Dungeon Conquest (2)
The Magic Tower was considered one of the most powerful organizations in the world. However, there were other groups and factions that were just as formidable.
For instance, among those who wielded spirits, the Nature Clan stood at the forefront. Their influence rivaled that of the Magic Tower itself.
And one of the bloodlines tied to that clan master was none other than Shin Yesung. He might come off as a bit arrogant, but he had the skills and background to back it up.
"Oh, our big bro's got some guts, huh?"
Shin Yesung grinned at Kim Jehyun's provocative retort.
"It's only been a little while since you hit 1st Circle, right? That's usually when you're overflowing with confidence. I get it. Everyone goes through that phase on their way to growing up."
Shin Yesung smirked slyly. His snarky tone made Jehyun want to flick him on the forehead.
Jehyun's fist nearly twitched upward without him realizing it.
—Kuh, what an insufferably bratty kid. What are you waiting for? Give him a good whack! Teach that little punk some manners with a solid forehead flick!
Alkasha, watching from the sidelines, was practically jumping up and down in frustration at Shin Yesung's cheeky attitude.
At that moment, the short-haired female ability user standing nearby spoke up.
"This is your first time clearing a dungeon, right?"
"Yeah."
"Ah, that explains why you don't know."
"...?"
Jehyun stared at her, puzzled by what she meant.
"Those two are pretty famous these days." She pointed at Shin Yesung and Shin Cheolwoo.
From what she explained, Shin Yesung and Shin Cheolwoo had recently appeared on the low-grade dungeon clearing boards and swept through them like a storm.
"The kid's got a mouth on him that's kinda annoying... but his skills are the real deal, so don't take it personally. Just hitch a ride on the bus."
The woman whispered advice to Jehyun. She didn't particularly like Shin Yesung either, but she prioritized results.
"They swept through the dungeon just the two of them?"
"Yep."
"Then why bother filling the party with other members?"
"No idea why, but they always make sure to fill the roster completely. That's why people have been calling them 'bus drivers' lately."
Jehyun stroked his chin at her words.
'Hmm...'
Something about that kid felt familiar.
As he racked his brain, Jehyun suddenly let out an exclamation.
'Ah!'
—What's that about?
'I know who that brat is now.'
—Hm? Some famous guy?
Jehyun nodded at Alkasha's question.
Shin Yesung. In the future, he'd make a name for himself as a dual-class user wielding both spirits and magic.
The Nature Clan was reclusive, with little public activity, which was why his face and name hadn't come to mind right away. But Shin Yesung was the first to handle both spirits and magic simultaneously, so Jehyun remembered him.
—Famous for wielding both magic and spirits?
'Yeah. It was common knowledge that you couldn't handle spirits and magic at the same time, but he was the first to break that rule and it became a huge deal.'
Spirits required spirit power, while magic required mana. They were different energies, and no human body could contain two such distinct forces. That was basic common sense.
Yet Shin Yesung shattered it, which is why it blew up.
'I'd only heard rumors... Didn't know he was such a punk as a kid.'
Jehyun chuckled softly.
Shin Yesung had risen to prominence just before Jehyun's regression. It would be another ten years before he truly made his mark.
'Never knew he had this personality back then... Guess I should check out just how skilled he really is.'
The potential of young Shin Yesung, who was hailed as a successor to the greats. Jehyun was curious how impressive it would be.
'And how he stacks up against me right now.'
It was also a chance to gauge the gap between himself and the future prodigy.
—Hmm. Interesting that wielding both magic and spirits caused such a stir.
'I just said it—spirits and magic can't be used together, right? You dragons are at the pinnacle of magic, sure, but spirits aren't to be underestimated. If you knew, you'd see that spirits...'
As Jehyun started explaining spirit power to Alkasha, the ancient dragon cut him off.
—Who said anything about underestimating spirits? Dragons know better than anyone just how formidable spirit power is.
'Dragons do?'
—Indeed. Spirits have long been allies of dragons. We can borrow not just the power of common spirits, but even the spirit kings'.
Jehyun was stunned by Alkasha's words.
Dragons weren't just the lords of magic? They could wield spirit power too? Which meant...
One possibility flashed through his mind.
'You mean...'
Alkasha caught on to Jehyun's thought and replied with a hint of amusement.
—Exactly. Just as dragons wield spirits, so can you. If you fully inherit the dragon's power, you could even borrow the might of the spirit kings.
Jehyun's jaw dropped.
* * *
'Spirit kings are a myth.'
That's what Shin Yesung believed.
That's why he was frustrated with his mother—the clan master—and his eldest sister, Shin Yerim, for chasing after traces of the spirit kings.
Chasing a fictional entity had stalled the clan's growth, turning it insular.
'I'll change that.'
Shin Yesung stared at his hands.
Whoosh.
Mana gathered, forming blades of wind.
Wind Cutter.
Shwick!
The wind blades Shin Yesung unleashed swept through the oncoming horde of hamlets.
Rit-rit.
Rit.
F-rank monsters resembling fluffy tufts of fur—hamlets. They couldn't resist Shin Yesung's Wind Cutter and were obliterated.
His casting speed was unbelievably fast for someone at the early 2nd Circle, and his mana control was rock-solid. It was proof of his magical talent.
'Magic's the way.'
Shin Yesung was convinced he had even greater aptitude for magic than he'd thought. After all, he'd reached 2nd Circle in under five years.
If he became a great archmage, he could shake up the clan's stagnant situation.
