Clash with the Chaos Knight
Jo Yong-seok approached Yoo Taejeong, who was in the middle of maintenance, and offered his thanks once more.
"Thank you."
"Just relax. We're on the same team anyway."
"How could I? You saved my life, and on top of that, I leveled up 18 times."
Jo Yong-seok meant every word. He'd already felt like he'd used up all his luck just surviving that ordeal—it had been a near miracle. And yet, not only had he lived, but he'd achieved this absurd growth spurt too. With the remaining stages still ahead, his ascent wasn't even over. Bowing at a full 90 degrees wasn't the least bit excessive.
But Taejeong saw it differently. He'd gotten a free ride on experience points all the way to stage 7 himself.
"It'd be great if I at least knew your name. That might be asking too much, though?"
Jo Yong-seok tossed the question out tentatively, gauging Taejeong's reaction. Taejeong responded with an awkward smile.
"I'm just used to going solo."
"Ah, I get it. I was just wondering what to call you. I'm Jo Yong-seok, by the way."
With him being so upfront, Taejeong couldn't hide his name any longer.
"Yoo Taejeong."
"Ah, so you're Yoo Taejeong. I'll call you Taejeong then."
"Call me whatever's comfortable. And one favor...?"
"Sure, anything."
"Once we get out of here, please don't talk about me if you can help it."
"Ah, don't worry about that. I've got a tight lip despite appearances. I'll make sure the team keeps quiet too."
"Thanks. I'm such an outsider, I hate drawing attention. Hunting alone quietly suits me better."
"I'd probably do the same if I were you. With skills like yours, no need to drag a train of people around."
Jo Yong-seok fully intended to keep his word. Breaking a promise to his lifesaver went against everything he stood for. That said, he wanted to build a connection with Taejeong. Knowing someone this exceptional carried massive weight on its own.
Time flowed on, and stage 10 began. Clearing it posed no real challenge. Same old monster types as before. With the horde dispatched in a flash, Taejeong finally faced the last stage.
30 minutes remaining until the Last Stage.
"30 minutes?"
Taejeong tilted his head and muttered. Jo Yong-seok, standing nearby, answered.
"The last one's probably the boss."
"Boss?"
"Yeah. Recall's finale is always the boss. That's why the timer gives you extra time compared to other stages."
"Ah, you've been here a lot, huh."
"Nah, second time for me. Guild briefs you on all this stuff... Do you have a guild? If not, ours is pretty good. Ever heard of Jenix Guild?"
Jenix Guild. The name didn't ring a bell for Taejeong. Truth be told, he only knew a handful of guilds—the mega-famous ones or those his porter buddies from back in the day had joined. Anything else? He tuned it out, so of course he was clueless.
"Eh, not really the type to pay attention to that stuff."
"Ah... fair enough. But seriously, think about it. Even if you're affiliated somewhere, with your level, our guild master could probably poach you. The perks would be insane."
"Appreciate the offer."
"Just mull it over... Oh, right. We should probably plan our strategy now."
"Strategy?"
"Last stage is the boss, so difficulty spikes hard. From experience, it's tricky for a one-DPS setup. Not that I doubt your skills, but teaming up makes it easier. I want to help, and my mana’s recovered anyway...?"
Jo Yong-seok glanced hesitantly, but Taejeong smiled reassuringly.
"I'll handle it solo to rack up some experience."
"You sure?"
"No big deal. I'll finish maintenance."
Taejeong said that and retreated to a corner away from the group.
"Hey, Gerard."
Yes, Master.
"Who's the boss here?"
The boss monster in Recall Dungeon is random, so I can't confirm it.
"No info at all?"
Traits vary, so I can't say until it's summoned. However, if it's melee-focused, it'll be a tough matchup.
"Melee, huh..."
Taejeong recalled the Asilius Plains from a few days back. The great warrior Asilius he'd faced there—the first melee monster to truly corner him. Before that, he hadn't worried much about melee types. He figured his DPS could overwhelm their weaknesses with sheer volume. And indeed, he'd shredded most melee mobs with ease, even packs that would've taken a full party.
