The Cost of Victory
Ting, ting!
The 6.8mm high-pressure rounds slammed into the boss's body over and over.
But it didn't die.
It was hanging on by a thread, but still enduring.
Its physical resistance hadn't completely vanished.
Tu-tu-tu-tu!
Next came Gunner Han Ju-won's ghost bullets raining down.
The boss squeezed out a burst of cold from its core, aiming right at him.
"Get out of there!"
Shwaaa!
The surging chill pierced through every piece of cover, sweeping over Han Ju-won's position.
Was it targeting him because shooting my way would've been neutralized by the heat from my Eternally Burning Heart?
Paat!
Kim Yu-na teleported in just in time, grabbing him and blinking away.
Kwajik!
Sang Ha-jun's sniper round smashed into the boss—the dominator's—head.
"Aaaagh! This is my turf! Get out!"
Yelling at customers like that while running a shop? Not a great business strategy.
Time to wrap this up.
I emptied out the last of my magazine.
Ting! Ting! Tick, tick...
A deflating click echoed from the empty chamber.
Twenty-round mags run out fast.
"It's... it's over!"
The boss smirked and tried to attack me, but...
I'd already dropped the rifle—its sling keeping it slung behind me—and drawn my dagger.
"Don't shoot!"
Paaat!
I activated my Gale Boots and plunged the dagger straight into its heart.
"Hngh?! Aaaah... N-no..."
The thing that had thrashed wildly under a hail of bullets froze solid at the stab of a knife.
There was definitely something special about this dagger.
Like a boss-killer ultimate weapon or something?
"Aaaah, it hurts—me, feeling pain again..."
The shocked creature crumbled into a handful of snow.
Clack.
I snatched up the loot that had dropped to the floor.
The Eye Key and something else—a small necklace adorned with several shell casings.
What's this? Whoa!
Chiiiik!
The incendiary grenade I'd tossed earlier finally reignited, and I bolted out.
Must've been the boss's chill effect wearing off.
"Kang Hyun, you grab it?"
"Yeah! Got the Eye Key for sure."
"Good. You hold onto it."
I quickly stashed the key in my extradimensional pouch.
Then I examined the necklace.
◈ Grants penetration shots that ignore cover, borrowing part of the dominator's power.
"Oh, this is..."
"What is it?"
An artifact that lets you borrow some of the dominator's power for penetrating shots that ignore cover.
"This is insane? Pair it with your skills, Kang Hyun, and you're invincible. No hiding anymore."
"Yeah, but it only works on one shot... gotta wait to reuse it. And penetration seems to depend on the original ammo too."
This seemed better suited for our sniper, Sang Ha-jun.
"Here, Ha-jun-ssi, you take it."
"...Yeah."
Orders from the deputy team leader—he followed without complaint.
Perks of the position.
Anyway, boss down, loot secured... now just escape safely.
Might as well loot the underground mall while we're here?
Bet there's some pricey stuff.
Right as that thought crossed my mind...
Sang Ha-jun signaled.
"Camera 2 picks up a five-man hunter team. Look like elites. Targeting us."
Underground mall's a prime farming spot.
Hyenas drawn to corpses? Predictable.
Orcs and goblins avoid it...
So hunters can brawl freely without monster interference.
"No need to fight 'em, right?"
"Nope."
"Team leader, you copy?"
My question got a radio reply.
⊳ Alpha One: Securing sewer entrance.
"Hunt successful. Got a tail. Linking up with you."
⊳ Copy that.
We didn't rush.
Had to defend our current position.
Sewers are a common hunter route to dodge monsters.
Blind retreat could get us sandwiched—worst case, grenaded to hell.
7F was insane.
Move in groups, you hit monsters...
Avoid monsters? Run into hunters 99% of the time.
Fight's unavoidable.
Right before moving, Sang Ha-jun—who'd set the cameras—spoke up.
"They're closing in. Can't reach the sewer like this. Repel 'em?"
"...Yeah."
Wanted to avoid combat, but no choice.
Stealthily tailing us meant hostile intent.
They couldn't complain about bullets now.
If fighting, might as well ambush.
We spread out slightly, claiming defensible spots.
