The Hidden Dungeon Boss
Even more sadly, unbeknownst to anyone, Rune had consumed even more of the potion than Perdikion.
Knowledge transmission and Word Magic.
With just those two, the dungeon's difficulty was bound to skyrocket.
After munching on the potion-infused cookies like combat rations, they felt the effects truly kicking in.
Only then did they stand once more before the dungeon entrance.
As Rune swallowed his potion and cookie, his gaze drifted to the stone murals flanking the entrance.
'A dragon and a human... perhaps.'
On the left of the entrance stood a depiction of a dragon, on the right a human warrior.
They were enormous, crafted with a masterful blend of relief and intaglio that amplified their majestic aura.
Undoubtedly the toil of dwarves exploited long ago, during Pasiyas's reign.
Rail tracks stretched out before the dungeon entrance.
"What's this track for?"
"It's the path the dwarves use. They come via these rails since they can't wield magic."
"Ah, makes sense."
Rune glanced sideways at Jed as he replied.
The dwarf picked his nose without a hint of unease.
Perdikion took the first step.
"Let's go."
"Yes!"
"Haha! Looking forward to working with you all!"
As the group moved along, Rune glanced back slightly.
"Baekya."
"Pip!"
At Rune's glance, the little bird plummeted straight onto his shoulder.
"Don't leave my side while we're in the dungeon."
He hoped nothing would happen, but safety demanded preparation.
Rune gazed down at Baekya.
He'd brought it along for a reason, but unlike Heungmi, the creature had no real abilities—just chirps—and that worried him.
"Pip!"
Baekya chirped energetically in response, then burrowed its beak into Rune's collar.
Its size had grown lately, so it couldn't hide fully; a round head poked out.
"Entering now."
As the party stepped onto the dungeon's magic circle, the scenery shifted gradually.
Whoosh—
'Waves...?'
A briny salt scent filled the air.
Scattered rubble lay everywhere, and distant water sounds echoed.
But soon the tide receded like an ebb, exposing mudflats.
The moisture vanished from the ground, revealing red gems and ore chunks.
"No way? Talk about lucky from the start!"
Jed scanned around, then pulled out mining tools and lunged at the scattered stones.
"It's the randomly appearing Sea Rock Mountain. Perfect for harvesting salt stones."
Perdikion's words, as he surveyed the area, carried a subtle satisfaction.
A rare spot yielding 'salt' in this volcanic zone far from any sea.
And no monsters had appeared yet.
"Magic stones are great, but salt's worth its weight in gold! Hehe!"
Jed mined furiously, eager for every salt stone.
Heungmi patrolled near him vigilantly, while Perdikion stood guard by Rune, sword drawn.
With his powers still weakened for a while, Rune had nothing to do; he leisurely watched them work.
'Feels like the sea. Nice.'
The first whiff of ocean air in this world.
It stirred a faint nostalgia.
That was when it happened.
"Incoming."
Flutter!
A foreboding sound snapped him from his reverie.
Heungmi darted forward, fox ears perked.
"Kyaaang!"
-Kik! Kigeek!
Grrk—the guttural rasp like scraping metal accompanied gremlins swarming in groups of two or three, leathery wings flapping.
Red, green, blue.
Various sizes and colors.
But with Heungmi there, they circled warily instead of charging.
Thick fangs jutting from maws and hook-like claws betrayed their ravenous hunger for flesh and bone.
Their gazes on Rune screamed 'tasty prey.'
Irked by the disdain, Rune furrowed his brow.
In that instant, Heungmi vanished from her spot.
-Kyaaak!
Thwack! Roll.
The red gremlin's head flew limply; its decapitated body convulsed on the ground.
The green one beside it got pierced through the heart.
-Kuk! Kurk!
The quick blue one trying to flee had its wing ripped with a screech.
Plop!
Heungmi tossed the wing; Jed snatched it up eagerly.
Not valuable, but free monster hide thrilled him.
"You lot, don't target Master Rune. Heungmi will punish you?"
Heungmi's beaming smile belied the eerie red glow in her pink eyes.
Deepened to a blood-like crimson at a glance.
The monsters glanced nervously and shifted tactics.
One shoved a fellow gremlin at Heungmi.
-Kek! Kuek?
The victim split vertically on her hand blade in a flash.
Meanwhile, the betrayers lunged at Rune.
"Where do you think you're going."
Shing!
Thud. Thud!
In one stroke.
A crescent sword arc pierced the gremlin pack clean through.
That was it.
"Strong, bro."
