Condensed Thunder (1)
Myeongga Guild was one of the five largest guilds in South Korea, wielding considerable influence. It couldn't compare to White Burn, but within the domestic hunter industry, it still commanded a fair amount of respect.
Kim Se-jeong assumed Jang Lee-hyun had been drawn in by that very reputation. His attitude had become far too friendly compared to their first meeting.
“……So according to what you’re saying, Se-jeong-nim, a raid party of around fifteen people entered, only to be wiped out by something called the Sammae Sinpung?”
“It wasn’t a complete wipeout. They never even got to fight the boss properly.”
“My apologies if that offended you.”
“Ah, no. I was the one who spoke too sharply.”
Jang Lee-hyun finished organizing his thoughts.
‘They still don’t know anything about Sun Wukong’s myth.’
Myeongga had only dispatched the raid party because a temporary gate had suddenly appeared within their jurisdiction. They hadn’t come deliberately hunting for myths or relics.
‘Still, it looks like they noticed something was off.’
Even so, the raid party had been devastated by the dungeon’s harsh environment. Most of them had melted away in the desert heat they’d thought they could simply endure.
They had eventually uncovered the dungeon’s secret and somehow reached the boss stage, but—
‘They were annihilated before they could even clash with the boss.’
All because of the Sammae Sinpung.
The source of the dry wind that swept through the entire dungeon. The Sammae Sinpung was a poisonous gale that stole the life of any living being it touched. Even the young Sun Wukong had suffered at its hands, so it was only natural that an unprepared raid party would collapse.
Thud!
Jang Lee-hyun cut Kim Se-jeong’s bindings with his dagger and handed her a potion he had brought along.
“Catch your breath, then let’s move in immediately. If the boss has them detained, we don’t have much time.”
Kim Se-jeong asked cautiously.
“What about your other companions……?”
“There aren’t any. I came alone.”
“You…… came here by yourself?”
Kim Se-jeong’s expression brightened slightly, wondering if Jang Lee-hyun might be a ranker-level powerhouse. But—
“I’m a pathfinder. Whenever I have spare time, I explore and record unknown dungeons like this.”
“……Ah.”
A flicker of disappointment crossed her face at the words he had casually tossed out. In the hunter industry, where pathfinders were poorly treated, Myeongga Guild was especially notorious for looking down on them.
Yet Kim Se-jeong quickly composed herself again. If someone could explore a dangerous dungeon like this alone, they had to be an exceptional pathfinder. That meant they might still be able to find a way through the chaotic Hwangpung Ridge despite the Sammae Sinpung.
‘As long as I can save the captain, everything will be fine after that. If the pathfinder makes any strange demands, I can just discard him then.’
Perhaps because her mind had settled, Kim Se-jeong could now assess Jang Lee-hyun more objectively. The mass-produced light armor that only poor hunters wore, armed with nothing but a kukri and hand axes—he truly looked like someone who had come to explore, not to attempt a raid.
He appeared to be a freelancer with no affiliation, so there would be no issues if she discarded him the moment variables arose.
“Then I’ll be counting on you. Please make sure to mention this to the captain and the guild master……”
“Just call me the pathfinder.”
“I’ll make sure to speak well of you to them. Thank you again.”
Jang Lee-hyun had already seen through Kim Se-jeong’s sinister intentions, but he simply nodded as if he didn’t know, accepting her thanks.
You have entered the Boss Stage.
“It certainly looks dangerous.”
“Yes. It’s quite…… large.”
Jang Lee-hyun and Kim Se-jeong stood before a narrow gorge between high cliffs. It was just wide enough for a single person to pass through, and the fierce gorge winds carrying sand obscured their vision.
Combat Sense (E) warns you not to approach any further!
Kim Se-jeong swallowed dryly. The memory of barely escaping while leaving her comrades behind a few hours ago resurfaced.
“Then, as we discussed, I’ll open the way first. Se-jeong-nim, stay hidden and rescue your comrades the moment you see an opportunity.”
“I’ll rescue them as quickly as possible and come back. Please hold on for a bit.”
When Jang Lee-hyun nodded with a faint smile, Kim Se-jeong activated the skill embedded in her ring.
Eodukseoni’s Footsteps.
Whoosh……!
Kim Se-jeong gradually faded, buried beneath the blowing sandstorm, until her presence completely vanished.
Jang Lee-hyun had watched the entire process.
The Relic: Hwaan Geumjeong is observing the target’s skill in greater detail!
Observation result: Dark-attribute mana rotates around the caster, erasing their existence and presence.
