Condensed Lightning (2)
The thunder roared. Boom. Rumble. Crash!
Kim Se-jeong had been sprinting toward her teammates when she suddenly froze at the deafening crack of thunder erupting from behind her.
It had definitely come from the spot where Jang Lee-hyun had fallen.
‘Did he already run into the boss monster?’
She’d acknowledged that his skills were decent, but she hadn’t expected him to move this fast.
‘I need to hurry.’
The faster Lee-hyun got taken out, the less time she’d have to rescue her comrades.
Fortunately, the place where her teammates were being held wasn’t far.
A building made of stacked bricks came into view. She smashed the locked door open with brute force.
Bang!
“Deputy Kim?”
“It really is Deputy Kim!”
“I knew you’d come through, damn it!”
Inside were five of her comrades, locked up tight. Their faces lit up with relief the moment they saw her.
“Just a second! I’ll get those handcuffs off you!”
Kim Se-jeong immediately went to the raid leader, Heo Se-un, and used her dagger to break his restraints first. Thankfully, they were only designed for magic suppression—their durability was pathetically low.
“Deputy Kim, what the hell happened? Did you already bring a rescue team?”
When the raid party had been lost inside the Threefold Divine Wind, the rest of the team had focused on getting Kim Se-jeong out of the stage. With her stealth abilities, bringing back reinforcements would drastically raise their survival odds.
They had already judged that this dungeon’s difficulty had reached 2-star just from dealing with the Threefold Divine Wind.
But—
“No. I hired a guide.”
“A… guide?”
The expressions around her were blank with confusion. Kim Se-jeong continued.
“I ran into a solo explorer who was mapping this dungeon right before the boss stage. I hired him on the spot.”
“…!”
“And that’s how I got here.”
While freeing the rest of her comrades from their restraints, she explained how she had met Lee-hyun and how he had brought her this far.
“A mere guide?”
“Does that even make sense?”
Heo Se-un might not be as strong as his older brother, the guild master, but he was still a high-ranking B+ hunter on the verge of taking the A-rank exam. Even he had struggled with this dungeon. The idea that some random guide had walked through it alone was almost impossible to believe.
“Maybe he’s got other teammates hiding somewhere and he’s planning to stab us in the back?”
The rest of the party was openly skeptical, but Heo Se-un’s eyes had grown serious.
“You said he found the Yellow Wind Monster right away?”
Kim Se-jeong swallowed nervously at the sudden tension in his voice.
“…Yes.”
“Can we trust him?”
“Judging by his appearance, he looked like a freelancer.”
“So even if something goes wrong, there won’t be any messy aftermath?”
“Exactly. That’s why I signed a contract with him on the spot.”
“What were the terms?”
“He agreed to help us after the rescue was finished.”
“Hmm…”
Heo Se-un fell silent, a habit of his whenever he was deep in thought. Kim Se-jeong glanced at him, then turned to another teammate.
“By the way…”
“You want to know what happened to the others, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Right after we sent you out, the boss monster showed up. The damage was brutal. The captain managed to wound it, but the situation was too unfavorable. Everyone was already half-crazed from the Threefold Divine Wind.”
Kim Se-jeong pressed her lips tightly together. The hunter who had been speaking let out a heavy sigh.
“I still can’t figure out what that thing is thinking. It locked us up instead of killing us. It feels like it has some use for us… Maybe it’s planning to use us as sacrifices?”
That was exactly what Kim Se-jeong had been wondering too. From the beginning, the boss monster had seemed more interested in subduing them than slaughtering them outright.
‘If it had wanted us dead from the start, we wouldn’t have even made it this far.’
Her thoughts naturally drifted toward Lee-hyun, who was currently fighting the Yellow Wind Monster.
‘Then what’s going to happen to that guide?’
She was about to ask another question when Heo Se-un spoke first.
“For now, everyone rest and recover. After that, we’ll head toward the Yellow Wind Monster—slowly.”
Kim Se-jeong’s eyes widened in shock.
“We’re not going to support him…?”
“He’s a freelancer, isn’t he? Weren’t you planning to use him as bait from the beginning?”
“Well, yes, but…”
Kim Se-jeong’s voice trailed off. She didn’t feel any guilt. She had seen and done far worse things while working for the Myeongga Guild.
But something still felt off.
It didn’t feel right to just abandon the guide like this. Maybe it was because of that thunder she had heard earlier—something she thought she would never hear inside this dungeon.
