EP3. The S-Rank Hunter's Outing
The dungeon was incredibly vast.
Thanks to the stones embedded in the walls that emitted light, it was bright inside, and a faint breeze blew through, suggesting some connection to the outside world.
However, the black smoke lying on the floor like mist felt strangely familiar.
Every time he took a step, the smoke would billow up alive-like before settling back down.
"The fog is really thick in here."
Tae-seong said, sticking close to Jae-jun's side.
His voice trembled slightly—he was clearly scared.
"Is this your first time?"
"The dungeon? Yeah. First time."
Tae-seong scratched his head sheepishly.
Jae-jun swallowed a laugh inwardly at the innocent sight.
'I used to be like that too.'
"Still, it's lucky my first raid party's with you guys. I can just hang back and watch."
Jae-jun, who had been following behind the raid party, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He stared blankly at Tae-seong.
"Keep looking for the easy way out, and you'll end up dead."
"...Really?"
As Jae-jun strode ahead, Tae-seong jumped in surprise and hurried to his side.
"I'm pretty high-ranked, though. You said you're F-rank, right, hyung? I'll protect you. Just stick by my side!"
'Who's protecting who right now?'
Still, his good intentions were nice to see.
His intentions, at least.
"Yeah. Stick close."
No matter what Jae-jun really thought, Tae-seong grinned happily.
That's when a familiar sound rang in Jae-jun's ears.
The system chime.
'Was wondering when it'd show up.'
Don't Let a Single Casualty Occur!
📍 Description: Due to your absurd mana levels, the dungeon monsters have grown stronger again this time. Protect everyone with a sense of responsibility!
🎁 Reward: Top-grade Magical Core (C-rank)
⚠️ Failure: All stats -10%
'What the hell? The monsters are stronger because of me?'
This was a first for a quest like this.
And the failure penalty—10% stat reduction—was the worst yet.
'Was trying to take it easy in the back.'
Jae-jun frowned.
―
The dungeon interior was eerily quiet.
Thud. Thud.
Apart from the occasional chatter among the group, only the sound of footsteps echoed through the dungeon.
"Why's it so quiet in here?"
"Not a single monster yet."
"Jeong-hwan. Cast a detection spell."
"Got it."
The hunter who looked like a mage, Jeong-hwan, muttered into the air and extended his hand.
"Detect Life!"
A small mana pulse spread widely through the cave.
"Detection magic's picking up nothing."
"Figures. Undead, then."
"Hate how tough the dead ones are."
Dengchi pulled a palm-sized bottle of transparent liquid from his bag.
Pop—
Everyone casually drew their weapons and held them out to him.
Drip, drip.
Dengchi sprinkled a bit of the liquid on each weapon.
"Hey, be generous with it. It'll wear off."
"You know how much this costs?"
"Skimp on it and you're screwed!"
"Screwed or not, it's my shit!"
As they bickered playfully, footsteps echoed from not far away.
Jae-jun's ears twitched.
As it drew closer, the raid party members caught the sound too, falling silent and perking up their ears.
'Veterans are veterans.'
Their instantaneous focus was impressive.
Clatter—
Bone sounds?
Skeletons burst through the black fog from where the noise came.
Even without armor, they shuffled along wielding bone swords or axes.
"Battle stations, everyone!"
The raid party quickly formed ranks suited to their roles.
Two tanks up front, ranged dealers and the mage hanging back behind them.
Dengchi was the tank.
He slipped the shield off his back, activated his taunt skill, and charged forward.
White light burst from the shield, drawing every monster's gaze straight to Dengchi.
Strange noises emanated from the skeletons' bodies as they rushed him.
Clatter-clatter—
Clang!
Clang!
Dengchi stood his ground, blocking all their weapons with ease.
The skeletons weren't strong; he looked relaxed.
Once he'd gauged them, Dengchi glanced back and shouted.
"Hit 'em, everyone!"
Attacks rained down from the rear.
The skeletons shattered and collapsed pathetically, almost disappointingly easy.
Everyone was pouring everything into taking them down, but Jae-jun and Tae-seong just watched from the very back.
That was their condition—not participating—and no one expected the two to contribute anyway.
"Good thing they're not high-rank monsters."
Tae-seong said excitedly, watching the skeletons fall.
The skeletons couldn't mount a proper counterattack; their bodies splintered into bones that scattered across the floor.