‘Rotation…… so it’s rotation.’
The clue to Eungroe that Jang Lee-hyun had glimpsed lay right there.
‘Come to think of it, when Sun Wukong first created Eungroe, he condensed lightning in a spiral while drawing a vortex, didn’t he?’
Reinterpreting the concept of Eungroe based on observation results.
‘Of course, simply twisting lightning in a spiral direction has its limits when it comes to attraction. There are also limits to mental power. But if I utilize the electromagnetic field property where negative and positive poles attract each other, then it should be easier……’
You have comprehended the Law of the Spiral. Refining the concept of Eungroe by utilizing electromagnetic fields.
Hwaan Geumjeong is assisting the reinterpretation by providing additional observation results.
You have acquired the concept of Eungroe.
Connecting Dueogsini’s Breath (C) with the concept of Eungroe.
Jang Lee-hyun’s Hwaan Geumjeong sank deeply.
「That’s right. If you merely imitate me, you’ll only become a second Sun Wukong at best. Maintaining the identity of ‘Jang Lee-hyun’ as a human will be difficult.」
Sun Wukong was pleased by his temporary apostle’s efforts to solve problems on his own without relying on him.
Thud!
Right then, Jang Lee-hyun began to move. The rough sandstorm obscured his vision.
You have entered the Boss Room ‘Hwangpung Ridge.’
Hwangpung Ridge was originally a small kingdom ruled by the demon ‘Hwangpunggoe.’ A deathly wind blows across the gorge, and it is known to devour those who cross the desert.
■■■■ also suffered fatal eye damage from the Sammae Sinpung (Threefold Divine Wind) raised by Hwangpunggoe while passing through here in his youth.
Overcome the interference of the Sammae Sinpung and defeat Hwangpunggoe. A magnificent oasis awaits you beyond.
『Be careful! The Sammae Sinpung is extremely dangerous…… Huh?』
Kim Se-jeong, her existence and presence erased, followed Jang Lee-hyun from a few steps behind.
The plan the two had discussed was simple. While Jang Lee-hyun drew the boss’s attention by opening the way, Kim Se-jeong would move directly to where her comrades were imprisoned. If they rescued them and regrouped, they could raid Hwangpunggoe.
But plans were just plans. Kim Se-jeong intended to abandon Jang Lee-hyun immediately if he lost his way or failed to break through the Sammae Sinpung.
Contrary to her concerns, however, Jang Lee-hyun was navigating the Sammae Sinpung with ease.
‘He already prepared countermeasures, huh? Then there’s no need to worry about this side……. Where is the captain?’
While Kim Se-jeong was astonished that they could pass through the Sammae Sinpung’s interference so well—something the entire raid party had struggled with—she exerted all her strength to find where her comrades were being held.
Just then—
Zing! Zing!
The radio bracelet connected to her comrades rang.
『Kim Deputy? Kim Deputy? Did you bring a rescue team……!』
Though filled with static, it was unmistakably her comrades’ voices. They weren’t far.
Kim Se-jeong broke away from Jang Lee-hyun and headed in that direction.
Whoosh!
* * *
‘She’s gone?’
Only after confirming that Kim Se-jeong’s presence had completely vanished could Jang Lee-hyun finally release the lightning energy he had been suppressing.
In truth, the Sammae Sinpung had been unable to harm him since he entered the gorge.
Crackle! Crackle!
Eungroe had been activated.
Applying the acquired concept to the skill.
Dueogsini’s Breath (C) begins utilizing the released rage in a new way.
Jang Lee-hyun allowed only a very small amount of lightning energy to flow across his skin. The lightning connected with itself. The energy that tried to escape outward twisted into a spiral, using his body as its center of gravity. As a result, extremely thin threads of lightning energy began spinning around his body like a reel of thread.
An artificially created force field.
The protective barrier formed by Eungroe completely blocked the Sammae Sinpung.
Crackle-crackle-crackle!!
You have comprehended Eungroe!
Dueogsini’s Breath (C)’s sub-skill ‘Dueogsini’s Collar’ has been born.
Dueogsini’s Collar (-)
Clothing woven tightly from threads of lightning drawn from Dueogsini’s rage. Protects the body from external impacts.
- Type: Sub-skill.
- Proficiency: 7%
‘Collar, huh.’
Jang Lee-hyun quite liked the sub-skill’s name. It meant he had created clothing sturdy and light enough for the Goblin King Dueogsini to wear.