Yet Heo Se-un was firm.
“We still don’t know what the Yellow Wind Monster’s goal is. We can figure it out by watching how it treats the guide.”
The other hunters nodded in agreement.
“If that guide is actually skilled, he might be able to wound the monster a little. If things go south, we can strike from behind and steal the rewards. There’s no need to rush in recklessly.”
Heo Se-un was a man who pursued extreme efficiency. He was ruthless enough to abandon even his own teammates if it served his purpose.
“Who knows? Maybe watching him fight will reveal the secret behind the Threefold Divine Wind.”
“Haha. As expected, Captain, your insight is unmatched. Truly.”
“Maybe the guide has some pathfinding skill? Or perhaps a holy relic?”
“A guide with something like that? Still, he might have some decent items. I’m actually getting excited now. After all this suffering, the boss rewards should be incredible.”
“Hehehe. I thought we were done for. Looks like a pumpkin just rolled in on the vine, huh?”
At that moment, every hunter—including Heo Se-un—had greed glittering in their eyes.
Gulp.
In the end, even Kim Se-jeong swallowed her unease and went along with the mood.
“Then let’s all get ready. Also, search the area for any items the boss monster might have left behind. We move out in thirty minutes.”
“Order confirmed.”
“Confirmed.”
“Confirmed!”
While everyone else was laughing and chatting excitedly, Kim Se-jeong alone could not shake the lingering discomfort in her chest.
Jang Lee-hyun was locked in a fierce battle with the Yellow Wind Monster.
Rumble! Rumble! Rrrrrumble…!
Dueogsini’s Rage strikes!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Where the axe, saturated with blue-white lightning, struck, an enormous pillar of sand shot into the sky.
The destructive power had increased by about twenty percent compared to before.
Yet the mana consumption had dropped to less than fifty percent.
This time, Lee-hyun finally understood.
‘The way I’ve been using Dueogsini’s Breath until now was completely wrong.’
It couldn’t possibly be this efficient otherwise.
Dueogsini’s Breath (C) proficiency has risen dramatically.
Mana has increased by 1.
Intelligence has increased by 2.
Shhhhhh—
Lee-hyun closed the distance on the Yellow Wind Monster, which kept trying to retreat.
“Stop following me, you damn human! You’re disgusting! Just die already!”
The monster formed hand seals with its remaining left hand, desperately summoning sandstorms, but—
Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting!
Every single gust and tidal wave of sand was deflected by the barrier created by Dueogsini’s Collar.
No matter how deadly the Threefold Divine Wind was against an entire raid party, it was useless if it couldn’t even touch its target.
In terms of compatibility, Lee-hyun was already the natural predator of the Yellow Wind Monster.
“Grrrrr!”
For the monster, this was pure insanity. It had been overjoyed at the sudden abundance of new sacrifices, only to encounter an unforeseen nemesis.
First, it needed to shake off this persistent human.
It formed more hand seals. Blood still poured from the severed right shoulder where its arm had been blown off earlier.
Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!
Yellow Mirage
In an instant, nine illusory clones of the Yellow Wind Monster appeared around it and charged at Lee-hyun. Each one looked identical but wielded different weapons—swords, spears, hammers.
“Die!!”
“What a pathetic trick.”
Boom! Boom!
Lee-hyun didn’t slow down. He used the two axes in his hands with perfect precision. The left axe deflected attacks like a shield while the right axe unleashed continuous lightning strikes.
Crackle! Crackle!
Every time Dueogsini’s Rage exploded, at least one clone—sometimes as many as three—shattered into pieces. The lightning that struck the ground spread outward in concentric circles, and—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The desert terrain itself acted like a conductor, spreading the lightning even farther.
In the end, none of the nine illusions could stop Lee-hyun’s charge.
Whoosh!
“…!!”
The Yellow Wind Monster’s face turned deathly pale. Lee-hyun had closed in so fast that it could now hear his breathing.
“Try blocking this one too. It won’t be as easy this time.”
Lee-hyun grinned, baring his fangs. The battle-crazed Dueogshini had fully awakened.
Rumble!
Dueogsini’s Rage strikes!
The blue-white lightning reached the monster’s forehead in the blink of an eye. The shadow of the axe completely covered its face.
I’m going to die.
That single thought flashed through the Yellow Wind Monster’s mind first.
In the end, it had no choice but to play its final hidden card.
