Chapter 160
Chapter 160
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 160
Chapter Title: The Hidden Boss Speaks
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“Keeek, keeek!”
Molrig seemed fairly rattled.
“Keeek!”
But it quickly bared its teeth and let out a ferocious cry.
It was clearly pissed that Kang Han had shattered the wall it created in one go.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The creature flailed its hands in the air again.
This time, three walls materialized all at once.
Boom! Boom!
Kang Han managed to smash two of them before they hit the ground and solidified, but the last one stubbornly merged with the dungeon.
Whoosh!
The wall that had safely taken root in the dungeon absorbed Kang Han’s attack without a hitch.
“Heek.”
In the meantime, Molrig conjured a few more walls and swiftly dodged away.
However, in its haste, the falling walls failed to form a perfectly interlocking maze—they were sloppy and haphazard somewhere.
“Grab it!”
With Yang Hwa-yeon’s shout, the Magma Guild members sprang into action.
The first to strike at Molrig were arrows from Shin Dan-ju and Lee Yu-chan.
Pfft! Pfft!
Arrows embedded themselves along every path Molrig might take.
Its movements were still quick, but unable to sprint in straight lines anymore, Molrig’s speed gradually slowed.
Yang Hwa-yeon’s fireball engulfed the flailing, directionless creature.
“Kiiiieek!”
The fireball didn’t even hit it, yet Molrig shrieked in terror anyway.
Seeing that, Yang Hwa-yeon grinned and said,
“You’re scared of fire, huh?”
“Kek! Keeek!”
Realizing Yang Hwa-yeon was a fire mage, Molrig’s demeanor grew even more vicious.
It bared its sharp fangs like it had encountered its natural predator.
Seemingly giving up on fleeing, Molrig stopped running.
Then, the number of walls raining down from the sky multiplied several times over.
Rumble! Thud! Roooar!
But only a couple managed to become sturdy parts of the maze.
Boom! Boom!
“Just smash ’em before they land!”
It was thanks to Jang Su-ho and Seo-i, the two shielders pulverizing the walls with their shields.
Realizing its attacks weren’t landing properly, Molrig rolled its milky eyes this way and that.
Then its gaze fixed on Nayeo-ju.
Molrig thought,
‘Small human, weak human.’
And then.
And then.
“Heek……”
Molrig’s horizontally torn mouth gaped wide.
“You, you……”
The hunters mid-attack flinched and halted.
Horrified stares turned toward Molrig.
But Molrig only had eyes for Nayeo-ju.
With a face twisted like a demon’s.
Baring its yellow, elongated fangs.
It swiped its front paw through the air.
“Nayeo-ju!”
Sensing danger on instinct, Yu Jin-rok hurled himself toward her.
The moment the two hit the ground rolling, Kang Han moved.
Kaboom—!
With a deafening roar unlike before, the descending boulder struck lightning and shattered into pieces.
If not for Yu Jin-rok, Nayeo-ju would’ve been crushed under it without a chance to move.
This was unmistakably a killing blow.
“That bastard!”
Jang Su-ho growled, whipping his head toward Molrig.
“Wh-where’d it go?”
But Molrig was gone.
All that remained where it had stood was a hole burrowed into the ground.
“Damn it, it got away!”
Lee Yu-chan stomped in frustration.
Yu Jin-rok, helping Nayeo-ju to her feet, tried his tracking skill but only got a system message saying no target was found.
Someone spoke first from amid the thick dust still swirling in the air.
“Did that mole just……”
“……no way?”
“……speak?”
“Nah, no chance.”
The hunters from both guilds chuckled nervously and shook their heads.
Impossible.
A monster speaking like a human?
No such thing existed.
Not even in any S-rank gates so far.
“……”
It was then, amid the eerie silence.
Ruuuuumble.
A familiar yet alien sound echoed.
The sound of a dungeon collapsing after a gate clear.
The two guilds’ hunters panicked.
‘The hidden boss got away, we haven’t even seen the real boss yet, and now the dungeon’s collapsing?’
And the answer came swiftly.
“The walls……are vanishing.”
It started from the clearing where they’d gathered.
The sturdy walls scattered haphazardly crumbled like a sandcastle.
And it wasn’t just that.
The secret rooms they’d passed through, and the ant-tunnel-like maze beyond—all of it vanished.
In the end, only a vast, pitch-black space remained.
Kang Han stood still, slowly scanning his surroundings.
He’d been in countless dungeons, but this was a first.
“……”
The dungeon without its maze resembled an empty toy box abandoned by a child.
Yet something lingered in that hollow space.
A massive door filling one wall of the empty dungeon.
“Boss room.”
Time to deal with the dungeon’s true master.
On the way back after safely clearing the dungeon and returning to the Justice Guild.
The van, usually buzzing with excitement about heading home, was eerily quiet.
Everyone lost in thought.
“Yawn.”
I leaned my heavy head against the window and closed my eyes.
“For now, let’s keep the hidden boss incident under wraps. Luckily, no cameras caught it, and we don’t know much about it anyway.”
That was Yang Hwa-yeon’s suggestion before disbanding.
Everyone agreed.
We hadn’t even caught the hidden boss, and there was no solid evidence.
They figured the association wouldn’t take the word of the already disfavored Justice Guild and the still-small Magma Guild seriously.
‘Stupid Molrig bastard.’
Why’d it have to open its mouth there.
I hadn’t liked it since it emerged from [Sejong Wall].
That ‘low-level administrator’ who played pitiful and weak, only to backstab and scheme to wipe out the hunters.
‘But why’d it target me?’
Sure, I was a healer with zero attack power, but I hadn’t done anything to draw its attention that quickly.
Plus, that word it spat out—“you”—really bugged me.
It was definitely aimed at me.
As if it knew I was possessed.
‘Next time we meet, I’ll shake it down good.’
I was thinking I’d torture it if needed to find out exactly what it knew when—
Screech.
The van pulled into the Justice Guild parking lot.
“Good work, everyone.”
With Kang Han’s brief encouragement, we headed into the guild building.
“Welcome back!”
Sung Yo-na greeted us brightly.
“Oh, Yo-na. Everything good at home?”
“Yes! Cheong-su went to his room already. But the broadcast cut out midway. Everyone okay? No injuries?”
“Nah, it was nothing.”
I waved it off to say not to worry.
“Where’re Baek Young and Baek Ho?”
“Right here. They fell asleep on the ride back.”
Kang Han showed her Na Baek-ho and Kang Baek-young cradled in his arms.
“Yaaawn.”
Speak of the tiger.
Na Baek-ho woke up, blinking sleepily at Sung Yo-na’s voice.
“Baek Ho, want a snack?”
“Munch!”
Classic Na Baek-ho.
Never turns down food.
“Alright, Yo-na, watch the kids for us.”
“Sure! You all look beat—go wash up and rest well!”
Sung Yo-na said as she took the still-sleepy Baek-young from Kang Han.
I headed straight to my room after confirming Na Baek-ho trotting happily after her down to the basement.
Plan was to shower first, then lie in bed and recall the book’s contents once more.
Click.
I entered my dark room—lights off—closed the door, and turned around.
“Took you long enough?”
Sama Young sat on my bed, illuminated by the dim light filtering from outside.
“I’ve been waiting forever.”
He curved his red lips into a sly smile.