Plenty of abandoned shops, but underground mall meant wide-open paths.
Debris served as cover and obstacles.
But before they even got close...
"Ugh?!"
Sang Ha-jun suddenly staggered hard.
He clutched his eyes in agony.
"You okay?"
"No, this..."
"Urgh..."
Other teammates reacted too.
Han Ju-won, grazed by the boss earlier, grabbed his wound.
What the hell? Enemy skill? But they're too far...
"Incoming!"
Ting!
Kim Yu-na led, dropping the first guy charging ahead.
No cover there—they never suspected an ambush.
"Over there!"
They returned fire, but she blinked away fast.
With Go Ji-ho holding the sewer, it was effectively 4v4.
But Sang Ha-jun was in bad shape.
"Ha-jun-ssi, you good?"
"Don't worry about me!"
He could barely see.
Genetic eye disease flaring at the worst time?
Luck was rotten.
I widened my angle slightly and invoked my transcendence.
Perfect Sense transcended → Four Seasons activated
I'd used Heavenly Veil earlier but briefly, so I could manage.
Their positions snapped into perfect clarity.
"One behind the stairs, MG on the side passage!"
Radioed it quick and tried flanking, but...
Next instant, I saw myself shredded by the MG.
Enemy covering the flank route.
What? Not pushing? Too cautious for aggressors...
Then I realized why.
Hunter hiding behind the stairs to the second floor.
Nasty aura radiating from him.
Four Seasons auto-read the info.
S-rank hunter.
Basic skill: Aura of Worsening.
Useless on healthy foes...
But accelerates decline on the wounded or sick.
That's what hit Sang Ha-jun and Han Ju-won.
Straight-up predator for Sang Ha-jun's genetic condition.
Leave him? Could go fully blind.
An S-rank, of all things...
Their MO: wear down post-fight teams with the aura, easy pickings.
Not your average 7F scrubs.
Real strategy and skill.
"Ha-jun-ssi, behind the stairs! Snipe with the Ghost Shell Necklace—you can get him!"
"Urgh..."
He struggled to raise his rifle...
But clearly blind.
Panacea had zero effect.
Tu-tu-tu-tu!
Han Ju-won and Kim Yu-na pinned down by suppression fire.
Covering for the combat-ineffective Sang Ha-jun.
I had to break that MG somehow.
Wasted my Gale Boots earlier—recharge far off.
"Team leader! Backup possible?"
⊳ Sewer under enemy approach. Alpha One, engage.
Enemy team there too.
Disaster.
Go Ji-ho's side: 1v5.
Tight terrain favors him... but still.
Needed him to wrap quick and reinforce.
How to breach that MG?
Flashbang?
Nah.
Their NVGs were recent models.
No thermals, but one flash wouldn't disable.
I popped a smoke grenade before it was too late.
Tu-tu-tu!
MG barked, but accuracy tanked.
Firing controlled bursts to conserve—pros for sure.
Four Seasons let me dash during a firing gap.
Paat!
Shifted to a side shop, out of smoke, and fired.
Ting!
One shot pierced his helmet clean.
But...
Wait, the stair guy bailed?
S-rank sensed the smoke and bolted upstairs.
"Ha-jun-ssi, second floor, behind the sign! Under the broken planter!"
Too far for grenades.
As I called his position...
Sang Ha-jun spoke in a fully sunken voice over radio.
⊳ Leave it to me.
Short and solid, like always.
He'd drawn his knife out of nowhere.
What?
No way.
He climbed the tower to keep seeing the world.
If sacrificing sight was an option, he'd never risk this.
"Ha-jun-ssi, hold up!"
I rushed the stairs to take out the guy and stop him, but...
Ta-ta-tang!
Stairs were under heavy watch, obviously.
Ting!
They grenaded desperately too.
Once up, retreat's limited.
Kwaaaang!
I dodged the grenade, and then...
Horror at Sang Ha-jun's position.
Slash!
He'd gouged out his own right eye.
Then formed a glass marble with his skill and jammed it in the socket.
⊳ Good. I can see now.
My throat tightened; words failed.
Couldn't fathom his mindset slicing his own eye.