“Damn it…! I really didn’t want to use this! Since you’ve forced me into this state, I will definitely kill you!!”
This was why the Yellow Wind Monster had imprisoned Heo Se-un’s raid party.
This was why it had captured every human who accidentally entered the Yellow Wind Ridge instead of killing them outright.
Gooooooo—!
Phase 2 has begun!
The Yellow Wind Monster retracts all Threefold Divine Wind spread across the Yellow Wind Ridge and the Yellow Desert.
It offers the life force it has absorbed as a sacrifice.
The sand beneath the monster surged upward and enveloped its body. Dueogsini’s Rage struck nothing but empty sand.
Rumble!
At the same time, a massive earthquake shook the dunes. A colossal sand giant rose into the sky, blotting out the sun.
‘This was something I only planned to use when I finally found the bastards who trapped me here…!’
“Do you know what I’ve noticed about every boss monster I’ve fought so far?”
The sand giant version of the Yellow Wind Monster couldn’t finish its sentence.
Lee-hyun was already standing right in front of its face.
Too fast. Far too fast.
“The ones who talk the most are always the weakest.”
Flash!
Rumble!
A bolt of lightning savagely tore across the sand giant’s eyes.
‘Kaaaaaaaagh! Kaaaaaaaaaagh!’
Groooooooar!
Sand exploded outward. Chunks of sand poured from the giant’s eyes like bloody tears mixed with shredded flesh.
Tap.
Having blown away a third of the giant’s face, Lee-hyun landed on its shoulder and laughed coldly.
“I don’t get it. The bigger you get, the more targets you give me to hit.”
From that point on, it was nothing but a one-sided massacre.
Boom! Boom!
‘How…!’
Lightning rains down! The boss monster is being overwhelmingly suppressed!
Bang!
‘Like this…!’
The boss monster attempts Phase 3!
Dueogsini’s Specter activates and forcibly cancels the transformation!
The sand giant collapses from the backlash!
Rumble!
‘How… can you use lightning… like a heavenly god…?’
Shhhhhhh—
Every time blue-white lightning flashed, the sand giant was mercilessly beaten down. In the end, it crumbled like a sandcastle swept away by the tide.
All that remained in the wake of the collapsing sand was the Yellow Wind Monster, now reduced to a tattered wreck barely recognizable as its original form.
“You… what the hell… are you…!”
Lee-hyun appeared above the monster’s one remaining eye, axe resting on his shoulder.
He whispered softly so only the monster could hear.
“The disciple of the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal.”
“You! The one who imprisoned me—!”
Thud!
Lee-hyun drove the axe straight into the Yellow Wind Monster’s skull. Its head shattered, and a message window appeared.
You have successfully solo-killed the boss monster!
Conquest Rate: 99.1%
You have obtained the title Butcher.
Your overwhelming martial prowess has drawn the attention of the Logos (λόγος) who crave power and combat.
The Logos who once abandoned you in disappointment are beginning to take interest again.
……
As additional reward for your overwhelming conquest, you have obtained ■■■■’s karma.
Your rank has risen. All stats have increased by 10.
……
Find the hidden oasis in the boss stage and complete the remaining quest.
Lee-hyun swept back his sweat- and dust-soaked bangs and smiled brightly.
It had been so long since he had cleared a dungeon solo. The satisfaction was immense.
Finally, he felt confident that he could truly begin. The senses from his prime were still vivid within him.
‘Status window.’
Lee-hyun was extremely satisfied with both the stats he had accumulated while clearing the dungeon and the blanket stat increase he had received as a reward.
His average stat was approaching 50. It was an absurdly fast growth rate that would be hard to find anywhere else.
In particular, the Heat Resistance and Electrocution Resistance he had gained while clearing the boss stage would make his body even tougher moving forward.
Of course, not everything was perfect.
Such overwhelming growth had naturally come with severe side effects.
Current Condition: Heatstroke
Your body has been pushed to its limits repeatedly. Immediate rest is strongly recommended.
‘Well, this is what I wanted anyway. I still haven’t obtained that resistance yet.’
Considering that his fatigue had reached 91 when he fought the Snow Queen, he needed to finish the remaining quest and take a long rest immediately.
However—
“I know you’re there. Come out already.”
The fight wasn’t over yet.
Lee-hyun forced his heavy eyelids open and turned around with an expressionless face.
Six hunters emerged from behind a sand dune with stiff expressions.
It was Kim Se-jeong and her party.