Is This Really the Place?

"Is this really the place?"

"Y-yes, sir."

"Do your eyes see any dungeon here right now? It's just fog everywhere!"

A man sat in a makeshift chair inside the barracks, snapping irritably. The people around him shrank back at his booming voice.

"Any witnesses?"

"Well..."

"None, right? Damn it. Of all places, right in the middle of the continent... With so few people pushing this far out, we can't even tell what happened. No way around it."

"Maybe it's one of those dungeons that opens at a set time? Like the Hall of Time or the Demon Feast Hall."

"We've been camped here for three days already. You think it makes sense that there's been zero signs in all that time?"

The man shot back at his subordinate with a voice laced with irritation. He was Grom Kyler, one of the six elites known as Yukhap's 6 Great Commanders.

To think I have to waste time in a dump like this because some idiot couldn't even handle one explorer... And with those Juldanpa bastards building their forces.

Yukhap's 6 Great Commanders gathered under their leader Mutsa, but they weren't bound by loyalty. Each was a rival, ready to tear into the others at a moment's notice. Yukhap ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could be seen as six clans formed by these elites.

It was a fragile alliance on the brink of fracture, yet Yukhap rivaled the Eight Great Clans thanks to Mutsa's overwhelming ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠charisma. He believed their mutual suspicion and rivalry fueled Yukhap's growth—and he was right. Each of the 6 Great Commanders had grown into a powerhouse.

"Tch."

With a new server launch demanding rapid growth, being stalled for three days left Grom understandably frustrated.

"What about those guys?"

"Their respawn penalties just ended, so they logged back in. They're heading here from the respawn point now."

The subordinate answered Grom's question cautiously.

"Idiots. Tell them to haul ass. Even smearing Yukhap's name has its limits..."

Grom looked like he wanted to bolt from the stuffy central camp right then.

"I'll report it right away, sir!!"

That was when the tent flap of their makeshift barracks flew open, accompanied by a subordinate's urgent shout. Grom whipped his head around.

"What is it? Did those idiots finally show?"

"W-well..."

Thud!!

Suddenly, the subordinate who had lifted the flap to report let out a dull thud, his legs flying up as he pitched forward from the impact.

"Guh... guh!!"

"..."

Grom slowly ground his heel into the back of the subordinate's head, who had slid to a pathetic heap at his feet.

"Puh... phbt!!"

Mouth full of dirt, the man flailed, unable to breathe.

"You."

Grom said lowly.

"Who the hell are you?"

But his gaze wasn't on his clumsy subordinate—it was fixed on the figure beyond the tent flap.

"The pursuit team should be waiting outside the barracks, no?"

"Pursuit team..."

The tent flap slowly parted.

"Ugh..."

"Cough, cough..."

Grom doubted his own eyes for a moment.

"...!!!"

All his subordinates were groaning, collapsed in heaps.

"One question. Are you Grom Kyler?"

Clang!!!

Grom drew the shortsword at his waist and leveled it at the intruder.

"Who the hell are you?"

The pressure rolling off him was no joke.

"Whoa... Guess that's a yes?"

He grinned at Grom's reaction, utterly relaxed.

Definitely not someone those guys could handle. How the hell did they assign a job to someone like this?

Water under the bridge now. Regrets wouldn't help.

Grom stared at him, face tense.

"...You're the one who sliced up my men."

"Me? Nah."

In that moment, Nam-gung Yun flashed a grin and replied.

"...What?"

***

"This can't be real..."

Nam-gung Yun stared at me in a daze amid the deafening blasts, the flood of messages, and the nonstop level-up chimes.

To think you could clear the White Swamp like this...

He gaped at the monsters screaming as they burned atop the swamp, speechless.

A one-sided massacre.

But what shocked Nam-gung Yun more as time passed was how the monster counts per Gaksusan use were dropping with each White Swamp run.

Simple reason: Chilya 4th Sword's power had far outstripped Gaksusan's fire damage.

"Whew..."

I stopped before the swamp where the White Swamp's boss lurked and let out a low sigh.

"Nam-gung Yun."

"Y-yes? Yes!!"

"How much time left on the fog dust?"

"Uh... About 10 minutes."

Nam-gung Yun read the red countdown in the corner of his vision.

Is he even human? How can he reset the dungeon nonstop for three days without rest?

Not literally 72 straight hours, of course. No legal playtime limits, but the body wouldn't hold up.

Still, every time Nam-gung Yun logged in, he saw me hunting relentlessly, leaving him stunned.

How can he grind like a maniac? Looks like something's chasing him.

Nam-gung Yun had questions swirling in his head but kept his mouth shut.

"What?"

"...N-nothing."

He waved his hands frantically at my question.

"If you've got something to say, spit it out. Especially if you're gonna stick with me. Even if you betray me, at least own it."

"Aw, betray you? No way."

"That way I can torment you guilt-free until you're bawling for forgiveness."

Nam-gung Yun paled at my words, and I smirked at him.

Fun to tease.

"Not sure if we can squeeze in one more lap... but let's gear up anyway."

I hadn't pulled up my status window much since starting the game, so it felt fresh. The numbers showed real growth.

Points saved up, yet Agility had surged anyway.

Worth the while-hunting grind.

I nodded, satisfied. Five levels in three days was solid, but what mattered most was skills.

Finally...

Thanks to bonuses, my Swordsmanship composite level hit 20. As I felled the last swamp monsters, a notification popped.

The second Chilya sword style at last.

Three grueling days of reset grinding paid off—just in time, before Yukhap struck.

[Tough bastard...]

Black Eye said to me.

[Leveled Swordsmanship while splitting EXP with me. Feel bad just spectating. Now that I've shown my flames, no need to hide me from that kid, right?]

I shook my head.

I trust Nam-gung Yun, but until we meet the Hidden Eater, better keep you secret.

She was the one I wary of, not him.

Don't know how, but she's a whiz at hidden quests. Can't risk her catching on if he spills about you.

[Hmm... Fair enough.]

Black Eye agreed. He'd hit Lv20 thanks to the White Swamp grind too, itching to test his power.

"Nam-gung Yun."

"Yes!"

"How many levels you gain?"

"41!"

"Not bad."

"All thanks to you, bro."

He scratched his head and bowed deeply.

Explorer class sucks in combat, but at that level, Yukhap won't steamroll him easy.

Our level gap with Yukhap after White Swamp grinding would be decent now.

"Probably Yukhap camped at the entrance."

"They really waiting for us?"

"You haven't fought Yukhap? Those guys are tenacious. Even if fog hides the dungeon, they won't give up easy."

"...You know Yukhap too, bro?"

"A bit."

Nam-gung Yun nodded, like figures.

"Gonna prep for that. Back before fog clears. Get ready."

"Got it!"

He ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠saluted playfully.

"Outside, it'll probably be Grom Kyler—one of the 6 Great Commanders. Anyone else, tricky. But him? Easier."

"Grom Kyler? How'd you know?"

"Dumbest of the bunch."

Nam-gung Yun gawked, and I shrugged like it was nothing.

I hit [Accept] right away.