I Regressed and Gained the Power of a Dragon (12)

A little while ago. When Shin Yesung had dashed toward the boss room alone.

Kim Jehyun moved right away as well.

―Why are you heading back?

As Jehyun bolted backward, Alkasha voiced its doubt.

"This is the shortcut."

―……This is the shortcut?

Jehyun answered Alkasha's question with action. He came to a stop at the midpoint he'd scouted earlier.

"I spotted it around here……."

An area thick with trees and no visible path. As he scanned it, Jehyun discovered a single trace and grinned.

"Found it."

Zzurur.

Jehyun pulled out the clump of white fur from the Hamlet and the magic stones he'd stashed in his inventory under the pretense of putting them in his bag.

―Hoo.

Alkasha watched his actions and guessed the intent.

"You caught on, huh?"

―Indeed. A hidden piece.

Hidden piece. A hidden element of the dungeon that wouldn't be uncovered for another dozen or so years.

It was a path that led straight to the boss room.

A route that appeared only in Hamlet dungeons with forest terrain.

That was why Jehyun had applied for this Hamlet dungeon—he'd thought it was perfect for his current situation.

A hidden piece that required two conditions: a Hamlet dungeon and forest terrain.

Even then, it wasn't guaranteed to spawn.

"Looks like the heavens are on my side."

The Hamlet dungeon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he'd chosen on a whim turned out to have the hidden piece.

Beating low odds.

And without a reason to leave the party, it might've been hard to exploit, but the situation had aligned perfectly.

Lucky break.

Jehyun grinned. Ever since regressing and meeting Alkasha, everything felt like it was falling into place.

"In the future, they called this the Trail Path."

Jehyun tossed the Hamlet fur clump and magic stones in front of a tree with faint grooves carved into it.

He then infused mana into the grooves.

Jiiing.

The tree with the grooves emitted a soft glow, enveloping the fur and stones in a light that made them vanish.

With that, the direct path to the boss room opened.

* * *

Tadadot.

Jehyun sprinted full tilt along the Trail Path.

Running this way, he'd reach the boss room in under five minutes.

―The dungeon's been around for a while now. How is this route still unknown?

"Truth is, figuring out the conditions is really damn hard."

Even after it was revealed in the future, few used this path.

The reason? It clashed with the purpose of dungeon clears.

One goal was closing the dungeon before a break, sure.

But another was slaying monsters for magic stones and byproducts.

Sacrificing those for a hidden piece? No point unless you were gunning for the fastest clear time.

If not for Vutalek—the Explorer King of the future who uncovered countless hidden pieces—this one might never have been found.

Jehyun remembered all the hidden pieces Vutalek had discovered.

Some were treasure-tier with insane value.

Didn't expect to use this one first, though.

Jehyun chuckled softly.

Life was unpredictable.

Who could've guessed he'd end up using the Hamlet dungeon's Trail Path hidden piece—one he'd never thought he'd need?

As he pondered other must-have hidden pieces ahead, Jehyun noticed he'd reached the end of the path.

"Here we are."

A single tree loomed ahead.

That was the boss room entrance.

Without hesitation, Jehyun hurled himself toward it.

Paat.

The tree dissolved into light and vanished.

At the same time, the boss Hamlet crouched in the boss room sensed the intruder and opened its eyes.

"Riiit……."

The soccer-ball-sized Hamlet had ballooned dozens of times larger.

It filled a small room entirely and let out a monstrous screech.

Hostility toward the invader of its domain.

"Still just a Hamlet, no matter how you slice it."

Jehyun just grinned at the intimidating boss's roar.

An oversized F-rank dungeon boss was no match for him.

'Mana Bolt.'

With a flick of his hand, multiple mana bolts floated up in the air.

The manifestation speed was so quick, it almost seemed like multi-casting.

"Rit."

The boss Hamlet, sensing danger, shot out clumps of tangled fur.

But it was futile flailing.

Peueok!

The fur clumps burst mid-air, white hairs scattering everywhere.

Jehyun had intercepted every one heading his way with mana bolts.

Then he unleashed the rest straight at the boss Hamlet.

Peueueok!

The boss Hamlet was pulverized in an instant by the mana bolts.

A level of power no ordinary 1st Circle mage could dream of.

Only someone at least 2nd Circle could pull this off.

But with his Mana Core, Jehyun could surpass 1st Circle even at stage 1.

"Ri……it……."

Struck by another volley, the boss Hamlet uttered its final death cry and expired.

A lackluster victory.

The fight hadn't even taken five minutes.

From ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠finding the Trail Path, racing to the boss room, and felling the boss—under twenty minutes total.

Anyone witnessing this would've screamed it was impossible.

Forget the hidden path to the boss room—a 1st Circle mage soloing an F-rank boss in under five minutes shattered common sense.

No matter how skilled the mage, a lone 1st Circle taking down an F-rank boss took at least fifteen minutes.

"Wh-what the hell?"

That was why Shin Yesung couldn't comprehend the scene before him.

How had Jehyun beaten him to the boss room? And why was the boss crumpled at his feet?

"Hey."

Jehyun grinned at the newly arrived Shin Yesung.

"H-how…… what the……."

Shin Yesung's face was a mask of shock and confusion.

"Boss goes to whoever claims it first. So I did."

"……."

Shin Yesung was speechless at Jehyun's words.

"This is my rightful spoils of war, yeah?"

Jehyun chuckled as he picked up the magic stone from the boss Hamlet.

