EP4. The Cursed Dungeon
Jae-jun looked at Gworuk with expectant eyes.
Even if it couldn't kill anything, it'd be fine as long as it pulled its weight as a proper tank.
"Grroooaaargh!"
Gworuk let out a massive roar and swung its sword wildly in all directions.
Clang!
Clang!
The blade's quality was clearly superior; it left gashes on the golem's body. But that was it.
The golem swung its fist at Gworuk as if annoyed by the pest.
Whoosh!
Splat!
Gworuk turned into a bloody pulp without even a chance to block. It regenerated quickly and stood back up, but now it looked utterly dejected.
Sigh.
I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up.
Jae-jun shook his head and rose from his seat.
In the end, the only thing he could rely on was his own power.
The area around him was already littered with countless corpses.
Just 366 more to go.
Jae-jun steeled his resolve and stretched his body. His cooling muscles warmed up again, tension building once more.
"Let's go."
He drew the Frost Blade and leaped down from the statue, stabbing the core of the nearest golem in one fluid motion.
Stone Golem defeated.
Monsters defeated: 634/1000
Something shiny caught his eye amid the shattered golem's remains.
Jae-jun reached out toward it.
Lowest-Grade Magical Core moved to inventory.
Nice!
It was a hassle having to reach out every time to collect them, but there was a certain thrill in the harvest.
Without this system, it'd just be mindless grinding.
Hup!
Jae-jun dove back into the golem horde, his sword slicing through the air once more.
—
Slash!
Thud.
Finally, the core of the last remaining Stone Golem shattered, and it collapsed to the floor.
Stone Golem defeated.
Monsters defeated: 999/1000
But the quest counter read 999 monsters defeated.
One short?
No way.
Jae-jun's gaze drifted to the statue.
The one he'd climbed to rest during fights with the Stone Golems. The only statue left intact in the cavern.
Rumble...
The entire cavern shook as chunks of stone rained down from the statue.
The outer layer of what seemed to be its face cracked away, revealing the monster's true visage beneath.
Whoosh!
Fire?
A sudden blast of heat forced Jae-jun to leap back.
Instead of a lion's mane, roaring flames framed its leonine face.
Its golden-yellow eyes scanned the area sharply before locking onto Jae-jun.
Grrrrowl...
Its narrowing pupils gleamed with a predator's hunger.
Crunch...
As the monster stirred, the stone encasing its body crumbled and fell away.
True to its massive size—reaching nearly to the ceiling—even the falling debris made the cavern quake.
Shit!
Jae-jun dodged the debris and looked up.
Through the swirling dust, the monster's form emerged.
Grrrrowl.
Roughly the height of a three-story apartment building, it resembled a lion in shape.
But its rippling muscles and body wreathed in golden flames gave it an otherworldly mystique.
Screeech.
Its paw alone dwarfed Jae-jun's entire body. Razor-sharp claws extended from it with a metallic whine, slicing effortlessly into the rocky floor.
Jae-jun swallowed dryly, tension gripping him unbidden as the monster stared down silently.
Gulp.
An overwhelming pressure radiated from it, far beyond any foe Jae-jun had faced before.
So this is the final boss, huh?
Its sheer size alone marked it as no ordinary monster.
Jae-jun observed it warily from a distance.
Can I even win this?
Doubt began to creep in.
Then a system window appeared before his eyes.
Igrito of the Cursed Dungeon has awakened.
Skill usage restrictions lifted.
"Grroooaaargh!"
At that instant, Gworuk roared and charged at Igrito.
With skill restrictions lifted, the base ability Swift activated on its Life Force Plunder Dual Blades.
Emboldened by its newfound speed, Gworuk rushed in excitedly.
Igrito's gaze, fixed on Jae-jun until now, shifted to Gworuk.
Jae-jun seized the opening.
Accelerate!
Accelerate cast.
The familiar activation chime was music to his ears.
In his slowed perception of time, Jae-jun watched Igrito's forepaw lash out toward Gworuk.
Shing!
Its claws, which carved rock like butter, flashed.
Gworuk's body split into chunks like a diced tomato and collapsed.
But Jae-jun had already closed in at its feet during the distraction.
Fire-based Ragnarok Blast probably wouldn't work.
Chain Lightning!
Chain Lightning (Baal's Ring ability)
Bzzt-crackle!
Electricity arced through the empty cavern, enveloping Igrito.
Rooooaaar!
A scream of agony.
For its size, Jae-jun expected mere annoyance, but it hit harder than anticipated.
Its bulk actually made it seem a bit sluggish.
What the—?
Jae-jun tilted his head at the thrashing beast amid the currents.
He'd been too intimidated by its size.
Even as lightning rained down, it swiped a forepaw at Jae-jun.
The air whistled with the force, but Jae-jun dodged with ease.
He didn't stop there.
Shadow Hand!
Shadow Hand
Shadows coalesced, gripping Igrito tightly.
It only hesitated for a split second before breaking free, but that was enough.
Blink!
Blink
Jae-jun's form flickered, reappearing directly above Igrito's head.
Rend!
Rend (Frost Blade)
The Frost Blade surged with mana, striking its crown in a flash.
Slash!
Rooooaaar!
He felt the tough skull resist, but he pressed on.
Skin tore, revealing the flaming skull beneath.
Rooooaaar!
Igrito twisted its neck, lunging with bared fangs at Jae-jun.
Each tooth was as big as his body, but it posed no real threat.
No way I'm getting hit by that sluggish crap.
Jae-jun relentlessly targeted the crown.
Chain Lightning!
Chain Lightning
Bzzt-crackle!
Lightning coursed through Igrito, draining its health as it writhed in pain.
Rooooaaaar!
Shadow Hand!
Shadow Hand
Shadows pinned it again as Jae-jun mounted its head, hammering the same spot.
Rend!
Rend
Splat!
Splat!
The skull was tougher than expected; the blade barely scratched it.
He needed something sharper, more piercing.
Dodging a sweeping claw midair, Jae-jun recalled the vampire's powerful skill.
Blood Shield—could that work?
Time to test it.
Blood Shield!
Blood Shield
Blood drained rapidly from his body, leaving him dizzy.
It swirled around him, forming a protective barrier.
As thin and sharp as possible!
Visualizing a needle-like spike, Jae-jun reshaped the blood.
It coagulated into a sharp awl just as he imagined.
He blinked atop Igrito's head again.
Sizzle...
The flames seared the blood, shrinking it bit by bit.
Please...
Pierce through!
The awl-shaped Blood Shield stabbed into Igrito's skull.
Sizzzz!
Crunch...
The sounds of evaporating blood and piercing bone rang out together.
When the blood fully vaporized, a tiny hole pierced the skull.
Too small. Not enough in one go?
Frowning, Jae-jun cast Blood Shield again.
Exhaustion washed over him from the massive blood loss.
Time to end this!
The awl plunged into the micro-fracture.
Igrito thrashed wildly, but it held firm.
Crack!
The skull fractured, a gap opening.
Die!
Rend!
Rend
Squelch!
Squelch!
Jae-jun's blade plunged repeatedly into the exposed brain matter.
Red blood mixed with gray brain splattered everywhere.
One final thrust into its head.
Squelch!
At last, the chime signaling victory rang out.
Igrito defeated.
Monsters defeated: 1000/1000
Purify the Cursed Dungeon!
Check the chest inside the dungeon!
—Author's Note—
Thank you.