Dungeon in the Black Gate? (2)
Park In-su found himself utterly stunned.
Anyone who had spent even a little time in the hunter world knew that the word “dungeon” was enough to stir the soul. It was only natural that hunters felt the pull of those treacherous portals.
After all, dungeons offered far more than anyone could imagine. The very first monsters slain yielded items with near-guaranteed rarity, and with just a bit of luck one might even claim an exclusive, off-the-books training manual that no merchant would ever sell.
In the language of martial sects, it was like stumbling upon an ancient tomb filled with lost manuals—exactly the kind of place that made other races’ mouths water just to hear about.
Yet when the dungeon lay inside a villain-infested zone, hesitation came to even the bravest hearts.
Especially in the E-rank sector, where safety zones were nonexistent and the floating island itself felt like a death game waiting to happen.
Normal people would have turned away in a heartbeat.
But this was Lee Do-hyun’s party. Everyone stared at Park In-su with hungry eyes, and he could only sigh in resignation and explain.
“The reason this floating island attracts dungeons is still a mystery, but it’s famous for producing them. The trouble is, most dungeons allow only one party at a time. Splitting into two teams like us—three and three—makes dungeon work quite difficult.”
“Hoo.”
“Even the party that enters first will be at a disadvantage, but three-person parties inside a villain-heavy zone are asking for trouble.”
“Worse than a meal,” Do-hyun added with a grin.
Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan analyzed the situation the same way and nodded. The structure was too unstable to risk a full party.
Had they not been a guide party, Park In-su’s own group would have been a complete five-person unit.
So Park In-su looked at the three of them and spoke calmly.
“We’ll ignore the dungeon as much as possible and hunt on the field instead.”
It was not an ideal direction, but Do-hyun, Rin, and Yu-chan all nodded without hesitation. It was their only choice since they still didn’t know the local atmosphere.
If they scouted alone later, maybe things would change—but not now.
With that settled, Park In-su finally exhaled in relief. As the guide, he had been given the sacred duty of protecting these people at all costs. It was a responsibility he had always wanted to fulfill, like Han Mu-yeol.
The moment Do-hyun’s party accepted the plan, relief washed over Park In-su once more.
But only for a moment.
“Then let’s head out to hunt?”
“……?”
The moment Do-hyun spoke those bold, cheerful words, every member of Park In-su’s guide party blinked in unison and exchanged glances.
Usually the first day was spent resting and scouting the surroundings. Jumping straight into battle?
All three of them felt a sudden wave of shock, yet Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan were already on their feet, ready and staring at the guide party as if to say “Why aren’t you coming with us?”
Do-hyun saw their looks and finally stood one by one.
And once they truly set off, the other two kept glancing at Park In-su with questioning eyes.
‘Is this really okay?’
‘We should have stopped him, right?’
‘…….’
Yet Park In-su could not utter a single word. He had seen the manic sparkle in Do-hyun’s eyes and knew he could never pull him back.
Thus Do-hyun’s party and Park In-su’s guide party stepped through the portal from floating island Radon toward Parabi.
For some reason, Park In-su paid the 500-point entrance fee in Do-hyun’s place.
* * *
Floating island Parabi.
Like every other public floating island, it lacked any safety zone and swarmed with monsters.
Dungeons without separate beginner hunting grounds were especially brutal for new arrivals to the E-rank zone.
Even other-race hunters needed several days of adaptation after their first arrival.
The reason was simple: most monsters here possessed aerial movement. Some could glide for extended periods even without wings. Anyone unfamiliar with aerial combat would struggle terribly in this E-rank sector.
Unless one specialized in aerial fights, adaptation was inevitable.
But right now, every member of Park In-su’s guide party stood speechless before the scene unfolding before their eyes.
“…….”
“…….”
“……What are we looking at?”
Even the last team member’s question received no answer as Park In-su watched Do-hyun’s party fight.
The first monsters to appear were floating spirits—difficult foes even on this island.
They were not true spirits; their foggy, shifting forms hid terrifying tentacles, jagged teeth, and a cavernous maw that suddenly opened.
