The Hidden Dungeon’s True Boss
In-Ki’s heavy voice echoed through the stone chamber. The hunters wore tense expressions as they watched one another’s faces, gauging the mood. None of them were inexperienced; all of them knew full well how terrifying a hidden dungeon could be.
“How difficult do you think it is?”
Hyun-jun turned his gaze toward In-Ki. Since he had spent a long time with the guild’s assault team, he had ample dungeon experience. That was why he was asking for his opinion. In-Ki did not answer right away, but from the dark look on his face, it was easy enough to guess the answer would not be encouraging.
“Since the Administration Bureau’s investigator reported it as B-Class... at minimum, it’s A-Class.”
“That’s a relief, then.”
If it was A-Class, then even if it was a little beyond them, it was still within reach. Hyun-jun felt a measure of relief, but the other hunters still looked grim. Once a dungeon reached A-Class, the difficulty of clearing it rose sharply. It was on a completely different level from anything B-Class or below.
“If we’re unlucky, it could even be a lower S-Class.”
In-Ki spoke quietly, lowering his voice so only Hyun-jun could hear. He understood better than anyone how much of a stir those words could cause.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“Quite so. Even the lower end of S-Class dungeons is a different world.”
“For now, let’s take time to regroup.”
“I agree with the guild leader. For a clean clear, we need to face the boss at our best.”
While the hunters rested and checked their gear, Hyun-jun walked over to So-jin.
“Noona.”
He approached carefully and called to her in a low voice. So-jin, who had been tearing at a strip of jerky, slowly raised her head.
“Yeah, Hyun-jun.”
“We’ll be entering the boss room in about thirty minutes. It looks like this is probably a hidden or elite dungeon, so once we go in, stay close to Mr. Choi In-Ki. I’ll make sure to tell him.”
Since In-Ki was a magic-type hunter, he was in the safest position in the formation. So-jin was also a support healer and would normally stay in the rear, but Hyun-jun intended to personally ask In-Ki to pay special attention to her safety. If a seasoned B-Class magic hunter took charge, then even if the boss chamber was full of variables, So-jin would not be in danger so easily.
“B-but...”
“You’re a healer. You know healers have to stay alive until the very end, right?”
He knew well enough how much So-jin wanted to be useful. That was why he emphasized that if she wanted to be of any “help,” then she had to survive first. Whether she understood his meaning or not, she gave a silent nod.
“Nothing’s going to happen. Don’t worry.”
After reassuring her in a gentle voice, Hyun-jun went to In-Ki and asked him to look after her.
“The assault comes first, but I’ll also keep Han So-jin’s safety in mind.”
“Thank you.”
No sooner had In-Ki finished speaking than Hyun-jun approached the iron door leading to the boss room.
“We’ll continue the assault! Gather up!”
As he examined the iron door, In-Ki’s shout came from behind him. He gathered the hunters who had scattered to rest and explained the situation. Before long, In-Ki reported that the assault team was ready to proceed.
“Are we ready?”
Hyun-jun asked as he put force into the door handle. At the same time, he turned his head and cast his eyes toward In-Ki and the hunters of the assault team. Rather than answering, In-Ki gave a nod, signaling that everyone was ready.
“I’m opening it.”
The iron door was large and heavy, but not so much that it could withstand the brute strength of an A-Class hunter. With a harsh grinding of metal, the door opened, and a deep darkness welcomed Hyun-jun.
- Hashashin’s sinister laughter warns you of an ambush. Hidden blades are aiming for your heart.
In the darkness, dozens of red eyes flashed with murderous intent.
“Damn it! They’re coming!”
“Magic support!”
In-Ki drew up his mana and shouted instructions to the other magic-type hunters, and the hunters moved to their assigned positions. As the drones lit up the dark, dozens of orcs came racing toward the entrance at terrifying speed. Judging by their thick armor and ornate weapons, they were clearly B-Class monsters: Orc Elite Warriors.
“Wind Cutter!”
“Fire Wall!”
The blades of wind flew first, and immediately after, a wall of flame rose to block the orc horde’s path.
“Uwoooorgh!”
More than half of the orcs were cut down by the wind blades and the fire wall, but the elite warriors, as befitted B-Class monsters, evaded most of the attacks with little difficulty and closed the distance to Hyun-jun. At the very front was an orc in heavy armor, wielding a primitive weapon; unlike the elite warriors, a clear Aura Blade shone along its weapon.
“Guild Leader! It’s a warlord!”
“The boss...?”
The appearance of an Orc Warlord, a monster at the uppermost end of A-Class, had not been expected. But within an A-Class hidden dungeon, it was boss-tier; if they could defeat it, the end would be in sight. Hyun-jun swept out a murderous gaze and leveled his sword straight ahead.
“Come!”
He drew his mana up with everything he had.
- Carthago’s Righteous Shield protects you. So long as the great guardianship stands with you, nothing can threaten you.
- Sidenmiller’s valiant sword stands with you. So long as righteous courage does not break, the blade will not shatter.
The blessing of his past lives made Hyun-jun stronger. Sensing an unusual flow of mana, the Orc Warlord closed the distance in an instant.
High-Speed Movement Technique!
Tracking the warlord’s movement with his eyes, Hyun-jun raised his shield, cloaked in Aura Shield.
Kwaaaang!
