Dungeon Chain (3)
The Crystal Queen yanked her foreleg free from the ground where it had been lodged. The creature stared straight at me, its mandibles clicking and clacking violently.
Crack!
Just hearing that sound was enough to send chills racing across my entire body. I glanced up at the ceiling again. What had looked like a star-filled sky wasn’t only made of small embedded gemstones. There were also massive clusters of crystal that reminded me of a chandelier.
I kept my eyes fixed on that particular section.
That was when the monster let out a piercing shriek.
Kiiiiiiiaaaaak—!
At the same moment, the Crystal Queen Arachne charged toward me at terrifying speed. It raised both forelegs high and slammed them down!
Whoosh!
I rolled across the ground to dodge the attack, then drove my sword straight into its soft underbelly.
Shhhk!
A normal dagger wouldn’t have even scratched it, but the blade coated in my attribute was something else entirely. The hazy sword energy twisted into the creature’s abdomen like a circular saw. Thick, greenish blood sprayed everywhere.
Kieeeeeeet!
The monster’s scream echoed throughout the entire cavern. An eye for an eye, right? While the Crystal Queen thrashed wildly in rage, I pulled out a Hunter Mining Bomb.
It was finally time to start the real plan. I wasn’t going to do something stupid like throwing the bomb at the crystal clusters on the ceiling. I only had one bomb, after all. It had to be used in the perfect spot.
I pressed myself against the wall and shouted to lure the Crystal Queen toward me.
“Over here, you spider bastard!”
The moment it heard my voice, the Crystal Queen twisted its body. Countless compound eyes began flashing red. The sight was so horrifying that just meeting its gaze made my spine crawl.
That was when it charged straight at me!
Booom!
I ducked low and avoided the monster’s body slam. The impact triggered a powerful tremor inside the cave.
Rumble rumble rumble.
Watching the sand dust on the floor scatter from the vibration, I lifted my head. That was exactly when its foreleg moved again!
I ran along the wall to dodge the attack. So far, so good… until—
Bang! Bang! Bang—!
The Crystal Queen chased after me, relentlessly swinging its forelegs. Every strike gouged deep, violent grooves into the walls and floor. The shockwaves caused the massive crystal clusters hanging from the ceiling to shake—subtly at first, but unmistakably.
Confirming the sight, I moved toward the center of the chamber. The Crystal Queen turned to follow. With every heavy step it took, the crystal mass above it cracked a little more.
I stopped directly beneath it and caught my breath.
“Huff… huff…!”
From here on, I’d need a bit of luck.
Kyaaaaat—!
At that moment, the Crystal Queen raised both forelegs and rushed at me. I drew a fresh sword, preparing for its attack. Hazy sword energy rose from the blade.
Unique Skill, 'Swordsmanship lv.1' activated.
The Crystal Queen brought its forelegs crashing down right then!
Clang!
I blocked the attack with both hands gripping the sword. Of course, I could never win a direct contest of strength. That was why I had prepared a secret trump card for exactly this moment.
Blessing, 'Fighting Spirit' activated.
Strength increased by an additional 3 for 5 minutes!
Ughhhhhh!
My muscles began pumping all over my body, but it still wasn’t enough. The Crystal Queen Arachne pushed me back with raw power even while I was under the Fighting Spirit effect. But that was all within my calculations.
That was when I pulled my sword free!
Booom!
With its center of gravity thrown forward, the monster stomped hard into the ground. The shock traveled through the floor and upward…
Crack!
The enormous crystal cluster on the ceiling split apart!
Bang!
Kyaaaaat—!
The chandelier-like mass crashed down, striking the Arachne dead center. Its neck bent backward at a grotesque angle. But I knew this alone wouldn’t be enough to kill it. That was why I had prepared the next step.
I looked at the now-immobile Crystal Queen’s gaping maw. Between its two sharp mandibles, I could see straight down its throat. I hurled the bomb inside.
“Die already.”
No matter how tough your outer shell is, your insides are still soft, right?
Its throat slowly began to swell, then split open from within.
Booom!
I covered my ears. Even so, a loud ringing still echoed in them.
Beeeep—
That was when the familiar narrator’s voice returned.
Surprise Mission completed.
Acquired 1,000 points as reward.
Acquired 'A-rank Key' as additional reward!
I let out a long breath.
“Huuuuh—”
Just when I thought it was finally over, another notification rang out.
Constellation, 'Maestro of Beating' is extremely satisfied with your bloody battle.
Has sponsored 300 points.
Constellation, 'Muscle Pain Lover' has sponsored an additional 300 points for your blockbuster performance!