But Asilius was different. Even with dozens of rounds per second, Taejeong couldn't pin it down. Simple reason: massive close-range mobility. Easy to aim from afar, but up close, one roll and it vanished from sight. The faster the enemy, the worse it got—his hands couldn't keep up.
Back then, I lacked experience. Weapons had limits too.
The plains fight suffered from inexperience and hardware constraints. Nothing but sniping had real range. But now? Totally different story. Multiple weapons with 100-meter reach, destruction and AOE leagues beyond back then. Hit it the second it spawned from the portal? Done.
His rough calculations done, with 10 minutes left, he approached Jo Yong-seok's back.
"Better head outside the entrance."
"Outside?"
"Can't guarantee you won't get caught in the crossfire."
Jo Yong-seok tilted his head briefly, then nodded in understanding and led his team out. Now the stone chamber was all Taejeong's. No holds barred on spraying lead or unleashing barrages.
Moments later, the battle imminent message appeared.
1 minute remaining.
"Gerard, mark coordinates right in front of the portal."
Yes, Master.
Gerard locked on at Taejeong's command. Shoulder cannons zeroed in perfectly. He'd even gripped an RPG-7 in his hands—three shots to end it for good.
Come on out.
He glared at the portal. Not for long.
The Last Stage begins.
Something took form in the portal amid the message. It shifted to purple, revealing a knight in armor.
Tiny compared to the portal. Taejeong pulled the trigger.
Fire.
Thud! Whoosh! Ping—!
Warheads streaked with distinct whistles, slamming the portal in an instant.
BOOM! KABOOM!
The chamber filled with dust from the colossal blasts. Impressive explosion, but no death chime. Alert that it lived, Taejeong swapped to the M60 and called Gerard.
"What is that thing?"
Chaos Knight Zarba. Humanoid monster with fast speed and high defense.
"Weak point?"
The neck.
"Neck?"
Taejeong etched Gerard's words in his mind and unleashed the M60 in all directions.
RATTA-TAT-TAT! TA-TA-TA!
Dozens of rounds per second ravaged everything. A seamless storm of light—no gaps. Impossible to dodge anywhere. But no matter how much he poured it on, Zarba stayed hidden.
"Gerard, where is it?"
This is a special dungeon, so long-range tracking is difficult.
"Not dead yet?"
Correct.
Unease flickered as he dumped firepower without reaction. Something should've stirred by now. How much longer did he blaze away?
Above.
"What?"
Taejeong's head snapped up. A purple mass plummeted. He kicked off the ground in pursuit.
Whoosh! Something whistled past his chest—a terrifying slash. Zarba's sword. Silver armor suit gleamed through the torn shirt. One slip, and he'd be bisected.
A new tension gripped him. Zarba, first strike nullified, unleashed a barrage. Taejeong rolled five times to evade the fury. But he wasn't just defending. Dozens of rounds met Zarba's charges—at least a dozen connected.
Ping! Ping—! Ping-ping!
Bullets ricocheted everywhere, scattering like rain on glass. Taejeong realized: this thing was no pushover. Untouched, impervious. Rock-solid durability.
Gauging its defense, he stowed the M60 and drew the flamethrower—the star of the Asilius fight. If energy rounds bounced, maybe fire would stick.
Whoosh! Zarba lunged again. Taejeong dodged by a hair and yanked the trigger with all his might.
ROARRR!
Zarba, charging blindly, engulfed in flames. Success? Nah—it burst through, sword slicing diagonally.
Knew it.
Half-expecting it, he dodged left, Vulcan on his right arm aimed at the neck. Then—
Thud!
"Gah!"
Zarba's kick slammed his gut. Taejeong flew back, breath cut off. Sword? Sure—but a kick in that spot? Unthought-of.
No time to gasp on the floor—Zarba closed in, sword descending. Taejeong spun right, rose, swapped to RPG-7. One shot to settle it. Then Gerard's warning blared.
Firing at this range is dangerous.
"Dangerous? How much?"
Suit protects the body, but your head will be obliterated without a trace.