Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Group Project - 4
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“Kyaa~! We did it! We did it!”
“Awesome! Arin! Big sis is buying beef tonight—!!”
“Ooh, this dazzling sight is truly a gift from the gods.”
Perhaps because it was still a goblin, a torrent of cheers erupted over its corpse as it collapsed, oozing green blood.
We had succeeded in hunting the treasure hunter.
If we had failed, it would have negatively impacted our group project evaluation, with the time delay and unauthorized entry into the boss sector.
But since we succeeded, it wouldn’t be a detriment.
“This jewel looks incredibly expensive.”
“Wow! Is this a relic?”
“There are so many magic stones!”
My group members rummaged through the Golden Goblin’s bundle, overjoyed.
Mi-jin looked like she was about to burst into tears.
I didn’t join their celebration and instead reviewed the Hidden Piece information.
‘Berserk Potion? It should have been the Mandrake’s Rune…?’
My memory was clear.
Later, during the Illusion terrorist attack, Choi Do-han would use that rune to defeat a villain executive, unlocking his ‘Hidden Information.’
And the relics and jewels in the bundle were exactly as briefly described in the original story.
“This is Orihalcon!”
“Wow! The Earrings of Demacia!”
The Earrings of Demacia were definitely relic items from the original story.
I even clearly remembered the description stating they increased the wearer’s charm.
This confirmed that the F12-13 Dungeon was indeed the one meant for Choi Do-han. I had not only stolen his master but also his Hidden Piece.
Well, I had planned to take that Hidden Piece during the Illusion incident anyway. This was actually better.
It gave me a clearer direction on how to proceed as a transmigrator in *[Hidden Piece Academy]*.
Now, there was only one way forward.
'Hmm… but how am I going to explain this Berserk Potion?'
I could understand the story changing.
But why was the reward different even though we caught the same goblin?
Was it because I took what was originally meant for the protagonist?
‘Well, I’ve been avoiding the protagonist’s Hidden Pieces so far.’
It was a plausible theory.
But the evidence was weak.
All the Hidden Pieces listed in the setting book, except for the gacha-type ones, had only one listed reward.
That meant the reward should be the same regardless of the timing or who acquired it.
Or perhaps, since the Hidden Pieces already revealed in the original story weren't recorded in the setting book, the author might have created multiple variations for the Golden Goblin’s Hidden Piece.
‘That’s more likely.’
Anyway,
The important thing was that I had obtained a Hidden Piece meant for the protagonist.
And it was a miraculous item that drastically boosted stats.
‘Although I am worried about the penalties and side effects.’
The effects were undeniable.
A 100% increase in *all* stats except Luck.
They would essentially double.
But I had no idea what the penalties and side effects would be.
Furthermore,
[However, if the total sum of basic stats exceeds 100, a penalty or side effect may occur depending on the user’s mental strength.]
The threshold for side effects was a mere “100.”
My lowest stat was Endurance, which was at 30, and my Agility was 62.
That meant the sum of all my stats excluding Luck was a whopping [224].
More than double the threshold.
Consuming it was risky, but unfortunately, the time limit was 24 hours.
I couldn’t wait forever.
‘Well, they wouldn’t create a death penalty for consuming it, right?’
Even an amateur writer wouldn’t do that.
Therefore, the wisest course of action would be to consume it in a safe environment.
So, I decided to belatedly enjoy the thrill of hunting the Golden Goblin, but…
“Kyaaak!”
“Wh-what’s going on—!!”
Sudden screams turned our joy into terror.
- *Growl….*
A Hobgoblin had emerged from the portal the Golden Goblin had been summoning right before its death.
As if fate was playing a cruel joke, the portal closed immediately after.
The Hobgoblin’s bloodshot eyes darted between the Golden Goblin’s corpse and us.
A chill ran down my spine.
The Hobgoblin was a C-rank monster, three ranks higher than F-rank.
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The Hobgoblin, with its goblin-like appearance, prominent fangs, and gray mane extending down its back, stood nearly two meters tall. While not particularly large, it possessed immense strength.
One rank higher than the D-rank goblin, it prioritized strength over intelligence, like a weaker version of the B-rank Ogre.
In short, it was too much for cadet trainees to handle.
But running away was also out of the question.
The Hobgoblin’s agility would leave our backs exposed.
I remembered learning about this monster in Monster Theory class.
-An adult Hobgoblin can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h and maintains an average speed of 29 km/h.
The average running speed of a regular person was 13 km/h.
The average speed of an F-rank Hunter was 20 km/h.
We couldn’t outrun an adult Hobgoblin.
“Form up!”
I quickly ordered the group to form up and assume a battle stance.
While the bodycams were simply recording devices, the drone following us was transmitting live footage.
If a cadet faced a life-threatening situation, the Academy would send a rescue team.
