Irregular Dungeon (4)
“How did you know?”
Yang Jaejin spoke with a hardened expression.
No one short of a 7th Circle or higher archmage could possibly find this place.
“Who knows.”
Kim Jehyun replied slowly as he flexed his hands.
He had no intention of answering Yang Jaejin's question so readily.
“Hah... What a shame.”
“...?”
“I thought you could’ve made a fine comrade if things went well.”
Jehyun tilted his head at the cryptic remark.
Comrade? Could this bastard be trying to recruit you into their organization?
No way... surely not.
Jehyun was appalled inwardly.
These guys, wielding such sinister power, trying to recruit him?
What did they take him for? The very thought was absurd.
“A bit disappointing.”
Yang Jaejin muttered.
Now that he’s seen this place, I can’t let him live.
This lab was one of the utmost secrets that could never be exposed to the outside world.
Even if he’d been marked for recruitment, seeing this place meant he couldn’t be spared.
Not immediately, anyway—not until he officially joined the organization.
Maybe it’s for the best.
Yang Jaejin felt a conflicting mix of regret over Jehyun’s talent and relief that this was turning out well.
Those horns from earlier...
Thinking back to Jehyun’s horns reignited a swell of fear.
His instincts screamed that Jehyun would become a danger he couldn’t handle.
“The next Magic Tower heir candidate... It pains me to cut that bud myself.”
Jehyun curled his lips into a smirk at Yang Jaejin’s words.
“Pains you? Your eyes are brimming with killing intent.”
“You little...”
Yang Jaejin faltered at Jehyun’s retort.
What gave this kid the confidence to stay so relaxed?
“Before we fight, I’m curious—what’s that building behind you? You seem to know it well.”
“......”
Jehyun even had the gall to casually ask about the building.
Yang Jaejin eyed Jehyun’s utter lack of tension and a hypothesis formed in his mind.
No way... That earlier wasn’t even his full power.
That would explain the composure.
Yang Jaejin didn’t let his guard down. He’d seen Jehyun’s strength firsthand.
A mere 3rd Circle, but he’d give it everything—no time for pride.
“Hey! Quit sightseeing and come help!”
Yang Jaejin shouted toward the building.
Screeech.
The main doors swung open, and two men stepped out.
“What... You need help against this little blood clot?”
“Tch, Yang Jaejin. What’s this? Bringing a rat like this is bad enough—now you want us to lend a hand?”
Yang Jaejin’s face twisted at their words.
“If you two had followed the higher-ups’ orders to evacuate faster when we got tailed, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“We’ve told you a million times. This place suddenly turned into an irregular dungeon—moving wasn’t easy.”
“Yeah. You think shifting test subjects and equipment is a snap? The Association’s eyes were already turning here; we couldn’t budge.”
Jehyun pieced together the situation from their banter.
The building hidden in the dungeon wasn’t coincidence. And... test subjects.
The term “test subjects” flashed Kim Hyeongjin’s face across his mind.
Was Kim Hyeongjin one of them? It was a reasonable suspicion.
And moreover...
These guys... They’re from the Magic Tower.
Jehyun’s eyes darkened heavily.
His Dragon Eye confirmed the two were both 4th Circle mages—one from the Frost Faction, the other from the Earth Faction.
And like Yang Jaejin, they each harbored a trace of that purple sphere’s power.
How deep does their rot spread in the Tower?
The scale felt bigger than expected.
As Jehyun grasped the gravity, the men continued talking.
“So, what do we do with him first?”
“Eliminate him, obviously.”
They paused their chat and pointed at Jehyun.
Yang Jaejin nodded gravely.
“Yes, but we can’t do it directly. Make it look like the mutants got him.”
“What? Why? You just wiped out the mutants here—natural spawns won’t pop up anytime soon.”
“Can’t you whip up one more?”
“We could, but we’re prepped to evac—most gear’s already dismantled. Plus, as an irregular dungeon, who knows when more monsters respawn.”
Yang Jaejin clutched his head in frustration.
“Sigh. He re-entered the dungeon—traces are there. If I get caught, it splashes back on Mansik-nim too. Help me out here.”
“...Damn it. You owe us big. Fine, we’ll subdue him first, then figure disposal.”
Jehyun gleaned more intel from their words.
He’d gotten all he could.
The moment their talk ended, Jehyun struck first.
Dragon Fear.
Dragon Fear has manifested on the targets. Their stats are reduced.
Jehyun’s eyes turned amber as he fixed them on the two men.
Flinch.
What the hell are those eyes...
Gulp.
The moment they met Jehyun’s gaze, the men felt plunged into an abyss.
Cold sweat soaked their backs. Their bodies sagged, heads growing heavy.
This is the limit, huh.
A twinge of regret. Dragon Fear alone could’ve crushed them—if only his realm and proficiency were higher.
Kasa summon. Wind Cutter. Wind Cutter. Wind Cutter.
Shoving aside the disappointment, Jehyun chained attacks.
Golden flames bloomed in the air, summoning Kasa, followed by Wind Cutters slicing toward the men.
He’d chosen the fastest spells for maximum surprise.
