Chapter 10
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: 9. Cyclops
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We'd tumbled so far it felt less like we'd dropped to the fifth floor and more like we'd plummeted into the fifth basement level.
I had no idea what principle was at play, but that was the gist of it. We'd fallen a long, long way into the abyss.
Surviving at all felt like a miracle.
"...Geum Tae-yang, you fucking bastard! Just act like you do in those adult comics! Don't pull any dumb shit!"
"Eek, sis. No, honestly, any guy would wanna push a button like that!"
"You little shit. Weren't you the type who always rang doorbells and ran as a kid?"
There was no escape route anywhere.
In short, we were fucked.
In the novel's lore, every dungeon had traps. The Cloud Dungeon was no exception. When the retreat was cut off in a boss room, there was only one way out.
Take out the boss. Meaning this was the boss room.
"Didn't your hotshot big brothers from Bbeom-mi Jang's guild handle the trap intel?"
"Hawawa, Bbeom-mi Jang doesn't know about that stuff."
I wanted to smack her. For real.
Wait, then what was the trap intel? Assuming the Cloud Dungeon's main mobs were slimes, the regular boss would be some slime variant. So the trap boss was...?
Thud— Boom— Thud
A repulsive noise echoed from the murky darkness ahead.
"Mariko, light up over there."
"Okay."
Torch Villain Mariko ignited the torches lining the walls.
And gradually, the boss's silhouette came into view.
A height twice that of an adult male, with muscles several times denser than a human's. Gray skin like it was coated in ash, and a single massive eye—a giant.
B-rank monster: Cyclops.
Of all the beginner hunter-farming bastards, this one had to show up in front of us.
"Hawawa hawawa, we're in big trouble!"
"Fuck, we're screwed. A B-rank Cyclops, of all things."
What do we do? My Acceleration wouldn't work on something like that.
I was all about speed. The Cyclops was tough as hell. Stabbing its skin with just a knife was a pipe dream.
Even with Body Enhancement, it wouldn't penetrate.
Choi Si-woo, the Divine Sword user, might manage, but I couldn't guarantee victory here.
"We're done for."
Looking at Bbeom-mi Jang's terrified face, she was out. Torch Villain Mariko struck a fighting pose, but her trembling hands disqualified her. Geum Tae-yang, just staring blankly at the Cyclops after tripping the trap, wasn't even worth mentioning.
"Party comp is the worst possible too."
If I had to classify us by roles right now: party leader Bbeom-mi was a mage, Mariko was more mage than ninja. I had a knife for one-shot kills, so assassin. Geum Tae-yang? Warrior? Nah, looking at his durability, not even a tank.
DPS mage, support mage, assassin, warrior.
What a deranged party setup.
And our highest was D-rank hunters.
Opponent: B-rank monster.
If I were Choi Si-woo, maybe. But as the irregular Yoo Eun-ha, it was tough. Use Acceleration and Parallel Circuits to stab that eye?
"Hoe-e. Hoe-eeng."
This one's hopeless.
"Geum Tae-yang. Can you tank?"
"You think I can, sis?"
"What can you even do?"
I'd had a bad feeling, and sure enough, this variable.
Not that there were zero options. The Cyclops's weak point was that massive eye.
Of course, poking the eye wouldn't kill it outright.
But it was the softest spot on its body. Blind it somehow, then dogpile the bastard.
Hey, not bad?
"Bbeom-mi Jang and Mariko, use magic to pull its aggro."
"Hoe-e. What're you planning, white-hair sis?"
"Gotta take it down first."
She just flops down asking about my daily hobbies or whatever.
"Sis. What about me?"
"You hang back and watch. Once it's down, put in some damage."
No choice now. I'd have to lead.
"GRRAAAAAHHH!"
The Cyclops bellowed like a scream.
At that moment, Bbeom-mi Jang and Ninja Lackey Mariko cast their spells.
"Hoe-e! Bbeom-mi Jang Thunderbolt!"
"Water Seal: Water Bomb!"
As the two mages unleashed magic on the Cyclops, its movements slowed.
Letting it strike first would endanger the team. I gripped my knife tighter and charged forward.
Seizing the gap after the magic barrage, I scaled its body and plunged the knife straight into its eyeball.
Squelch!
Before it could scream, I stabbed the eye again.
Mana infused the knife—it wouldn't end as a mere cut.
"GRAAAAAHHH!"
I stabbed and stabbed and stabbed again. Until it fell. It was all a dream anyway. Just a dream monster.
Stab! Squelch! Squelch!
Before it could raise its arm in resistance, I'd already stabbed dozens more times.
By now, the mages' spells were scorching the Cyclops's limbs.
I didn't stop, driving the knife deep into its eye and dragging it down with my full weight.