The swung sword collided with the shield. The impact detonated with a deafening roar, scattering fragments of mana in every direction. Hyun-jun did not miss the opening.
- Carthago’s protection unfolds a righteous counterattack. The unshakable shield becomes a spear of piercing force, driving toward your enemy.
The shards of aura bursting from the shield tore through the Orc Warlord’s body like rags.
“Kruooogh!”
Hyun-jun surged forward at once as the bloodied creature staggered back. The sword in his hand blazed with a sharp Aura Blade.
“Die!”
He lunged with a swift thrust, aiming for the heart.
“Kwoooorrrrgh!”
The Orc Warlord let out a savage shriek. It was not merely a shout; mana was mixed into the cry.
War Cry!
The warlord’s mana-laden cry shattered Hyun-jun’s stance, the same stance that had not wavered even against a heavy greatsword.
“Gghh!”
War Cry was a technique that consumed enormous mana, but its ability to suppress an opponent was outstanding. Even Hyun-jun, in his present state, took internal damage from the shock and coughed blood from his mouth. At the moment, he had no defensive method capable of blocking a technique like War Cry.
“Die, human.”
The words were in English, but the meaning was impossible to miss. He had heard that some monsters of A-Class and above could speak Earth languages, but this was his first time facing one directly.
Before he knew it, the raised greatsword was falling toward Hyun-jun’s neck. And then he heard it.
- You must protect it at all costs!
- Dantzig’s will takes root within you. So long as there is someone you must protect, you will not fall.
At Dantzig’s thunderous voice, strength returned to Hyun-jun’s whole body, and he broke free of the pressure of the mana.
“Aaaahhh!”
Like a man possessed, he slipped away from the greatsword in a trance of motion. When his mind cleared, he had moved behind the Orc Warlord.
Swish.
Without hesitation, he swung his sword.
“Keh!”
The Orc Warlord attempted to evade, but it could not escape Hyun-jun’s blade after all the swordsmanship he had learned from Sidenmiller in the chamber of his past lives. A sharp Aura Blade raked across its back.
The thick heavy armor split apart, and a fountain of blood burst upward. A fatal wound. But Hyun-jun did not stop. The moment he withdrew the sword, he brought his mana-clad shield crashing down on the warlord’s head. Because of the sudden ambush and the pain, the monster could not attempt a counterattack or evasion.
Kwaang!
With a sound like an explosion, the Orc Warlord’s head burst apart. It had worn a thick iron helm, but that was no defense against a shield strike infused with Aura Shield. The body without a head collapsed limply.
“Who’s next!”
The warlord, at the very top end of A-Class, had lost its life in an instant. The hunters waiting behind him were speechless, and the orcs, now aware of their fear, did not dare rush forward recklessly.
“Now! Magic support!”
In-Ki seized the opportunity without hesitation. Together with the other magic-type hunters in the assault team, he cast their spells. Soon the completed magic struck the orc horde. Three dazed Orc Elite Warriors spilled blood as the wind blades cut them down, and two Orc Berserkers were engulfed and burned by searing flames.
“All-out attack!”
Only three elite warriors and five berserkers remained. The assault team advanced into close combat, and the orc horde could not endure much longer before being wiped out completely.
“Is it over now?”
Someone asked. It should have ended there. Once they went deeper inside, there ought to have been a warp gate leading out. Everyone had naturally assumed the A-Class upper-end Orc Warlord was the boss, but that had been a mistake.
He felt a gaze laced with chilling killing intent settle on him.
“There’s something else.”
“N-no way... you mean that wasn’t the boss just now?”
“Looks that way.”
As Hyun-jun spoke in a low voice, In-Ki’s complexion turned pale. If the A-Class upper-end monster was not the boss, that meant the hidden dungeon’s rank had been revised upward. In that case, the boss that had yet to reveal itself was highly likely to be at least a lower S-Class monster.
“Keep your guard—”
“Ghk!”
Before he could finish, a dagger flew from somewhere and pierced the abdomen of the hunter beside him.
“Han So-jin!”
“H-hill!”
At In-Ki’s request, So-jin hurriedly used healing. Hyun-jun remained wary of his surroundings and took a half-step back to check the injured hunter’s condition.
That’s a fatal wound.
With only a C-Class healer’s Heal, the best they could do would be to keep him from dying on the spot.
- Hashashin’s sinister laughter warns you of danger. Someone is aiming for your heart.
Hashashin issued the warning. Hyun-jun drew his mana up to the limit and expanded the range of his presence detection. Yet it felt as stifling as walking through fog.
“Stay alert. We don’t know where it’ll come from.”
“Understood.”
“Launch another drone.”
At Hyun-jun’s words, In-Ki nodded and answered before signaling to the assault team hunters. The drones flitted busily through the air, illuminating the darkness, and the light of magic floated up into the air. Most of the darkness in the chamber was driven back, but the boss still could not be seen.
“Heal! Heal!”
Breaking the heavy silence was So-jin’s voice as she cast healing on the fallen hunter.
“An assassin-type...?”
Frowning, Hyun-jun swept the area with his gaze.
“Kraaaagh!”
A sharp scream. Hyun-jun hurriedly turned toward it. A magic-type hunter was collapsing in a spray of blood. Right beside him stood a white-bearded orc wielding a long longsword.
“O-Orc Sword Saint...”
Hyun-jun’s voice trembled. It was his first encounter with an S-Class monster.