Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Encounter with the Elf
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The news that An Do-yoon, a C-rank Hunter and a cleric no less, had been knocked out sent Titan Guild into an absolute frenzy.
The executives were raging, insisting they had to hunt down the guy who had tarnished the guild's reputation. But Seo Sang-ho wouldn't hear of it.
"The one who tarnished the guild's reputation wasn't him—it was An Do-yoon."
An Do-yoon had tried to swing at someone who deserved nothing but gratitude for putting the rookies out of harm's way, all because of his stubbornness.
Seo Sang-ho had demoted An Do-yoon from vice guild master to regular guild member as punishment for his crime.
It was an offense that warranted outright expulsion, but he'd taken into account An Do-yoon's past dedication to the guild.
After kicking out all the protesting executives from the conference room, Seo Sang-ho leaned back in his chair with a sigh.
"The more I think about it, the more of a missed opportunity it feels like."
Seo Sang-ho deeply regretted failing to recruit Kang Jin-hyuk into the guild.
Even if he'd let his guard down, the skill to drop an A-rank Hunter in one hit meant he was no talent content to stay at C-rank.
Given a little time, it was obvious he'd surpass An Do-yoon.
He might even reach S-rank, like Seo Sang-ho himself.
Failing to snap up that kind of talent quickly was a mistake that would haunt him forever.
"I want to make him one of ours before he gets any bigger."
The silver lining was that he'd at least gotten Kang Jin-hyuk's contact info.
That kept a line open, so depending on how he played it from here, there was plenty of chance for opportunity.
"Starting as drinking buddies might be the way to go?"
Beyond his abilities, Seo Sang-ho also liked Kang Jin-hyuk's straightforward attitude.
A man of character who turned down extra compensation despite earning universal praise for his heroic deeds.
Regardless of guild recruitment, he wanted to build a personal friendship.
* * *
"Should've just taken it when they offered?"
Checking his bank balance, Kang Jin-hyuk felt a twinge of regret.
Buying potions, various scrolls, and gear had racked up more expenses than expected.
He'd turned down Titan's bonus pay figuring he'd just earn it in the dungeon anyway.
In hindsight, that had been a needless flex.
"Acting cool just cost me big time."
Sure, he'd earned a good image with the clerics, but passing up immediate gains was straight-up stupid.
"Damn it, I'm not leaving today until I make up for it."
With that firm resolve, Kang Jin-hyuk threw open the door to the loft.
As soon as he entered the dungeon, an intense heat hit him—probably the dwarf crafting something again.
"Gathering more collectibles in the meantime?"
Not wanting to interrupt the busy dwarf at work, Kang Jin-hyuk headed straight down through the gate.
Pushing deeper into the forest, past the cave he'd seen before, he was greeted not by kobolds this time, but by orcs.
"Gruk."
Spotting Kang Jin-hyuk, the orcs approached with threatening postures.
Even surrounded by over twenty orcs, Kang Jin-hyuk was brimming with composure.
These were orcs he'd one-shot even at a lower level—no reason to flinch now just because there were more.
Kang Jin-hyuk moved first, swinging his bat at the orc right in front of him.
Caught off guard and unable to raise its shield, the orc's skull caved in.
"Twenty orcs should be a nice haul."
Luckily, the first one he'd taken out was the leader.
Mopping up the now-panicked orcs was barely more than a post-meal stroll.
In just ten minutes, not a single orc around Kang Jin-hyuk had an intact head.
After looting the corpses and venturing farther into the forest, Kang Jin-hyuk spotted stairs identical to the ones he'd seen on the first floor.
"Stairs to even lower levels?"
Just like this forest layer, the floors below were likely to spawn stronger monsters.
Confident in his abilities, Kang Jin-hyuk descended without hesitation.
[You have arrived at the 3rd Layer: 'Labyrinth of Temple Guardians.']
[The 3rd Layer has been registered to the Warp Gate.]
The same messages appeared as when he'd first come down the stairs.
The place the messages called the 3rd Layer was a labyrinth, yet not quite like one.
It resembled an ancient temple.
Moss covered the walls, and there wasn't a hint of human presence.
"Kinda gives me the creeps."
Good thing it was lit up like daylight.
If it had been dim, it could've passed for a haunted house.
Despite the eerie vibe, Kang Jin-hyuk had zero intention of turning back.
"Maybe I'll find enchantment materials in a place like this."
Aluminum was plentiful outside, so scoring enchantment stuff would make him filthy rich in no time!
Plus, Kang Jin-hyuk was curious what monsters lurked here.
As if answering his curiosity, a golem suddenly burst from the ground.
"What the—?!"
The golem swung a stone fist down at Kang Jin-hyuk the instant it appeared.
He dodged backward, but it was a razor-close call.
Kang Jin-hyuk saw the spot where he'd just stood now cratered by the golem's fist.
