Chapter 40
“Holy Spear!”
So-jin bit her lip in frustration when she saw the spear of sacred mana slice through the air and bury itself at the orc swordsman’s feet. She still lacked the skill to wield such a forceful attack properly.
“Heal!”
Instead of keeping up with Holy Spear, So-jin chose to fully restore Kang Hyun-jun’s injuries and cast healing. White light settled over his wounds once more, and his body began to mend.
“Got it!”
Most of the injuries had healed. Hyun-jun shouted and charged the orc swordsman. Thanks to So-jin, he had recovered most of his wounds, while the orc swordsman was still covered in blood. It had been pierced through the abdomen and chest, and both arms and legs were in terrible shape. If not for the tenacious life force of an S-class beast, it would already have been down and dying.
“Carthago!”
“Y-you human…!”
Hyun-jun called out Carthago’s name and strengthened the blessing woven into his shield. As the Aura Shield shone more clearly, the orc swordsman’s gaze wavered. He was already at his limit.
“Haaat!”
With a shout, Hyun-jun closed the distance in an instant and swung his sword.
“Guhhk!”
The sharp Aura Blade severed the exhausted orc swordsman’s left arm in a single stroke. Dark red blood sprayed outward. The orc swordsman let out a pained groan and tried to stagger back, but Hyun-jun had no intention of letting him go.
“Holy Spear!”
As the sacred spear of mana So-jin hurled blocked the retreat, Hyun-jun surged forward like a bolt of light and brought his sword down again. The orc swordsman tried to defend himself, but he could not hold out for long. Before the fifth exchange of attacks and counters was over, a sword was buried in his heart.
“Cough…”
The orc swordsman spat dark red blood and collapsed lifelessly. After confirming that his breath had stopped, Hyun-jun nodded. From a little distance away, So-jin, who had been providing support with sacred magic and Heal, ran over. She wiped away her tears before speaking in front of Hyun-jun.
“Hyun-jun, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Please take care of the others.”
He soothed So-jin with calm words and asked her to look after the other hunters in the raid team. Only then did she belatedly realize that, after awakening, she had focused Heal only on Hyun-jun. Reaching toward the hunters lying on the ground, she gathered her mana and cast again.
“Heal!”
White mana reached the fallen hunters. Their injuries recovered at a speed that could not even compare to before. One by one, even those who had lost consciousness from excruciating pain and severe blood loss opened their eyes with low groans.
“My God... an S-class beast...”
Choi In-gi, the first to recover fully, approached. Too astonished to finish his sentence, his gaze remained fixed on the magic stone left behind by the orc swordsman. The corpse had already vanished with the passage of time.
“That was my first time seeing an S-class beast,” In-gi said honestly. A B-class hunter like him would never have encountered one. Even low-tier or bottom-tier hunters sometimes appeared as bosses in A-class dungeons, but such cases were extremely rare.
“When the orc swordsman showed up, I thought we were dead. But... to think we actually succeeded in hunting it...”
“Admire it later. Report the damage first.”
Hyun-jun cut him off. His voice was somewhat tense, because he was already assuming there had been casualties from the orc swordsman’s appearance.
“How many dead?”
“No one died.”
“Are you certain?”
“I confirmed it a little while ago.”
One by one, the hunters who had regained consciousness and finished recovering slowly got back on their feet. As In-gi had said, no one had died. Even those who had suffered severe injuries had been saved by So-jin’s Heal. They were not fully recovered, but there was no problem moving to the warp gate leading out of the dungeon.
“We confirmed that the warp gate has been activated.”
With the boss dead, safety had been secured. One of the hunters from the raid team finished checking the warp gate and reported in a bright voice. Everyone looked exhilarated and relieved at having survived in front of an S-class beast. Since no one had died, the overall atmosphere was good.
After confirming that every hunter in the raid team was safe, Hyun-jun’s eyes finally turned to So-jin. Sensing his gaze, So-jin also turned toward him.
“Hyun-jun... I did well too...”
“I’ll hear the details later.”
“I, I...”
“You’ll tell me everything, right?”
“O-of course.”
At Hyun-jun’s question, So-jin nodded and shed tears. She intended to tell him everything. The sudden second awakening that had struck her now left her confused, and she needed someone to steady her.
“Let’s go back,” In-gi said. Since the warp gate had been activated, the dungeon had been cleared. In-gi and the hunters from the raid team went through the warp gate one after another. Their bodies vanished in a wash of bright light. Last of all, Hyun-jun and So-jin stepped into the warp gate.
A brilliant white light blurred his vision. When it cleared, he was no longer inside the dungeon that had threatened their lives, but outside.
“Guild Leader. I’ve heard the rough story from Choi In-gi. Are you all right?”
