Linked Quest 'Boom! Boom!'
Namgung Seojun darted nimbly about, evading the Silver Golem's relentless arm swings aimed to crush him. It read his Domain Insight to dodge every blow. The situation was precarious.
Maximizing his Super Sense, Domain Insight, and Prediction, he kept deflecting the Silver Golem's assaults. It was a stroke of luck. The golem's strikes packed immense destructive power, but its agility fell slightly short of an ogre's, allowing him to handle them with his personal skills.
The real problem was landing effective counterattacks. Lee Guho's spells simply bounced off without damage. Gisohee and the other archers loosed arrows, while Yasiro Yakamura and Isu-yeon hurled daggers, but they only scratched the golem's surface before falling away.
"What do we do?"
No one had an answer for Gisohee's question.
Boom! Crash!!
The Silver Golem's onslaught continued. It ignored the other party members. Ranged attacks barely scratched it anyway. Once it felled Namgung Seojun, the rest would fall like dominoes.
"Guess we have no choice but to go for it."
Li Zhangwei gripped his spear with a grim resolve. Now that ranged attacks were useless, melee physical strikes were their only shot. That meant free-roll dealers like him had to risk their lives.
"I'll go in with you."
Pinara raised her sword, her face equally determined. Despite her impressive stats, she lacked confidence in dodging the golem's attacks like Namgung Seojun. She too would have to charge in heedless of death.
"Fuck it... I'm in too."
Even the weakest among them, Dmitri, steeled herself for death and prepared to rush forward.
Boom! Boom!!
Namgung Seojun poured everything into dodging the Silver Golem's strikes. All the while, his mind raced.
Insane defense, but it has a weakness! I have to target it!
Fortunately, his Super Sense pinpointed the vulnerability. The issue? Boom!! The golem's ceaseless barrage left no opening for him to strike back. He couldn't keep dodging forever—his stamina would eventually give out.
That was when...
"Ching!!"
Li Zhangwei's spear pierced the Silver Golem's back. He'd charged from afar and unleashed a powerful thrust.
"Whoa..."
The party members gasped in admiration. It was the first attack to deal any real damage.
Grind grind grind...
The golem finally turned its gaze to Li Zhangwei. A tiny dent, but damage nonetheless. It immediately swung its hand.
Thwack!
Li Zhangwei rolled aside, barely evading the first strike. But as he recovered, the second came crashing down.
"Holy Shield Bash!"
Pinara's powerful unique skill slammed into the golem from behind once more.
"Continuous Thrust!"
Dmitri, embracing death, drove her sword into the golem's back.
Grind grind grind grind...
The golem let out a strange groan and dropped to one knee. Real damage had landed.
Namgung Seojun seized the opening created by their timely strikes. He summoned Sylph first.
"Sylph!"
The summoned spirit read his intent and applied buffs immediately.
"Mutual Destruction!"
He activated his ultimate desperation move alongside it, then charged the golem at accelerated speed.
"Thrust!"
His sword plunged precisely into the joint at the golem's ankle—its weak point.
Grind grind grind...
Boom!
This attack dealt solid, confirmed damage. The golem could no longer use one leg. His strike was a critical hit.
"Seojun-nim!"
"Hyungnim! You're amazing!"
"As expected of the leader!"
"Master is incredible."
With attacks finally connecting, the party clung to a sliver of hope. But the battle wasn't over.
Grind...
The now mobility-impaired Silver Golem chanted an odd incantation, then grabbed chunks of its silver body and hurled them like projectiles.
"Dodge!"
Boom!
At Namgung Seojun's shout, the party reacted swiftly, evading the silver masses. But the unexpected ranged assault threw them into disarray.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The golem kept flinging pieces of itself as weapons while continuing its overhead smashes.
Boom! Boom!
It focused especially on Namgung Seojun, Pinara, Li Zhangwei, and Dmitri—the ones who'd hurt it—while the melee fighters maintained distance, poised to strike.
"Haa... haa..."
Seojun felt his stamina draining. It was time to gamble.
"Isu-yeon, give me your daggers."
Isu-yeon, nearby, handed over all her daggers, which he stuffed into his belt.
Boom!
Li Zhangwei barely dodged another close-range swing. Seizing the gap, Namgung Seojun issued orders.
"Pinara! Lee Guho! If my attack lands, follow up with simultaneous strikes."
The two prepared at once. Seojun charged first.
Grind...
The golem detected his movement and swung both arms.
Boom! Boom!
Dodging the fists, he closed in further and jammed his best unique dagger into the golem's wrist joint.
Grind grind!
The golem reacted oddly. But Seojun knew it wasn't enough. He hurled every remaining dagger at its joints and seams.
Thud!
Most missed, but two more embedded in the seams.
"Nice!"
Lee Guho cheered, but the golem's response was the problem. It moved its previously idle leg.
Damn.