Even with mithril armor, a few hits like that wouldn't leave him unscathed.
"Gotta hit fast and retreat..."
Seizing the moment as the golem reset its stance, Kang Jin-hyuk charged.
He smashed his firmly gripped bat into the golem's head, shattering the stone skull to pieces.
But unlike other monsters, losing its head didn't kill the golem.
It kept coming, its extended fist slamming into Kang Jin-hyuk's body.
"Urk!"
Thanks to his chain armor's damage reduction, Kang Jin-hyuk avoided a fatal blow.
He rolled backward and sprang up swiftly.
Trying to play it cool, but he couldn't fight the pain and dropped to one knee.
"Half damage reduction, and it still hurts this much...?"
Its strength was beyond expectations, but the real issue was that it stayed fine even after he smashed its head.
No info on golems had ever been reported outside.
Faced with an unknown monster, Kang Jin-hyuk had to figure out a strategy on his own.
"In comics, they say golems die if you destroy the core."
Normally, his bat's enchantment would highlight weak points with a glow, but not here.
No part of the golem lit up.
So searching for a core visually was pointless.
"Does it even have a core?"
Truth be told, golem cores were just fictional tropes from novels and comics.
No guarantee they worked in reality.
"Why couldn't it be a normal monster? Why this thing?"
Realizing he wasn't prepared for this, Kang Jin-hyuk prepared to escape.
But before he could pull a return stone from his inventory, a new golem erupted at his feet.
"Whoa!"
He lost balance and dropped the return stone he'd just grabbed.
Worse, the new golem mercilessly swung at the fallen Kang Jin-hyuk.
In desperation, Kang Jin-hyuk thrust his hand forward and cast the cleric skill.
"Holy Shield!"
A golden shield materialized in front of him, successfully blocking the golem's fist.
But he couldn't relax yet.
The low-level skill's shield was already on the verge of breaking.
Another punch would shatter it.
"Damn it!"
As Kang Jin-hyuk scrambled to get up and evade, a shout rang out.
"Stay down!"
Right after the voice, an arrow whizzed past Kang Jin-hyuk's head and pierced the golem's chest dead center.
The golem, impaled in the chest, crumbled into ordinary rubble.
In that instant, Kang Jin-hyuk realized the core was in the center of its chest.
Now that he knew the weak point, no time to hesitate.
Kang Jin-hyuk leaped up and hurled his bat at the charging golem.
The bat flew fast and struck the golem's chest squarely.
With a crack of stone, the golem collapsed in a heap.
Snatching the returning bat via its recall function, Kang Jin-hyuk let out a sigh of relief.
"Whew... That was close."
Catching his breath, Kang Jin-hyuk turned toward where the arrow had come from.
There stood a figure in a brown hood covering their entire body and face, bow in hand.
Impossible to tell gender from appearance, but the voice had definitely been a woman's.
Kang Jin-hyuk figured she was like the dwarf—someone living in the dungeon.
Her outfit felt too out of place for an outsider like him.
"Thanks for the help."
Approaching to express his gratitude, Kang Jin-hyuk was suddenly grabbed by the collar before he could react.
"Ghck?!"
It happened so fast he couldn't even process why.
The hooded figure yanked Kang Jin-hyuk's face close and demanded,
"Where are you from?"
"Huh?"
"Where are you from? Trapped here too? Or did you come from outside?"
The questions were as abrupt as her actions.
Kang Jin-hyuk answered without thinking.
"I came in from outside."
Her reaction intensified the moment she heard that.
She gripped his collar with both hands now, shaking him back and forth violently.
"From outside?! When?!"
"T-Today."
"How? From where?!"
"I just saw the entrance and came in!"
Kang Jin-hyuk felt seasick from all the shaking.
About to beg her to stop, her hands released his collar.
With no warning, Kang Jin-hyuk couldn't brace and toppled backward, landing hard on his butt.
"Ow... What the hell was that for!"
The hooded figure ignored his protest.
She stood lost in thought, muttering intensely to herself like a possessed person.
'Is she a little mentally unstable?'
Eyeing a chance to slip away, Kang Jin-hyuk inched backward stealthily.
After just ten centimeters, an arrow whistled over his head.
"Going somewhere?"
Terrified, Kang Jin-hyuk flapped his mouth like a fish out of water.
He hadn't seen her draw the bow or nock the arrow—yet it flew right in front of him.
That alone made it clear she was no one to mess with.
"Take me to that entrance you came through. Now."
"......"
Kang Jin-hyuk nodded, face drained of color.
Refusing here might leave him full of holes.
"Good answer."
Satisfied, she slung her bow over her back.
Then she pulled off her hood.
Radiant golden blonde hair, green eyes, and long pointed ears.
Kang Jin-hyuk's jaw dropped at the sight of a straight-up elf, right out of fiction.