EP4: The Cursed Dungeon
A chilling energy wrapped around his entire body.
Along with it came damp moisture and the stench of mold assaulting his nose.
"Ahhh."
Shivering from the cold, Jae-jun opened his eyes to see an unfamiliar ceiling.
It wasn't the comfortable home he'd been in just moments ago.
The walls and ceiling were roughly hewn stone, with moisture pooling and droplets forming at a glance.
Drip—
A water droplet fell onto Jae-jun's face, snapping him fully awake.
He sat up to find himself in a space about three pyeong in size.
The floor was uneven stone, and cold air rose from below.
'That's why it feels so chilling.'
But where the hell was this place?
The entrance was blocked by thick iron bars.
It looked like nothing but a prison cell.
Had he passed out and been moved here in the blink of an eye?
His clothes were the same ones he'd been wearing.
Thud, thud.
Footsteps echoed from the passage outside the bars.
Jae-jun stood, tense, staring out.
The source was a disheveled man.
His hair hung messily to his shoulders, his wrinkled face bent forward at the waist.
A half-broken sword rusted at his side.
'...Who the hell is this guy?'
Jae-jun's tension eased in an instant.
"Where are you from?"
"...From Seoul... no, I woke up here."
"Seoul?"
"Never heard of it."
The man squinted briefly before unlocking the iron door.
Clank.
Jae-jun had a ton of questions, but the man turned abruptly and walked down the passage.
Jae-jun hurried after him.
"Where is this place?"
The man didn't even glance back, just kept walking slowly.
Instead, another voice came from a different cell.
"Another newbie?"
"Poor newbie, what rotten luck."
"Joining this team!"
"Just come back alive!"
"Hahaha!"
Cells identical to Jae-jun's lined both sides of the passage.
The voices came from inside.
'Newbie? This team?'
He had no clue what any of it meant.
Whenever he tried to ask the man, he just kept marching forward.
The passage ended in an upward slope.
A small door stood there, bright light leaking through the cracks.
As they approached, the murmur of people grew louder.
Murmur, murmur.
Even at the door, the man said nothing.
"Hey."
"You gonna tell me nothing?"
Jae-jun grabbed the man's shoulder, forcing him to stop.
The man's turned face was icily cold.
His piercing gaze made Jae-jun flinch involuntarily.
"Choi Jae-jun, right?"
"...Yes."
"Survive this round, and I'll tell you."
He exuded an aura that screamed no more chit-chat and opened the door.
Clank—
Bright light flooded over Jae-jun.
After the darkness, it blinded him momentarily.
"Go."
Thud.
The man shoved Jae-jun's back forcefully.
As soon as he stepped out, the door slammed and locked behind him.
"What the hell."
His eyes adjusted, and Jae-jun looked around.
A circular arena.
Towering walls about 10 meters high, masked spectators watching from behind.
A booming voice echoed through the arena from somewhere.
This contender is a newbie from Team Lucifer!
The sole human from the primitive planet Earth!
His name is Choi Jae-jun!
Boooo—
Jeers erupted from all sides as soon as his introduction ended.
Some openly showed hostility, thumbs pointed down.
'What the actual fuck is this.'
Grrr rumble!
The ground shook, and an iron cage rose in the arena's center—thick as Jae-jun's thigh.
Kraaaah!
Inside was an ogre.
Not a normal one.
Ignoring the iron armor and spiked club, it was a Twin Head Ogre with two heads.
His opponent is the Twin Head Ogre, Weger!
The arena's top newbie hunter, having devoured over 100 rookies!
Will we see another newbie torn to shreds today?
Unlike Jae-jun's intro, overwhelming cheers filled the arena.
Woooaaah!
Excited by the roar, the ogre pounded the cage with its fists.
Bang bang.
Kraaaah!
Jae-jun stared blankly at the bellowing beast.
Hideous scars made it look even more savage.
Win in the Arena!
📍 Your first arena match. Fight desperately for that first win.
🎁 Reward: Feather of Resurrection
💀 Failure: Death
'Feather of Resurrection?'
First time seeing that item.
Did it really revive you upon death?
Failure was death, as expected.