Amid the blood-scented smoke, I slowly opened my eyes. Shattered chunks of the monster’s flesh were scattered everywhere. Ugh… just looking at it made my stomach turn. The Crystal Queen’s torso in particular was split wide open, its insides completely exposed. It was utterly grotesque.
Still, a hunter had to get used to monster corpses. I walked straight toward the remains to collect the final reward. Even though there was only one thing I could actually take.
◈ Type: Loot
◈ Price: ???
◈ Description: A crystal ore obtained from the Crystal Queen Arachne. It possesses the ability to interfere with the user's mind.
◈ Durability: 1
Queen’s Crystal, huh… This was my first time obtaining a boss’s loot. I couldn’t hide the smile spreading across my face. If I put it up for auction, I could probably make a decent amount of money. There were plenty of hunters and blacksmiths who needed something like this. If that didn’t work out, I could always just sell it at the Celestial Shop.
Anyway.
I glanced to the side. Low groaning sounds were starting to reach my ears.
“Ugh…”
“W-where are we?”
With the Crystal Queen Arachne’s death, the hypnosis it had placed on them had finally been lifted. Yu Hae-rin and the glasses guy were waking up, grimacing. They were still half-dazed, but they’d probably sort themselves out in about five minutes.
The problem was Park Dong-soo.
“Uhh…”
He still hadn’t shaken off the zombie-like state. He had taken the mental attack from the Arachne at the closest range for the longest time. Hmm.
I walked over to him. Blood was trickling from his ears, and it looked like he’d lost a lot of hair. It would probably take a long time for him to fully recover… but what could I do? Surviving was already something to be grateful for.
“Right, Dong-soo?”
“Ughhh…”
That was when I sensed something suspicious.
Shhhhhk—
Black fog began swallowing us once again. Since we had defeated the boss of the second rift, the Dungeon Chain was finally over. I closed my eyes and let the smoke take me.
*
Outside the rift, Hunter Kim was waiting alone. The other students had already been sent back to the academy, leaving only him to guard the gate.
That was when the chairman of the Volcanic Guild, Do Dong-il, came running in a panic.
“What the hell happened here?!”
Hunter Kim answered with a face that looked like he was on the verge of death.
“It seems they got caught up in a Dungeon Chain.”
“How many?”
“Four. And one of them is… President Yu Jong-yun’s daughter…”
“What?”
Do Dong-il’s eyes widened. Even though Dungeon Chains were considered natural disasters, the families of the students involved were all incredibly powerful. If things went badly, the Volcanic Guild could lose not only its honor but its very existence.
Finally, Do Dong-il loosened his tie and said,
“Then let’s hurry up and take down the boss of the first rift. Quickly!”
All the guild members nodded. Right at that moment, the rift began to activate again.
“S-someone’s coming out!”
Just as someone shouted, people were indeed emerging from inside. The first to appear was Yu Hae-rin. Behind her, the glasses guy struggled out while carrying Park Dong-soo on his back.
Do Dong-il didn’t feel relieved yet. One person was still missing…
Then the rift activated once more, and the last student finally stepped out. It was a male student carrying a massive backpack.
Someone cheered loudly.
“Everyone survived!”
Only after hearing those words could Do Dong-il finally let out a sigh of relief. He felt like half his lifespan had been shaved off. He had nearly been forced into an ignominious retirement.
A moment later, Do Dong-il raised his head again.
“By the way, who’s that student?”
“Pardon?”
“The male student who came out last.”
“Ah, you mean Ha Yeonjun? He’s the porter we brought along this time.”
“Porter?”
Do Dong-il took another look at the student named Ha Yeonjun. He didn’t look like a porter at all… Seeing the fierce spirit in the boy’s eyes, Do Dong-il felt something unusual.
*
I was the first to climb onto the bus that had been prepared in advance. The others were being bombarded with endless questions, but I wasn’t. The one talking the most was, of course, the glasses guy. He was bragging that he was the one who had defeated the boss of the second rift… Yeah, sure. Your nose is gonna grow, dude.
Park Dong-soo, who was in bad shape, was taken away in an ambulance. Yu Hae-rin was surrounded by numerous officials taking care of her condition. The scene looked exactly like…
“An idol fan meeting?”
That was when a new narrator’s voice rang out. This time it was a sharp, prickly tone.
Ding.
Anonymous Constellation is showing (fucking) strong interest in you!
But something about the atmosphere felt off…
Anonymous Constellation has passed the broadcaster qualification review!
Constellation, '……' has 'intruded' into your broadcast!
Some weirdo had just entered my stream.