“Kuhk!”
“Sh, shit! What’s with this casting speed...”
The men screamed as Kasa’s assault and the Wind Cutters struck.
No fatal wounds, but heavy damage.
Keep it up, and he might take them easily.
But things didn’t go his way.
—Kim Jehyun! Behind you!
“I know.”
Even before Alkasha’s shout, Jehyun was spinning around.
Shield.
As he turned, he canceled his attack spell and erected a shield.
Booom.
A planar shield materialized, blocking the incoming Fire Arrows.
A sharp strike.
“You bastard...”
Yang Jaejin’s furious face emerged amid scattering embers.
Jehyun wasn’t just skilled—he judged situations lightning-fast.
To think he’d counter-ambush like that. No way he could be left alive.
Thud.
Jehyun manifested his Dragon Horns and hit Yang Jaejin with Dragon Fear too.
“Kuhk. What is this?”
Exposed to Dragon Fear, Yang Jaejin groaned deeply.
His body felt like waterlogged cotton, focus shattering.
Mental magic? How?
He knew Jehyun had won the individual league with mental spells.
But against a 4th Circle like him?
Those two as well?
He’d assumed their easy hits meant lab work had dulled their skills.
Wrong.
Yang Jaejin couldn’t think further—Jehyun’s Fireball was barreling in.
Kaboom.
He blocked it with a shield, groaning again.
This fire magic was leagues beyond what he’d seen in Ignis Faction.
At least 4th Circle!
“Im Hong-sik! An Dongyun! Unleash your power! This guy’s strength is insane!”
Yang Jaejin bellowed.
The two, busy fending off Kasa, changed expressions.
Shaaa.
The shift began with Yang Jaejin.
Purple energy surged from his body.
This is...
Jehyun’s eyes chilled.
He’d sensed it earlier, but seeing it was different.
Fwoosh!
Jehyun fired off chained fire spells.
But...
“...!”
His eyes widened in shock.
Debuffed by Dragon Fear, Yang Jaejin should’ve crumbled under the barrage.
“Kuhk.”
He struggled but blocked.
Not just defense spells.
That’s...
Shimmer.
A purple wave-barrier rippled before Yang Jaejin, deflecting Jehyun’s spells.
—Look at his right shoulder.
Yang Jaejin’s right shoulder bore a purple flower, tentacles like octopus legs unfurled in five petals.
It had deployed the barrier.
A power? Not magic.
Similar to a superhuman’s ability.
—Watch your back too!
Alkasha warned.
Jehyun cast Haste and darted away.
Rumble. Crunch!
The ground upheaved as ice spears erupted where he’d stood.
The rear men had joined.
They lacked Yang Jaejin’s energy volume—no special powers apparent.
But their spells hit harder.
The purple energy amplified mana output too.
His 26 Agility and Haste saved him; shielding would’ve been dicey.
Fwoosh.
Fire arrows now rained on him from Yang Jaejin.
Shield.
He angled the shield to deflect the arrows sideways.
Solid response—no damage.
But...
Crunch! Boom!
Ice and earth spells forced him to dodge again.
Things were getting hectic.
Kasa’s timely checks gave breathing room.
—You’re weak in melees. Lack of real combat experience.
Alkasha commented, watching.
True.
Jehyun sorely lacked real-combat experience.
Pre-regression, needless to say.
Post-regression, this was his first true melee—usually, he overwhelmed.
—Think. Their power can’t match yours. You’re barely using half your strength.
Dong!
Alkasha’s advice rippled through Jehyun’s mind.
Time fractured into microseconds.
Memories of past fights flashed.
Have I been handling mana like this all along?
A fundamental doubt arose.
He realized how pathetically inefficient his mana control had been.
Hummm.
Mana surged from his Mana Core through his Mana Road.
Not brute-forcing excess mana.
Every spell has an optimal mana flow.
Past spells replayed, etching efficient implementations into his mind.
Fire Wave.
Mana threaded from his core, resonating with external mana instantly.
Fastest cast yet.
And not done—another thread surged simultaneously.
Fwoosh. Fwoosh.
Flame waves erupted from both hands.
“D-Double casting?!”
Yang Jaejin and the men gaped mid-fight.
Your understanding of imagery has deepened.
Magic comprehension has greatly increased. All magic proficiencies have risen significantly.
...A flurry of notifications filled Jehyun’s vision.
But he was lost in the ecstatic sensation of enlightenment, ignoring them.
Now I get it.
His eyes gleamed gold.
So this is how you wield mana.
A hollow laugh escaped at his past foolishness.
Like owning a sports car everyone coveted, yet driving dirt roads instead of highways.
This revelation let him dual-cast the same spell—faster, precise, stronger.
Post-battle consolidation would enable different spells simultaneously.
And further...
—Congratulations. You’ve laid the foundation for imagery-based casting.
The realm of will-based magic.
Success in wielding Dragon Horn’s true power.
Confidence surged in Jehyun’s eyes.
The men who’d cornered him now looked insignificant.
He spoke to their shocked faces.
“Alright, hands are loose now. Time for the real game.”