowed her head in apology for the dungeon incident.
True to form as a guild master, she jumped straight to compensation talk.
What’ll make rumors fly that I got a sweet deal?
Honestly, I hadn’t thought it through. Just figured I’d grab whatever.
Cash?
Simplest and best. Buy what I want with it.
But money didn’t excite me. I could earn plenty later.
“For compensation… be my friend.”
What I needed most right now: connections.
Guild or freelance, networks were key. Park Hayul and Park Hana were my whole Rolodex.
Joo Hwayeon blinked blankly at my words, then…
“Fun guy, huh?”
She grinned, eyeing me.
“Fine, friends it is. But I’ll compensate too. Don’t know what you want, so cash it is.”
Money’s king, after all.