Field Trip Students (1)
“Whoa. So this is what the inside of a dungeon looks like.”
The older Wakin sister looked around the dungeon interior like a student on a field trip the moment they entered.
“What's this mineral? Just iron?”
“Doesn't seem to have any mana in it.”
The two science-geek sisters squatted down and started examining everything.
This is a first in my life.
For hunters, dungeons were targets to conquer and break, not subjects for research and investigation. Even Jeonghyeon found the sight novel.
“Alright, alright. The core's deeper in, so wrap up your investigating and let's move.”
The sisters hurriedly stuffed a few minerals and plants into their bags and nodded.
“Yeah! We don't wanna hold you guys back!”
They were pretty professional about it.
“Got a read on the dungeon layout?”
He turned to Philip, who closed his eyes briefly, as if sensing the surroundings, and murmured.
“500 meters ahead... wide-open plaza. Three caves branching off around it... Yeah. Everyone's here.”
Three caves. Looked like waves coming from three directions.
“Got it. Let's hurry.”
Two blacksmiths, one hunter, one porter, and one(?) monster formed a rather odd-balanced party as they headed to the dungeon's deepest depths.
Deep in the dungeon, just as Philip had sensed, there was a massive plaza-like space with exactly three caves spaced evenly around it.
If you drew straight lines from each cave, they'd divide the hall into three equal parts. Anyone could see monsters would swarm right here.
“See it, field trip students? This is the core.”
“Ooh!”
“First time seeing a core inside a dungeon!”
Philip, now fully embracing the role like a tour guide teacher, explained everything to the sisters.
“Break this core, and monsters attuned to the mana pouring out come swarming. That's a wave. Holding them off is what we call defense...”
Jeonghyeon left Philip's lengthy explanations and the sisters absorbing it all behind him and opened his inventory.
“Hey. Come out.”
“Ah, already here? Humans are so slow.”
“Keep yapping and see if you can still breathe.”
Jeonghyeon grumbled but checked if the mana density was breathable for Nus.
Nus slowly poked its face out of the inventory, then stretched its body out fully.
“Oh. Not bad. Not quite Demon King's Castle level, but on par with Afraksas.”
The spoiler hit out of nowhere.
Afraksas. The world beyond the Tower, known only to a tiny fraction of humans. Jeonghyeon broke into a sweat for the first time, visibly flustered.
“Sorry, but let's not drop Afraksas right now.”
“Why?”
“They don't know the world beyond the Tower is Afraksas.”
“Tower? What's that?”
Hah.
A sigh escaped him. Humans didn't know the world beyond the Tower was Afraksas, and Nus understood this dimension and Afraksas but not the Tower's existence.
Where the hell did he even start explaining?
“Later. I'll explain it all at once later. Just hold off on Afraksas for now. Please.”
Not only flustered for the first time, but Jeonghyeon was showing uncharacteristic humility. He'd faked it with some people on purpose, but a genuine plea like this was basically a first.
This is one of the few times in my whole life—past and present—I've ever begged, you little shit. Ignore me and...
“Fine. You humans should always beg for my help so humbly! Since you asked so nicely, I'll oblige!”
Nus smugly crossed its arms—or what passed for them—and haughtily accepted with its head held high.
This bastard...
Jeonghyeon chuckled inwardly at the sight.
Easier to handle than I thought?
A little flattery, some treats, play it loose, and it might be surprisingly easy to manage.
“And since you wield the Demon King's power, you're practically his heir in a way. As his most cherished subordinate, it's only right I treat you accordingly.”
“That rubs me the wrong way.”
Thanks, but no thanks to being the Demon King's spawn. He'd rather die.
“Alright, lesson's over. Time to start, tour guide!”
Jeonghyeon called Philip over, who nodded and approached.
“Jeonghyeon! Show your full strength in this dungeon.”
“Why?”
“The Wakin sisters said they'll analyze every bit of our combat and make custom gear for us.”
If that's the reason, obviously. No shit.
Jeonghyeon nodded immediately.
“No need for briefing, right?”
“Yeah. I take two sides, you take one?!”
“...? Not doing something that stupid.”
“Huh?”
Before Jeonghyeon could slap on Attribute Domination to explain to the puzzled Philip, Nus piped up from behind.
“Pfft. What a dimwit. You're a mace user with AOE attacks, aren't you? A mace wielder who can see Uldran's awakener status from the back of my nonexistent head.”
“Oh, right.”
“So you have AOE advantage. Circle the hall's perimeter and sweep the mobs as they come.”
“Ooh.”
“The speedy one handles leaks. Protecting the core comes first, so that's efficient, no?”
“Spot on, Nus. You're pretty sharp.”
