Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Dungeon Rampage
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The third exam proceeded smoothly.
All of them were strong enough that they wouldn't be out of place as [E-] Rank Hunters, so the raid pushed forward without any real hitches.
My lingering unease seemed to have been just groundless worry after all. They didn't show any ulterior motives or pull any tricks.
Only then did I reaffirm the fact that Misfortune hadn't manifested, and I began properly conversing with them as we advanced the raid.
About an hour after entering the dungeon.
We had taken down over 80 out of the 127 required goblins, right after wiping out a large group of 12.
Starting from the entrance area, an intangible, ominous wave flooded the entire interior of the dungeon.
"What the hell?!"
Sinister. The suppressed unease reared its head again. My face naturally scrunched up at the misfortune about to unfold once more.
My eyes widened. Rampage Stone!
I knew this item. It was a nationally banned item that caused dungeons to rampage, randomly elevating their class and rank.
"What?!"
"Fuck! Rampage Stone? What's that?"
Naturally, the team members cried out in shock and assumed combat stances. The moment everyone tensed and stared at the message before their eyes.
I looked at them and realized.
'These bastards were aiming for this from the start.'
Finally, I could confirm that my subtle unease hadn't been baseless.
It was all an act. They might think it was perfect, but unless they were top-tier actors pulling off Method acting, instincts would pick up on the oddity. And I had caught it quickly.
They pretended to be shocked, but everyone reflexively glanced toward Seok Un's inventory.
There must be something in there to ensure their safety.
'The bastard who used the Rampage Stone from outside. And the four team members inside.'
All in cahoots. This was a trap planned to kill me.
Ha! Unbelievable. With this level of dedication and effort, they must be backed by someone with considerable power and influence.
'Do I have a grudge with someone like that?'
Chairman Lee Seo-yong of Cheongsung? Would that old man go through all this hassle just to kill me?
I knew his personality well enough to be certain. Lee Seo-yong wouldn't bother with something this pointless.
'Then who?'
No matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn't think of anyone who would go this far.
I didn't even have enemies right now in the first place. Who the hell set this up?
'Did other enemies make their move?'
Just as Chairman Lee Seo-yong knew about my awakening, others surely did too. Was it one of them?
I didn't know. I clutched my throbbing head and let out a deep sigh.
I felt the remaining four flinch at my reaction, but I didn't care. The moment I realized this was their trap to kill me, their acting only made them more repulsive.
Forest Where the Madness of the Fallen God Has Descended
Class:Uncommon
Rank:A+
Type:Extermination
Description: A fallen god scattered its power over the forest. The surviving goblins offered the corpses of their dead kin as sacrifices, summoning an apostle—the servant of the god. They have also grown stronger and more ferocious, steeped in madness.
Objective: Eliminate goblins blessed with madness.
The worst had been avoided. Ranks elevated by Rampage Stones were capped below the stone's own rank.
Fortunately, it hadn't rampaged into an absurd Rare-SS dungeon.
'If Misfortune had intervened, that's probably what would've happened.'
Yet for some reason, Misfortune remained silent, merely observing the situation.
I wasn't sure if I should be relieved it hadn't acted or despair at this turn of events.
'Status Window.'
I'd have to prepare regardless. As the four began eyeing me warily, I opened my status window.
The spare points from overcoming Misfortune's schemes with Unyielding's reward, level-up bonuses, and dungeon clear rewards.
All told, a whopping 36 spare points were at my disposal.
'Spend them all?'
The brief hesitation ended quickly.
'Dump 'em all. Hoarding's for losers.'
No point in holding back with this urgent situation unfolding. I didn't want to suffer losses from pointless bravado. Without hesitation, I invested everything into Infinite.
Crack!
Power surged through my body in an instant, and my Sun mana swelled dramatically as well.
Infinite (Myth) F(30+20/100)
Sun (Myth) F(30+20/100)
Seeing my stats already halfway to E-rank, I closed the status window.
In the transformed forest, where the natural scents were gone and only foul odors lingered, I raised my sword and pointed it at them.
The four blinked in surprise at my sudden action.
"What are you doing? We all have business to settle. Don't drag it out with tricks—let's just finish this quick."
Their faces hardened at my words. They exchanged glances, then drew their weapons.
"Wow~ How'd you figure it out?"