That's why he was running this dungeon—to test his potential.
'Would've been better if I could solo it without worrying about association guidelines.'
Then he could've confirmed his abilities even faster.
The reason he'd filled the party was because of Shin Cheolwoo, the stickler for rules.
"Oh, that guy's pretty impressive too."
Lost in thought, Shin Yesung turned at his trusted aide and babysitter's words.
There was Jehyun neatly dispatching hamlets with 1st Circle Mana Bolt.
"He seemed confident in his magic... and it wasn't just hot air."
Indeed, as Shin Cheolwoo said.
It was hard to believe he was a fresh 1st Circle mage on his first dungeon run. His combat was remarkably stable.
The Mana Bolt manifested incredibly fast, and his control precisely struck the hamlets' weak spot—the face—without waste.
Clap clap clap.
As Jehyun's fight ended, Shin Yesung approached, applauding.
"Wow, not bad at all? Looks like you've had proper training—not self-taught. Where'd you learn? Hwarang? Dongbaek?"
Shin Yesung's eyes sparkled at Jehyun's skill. It was no ordinary level, even to him. So he figured it had to be formal training somewhere.
Like one of the massive clans dominated by mages, such as Hwarang or Dongbaek.
"The Magic Tower."
"Huh? Didn't you just hit 1st Circle? And you say Magic Tower? You're funnier than you look. Haha."
Jehyun was in his mid-to-late teens. Magic Tower affiliates usually reached early 2nd Circle at that age. So Shin Yesung dismissed it as Jehyun dodging the question about his affiliation.
—If I were you, I'd have given that punk a forehead flick for real.
Alkasha seemed particularly annoyed by Shin Yesung.
But Jehyun focused on completing his mission.
Now was the time to plan soloing the boss.
Fortunately, he had something in mind.
'Future knowledge comes in handy here.'
Jehyun smirked, recalling a dungeon secret not yet known.
—By the way, since when did that brat become your little bro? All that 'hyung' this and 'hyung' that is getting on my nerves.
Pfft.
Jehyun finally burst out laughing at Alkasha's words.
He could picture how entertaining it would be to pit the two against each other.
Meanwhile, Shin Yesung had lost interest in himself and was now chattering nonstop to the resting Shin Cheolwoo. His mouth ran like it had a motor attached.
'Still, his skills are legit.'
—Hmm. Hate to admit it, but he's got more talent than he looks.
Even in Alkasha's eyes, Shin Yesung's aptitude stood out. Given enough time, he'd reach grand archmage level by human standards. No wonder he'd made a name for himself.
Seeing it firsthand confirmed he'd been exceptional from youth.
That must be why he strutted around so arrogantly, full of faith in his talent.
—But compared to you, it's like an ant versus an elephant.
'I know.'
Jehyun agreed. Shin Yesung's talent was impressive up close, but it paled next to his own with Alkasha.
"Alright, everyone rested up?"
Shin Yesung clapped his hands.
All eyes turned to him.
"In about twenty minutes, we'll hit the boss. I'll handle it solo, so you all chill here."
"Whoa, hold up, Yesung. We didn't agree to that. Soloing's too dangerous, no matter what."
"Ah, this hyung's such a worrywart. You know my skills—why fuss? Think I'll lose to an F-rank dungeon boss? Soloing the boss is real training. I'm taking it down alone today, so no more nagging. And you, mage hyung—watch closely when I solo it. A real mage solos bosses. Haha."
Dadadadada.
Words poured from Shin Yesung like a waterfall. Jehyun filtered most of it, but got the gist.
Boss solo kill. That's what the kid was after.
'What's with the sudden showboating?'
It was unexpected, but actually perfect.
Shin Yesung's impulsiveness made executing Jehyun's plan much easier.
"I came here to take down the boss too."
Jehyun spoke, eyeing Shin Yesung.
To complete the mission, he needed to kill the boss and claim its mana stone.
It had to be him.
"Haha, that's a good one. I see you've got skills, hyung, but you're at least three years off. Get too cocky and you'll get hurt. First come, first served on the boss!"
With that, Shin Yesung bolted toward the boss.
"Hey! Yesung! Shin Yesung!"
Shin Cheolwoo yelled, but Shin Yesung was already far ahead.
"Argh, that little... Ugh."
Shin Cheolwoo swallowed a curse rising in his throat and turned back.
"Sorry about this. Since it's come to this, just rest here... Huh? Where'd Jehyun go?"
"He headed back that way a minute ago?"
Shin Cheolwoo blinked in bewilderment at the woman's words.
Not only had Shin Yesung dashed off, but Jehyun was gone too.
"I'm gonna lose my mind..."
Shin Cheolwoo muttered, looking suddenly aged.
* * *
"There it is."
Shin Yesung raced through the forest-themed dungeon and spotted what seemed to be the boss room in the distance.
The hamlets he encountered along the way were no match.
He was in prime condition to solo an F-rank boss.
"Alright, let's see what we've got... Huh? What the—?!"
Stepping into the boss room, Shin Yesung's eyes widened in shock.
For the first time since entering the dungeon, genuine panic crossed his face.
"Hey."
In his trembling pupils reflected the fallen boss—and Jehyun standing at its feet.
"Boss goes to whoever claims it first, right?"
Jehyun nudged the boss's corpse with his foot and flashed a grin.
Looking at Shin Yesung, the curve of Jehyun's lips twisted into the smuggest smirk imaginable.