Worse still, their bodies were nearly indistinguishable from mist, and they moved with terrifying speed, lashing out like whips. Worse yet, they traveled in groups of at least five.
Yet the moment Do-hyun’s party spotted them, they charged in without hesitation.
Six spirits had appeared. Park In-su’s party tried to assist, but Hana Rin seized the opening first.
She spread her magic circle and turned the skies above the floating spirits into a sea of flames.
The intermediate fire wall—tactically perfect—blocked any further ascent.
“Kekehek!”
“Kirik! Kiriik!”
The moment some spirits realized they were under attack and thrashed wildly, lashing out with tentacles, Do-hyun crossed the distance in a sonic boom he had not yet unleashed.
Ji Yu-chan, gripping his sword, was still closing in when Do-hyun moved.
Tadadada.
Yu-chan’s feet blurred as he raced across the ground, only for the tentacles to whip toward him.
He swung his blade in a perfect arc, slicing through every tentacle in a single stroke.
“Tuk, tutuk.”
The severed tentacles fell like rain, but no one cared.
Just as Yu-chan pulled back, the remaining spirits quickly re-spawned their tentacles.
At that instant, a shimmering light shot forward and reached the spirits’ noses.
All eyes turned to Yu-chan as Do-hyun, using stealth and the Assassin’s Speed, leaped higher than anything before.
With mana manipulation making his muscles swell and his sword sharpened by basic Sharpness, he struck in one motion.
A trail of light carved across the sky.
Slashed————
Six monsters split in half, and the remaining four writhed in agony after every tentacle was severed.
“Kiriik!?”
“Kirik!!”
“Kiriirrik!!”
Yet the agony ended far too quickly.
Do-hyun’s single sword swing had already delivered fatal blows.
Hana Rin and Ji Yu-chan struck at the same time. A wind lance pierced the air and shattered the cores, while Yu-chan leaped like a projectile and cleaved the last two.
In just a few breaths, Do-hyun’s party had slain all six floating spirits in a single flawless hunt.
Park In-su’s party could only stare in silence.
They had banded together for the association’s quest, and several had long experience in E-rank activity.
Yet no one could imagine managing the same feat.
“Hah… I never thought our own party could do anything like that…”
“…….”
Normal Yoon and Kim Jin-ha praised him with open mouths, but Park In-su could not even open his own.
At the top of E-rank, he had expected to struggle. Seeing this party made him realize he was far from their level.
He swallowed hard.
If I were top-tier…
‘This party is god-tier…’
Even after promotion to D-rank, he doubted he could hunt as easily.
Park In-su felt his inner pride crumble completely.
Of course he had not voiced it aloud, but the thought of boasting about his upcoming promotion while knowing he would never reach their level made his chest burn with shame.
He had considered them great, yet he never imagined they would be this far ahead.
Even aerial combat experience would not have prepared him. He had believed some adaptation would be necessary, but they had hunted without a single breath of adjustment.
How much talent could there be beyond them?
Yet Do-hyun’s expression remained clouded even after such a perfect hunt. The man looked almost unsatisfied.
Park In-su felt compelled to reflect.
‘I was proud just to reach D-rank…’
He himself had been content at D-rank, yet these people possessed battle power beyond him and still showed no satisfaction. He had much to learn.
While Park In-su silently reflected, Do-hyun continued to stare at the floating message with a face full of dissatisfaction.
Party has defeated a total of six 『Floating Spirits』.
Total 300P obtained.
Total 300AP obtained.
‘This is robbery.’
The points had not been earned fairly at all.
If Park In-su had known, he might have shed tears. But Do-hyun simply scratched his head while staring at the cold numbers.
‘Where are the villains?’
He looked around, but none appeared. A sigh of disappointment escaped him.
Well, the last batch of bats had been lucky. He would hunt steadily from now on.
While Do-hyun focused on the hunt, several pairs of eyes watched from a considerable distance. They had not been spotted.
But soon the gazes vanished, and the watchers moved on to other locations.