Taemin approached and asked cautiously, in place of In-gi, who was busy explaining the situation to a Dungeon Management Bureau employee.
“I’m fine. Where are the other guild members who took part in the raid?”
Their figures were nowhere to be seen in the brief time since then.
“I sent them to a nearby hospital for detailed examinations. As for the Guild Leader...”
“I’m really fine. I just want to rest as soon as possible.”
“Then leave things here to me and Choi In-gi.”
Taemin answered honestly. He needed to report the hidden dungeon’s existence to the Dungeon Management Bureau employee. That way, an investigator could be sent in before the dungeon was sealed, verify the truth, and determine any additional rewards beyond the magic stone. Right now, Taemin was saying he would deal with the bureau employee together with In-gi in Hyun-jun’s stead.
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
Hyun-jun accepted the favor without hesitation. So-jin seemed to need rest immediately as well.
“A vehicle is waiting.”
“Thank you.”
“Please rest. I’ll contact you with the progress tomorrow morning.”
It was already past 8 p.m., so even if they called early in the morning, there would still be enough time to rest and sort through everything.
Hyun-jun got into the waiting vehicle with So-jin and returned to his home. So-jin looked like she had plenty she wanted to say, but after seeing his tired face, she went up to the second floor first. After sending her upstairs, Hyun-jun also stepped out into the yard for a moment to clear his head in the breeze before heading up to the third floor, his own space, and collapsing into bed.
And then he dreamed.
*
There was a door in front of him, adorned with gold and jewels.
“Romanov...”
Hyun-jun took a breath and carefully opened the door, revealing a lavish interior.
“Enter.”
From the throne at the far end of the carpet, Romanov rose and spoke. The distance was considerable, and the room was large, but his voice came through clearly and powerfully. Hyun-jun followed the carpet until he stood before Romanov.
“Was that you?”
“How did you know?”
“I could feel your mana.”
Using Romanov’s blessing had made Hyun-jun familiar with his mana. That was why, even in a fleeting instant and in the middle of battle, he had been able to sense it.
“Can you explain what happened to me?”
He had many questions.
“It is not a difficult matter.”
Romanov nodded readily and answered. From the beginning, he had no intention of hiding it.
“From the start, power lay dormant within that so-called dungeon. What We did was nothing more than a trifling interference.”
Hyun-jun seemed to remember hearing somewhere that hidden dungeons were where second awakeners most often appeared. The Dungeon Management Bureau had not yet released any official investigation results, but the dungeon they had raided today was clearly a hidden dungeon.
“You mean there was mana asleep in that dungeon that induced a second awakening?”
“A second awakening? Yes. The choice of words is not important. What I can say with certainty is that power that awakens latent potential was sleeping there, and your retainer was prepared to answer that trial. And We still possess enough power to carry out a mere trifling interference if it concerns the fate of a retainer.”
Interference with a retainer’s fate. That was one of the powers Romanov possessed.
“My sister is not my retainer.”
“Your opinion is irrelevant. What matters is that Our authority and blessing recognized her as your retainer.”
“I never asked for anything like that. On what basis is that even decided?”
Hyun-jun asked, but instead of answering right away, Romanov slightly lifted the corner of his mouth and turned away. His gaze shifted to the Emperor’s Banner hanging behind the throne.
“We cannot tell you that now.”
“That’s...”
“In time, you will know as well. Anything else you wish to ask?”
At Romanov’s answer, Hyun-jun let out a short sigh. Then, after gathering his thoughts, he spoke with a calm expression.
“Then does So-jin have any other retainers? I mean... people whom your authority, Romanov, recognized as retainers.”
“There is one.”
“Who is it?”
“That, We cannot tell you. But We can tell you how many.”
Hyun-jun looked at Romanov’s back and shook his head. Contrary to appearances, he seemed to be a man full of secrets.
“Fine. How many?”
He did not try to learn too much. Even securing only the information he could know right now was better than knowing nothing.
“At present, excluding the Paladin, there is one.”
“Is that so?”
“Do not be disappointed. Right now, including the Paladin, there are two, but the number will increase with time. That is the nature of My power.”
A faint smile spread across Romanov’s lips.
“And the loyalty of the other one is enough to make even Us admire it. It seems you have the qualities of a sovereign. As expected of My reincarnation.”
A loyal retainer. Hyun-jun had no trouble guessing who he meant.
Kim Tae-min...
Considering Tae-min’s recent behavior, it was fair to say he had taken on the role of a retainer.
While Hyun-jun organized his thoughts, Romanov turned again. Their gazes met.
“You look like you know who it is.”
“It wasn’t a difficult problem.”
“It would be wise to make good use of him. You know his True Name, do you not?”
At Romanov’s question, Hyun-jun answered with a nod rather than words.
The Blind Knight who blindly believes.
That was Taemin’s True Name.
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