“The drone is transmitting live, so a rescue team will arrive soon. We just need to hold out until then!”
Baek Mi-jin shouted, reassuring the group as we formed our ranks. This was standard protocol.
But…
“Are you all crazy?! It’s a C-rank monster! We’re all going to die! Kyaaak—!”
As the Hobgoblin approached, brandishing its crude club, our tank, Seo Yoon-ji, panicked and broke formation.
She, who was supposed to hold the front line, started running away.
“Y-Yoon-ji! Seo Yoon-ji!”
“Sister—!!”
“That fucking bitch…!”
I understood her fear.
How could F-rank cadets possibly stand against a C-rank monster?
But a tank’s duty was to protect the party’s front lines, no matter what. And the damage dealers and healers had a duty to support the tank.
The fall of the tank meant the annihilation of the party.
There was a reason tanks were the highest-paid members.
That’s why, from their first year, raid parties were taught the importance of absolute cooperation and fulfilling their respective roles. We had even reaffirmed this before entering the dungeon today.
But Seo Yoon-ji abandoned the party, abandoned her comrades, and ran.
And now, we had to face the Hobgoblin. We had inadvertently become a speed bump to aid her escape, but I vowed to make her pay for it.
I glared at the Hobgoblin.
- *Kiek! Kiek!*
The Hobgoblin approached, drooling at the prospect of hunting newbies.
“Switch to three-person formation!”
“Right!”
We switched to the battle formation taught at the Academy for situations where the tank was down.
The melee damage dealer, with their superior dodging skills, would draw the monster’s attention while the healer and ranged damage dealer stayed back.
While the melee damage dealer kept the monster occupied, the ranged damage dealer would gather all their mana and prepare a powerful attack. The healer would provide continuous healing to the melee damage dealer, buying time. This was the standard combat strategy for a three-person party without a tank.
We just needed to buy time.
The rescue team should be on their way by now.
Real raids presented far greater dangers.
Relying solely on rescue teams wouldn't lead to growth, but regression.
Making the best choices in any given situation was the key to survival and growth.
Therefore…
“Everyone, be careful.”
“Right!”
We would somehow overcome this.
- *Keek! Keek!*
- *Thwack!*
“Khack!”
“Kyaaak!”
“Ugh!”
But within just five minutes, we crumbled under the Hobgoblin’s club like a house of cards.
We were simply outmatched.
The club’s power and speed were one thing, but its overwhelming mobility left us defenseless.
Even my Multi-Shot, pushed to its limits in such a short time, failed to land a single hit.
Soo-ah was sent flying with a single blow, coughing up blood. Mi-jin couldn't even stand after two hits.
The situation was hopelessly dire.
- *Kiek! Kiek!*
The Hobgoblin laughed, slinging its club over its shoulder.
I had also taken a direct hit, and my ribs throbbed in pain.
“Damn…! Is everyone okay?!”
“Ugh… f-for now.”
“…I-I can’t use any more skills…”
Soo-ah was incapacitated.
Mi-jin, though conscious, couldn’t attack. I was the only one left.
I had to hold out.
Perhaps Bersha, having heard the commotion, was rushing to our aid.
Although… even at her fastest speed, it would take at least twenty minutes.
I had already tried activating [Go! Succubus!] discreetly, but unfortunately, it didn’t work inside the dungeon.
It seemed to be due to some kind of mana interference.
‘I have no choice but to use *that* card…’
I had wanted to avoid it, unsure of the penalties and side effects, but I was at my limit.
Delaying any longer would only hasten our demise.
I decided to consume the Berserk Potion.
‘Items.’
1 ▼
Berserk Potion
[Quantity: 1]
[Grade: Royal]
[Effect: Permanently increases all stats by 100% upon consumption. However, if the total sum of existing stats exceeds 100, penalties or side effects may occur depending on the user’s mental strength due to the rapid growth.]
[Expiration: 22 hours 29 minutes]
Mental strength… an inherent human capacity that couldn’t be quantified.
That’s what scared me, but we would be wiped out if I waited even another minute.
I didn’t want to die like a fool here.
I would accept whatever penalties or side effects came my way.
‘Consume Berserk Potion.’
[Are you sure you want to consume the Berserk Potion?]
[Yes / No]
I had consumed and used many Hidden Pieces so far, but this was the first time a warning message appeared.
That meant the risk was as great as the reward.
But I immediately chose…
‘Yes.’
[Consuming Berserk Potion.]
[The potion is beginning to permeate your body.]
[…In progress…]
....
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....
....
....
....
....
....
- *Keek?*
The Hobgoblin tilted its head, sensing something strange, and then charged at me.
[…In progress…]
‘Hurry…!’
[…In progress…]
- *Kieek!*
[Consuming Berserk Potion.]