"...This is ridiculous."
Being dragged out to fight out of nowhere was absurd.
But there was no backing out now.
Jae-jun drew his Frost Blade from inventory.
The spectators' reactions heated up.
Now!
The match!
Begins!
Rumble rumble rumble!
Boom!
As the voice ended, the cage bars toppled outward, and the Twin Head Ogre charged.
It barreled across the arena full speed, intent on crushing Jae-jun immediately.
—
Twin Head Ogre.
Easy to dismiss as just an ogre with two heads, but far from it.
The extra head massively boosted its greatest weakness: intelligence.
It didn't just charge blindly; it used skills and tactics.
It even played dumb to exploit openings slyly.
No wonder they led ogre packs.
Feigning excitement, the ogre rushed Jae-jun while coldly assessing him.
'A sword-using human! Keep distance!'
It slowed, lightly swinging its club forward.
Jae-jun looked seconds from being flattened.
The ogre's brutal club aims for the human's head!
Frozen in fear?
Jae-jun smirked and sidestepped lightly.
The club missed by a mile.
Whoosh!
S-rank agility outpaced the ogre's speed easily.
The club swung again.
As he backpedaled, its speed suddenly accelerated.
'What?'
'Acceleration!'
Acceleration
The spikes grazed Jae-jun's face by a hair.
Ssssk—
Oh!
So close!
The human flees cluelessly!
Pathetic weakling doomed to bloody pulp!
'Tch. When did I ever look clueless?'
The announcer grated more than the ogre.
Flash.
As he leaped back far, he caught the ogre's disappointed expression.
'...It was bait?'
An ogre using its brains?
"Interesting."
Jae-jun grinned.
He'd burned the vampire thrall ogres last time.
"Wonder if this one's different."
His hand aimed at the ogre.
Sensing something, it roared and charged.
Thud thud!
Burn once.
'Inferno!'
Inferno
Roar!
Flames netted out like a web, engulfing the ogre.
Defying its bulk, it dodged nimbly, swinging its club repeatedly.
Mana gathered on the wild swings, birthing sharp winds.
Roar!
Whoosh!
But it didn't end there.
Heavy mana burst from the club's tip, piercing the flames toward Jae-jun.
'Blink!'
Blink activated.
Jae-jun reappeared nearby.
'Inferno!'
Inferno
Roar.
Flames blazed fiercely at the ogre again.
It tried blocking with its club, but Jae-jun didn't wait.
'Shadow Hand!'
Shadow Hand
His shadow stretched, seizing the ogre.
The bright arena weakened it, but enough to halt the ogre briefly.
Roooar!
Red flames devoured its body.
"Kraaaah!"
No!
What is this?!
The puny human corners Weger!
Will that feeble flame fell him?
Booo! Wooaaah!
Cheers and jeers mixed evenly.
"Kraaaah!"
The ogre thrashed its heads, struggling futilely.
Jae-jun's Shadow Hand held until it burned out completely.
Thud!
Its charred body collapsed.
Woooaaah!
The cheers peaked.
No!
A reversal!
How does the worm-like human pull this off?
Incredible!
Jae-jun frowned.
'Keeps calling me worm, puny. Annoying bastard.'
He kept Frost Blade drawn.
No quest clear yet meant it wasn't dead.
Smart one, probably waiting for an opening.
That's why the yapping announcer hadn't ended it.
Blink cooldown over, Jae-jun blinked atop its head.
'Blink!'
Blink activated.
Gripping reverse, he cleaved both heads.
Slash!
Blood sprayed, staining the arena red as heads rolled.
Unlike before, their eyes bulged with terror.
Twin Head Ogre Weger defeated.
Win in the Arena!
Reward: Feather of Resurrection granted.
Woooaaah!
The crowd hit a frenzy over Jae-jun's brutal finisher.
Ahh.
Lucky weakling!
Will luck hold next time?
Winner: Human Choi Jae-jun!
Asshole to the end.
The door Jae-jun entered from opened right after.
Clank.
The guide man stood there, slightly surprised at the win.
'Time to get the arena rundown.'
Jae-jun headed for the entrance.