“As if you ignorant fools would know I was the battle strategist for the Demon King's 1274th Legion.”
Nus boasted again.
Sorry, but even the Demon King probably doesn't remember the 1274th.
Jeonghyeon swallowed the urge to deflate it this time and launched sword energy at the core for real.
“Your job's to smash everything, Philip. Don't worry about terrain damage.”
He cast Attribute Domination on Philip as he spoke.
“Yes!! Of course!!”
The moment the core cracked, Philip charged like a human tank toward one entrance.
“Then I'll just watch!”
Nus darted back into the inventory, peeking out just its head.
“Yeah, yeah. Never expected shit from you anyway.”
Rumble—!
The wave began.
Most were beast-type monsters mixing animal features, with some stronger ones like harpies and hydras mixed in.
“They're all gunning for the core anyway—let any that don't die in one hit through!”
“Yes!!”
Philip chugged the buff potion he'd saved from the Tower rewards.
“Raaah!!”
Empowered, he unleashed indiscriminate swings.
Whether hitting foes or the ground, his mace shook the earth, pulping a dozen at once and toppling another dozen off-balance.
Kekehk!!
Snake-based monsters sensitive to sound and vibration especially burst eardrums and convulsed on the spot.
“Die, you bastards!!”
Shouting nonstop, chaining two-hit combos freely, Philip rampaged around the plaza's edge. Most monsters couldn't advance, collapsing into corpse piles.
Exp's gonna skyrocket.
Jeonghyeon watched from afar, casting Attribute Disruption on each of Philip's kills to siphon exp.
Keehk!!
Hydras and nagas he'd marked earlier survived and pushed toward the core. Jeonghyeon drew his harvesting knife and infused mana into his Demon King's Eye.
“Ooh! Demon King's power! Ooh!”
Having a Demon King fanatic tag along is annoying as hell.
He was already stressed borrowing the Demon King's power to fight, trying to ignore it, but Nus brought the sensation flooding back.
“Fuck!”
Jeonghyeon vented on the monsters, charging in.
Shwick—!
He severed the central neck of the multi-headed lizard hydra, slicing all heads like spinning mushrooms, then split its body vertically to extract the mana stone in one go.
“Mine!”
Nus from the inventory at his waist stretched out lightning-fast and snatched the stone.
This fucker...
Too busy now—let it slide.
Jeonghyeon kept circling the core like Philip, butchering stragglers.
“Attribute Disruption…!”
His dissection swordsmanship flowed freely now, honed to familiarity—one disruption per kill.
Huge croc bears, nimble reaper goblins, armored carmandillos—all turned to meat chunks dropping mana stones before his blade.
“Heehee! Mine! All mine!”
Though those stones went to the hyper-excited Nus, who ditched all dignity.
They cleared waves without missing a single monster. By the sixth hellish wave, Jeonghyeon and Philip's focus was slipping.
“Kyaaak!”
A familiar scream from the Wakin sisters echoed far off, proving their wavering concentration.
“What?!”
Turning, Jeonghyeon saw reaper goblins—shadow lurkers—sneaking up to the core and threatening the sisters.
“Shit!”
He leaped toward them, but a goblin's long claws were already reaching for the younger sister's throat.
Boom—!
A vibration no one expected boomed through the plaza.
“Kekehk…!”
The goblin collapsed with its gut blown open.
“Whew…! These things underestimate modern civilization way too much!”
Behind it stood the younger Wakin sister, boldly blowing acrid smoke from the cylindrical weapon in her hand.
“That… a gun?”
“Yeah. Made it myself. Hand cannon.”
It was a miniaturized cannon, like a shrunken massive gun.
“Still got plenty of ammo. Don't worry about us—fight! More coming from behind!”
Boom—!
She blasted a lizardman lunging at Jeonghyeon's back; its head exploded mid-air.
“...Got it! Thanks!”
Jeonghyeon nodded, then swept the dungeon again, leaving just one or two spares considering Philip's exhaustion.
Thus, with Attribute Disruption hitting level 9 and Dissection Swordsmanship nearing 10, they finally ended the tenth wave.
“Hoo…! That it? Ammo's out.”
“Haa…! Can't run anymore… too beat…”
Out of elixirs, Philip slumped with his tattered arms dangling.
“Damn. Tougher than expected.”
Protecting someone while fighting was this exhausting?
Jeonghyeon panted heavily, worn out himself.
Creak—!
An eerie groan leaked from the dungeon wall.
“Haha! You're fucked now!”
Nus cackled, pointing somewhere.
Creeeak—!
Without respite for the exhausted party, the boss monster appeared.
“For real… we're fucked.”
Jeonghyeon muttered softly upon seeing the boss.