"Heard you topped this license exam, but it's no fluke, huh?"
"No way. I acted great—you guys sucked!"
"Annoying. Hurry up and get it over with so we can rest."
No tension from them. Not a shred of doubt they'd win.
"Who the hell are you people?"
I asked. How had they targeted me so precisely?
"What else? People hired to kill you. Ah~ We were gonna skip this exam originally, but big bro personally asked. Paid upfront with a Rare-rank skill—how could we say no?"
As expected, the skills were their payoff. My instincts hadn't been wrong.
"Sorry. Must sting—you were dreaming of topping the ranks and rising as a prodigy. What to do? Can't refuse a guild senior's request."
My eyebrow twitched at Lee Ji-ah's words.
"Guild? Senior?"
"Huh? You don't even know who commissioned it? Man~~ That's gotta hurt. Should I spill? Nah?"
"Hey, hey. No need to blab details. Finish quick and chill."
Seok Un cut through their chatter, arrow nocked and ready to fire.
"Yeah, let's end it. Blame your bad luck. Think hard in the afterlife about who you pissed off."
The fight began.
"I'll pin him."
Shiuuung~~
Three lightning-charged arrows shot first, aiming for my brow, throat, and heart.
"First time on a person—hope I hold back right? Don't hate me if I don't one-shot ya!"
A swift, fluid spear followed.
"Raaargh!"
The tanker slammed his massive tower shield down, roaring as he activated Taunt, then charged.
"End it fast!"
The buffer showered them with buffs.
One against four. Any onlooker would call it hopeless. But my eyes didn't waver or yield.
I inhaled deeply. At the same time, a holy wing unfurled from my left back, and a crimson sun rose above my head.
Feeling my boosted stats, I projected a new sword onto Myriad Transformations.
Crimson sun mana enveloped my body and empowered the grotesquely shaped sword.
-Kieeeek!!!!
A monstrous screech erupted from the sword, amplifying the sun mana on its own.
"This all you got? Is this really everything?"
One swing nullified the lightning arrows' speed.
"You think this piddly shit kills me?"
Flowing Water Transformation
The spear's fluid technique, its long suit, was redirected in an even more perfect, beautiful flow.
"If you really thought that? Congrats."
I condensed the sun and hurled it at the charging bulk.
"You're all gonna die."
In that single exchange, the four's faces stiffened.
Not a variable—no, not just any variable.
Ignorance. They were utterly clueless.
They didn't know my strength, the power I'd been hiding.
Arrogance. They were insufferably arrogant.
Trusting their meager talents, Rare skills that seemed priceless to them, they underestimated me far too much.
And the result? They'd die by my hand today.
The ghost sword devoured the sun mana more fiercely, greedily. The sun grew in size and heat through the sword.
"My turn now. Try blocking it."
I raised the sword and charged at them.
"Ma Dong-won!"
"Where do you think you're going! You're stronger than expected, but you're still just one guy!"
A massive tower shield and bulky body blocked my path.
"You're just four bugs."
Power boiled over in my body, concentrating in my right hand.
I shifted the Myriad Transformations item.
A dark crimson gauntlet appeared over my sun mana-infused hand. It absorbed the mana, growing stronger...
Mighty Strength of Unyielding Will (Unique)
Strength temporarily increased by 1.5x!
Kwaaang!!
A massive explosion rocked as I smashed the tower shield.
Kwaduduk!
Ma Dong-won was aghast. It happened in a flash. Since he had a sword, I figured the shield couldn't be pierced.
This shield boasted near-impenetrable defense against novices.
Even that flaming sword should crumble powerlessly before it—or so he thought.
Miscalculation.
The sword's form had changed, but he dismissed it. Just how the item worked, he assumed.
Experience gap. A high-rank hunter would've noted and memorized that minor shift. But these rookies, brimming with overconfidence? They lacked such habits.
And the price was brutal.
Kwadududuk!
The hefty shield crumpled. The fist pierced through, slamming into Ma Dong-won's solid abs.
The gauntlet detonated its stored sun mana. The blast sent him flying into a tree, where he passed out cold.
"What the...?"
"Holy shit. We're fucked."
"A... aaaah!!"
One strike. A single blow demonstrated the chasm between us to the remaining three. It was more than enough to shatter their glee and hope.