Another Monster Wave?
Rerto Karen gripped his sword tighter, standing before the door to the second gate in preparation for battle. Tap—Red Sickle's hand lightly brushed over his shoulder as he passed by.
His followers, dreaming of immortality but failing to achieve it for their Desert King, inserted special insects called grave bugs into the king's corpse to prevent decay.
Over time, the bugs burrowed out of the king's body and lingered here.
The grave bugs have starved for ages.
"……."
As he opened the door to the second gate, a deafening roar tore through the air, threatening to rupture eardrums. Unlike the first gate, however, the second was an empty hall—nothing but vast emptiness.
"What the hell?"
Rerto slowly stepped into the room. At that moment—screeech—something stirred in the darkness.
"……!!!"
Rerto whipped around, aiming his sword, Silver Blade Shard, into the shadows.
Be careful. Grave bugs hunt life force. Avoid injury—they swarm at the scent of blood. The moment their teeth touch human flesh, it tears right off.
I know. That's probably why they devoured even the king's corpse clean.
It's gruesome. Parahum's followers, witnessing their failed immortal king, twisted the meaning of eternal life entirely to achieve his undeath.
The delusion that dissolving a rotting body meant eternal existence.
I nodded slowly at Black Eye's words.
"Unlike the first gate, no monster hordes pour out here. We just need to catch one grave bug that's swallowed a fragment of Parahum's heart—the Death Flame."
Red Sickle spoke to the highly alert Rerto as he stepped into the second gate.
"Looks manageable."
At Red Sickle's words, Rerto relaxed his guard with an awkward expression and followed behind.
That was when it happened.
Weeeeeeng……!!
A racket like moth wings filled the air, and from the darkness, countless golden bugs spewed forth, gleaming.
"……Just one?"
Rerto glared at Red Sickle as if he could devour him.
"One among them. The one that swallowed a piece of Parahum's heart."
"……Insane."
Gritting his teeth at the response, Rerto regripped his sword.
"Coming to conquer a dungeon with lunatics like you……."
I brushed past his grumbling and hurled the leftover powder from the Eachwise Mountain I'd made in the White Swamp into the air with all my might.
Kaboom……!!
An explosion rocked the empty space, staggering some of the grave bugs from the shock.
Splat—!!
Stomping the fallen bugs crushed their hard shells like cookies.
"Calm down. They're only numerous—they lack real attack power. No dying to them. As Red Sickle said, we just need to snag that one."
Rerto glanced at Red Sickle at my words, but he stayed silent.
Crowd Control Lv4 proficiency has increased.
Proficiency exceeding Familiar trait level allows skill acquisition.
Thanks to the skill's influence, Rerto focused on my words, his tense shoulders slowly relaxing.
Leaving him behind, I gazed at the swarm filling the ceiling.
Find the real one.
Concentration Lv3 proficiency has increased.
Proficiency exceeding Familiar trait level allows skill acquisition.
The leader's on guard after that Eachwise Mountain blaze.
Threat Detection Lv4 proficiency has increased.
Proficiency exceeding Familiar trait level allows skill acquisition.
Come on, where are you.
I scanned the grave bugs slowly.
Step—step—step—With each footfall, the hall's bugs went berserk, wings buzzing wildly.
But the earlier blast wasn't enough? They circled without attacking rashly.
No good. The grave bugs move too fast. With your current abilities, pinpointing the leader amid them is impossible.
Hmm…….
I eyed the monsters at his words.
Vrrrrm……!
Amid the noisy swarm, I smirked faintly.
"……Will he be okay?"
Even Phlia, watching from behind, murmured worriedly to Red Sickle.
"Who knows. The reason no one's cleared Parahum's Tomb so far is this second gate. The first is doable with numbers, but the second demands something beyond raw power. Wiping them all out? If the leader survives, they breed instantly—impossible."
Red Sickle replied.
"No one's passed it yet. Failure wouldn't be surprising. But……."
"But?"
"Success would mean achieving what even Red Cat Mercenaries couldn't."
Red Sickle takes interest in you.
This battle's outcome may change affinity.
My ears rang from the droning wings, but the cheery alert rang clear.
Pointless noise.
I thought so, yet I couldn't help chuckling. As expected, Red Sickle was warming to me.
"A feat Red Cat couldn't manage……."
Shing—I drew Tesaro's sword in one hand.
"If I pull it off, what then?"
Vrrrrm……. Mana trembled, enveloping my body.
"……."