[Congratulations!]
[Consumption complete.]
[All stats except Luck have been increased by 100%.]
- *Whoosh!*
[Opening Status Window.]
[Status▼]
[Strength: 80 (+1)] [Agility: 124] [Magic Power: 64]
[Stamina: 120] [Luck: 61] [Endurance: 60]
And then, my vision flickered, and my mind clouded as my mental strength was pushed to its limits.
The charging Hobgoblin seemed to slow down.
The world’s sounds became muffled, as if I were underwater.
My body wouldn’t move, and my breath grew ragged.
[Entering Overheat state due to extreme stress.]
The fear of extreme growth.
The fear of the unknown side effects.
The very real fear of the Hobgoblin.
And…
[Trait Frail (Lv3.0) activated.]
[Experiencing dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and delusions due to extreme mental strain.]
[Penalty: The line between reality and delusion blurs, making it difficult to control reason.]
[Trait Limit Break (Lv10) activated.]
[Trait Limit Break level increased to (18).]
[Gaining +8 Strength, +6 Agility, +3 Stamina, +10 Magic Power, and +5 Endurance due to level up.]
All these factors combined triggered the Overheat phenomenon once more.
And at the same time, the ‘Overheat Max’ trait, which had never been activated before, also activated.
[Trait Overheat Max (LvMAX) activated.]
[Mental strength fortified.]
[Body and mind transcend limits.]
[Trait duration: 5 minutes]
The reckless trait activated, maximizing all functions and negating any adverse reactions for five minutes.
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Meanwhile, chaos erupted at the F12-13 Dungeon’s portal entrance.
The Guards had received a call.
The trainees were in danger.
“B-but it’s a C-rank Hobgoblin!”
“We’re only E-rank! We can’t provide rescue support!”
The Dungeon Guards were under the jurisdiction of the Dungeon Management Bureau and followed their orders.
But for retired E-rank Hunters, a Hobgoblin was akin to a boss monster they had never faced before. Their sense of responsibility wasn't strong enough to risk their lives for cadets they didn't even know.
- *Crackle.*
-What are you waiting for?! A professor is on the way! Just hold them off until she arrives!
“But there’s never been a case of a C-rank monster appearing in an F-rank dungeon! Is it a video transmission error?!”
“Y-yeah! That’s impossible!”
Bersha, anxiously waiting outside the portal, overheard the commotion and rushed over.
“What happened?”
“Um, a C-rank monster appeared in the dungeon. But it’s so unbelievable that…”
“What? Then the cadets are in danger?!”
The Guards stammered excuses, sweating under Bersha's furious gaze.
For those who chose the safety of being Dungeon Guards over adventure, a sense of responsibility seemed to be a luxury.
“Well, a professor is on her way, so there’s no need to worry…”
“What? You’re Guards!”
“B-being Guards doesn't mean we have to rush in every time…”
“…”
Bersha looked at them incredulously, then turned towards the portal.
Regardless of how it appeared, a C-rank monster was beyond the capabilities of cadets.
Every second was crucial, and she found the Guards’ self-preservation disgusting. She decided to take matters into her own hands.
“No, you can’t! It’s too dangerous right now!”
“Step aside.”
“What?”
“I said, step aside, you lowly creatures.”
The Guard who grabbed Renia/Bersha’s shoulder gulped, intimidated by her chilling aura.
But he couldn't back down. Allowing a civilian to enter the dungeon, especially after disobeying orders, would result in severe punishment.
“C-civilians are strictly prohibited from entering…!”
“I’m not a civilian. Step aside before I twist your neck.”
“Who do you think you are! Didn’t you hear me say no entry— *Khack?!*”
The other Guard, angered by Bersha’s defiance, approached and tried to push her, but he let out a groan. [T/N: lowly bastard touching the queen? Ridiculous bastard]
Black magic power erupted from Bersha’s body, choking the Guards and lifting them into the air.
It was a power the E-rank Hunters couldn’t even dream of resisting.
She had already informed the Academy that she was Renia, a magically awakened bodyguard, so using her powers wasn’t a problem.
Awakened individuals employed as personal bodyguards didn't need to register with the Association, unlike those who participated in dungeon raids.
“Ugh! Wh-what is this…?”
“Gah! Let go…!”
A murderous glint appeared in her eyes as her anger subsided.
A chilling aura, like a snowy mountain, descended around her.
“You two stay put.”
She manipulated the black magic power, covering the Guards’ eyes, ears, and mouths, and binding their arms and legs.
Like mummies.
“If anything happens to my Master, I’ll skin you alive and feed you to the beasts.”
As her power fully unleashed, goat horns sprouted from Renia’s head, and her eyes narrowed sharply.
The Succubus Queen’s true form was resurfacing.
She quickly regained her composure and returned to her Renia disguise.