Though there were still many points to improve due to low proficiency, this alone was an enormous achievement. Now he could activate Zeus’s Diovis with this as the foundation!
Crackle-crackle-crackle!
Jang Lee-hyun drew out the Dueokshin’s Teeth, blazing with blue-white lightning. Perhaps because he had embedded Eungroe within it, the heat and destructive power it contained were incomparable to before.
And then—
He hurled the axe with all his might to one side.
Whoosh—
BOOM!
Dueogsini’s Rage has erupted!
As if Dueogsini were fiercely slamming down an axe bundled with lightning, a bolt of lightning struck the ground where the hand axe had landed. An enormous thunderclap followed, scattering the sand fog that had obscured their vision.
Dueogsini’s Rage
Lightning condensed from Dueogsini’s rage. The more intense the emotion of anger, the greater the power.
- Type: Sub-skill.
- Proficiency: 11%
Standing there was the boss monster with the appearance of a giant rat—Hwangpunggoe. The axe had narrowly embedded itself in the staff Hwangpunggoe held.
The trembling force seemed to indicate just how much power had been loaded into the axe.
「Whoa, that guy’s face is as ugly as ever. Makes you want to smack him one.」
Sun Wukong, who had already moved a good distance away from Jang Lee-hyun, grinned as he looked at the creature.
The collision between the temporary apostle and his old nemesis. It was almost a shame there was no popcorn.
Of course, the Hwangpunggoe here was merely an old ‘remnant’ left in a fragment of the story, so it couldn’t truly be called the real Hwangpunggoe. Still, since it wasn’t an opponent Jang Lee-hyun could defeat right away, Sun Wukong was curious to see what strategy he would attempt.
‘This will clearly show whether the kid’s hardships so far were pointless or genuine effort.’
While Sun Wukong watched the battle with keen interest—
Flash!
Hwangpunggoe instinctively stepped back, gritting its teeth. It had barely managed to dodge the lightning, but it was greatly shocked that Jang Lee-hyun had discovered it.
“The humans who came earlier were just stupid, but you, who came this time, seem capable of thinking at least!”
Hwangpunggoe wore a wicked smile and tapped the ground with the staff in its hand.
Thud!
Whoosh!
The sandstorm grew much fiercer.
“I’ll bury you completely!”
The Sammae Sinpung lashed out as if it would devour Jang Lee-hyun immediately. The sandy ground rose violently, surging toward him like a tidal wave.
But Jang Lee-hyun did not dodge.
Instead, he pushed his output even harder. He had been cautious when using Eungroe, but after handling it a few times, he felt he now understood how to utilize it properly.
Crackle-crackle-crackle!
‘This collar isn’t just for defense. It can be used offensively as well—in fact, its true value shines even more when used for attack.’
Jang Lee-hyun reinforced Dueogsini’s Collar to its limit and charged forward. It was like watching an enraged bull trying to break through a wall of sand.
Combat Sense (E)’s function has been activated! Proficiency has risen dramatically, advancing to C-rank in one go.
Understanding of Dueogsini’s Collar has increased.
When it came to handling weapons, Jang Lee-hyun’s senses had once been the best even in Cheongroe. While controlling Dueogsini’s Collar with Combat Sense, he combined it with the achievements he had accumulated so far, amplifying its effects several times over.
Heat Resistance (E) has risen to D-rank. You can now better withstand the heat of the Sammae Sinpung.
Paralysis Resistance (E) has risen to D-rank. You can now repel the poison of the Sammae Sinpung.
Dueogsini’s Collar collides with the Sammae Sinpung’s tidal wave!
BOOOOM!!
Jang Lee-hyun shattered the sand tidal wave with his entire body and reached right in front of Hwangpunggoe’s face in an instant.
“……!!”
Before the startled Hwangpunggoe could react, he swiftly swung the axe in his left hand.
Crack!
SPLAT!
“KAAAAAK! My arm! My aaaaaarm!”
Hwangpunggoe’s arm, which had been holding the staff, flew into the air while gushing blood like a fountain.
「……!?」
Sun Wukong stared with his mouth agape at his old nemesis, who had become an armless cripple in an instant.
But—
“Tsk, my aim was off.”
Jang Lee-hyun clicked his tongue lightly, as if disappointed. He had aimed for the head originally. Because it was his first time using Eungroe, the recoil had been too strong and he had missed.
Well, he just wouldn’t make the same mistake from the second attempt onward.
Whoosh!
BOOM!
Jang Lee-hyun attempted his second axe strike.
Dueogsini’s Rage has erupted!