Red Sickle's eyes wavered. Knowing his shift from the alert, I sensed this gate was my first step to claiming Red Cat Mercenaries.
I'll make you follow me.
Supreme Ice Magic Defense Art – Nute
As I stepped into the swarm, layered ice barriers enveloped me in a hemisphere.
"……What're you planning?"
Rerto frowned, unable to predict my move.
"Hmph."
I simply raised my sword and slashed my hand's back. The sharp blade instantly drew red blood.
Tesaro's Dagger deals damage.
Caution: Without staunching, HP will continuously decrease.
Ignoring the warning, I swung my slashed hand through the air. Blood droplets from my hand splattered to the floor.
Per 1% HP loss: Skill attack power +0.5%, swordsmanship EXP +1%.
Skill attack power +0.5%.
Swordsmanship EXP +1% acquired.
Sword's Penance surged through me with a faint aura, but self-harm wasn't for attack boosts like with Kunta. Not this time.
Vrrrrm……!
The instant blood hit the floor, the bugs swarmed me like angry bees.
Kak! Kak! Kyaaak!!
Kyagyagyaa—!
The bugs, once merely circling without hostility, now bared fangs and charged.
"Yes, that's more like it."
I grinned at their feral frenzy.
Clang—!!
Without staunching the wound, I drew Amur's dagger. Blood from my hand trickled down the hilt onto the blade.
Clang! Clang! Kagagagagang……!!
Scenting blood, the bugs slammed into Nute relentlessly. Driven mad, they crashed into the barrier. Trailing bugs crushed predecessors in the pile-up.
Crunch! Crackle……!
Gruesome sounds echoed as grave bug blood smeared thickly over Nute's ice wall.
Thud! Thud! Pum-pum-pum……!
Despite shells shattering and guts bursting, they lunged to devour me. But after dozens, hundreds suiciding, Nute's wall began cracking.
As fragments shattered and bugs gnawed, ice powder sprayed everywhere.
"Using himself as bait to draw the bugs……."
Phlia swallowed hard, watching the precarious, near-collapse Nute.
"Sh-shouldn't we help?"
She glanced at Red Sickle.
"He told us to watch. This isn't just dungeon clearing—it's proving his worth."
He replied firmly.
"Never imagined using Nute like that. 'Ice, not fire, conquers Parahum's Tomb'—turns out it's the second gate that proves it."
Unlike worried Phlia, Rerto had grasped my plan the moment I cast Nute.
"You think he'll succeed? Impressive making them crash and kill each other, but…… look, the thick ice wall's almost gone."
Phlia said.
"Leave it, and the wall breaks before all bugs die. Even he's no match for enraged grave bugs en masse."
"……That's exactly what he wants."
"What?"
She frowned at Rerto's reply.
"You're worrying because you don't know Nute's true nature. He provoked them to shatter it."
Rerto bit his lip then.
Damn…… Of all places, having to witness that guy's Nute again—the last thing I want.
Unwanted memories swirled in his mind.
"Nute's true nature……?"
"Get ready, everyone. If he misses, we grab the leader."
Phlia tilted her head at his confident tone, as if he'd spot it himself.
Bam—! Bam—! Kaboom—!!
The intensifying din, like hail on a roof, signaled Nute's near-total destruction.
"……."
Gripping both swords, I closed my eyes.
One, two, three.
Counting slowly, I assumed position.
Kaaaang—!!
A sharp, glass-shattering explosion—and Nute around me fragmented.
Weeeeng……!! Eeeeeng……!!
Surviving bugs lunged to devour me.
"……Kim Do-hyun!!!"
Phlia shouted.
But my swords remained still.
Four, five.
Killing intent tickled my nose. A timing I knew all too well.
"……No one who saw Kim Do-hyun's Nute shatter in the arena approaches carelessly."
Rerto muttered.
Tssang—!!
I unleashed both swords with full force.
Exclusive Effect: Serigori
Upon destruction of Supreme Ice Magic Nute, shards generate powerful freezing winds, damaging surroundings and freezing all enemies within 5m radius for 2 seconds.
"……!!!!!"
Phlia couldn't hide her shock.
The bugs filling my space froze mid-air, as if time had stopped.
"Now I can find it."
I murmured, watching the rigid bugs plummet.
Insane…….
Black Eye let out a disbelieving chuckle at the frozen scene.
Concentration Lv3 proficiency has increased.
Proficiency exceeding Familiar trait level allows skill acquisition.
Shing……!
Senses sharpened—my sword moved.