"What? It's nothing."
Despite his words, a smile tugged at Perdikion's lips as he sheathed his blade—praise sat well.
Weakened by the black dragon potion, his fire control faltered, but even without it, he was formidable.
His swordsmanship flowed with the polish of years.
'No wonder he downed the curse potion without hesitation.'
Perdikion knew how to fight powerless.
From his relatively weak youth.
Countless runs through this dungeon made it possible.
'Without the potion, he might not have come at all.'
Even potion-weakened, he was this strong.
Full power Perdikion would have spiked the difficulty sky-high.
Relatively weak foes meant the next floor brought more swarms in the same pattern.
When unquenchable flame-wreathed tree monsters, Fire Woods, appeared, Heungmi yowled sharply.
"Kyaaang!"
Sparks burst in the air; tiny fox-shaped fire spirits scampered out.
-Keng!
-Kyeng!
-Kegeng!
The fox fires latched onto charging monsters, gnawing wood with tiny jaws.
"Whoa~! Go get 'em, my pretties!"
Fire-attuned Jed swung his S-grade axe, Paralium, at the tree beasts.
"Hup! Hah! Oof! Lady Heungmi, draw this one's aggro! That fallen wood's prime mana-resistant timber!"
...Jed's antics deflated the mood midway, but he handled business cleanly.
He never forgot his dwarven roots in resource gathering.
His nimble hands swept up mana stone shards, usable materials, and monster corpses in the lulls.
Heungmi massacred, while Perdikion calmly blocked any targeting the weakest, Rune.
'Easy.'
The dungeon sights intrigued; Rune's body felt light.
'Annoying how they fixate on me like rabid dogs, but we'll clear soon enough.'
Their relentless, obsessive rushes at him alone bordered on repulsive.
But it let Perdikion smash their skulls unhindered.
"Can't fathom why they're targeting you this hard."
"'Cause I'm the weakest right now, duh?"
"Nah. Normal mobs retreat from one-sided beatdowns, even dumb ones. These are overcommitting. Like..."
Perdikion frowned, searching for words, then muttered.
"Like they've got something worth dying for."
"!"
Rune glanced down at Baekya in his arms.
Innocent round eyes peering up with a soft "Pip?"
'Targeting Baekya?'
Phoenix.
Bird bearing sacred flames.
Its tears held purification and healing.
The sole race with immortality.
Still young enough to be a snack, though.
Rune scowled at the thought.
'Daring to covet what's under my protection.'
Low-threat monsters were one thing, but if the dungeon's full force eyed Baekya, that changed everything.
"Bro, we need to clear fast."
"Yeah. Boss territory's coming up anyway."
'Good thing it's an easy dungeon.'
Rune nodded too.
Heungmi had gained ample hunting XP.
They'd snagged minor mats, salt stones, prime mana stones.
Safe exit meant perfection.
'These weaklings let us wrap before the potion fades.'
Regaining ease, Rune awaited the boss.
'Dungeon boss is the rock golem, right.'
Tough minerals resisted blows and fire—tricky boss.
Dwarves hunted it for top-grade mana stones and ores as rewards.
Perdikion said Heungmi could solo it, albeit slowly; they'd prepped her as final foe.
He'd even shared the core's head location.
No worries.
Sure enough.
Heungmi dodged the golem's hurled rocks nimbly, then shattered its head—core included—with overwhelming force.
"Master Rune! Did I do good?"
"Well done."
But something felt off.
Post-boss, the entire dungeon quaked like an earthquake.
"Kyaaaang!"
"!"
"Ughhh!"
Vibrations choked speech.
Jed bit his tongue, collapsing flat and groaning "Oof, oof."
Perdikion's face hardened instantly.
"Of all times... This is bad."
"What's wrong?"
For the first time since entering, Perdikion looked tense, cold sweat beading on his cheek as he stared ahead.
"...Rare, but some dungeons hide another layer or boss. A hidden dungeon."
"The one triggered by special conditions?"
-Ssshh...!
A skeleton, fleshless bones draped in tattered black cloth.
Green glow flickered from hollow black sockets.
Like death incarnate rising from the grave.
Perdikion bit his lip at his first sight of it.
"Yeah. That golem we thought was boss? Just a gatekeeper. That's the true master here."
Sacrifices for the dead.
Its gaze locked unmistakably on 'Baekya.'
"Pip!"
Baekya burrowed into Rune's chest at eye contact, hiding.
'That explains the easy run. This thing hadn't shown.'
Truly rotten luck.