Even with Super Sense, Domain Insight, and Prediction, he couldn't fully evade—Wham! The golem's toe clipped him, sending him flying five meters.
"Hyungnim!"
The party cried out in shock, led by Lee Guho.
The fallen Namgung Seojun was easy prey. The Silver Golem yanked a silver chunk from its body and lobbed it straight at him.
"No!!"
Gisohee's scream echoed through the dungeon. And in that instant!
Jo Jaehun charged forward, shield raised, ready to die for Seojun.
Krraang!!
The impact hurled both men back.
"Attack!"
Pinara shouted, rushing in with a skill.
"Holy Shield Bash!"
Lee Guho's spells followed in rapid succession.
"Fireball! Fireball!"
Having learned from Seojun's fight, they targeted the joints precisely. The golem toppled.
"Everyone, pile on! Finish it!"
All party members swarmed it, striking the joints with desperate fury. The attacks connected, and the golem went still.
As it collapsed, Gisohee rushed to Namgung Seojun first.
"Seojun-nim!"
She grabbed and shook him.
"Wake up! Seojun-nim! Please..."
"...Ah... it hurts. Stop shaking me."
His response brought tears to her eyes with relief. She pulled out a potion.
"Drink this quick."
He downed the intermediate potion she offered, feeling his fractures knit slowly.
Meanwhile, Kim Hoon had dragged Kim Juon to Jo Jaehun.
"Ugh..."
"You're alive."
Jo Jaehun, who'd blocked the silver chunk with his shield, survived thanks to his Iron Wall Defense skill. But his condition was dire—especially his arms, where every bone was shattered.
"Heal! Heal!"
Kim Juon cast healing skills desperately. Fortunately, Jo Jaehun began recovering bit by bit.
"Die! Die! Holy Strike!"
Pinara's final Holy Strike shattered the Silver Golem's core.
You have defeated the Silver Golem.
"Haa..."
Only then did the attackers exhale in relief as the messages appeared.
Thus, the party barely triumphed over the Silver Golem.
After the fight, Namgung Seojun and Jo Jaehun downed multiple intermediate potions and received healing from Kim Juon until he collapsed from exhaustion. They could move again.
"Ah... we really cheated death."
Namgung Seojun rose quickly despite everything. Jo Jaehun looked worse off.
"I probably won't be able to use my arms until a priest in town heals me properly."
His life wasn't in danger, but his arm injuries were beyond potions and basic heals.
"Let's end the quest and head to town right away."
Everyone agreed. Namgung Seojun opened the quest window and hit 'Complete'.
Clearing the dungeon with the last traces of the god completes the quest.
500 Fame and 5,000 Merit Points distributed to participating adventurers.
Rewards: Random Skillbook, Mana Gem, Potion of Strength, Potion of Agility.
Individual rewards went automatically to all regular party members. The main prizes were the random skillbook, mana gem, Potion of Strength, and Potion of Agility.
Namgung Seojun eyed the regular party members nearby regarding the spoils.
"I'll pass on this distribution."
Li Zhangwei, a slave up to the 20th floor, spoke first. Having joined only for the finale, he felt it right to forgo rewards.
"Me too. I shouldn't take from this one."
Pinara agreed; she'd joined mid-quest, so she declined the main rewards. The golem gem alone was plenty for her financially.
"Fuck... I got a conscience too. Pass."
Dmitri also forfeited.
Four items, and only five regular party members could claim them: Namgung Seojun, Gisohee, Lee Guho, Jo Jaehun, and Kim Hoon.
"I'll take this one."
Kim Hoon pointed to the mana gem first. As a merchant, he eyed its resale value.
"I'll pass on this reward."
Gisohee felt she'd underperformed; the dungeon didn't suit her bow-focused style.
With her out, Lee Guho claimed the random skillbook.
"The skillbook should go to me."
It was a solid item yielding normal or rare skills. Luck-based, but better for him than the potions.
The Potion of Strength and Potion of Agility naturally went to the hardest workers: Namgung Seojun and Jo Jaehun.
"I'll take the Potion of Agility. Jaehun-ssi, you want Strength?"
"Yes."
Thus, Seojun got Agility, Jaehun Strength.
Seojun quaffed his immediately.
You consumed a Potion of Agility.
Agility +5
Jo Jaehun swallowed his, gaining +4 Strength.
Lee Guho used the random skillbook right away, but it yielded Shield Mastery (A)—useless to him.
Settlement complete. Yet the instance dungeon didn't vanish.
"Why not?"
Lee Guho wondered, as did the others. Then a new message appeared.
The Nameless God acknowledges perfect quest completion.
Additional reward granted.
A new item materialized before the group: 'Mithril Necklace Imbued with Divine Power (E)'.
Epic
Become an Apostle of the Nameless God.
Strength +10, Agility +10, Intelligence +10, Charm +10.
An epic item that massively boosted stats had appeared. An immense power-up.