"Guh... GRRRAAAAHHH!"
Finally, it reached for me, but I'd already leaped off its body.
Thud!
"My turn at last?"
As the Cyclops slammed its massive frame to the ground, Geum Tae-yang dove in with Body Enhancement for close-quarters melee, hammering its body.
Surprisingly, the guy had some martial arts chops—his stance was solid.
"Hup!"
With a shout, he targeted the fallen Cyclops's neck and joints, rendering them limp.
Several crunches later, it was done—the Cyclops wasn't getting up.
I was about to land the finishing blow, but my knife had shattered.
"Bbeom-mi Power! Rolling Thunder!"
The finale was Bbeom-mi's ultimate.
Mariko soaked it with Water Seal spit from its mouth, then slammed a massive lightning bolt on top.
Kraaaack!
And just like that, the Cyclops was electrocuted into jerky.
Hunters, huh? Pulling off spells like that. Though her age and that "Bbeom-mi" and "hawawa" crap was straight-up cringe.
Ah, but she's around my age for the chest department. Still, curiosity killed the cat.
"Hey, Bbeom-mi Jang."
I called her softly.
"Hoe-e. Why call Bbeom-mi Jang?"
"Did you have to say the name out loud for that Bbeom-mi Power Rolling Thunder?"
"Hawawa. That's how my power makes magic stronger."
Ah, so that's her concept. Kinda pitiful. I gave her a pitying look, but she kept insisting on Bbeom-mi Jang, so I let it slide.
Sometimes abilities have conditions. Like Kim Ji-hye needing her bat to go super strong.
Who'd think that's for her power? Might make you wanna die. Good thing the author's shoved-in ability had no strings.
"Then this Geum Tae-yang too?"
"Whoa, sis, what's up?"
"Fuck, you really don't fit this dream."
More importantly, when did this punk see me to keep calling me sis?
"Anyway, this fucker's loaded with cores. Five B-rank cores."
"Hmm, how to split 'em?"
"Hoe-e. Mariko and Bbeom-mi Jang helped, but white-hair sis landed the crit. You take two, we each get one of the three."
Generous scoring. Thanks.
"B-rank core price?"
"Sell to my big bros, full price 500k each."
Damn, cleaners slave all day for 50k, but monster hunting nets 500k? Profitable.
"Sell 'em right away?"
"Hawawa. Let's think after we get out."
Truly pitiful. Can't even cast without living like that.
Anyway, leaving now wasn't bad.
We'd cleared the trap boss—no need to slog through monster-infested floor 5. Dungeon cleared, effectively.
Something crawled on my skin again. The already dark dungeon seemed to blacken further.
Hand in my pocket for smokes—gone.
Must've forgotten 'em.
"Geum Tae-yang. Gimme a cig."
"Here, sis."
I lit up as he held the flame. Nicotine flooded my brain, brightening my vision.
The itch eased, tension drained—nearly toppled backward.
"Haa, that's the stuff. Body's finally relaxing."
"Whoa, sis, that face while smoking... damn. But what was that ability earlier?"
"What?"
I eyed the chummy Geum Tae-yang with contempt.
"Your speed was insane. Blink in, blink out. Like time manipulation."
"Could be. It's my power."
Keep using it, and the sky darkens.
Vision dims.
Still, solid performance. With proper gear, I'd have soloed without Bbeom-mi Jang.
Gearing up sounds good. Gotta become a hunter anyway.
"Hoe-e. You two got a vibe going!"
"Shut it."
This Bbeom-mi Jang trying to ship me with Geum Tae-yang? Rage boiled—I yanked her cheeks.
"Hawawa hawawa, Bbeom-mi Jang's cheeks stretching!"
"Chewy."
After tugging a while, we divvied the loot. Two B-rank cores: 1 mil. A million in one day as a cadet? Huge.
Post-dungeon, we hit Bbeom-mi Jang's bros' guild to cash in.
"Whoa, Bbeom-mi noona's in a major guild? Impressive."
"Hawawa. No compliments! Face turning red!"
Bbeom-mi Jang's guild: Reform Guild, a Korean powerhouse. No S-ranks but tons of A-ranks, solid record.
Makes sense an exec handed his sis a whole dungeon.
"White-hair sis, blond oppa."
"Yeah?"
"Bbeom-mi noona. Speak."
"Gimme your numbers. For next time. Tired of recruiting on job sites."
More income? Fine by me.
But cadets dungeon diving freely?
Kinda nagging, but curious.
"Cadets can keep dungeoning like this?"
"White-hair sis already did it with us—why ask? Sis is Hansung Academy cadet, Yoo Jin-seok's little sis, free pass. Blond oppa's top grades, no guardian needed."
Fair enough. I'll take it. Any cash flow works.
Screw academy altogether?