'For C-rank, they're way too weak.'
This level didn't even need Jae-jun's attention.
Clatter!
That was when it happened.
No sooner had the thought crossed Jae-jun's mind than a fallen skeleton reassembled in an instant and rose.
Simultaneously, it swung the weapon in its hand at the tank, Dengchi.
The skeleton's previously dull eye sockets now gleamed with an ominous red light.
"They're coming back to life!"
"What the fuck!"
Squish!
Dengchi, swarmed by skeletons in a flash, was soon covered in blood.
But the wounds weren't deep; he shook them off quickly.
"Damn it! Holy items out, everyone!"
They fell back, pulling items from their pockets.
Some sprinkled the same liquid from glass vials on their weapons; others swapped to silver ones.
Clatter-clatter—!
More skeletons emerged through the fog.
"Wh-what, so many?!"
"Taunt!"
Dengchi gripped his shield forward and began chanting.
A faint light shadow enveloped the shield, illuminating the surroundings.
Not stopping there, he dumped his precious holy water all over it.
"Ignore me and unload your AoE!"
"Hyung, don't die—hold on!"
Whoosh!
Boom!
The raid party's strongest attacks unleashed at once.
The close-range dealers pulled back in time, but tank Dengchi couldn't.
Trusting his defense, he gripped his shield tight.
Moments later, the backlash from the skill explosions washed over his shield.
―
'What the hell are they doing?'
Jae-jun watched the desperate raid party battle with baffled eyes.
He couldn't understand why a C-rank average group was struggling against mere skeletons.
No matter how he looked, these skeletons didn't seem strong.
'Are they weak, or am I just strong?'
At this level, they'd struggle to survive even the orcs from the Giant Tree Forest dungeon Jae-jun had cleared.
In truth.
The gap stemmed from Jae-jun's mana.
His mana subtly influenced the world without him realizing, including when entering dungeons.
His infinite mana boosted the dungeon's grade slightly.
Elevating the overall mana density, it turned F-rank dungeons he entered into what felt like D-rank to others.
Even these red-eyed skeletons were empowered by the mana unknowingly leaking from Jae-jun's body.
Unaware of this, Jae-jun judged them by his own standards—and they seemed ridiculously weak.
'They're gonna die like that.'
Dengchi the tank was moments from being overwhelmed and hacked apart by the skeletons.
Dodging wasn't feasible amid the AoE skills.
Clang!
Clang-clang!
'Shadow Hand!'
Jae-jun activated the special ability of Mammon's ring: Shadow Hand.
His shadow stretched long, slithering through the darkness to reach Dengchi.
It seized the heads of the skeletons around him, crushing them.
Crack!
Crack!
In mere seconds, the skeletons crumpled and were swept away by the AoE skills.
Thankfully, these ones stayed down.
"Hyung! You okay?"
Jeong-hwan, an original raid member, rushed to Dengchi.
Dengchi's eyes bulged in shock.
'What was that just now?'
Amid the flood of attacks, he'd glimpsed shadowy black hands instantly pulverizing the skeletons' heads near him.
Not one or two—all of them.
'Did I imagine it?'
No, it was too vivid.
Did he have some guardian spirit or something?
Befuddled, his raid bros approached, thinking something was wrong.
"Hyung, you good?!"
"...Ah, yeah. I'm fine. Totally fine. Heh."
"You don't look fine. You're grinning like a maniac."
"Trauma! It's trauma!"
Jae-jun shook his head at the sight.
"Hyung...?"
Then Tae-seong's voice came from right beside him.
Tae-seong stared at Jae-jun in horror.
"What?"
"...What was that just now?"
"What was what?"
Tae-seong pointed at Jae-jun's shadow.
"Your shadow—it stretched out like whoosh! I saw the whole thing."
How to explain?
That was when the black smoke swirled violently, and something shot toward the raid party like an arrow.
Clank—
"Th-that!"
Not bone clattering—metal striking metal.
This wasn't like the skeletons so far.
Much larger than average, clad in rusted iron armor, wielding a massive iron sword.
"Skeleton Knight!"
Someone screamed the monster's name.
"Fall back, everyone! Battle ready!"
Dengchi spotted the foe ahead and gripped his shield tight.
Once more, his shield glowed as he taunted.
The skeleton knight's iron sword cleaved the air, slamming down on Dengchi's shield.
—Afterword—
Thank you.