Taang!
Short, precise shot pierced the sign.
The guy dropped without a scream.
"G-got him!"
"Crazy... Team leader's down too?"
Aura lifted; remnants tried fleeing.
I fired without hesitation.
Ammo was cheap now.
Ting, ting!
Bullets into fleeing backs.
"Is... it over?"
"Team leader!"
I dragged my aching body toward the sewer.
Four Seasons running long—taxing.
"Ju-won-ssi, watch Ha-jun-ssi. Yu-na-ssi!"
"Got it! On my way!"
Collapsed wall in the mall corner.
Sewer link was eerily quiet.
1v5 there.
Tight space favors Go Ji-ho... but no miracles expected.
Praying for one now.
"Team leader!"
Still transcended, sensed it before arriving.
Five bodies in the sewer.
Go Ji-ho soloed them.
Monster.
But he wasn't unscathed.
Leaning on rubble, breaths ragged, fading fast.
Shield full of holes, still gripped tight.
"Team leader! Stay with us!"
Kim Yu-na poured potions on wounds.
Armor plates intact, but gut shot bad.
Organs likely shredded.
"Pots in that guy's and that one's vests!"
Dumped my potions too, scavenged theirs from the dead hunters' tac vests.
Poured tons in; wounds closed barely...
But blood loss massive—couldn't stand.
"Team leader, you okay?"
"...Kang Hyun, get the team out."
"Got it!"
Tried hoisting him—too big a size gap.
Late-arriving Han Ju-won piggybacked him.
"I got it! Deputy, scout the path."
Right, deputy team leader.
Glanced at Sang Ha-jun.
Glass orb gleaming where his right eye should be.
So clear, you could see through to the other side.
"Ha-jun-ssi, you good?"
"Fine."
Bullshit.
Ripped out raw, no anesthetic, foreign object shoved in.
Infection and inflammation incoming.
Kim Yu-na fed him tower antibiotics and anti-inflammatories with shaky hands.
I asked again.
"Why the hell do something so brutal?"
"...Can't be dead weight to the team."
Forgot for a moment.
How harsh and terrifying this tower was.
My arrogance stung deep.
Had to hold it together.
I was team leader now.
Piggybacked Go Ji-ho chuckled, dropping his shield.
"This punk... calling me dead weight right now?"
"...Yup. Complaints? Get up then."
Sang Ha-jun—uncharacteristically—joked back.
"Damn, Ha-jun got handsome while I wasn't looking? Grab the loot quick."
We silently snatched the valuable spoils.
This was Go Ji-ho's blood price.
Couldn't leave it.
"Heading to nearest sewer exit. Shoot anything that moves."
"Roger, move out."
Trudged endless dark sewers, finally hitting the inter-floor zone.
"Set him down here."
"...Why isn't he improving?"
Poured recovery pots galore, but Go Ji-ho wouldn't rise.
Goblin merchant freaked.
"Human, what the hell did you do out there?!"
"...What?"
"Your ally... mana heart hit. With a very dangerous skill."
That explained the slow recovery.
Dead hunter's skill?
"What're you talking about?"
"Mana heart damaged—mana leaking out. Fatal for veteran hunters."
No way... like body mod potion side effects?
Heard Beta team leader took it.
Mod potion users need regular tower runs to sustain.
More precisely, high mana density.
Go Ji-ho, veteran, body optimized for mana...
But shattered mana heart can't hold it.
Big trouble.
Escape like this? He'd waste away like a mod user.
"How to fix? Got meds?"
"Severe organ damage—recovery pots or panaceas won't cut it. Don't have any."
Goblin inter-floor merchant said.
"Outer regular shops might."
"...No chance at 7F hospital?"
Hospitals drop rare curatives.
Even slim odds, I'd solo back to 7F.
But goblin shook head no hesitation.
"Need 8F level for that."
"..."
Head to 6F fixed exit, hit shops first.
Not dying immediately.
Sorted thoughts, bought misc from goblin merchant.
To build a sled for Go Ji-ho.
"Everyone, eat. Can't move without fuel."
"Kang Hyun..."
Dexterity Skill leveled up to 8.