Conquering the Demon King's Castle
At Park Taemin's command, the hunters unpacked the food they'd brought and began eating. He found a spot off to the side and joined the executives for the meal. After this brief respite, the hunters entered the castle with hearts pounding in anticipation.
Passing through the first floor, which resembled an ancient museum lobby, they headed straight up to the second floor. There, huddled in one corner, they received safety instructions from Taemin.
"Don't step out of this area no matter what. Aggro might pull anyway, so mages, keep your shields up at all times. Knights, protect the rest. They're only strong in numbers—if they don't swarm, they're not that tough. Even if one or two latch on, you can handle them quick. I'll check in and clean up. No need to worry."
"Got it."
Taemin briefed them on the precautions, then moved to the center of the corridor. As he reached the middle, dozens of doors lining both sides flew open all at once, and hordes of monsters poured out.
At the same moment, Taemin deployed Orb Blade and Room Blade, unleashing a merciless barrage on the oncoming horde. The blades shredded the monsters without mercy. Any that charged in were reduced to rags; any that tried to flee met the same fate. Even standing still, five or six monsters died every second.
The hunters watching this spectacle couldn't close their gaping mouths. The blades' erratic, ever-changing assaults were mesmerizing, but what blew their minds was the insane influx of experience points.
"This EXP is unreal..."
"I leveled up again. Just did a bit ago..."
"Is this for real?"
With EXP flooding in at tens to hundreds of thousands per second, they already felt like they'd hit A-rank, their original goal.
Even the A-rank hunters like Yoo Hyuk were buzzing with excitement. Normal party hunts took over a month per level, but at this pace and yield, they could level every other day.
The hunt dragged on for quite a while. As Taemin had warned, the second floor was a wave section—monsters kept spawning relentlessly until they stopped, blocking any advance.
How much time passed? The flood of monsters finally thinned to a countable few. The EXP intake dropped off sharply as a result.
Taemin cleanly dispatched the last stragglers and signaled the hunters to move to the next floor.
On the third floor, just like before, they spectated from the corner while Taemin handled the monsters. It looked easier than the second—fewer beasts overall. Cleanup was swift.
They breezed up to the fourth floor and arrived before a massive, enigmatic door.
"What is this? A door?"
"Check out those markings. Gives me bad vibes."
As the hunters eyed Taemin curiously, he gave a quick rundown on the stone door.
"First boss is beyond this. Lay a trap, and it's an easy kill. Stay relaxed, watch from the corner like before. Everyone, step back a bit. Gotta smash the door."
The hunters retreated over ten paces and watched intently. Taemin charged Assault and slammed the stone door.
Boom!
The explosive impact cracked one side, creating an opening.
"Let's go."
He led the way in, followed by the hunters. Gasps erupted from all around.
"Holy shit."
"What the hell is that?"
"Doratman?"
They were stunned by the colossal monster ahead. They'd heard about it, but this was ridiculously huge. The Kaiser and Stone Giant they knew were rookies by comparison.
"No way... something that big exists?"
"Insane."
"Cut the chatter, get tense. It does magic too."
"But that size... can the guild master handle it solo?"
They trusted Taemin, but this was surreal. Building-sized behemoth. Overwhelmed, they clustered in the corner, watching him anxiously.
Taemin, unlike them, showed no intimidation—radiating casual confidence.
No need to drag it out. Quick and clean.
With that thought, he activated Arrainba and charged Cerberus.
As he closed in, Cerberus gaped its massive maw and hurled magic. But Taemin, unscathed by lich barrages, wouldn't falter here. He dodged effortlessly, sprang onto its back mid-approach, went Invisible, and unleashed Assault straight into a head.
Crash!
One head crumpled, smashing into the floor. Rawr!! Cerberus bellowed in rage or pain, thrashing wildly. But the Chaos Trap held firm—higher-tier Death Knights couldn't escape before dying.
Taemin reset amid its howls, then drove Assassination between the remaining heads.
Whoosh! Boom!
A bigger explosion shattered them to bits. The trap faded; Cerberus's corpse dissolved into smoke.
The process seemed long, but it took under two minutes. Hunters marveled at the speed, then again at the EXP—ten million units, the highest ever from any monster they'd slain. The apparent endgame boss vanished too easily, leaving them dazed as they approached Taemin.
"Truly impressive, sir. Looked like a monster even at a glance."
Taemin responded to Yoo Hyuk's flattery with an awkward smile, then led them onward.
Floors five and six mirrored the prior ones—nothing novel. Still, the absurd EXP kept them glued to their status windows, tracking the gains.
They cleared five and six smoothly, reaching the seventh floor—the dungeon's final gate.
"Last one. Unlike the others, this guy's smart, so stay extra sharp. If the initial trap fails, it'll bolt everywhere—be ready. Blocking it is easy, but not its magic. Watch the magic attacks."
"Can we block if it comes our way?"
Taemin explained in detail to Yoo Hyuk's question.
"Area magic's tough, but distant shots? Force Armor handles it. Feels like fire-type from afar—watch, then spam water or ice to counter. And if—unlikely, but if—it gets close, don't engage or block. Scatter and evade. Area blast could wipe us."
"Suddenly tense..."
"Don't overdo it. That's worst-case. It'll end quick upfront—two minutes tops with a good setup."
Taemin ended with a thrust of Assault at the stone door, cracking an entry. He beckoned the hunters and stepped in.
A familiar voice echoed in his ear.
Can't let it see the others. Straight in.
The moment the Death Knight spoke, Taemin summoned a clone, went Invisible, and rushed it. Distracted by the clone, the Death Knight swung at the approaching lifeform.
A crescent of black energy slashed the clone.
Whoosh! Pop!
It flew five meters before crashing, but stood unfazed and advanced again.
The Death Knight muttered in surprise.
The answer came from behind.
"What else? Human."
Realizing too late, it tried to turn—but its feet stuck fast.
"Trap. Your grave."
While it struggled, Taemin waited for the hunters to cross. Once all were in, he slammed Assassination into it. A lucky crit triggered a massive explosion, obliterating the Death Knight—not just shattering it, but vaporizing every trace.
The hunters flinched at the roar upon entry but realized it was Taemin's doing. No monster visible, just EXP flowing in—the blast had sent it packing.
After max tension, the anticlimax hit hard. Taemin collected the Death Knight's drop and approached the stunned hunters.
"That's it for today's hunt."
Yoo Hyuk spoke with a hollow expression.
"What even happened? Ended the second we entered. Was braced for it."
"Had the setup ready in case of aggro. Everyone get the EXP?"
"Yeah, I was last in—everyone got it. Anyway, amazing every time. Prepped and waiting in that window? Mind-blowing."
"No big deal..."
As they chatted, Kim Hwan—quiet till now—approached with a grin and words of praise.
"Heh. No clue what went down, but good work. Being here shows you're the real deal—like the old guild master. Even among S-ranks, few top you."
"Not there yet. Long way to match them. Anyway, head back?"
"Let's."
"Cleared everything on the way. I'll dash you to the entrance—I'll cover the stragglers from behind. Fast ones, go first. Sin Dong-hyun, check levels on return."
"Understood."
"Great work today, everyone. Rest up."