Seeing Shin Yesung's dumbfounded expression made laughter bubble up.

A notification window popped up before his eyes.

The first task was complete.

The path to the first dragon legacy was now within reach.

Motivation surged unbidden.

That was when it happened.

"Krrrng?"

"……!"

"……Huh?"

A cry that shouldn't have echoed resounded through the boss room.

Ssaeaek!

Something pitch-black burst from the corner of the boss room.

A form like a black panther. A massive maw that could chew through a bull in one bite, and razor-sharp claws capable of slicing anything.

"This is……."

Jehyun swiftly retreated to Shin Yesung's side and eyed the window that appeared.

……Mutant?

Defeat the mutant.

That was the newly updated task.

Which meant the black panther-like creature was the mutant.

Kwaduk. Kwuduk.

While Jehyun checked the task window, the mutant tore into the boss Hamlet's corpse.

―That thing…….Best not to give it time.

Alkasha advised Jehyun.

"Got it……."

Jehyun prepared to cast a spell immediately.

But Shin Yesung beat him to it by a beat.

"That's mine!"

He kicked off and charged.

Shin Yesung hadn't grasped the full situation, but he'd pieced together that this was a mutant.

Its presence was that overwhelming.

I'll take it down.

Fierce determination burned in Shin Yesung's eyes.

He had to prove his worth.

To surpass his wall of an older sister.

To show his fusion of magic and spirits was no less valuable.

The boss was gone to Jehyun, but claiming the mutant would restore his pride.

'Wind Cutter.'

Shukaak!

As he charged, Shin Yesung hurled the completed Wind Cutter at the mutant.

Chiiing!

The sound of wind clashing against metal rang out deafeningly.

The mutant had already devoured over half the boss Hamlet, covering itself in armor-like scales.

The Wind Cutter couldn't pierce the iron-hard scales.

It only pissed it off.

"Kraaaah."

The mutant roared at Shin Yesung, its attacker.

The roar carried faint mana—a type of Fear that stiffened the body.

'Kuh.'

Shin Yesung groaned.

His body locked up in paralysis.

Critical moment.

Then, the ring on his left index finger glowed.

Shaaa.

A high-grade artifact. Its embedded spell dispelled harmful effects.

Shin Yesung shook off the stiffness right away.

The moment he did, he cast his go-to spell without pause.

"Eat this!"

'Air Burst.'

The 2nd Circle spell Air Burst detonated right in the mutant's face.

Air Burst's destructive power multiplied the closer the cast distance.

That's why Shin Yesung had closed in.

'Wind Cutter won't work? Then I'll blast it apart with Air Burst.'

Wind Cutter had high cutting power, but low efficiency against tough hides.

So, crush it with Air Burst.

Puhwak.

Air Burst slammed the mutant dead-on.

The shockwave shredded half the boss Hamlet's remains too.

Hwaaak.

Debris from the boss and dirt clouded the air ahead, blocking vision.

'Got it?'

Shin Yesung figured the mutant was dead. Or at least combat-incapable.

No monster had survived his Air Burst at this range in E-rank dungeons.

This was F-rank. Even a mutant couldn't tank it.

"Watch out!"

With Jehyun's shout, time seemed to slow for Shin Yesung.

Through the scattering white fur in the air, a black claw lunged.

Another ring on his right middle finger activated a shield, but the hastily cast barrier shattered before fully forming.

The claw smashed the shield and bore down on Shin Yesung.

A chill bit into his skin.

'I'm dead.'

In that instant, Shin Yesung felt the terror of death.

'Can't block this.'

As death's fear dominated his mind, slowed time snapped back.

Seogeuk!

A long gash sliced diagonally across Shin Yesung's body.

"……Urk."

His clothes shredded, fluttering into the air.

Just as the mutant's claw nearly bisected him, Jehyun yanked him ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠back by the collar.

By a hair's breadth, Shin Yesung survived.

"Guh. Hack."

He gasped for air.

Aftermath of death's terror: heart pounding wildly, mana surging unstably through his mana road.

Fortunately, only his clothes were torn—the mutant's claw hadn't wounded him badly.

"S-Sylph……."

Even now, Shin Yesung tried summoning the low wind spirit Sylph.

His hidden ace: spirit magic fusing spirits and spells.

But Sylph's form flickered and faded in the air.

He couldn't focus properly.

'Should've gone all-out from the start.'

Shin Yesung admitted his complacency.

Underestimating an F-rank mutant was inexcusable.

'Wh-where is it?'

He steadied his shaking vision and stared ahead.

"Krrrng."

In his blurred sight, the mutant faced off against Jehyun.

Despite a direct Air Burst, it showed no real damage.

His mind reeled.

……Kuh, I need to help.

Shin Yesung gripped his trembling legs, trying to stand.

He had to help.

Jehyun was just a 1st Circle mage. No way he could solo a monster his own spells couldn't scratch.

His body was stabilizing quickly, at least.

Before Jehyun got hit, he had to—

"Kid, stay put."

Jehyun, eyes locked on the mutant, tossed the words at Shin Yesung.

"What? What're you……."

Seeing Jehyun gear up to face it alone, Shin Yesung stared at his back in disbelief.

Hadn't he seen it shrug off his spell unscathed?

This was beyond courage—arrogance.

"There's no way you can win alone……."

Shin Yesung couldn't finish.

He'd met Jehyun's gaze as he turned.

"Watch and learn. This is how you use magic."

With those words.

Jehyun's eyes began to glow golden.