Dungeon Book Scramble 4
“N-no way?”
No, he wouldn't. He wouldn't go that far without losing his mind.
I desperately shoved aside the thought that had popped into my head. No matter how reckless Choi Taesu could be, I knew he was dead serious when it came to protecting me.
But his immediate response made me explode despite myself.
“I took a quick peek. Without that woman, the rest were all pretty meh anyway. Thanks to them, I got some real action after a while. Even production types can't just hole up forever.”
“You crazy bastard! I almost died!”
Even as I blew up and yelled at him, Choi Taesu just grinned like always.
“It's fine. You lived, didn't you? And you think I'd let you die?”
I was about to explode again at his words when I sensed mana completely different from anything before—a whole other level.
I turned toward the source and saw flames erupting around the masked woman's body.
“Not bad, huh? You, stay back over there.”
Choi Taesu stepped forward as he spoke, and I shouted urgently.
“The Dungeon Books! We absolutely can't let them get damaged.”
“Man, you're picky. I'll try. But no guarantees. Look at that woman. She's not someone you can just toy with.”
Even at my desperate plea, Choi Taesu wouldn't promise anything, saying he'd just make an effort. I could feel the masked woman's mana was unusual, but I never expected him to look this uncertain.
“That strong, huh?”
“What, you worried about me?”
“Who said I was worried? I was just curious how strong that woman is.”
“Playing coy. Don't worry. There's no hunter in this world who can take me down.”
Now that sounded like the Choi Taesu I knew. I trusted him and quickly fell back.
“A pro like you isn't common. Who the hell are you?”
“Trash like you is so common I can't even tell you apart. Who are you?”
The White Witch demanded Choi Taesu's identity, but he countered with a provocative question instead of answering.
Offended by being called a bitch, her voice dripped with icy fury.
But Choi Taesu just toyed with her.
“You don't even know basic manners.”
“Manners my ass in a deathmatch. Worry about your own.”
Before he even finished, bolts of lightning shot from Choi Taesu's hand in bundles.
“Hmph.”
The White Witch snorted and casually blocked his ambush attack, but that wasn't his real aim.
“Gah!”
The other masked figures—excluding the White Witch—all got hit by the sudden lightning, collapsing with single screams.
Choi Taesu taunted her again as he eyed her.
“Don't get cocky just 'cause you blocked it alone. Is that the manners you were looking for?”
Seeing her comrades down and his taunt reignited, the White Witch's rage finally erupted.
“You sneaky bastard! Pulling tricks mid-conversation? I'll kill you!”
The moment she finished, she hurled dozens of fireballs at Choi Taesu.
He didn't even flinch, casually extending his hand to cast Chain Lightning.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
The Chain Lightning flew toward the fireballs, detonating them on impact before chaining to the next. Before any could even half-reach him, every fireball vanished in lightning. Choi Taesu snorted.
“You think that'll kill me?”
The White Witch hadn't expected this attack to finish him anyway. But the ease of the block left a hint of fluster in her voice.
“Hmph. Don't get arrogant over blocking this much. The real show's just starting. Fire Arrow.”
She launched herself forward while firing Fire Arrows. Fiery streaks raced toward Choi Taesu at blinding speed.
“Speed game, huh? Fine. I'll show you real speed. Lightning Bolt.”
Choi Taesu leaped too, firing Lightning Bolts at the Fire Arrows.
A roar echoed as they collided and exploded. He struck every single one like it was target practice.
Then the White Witch slipped in a higher spell disguised as Fire Arrows: Fire Spear.
Any other hunter's Fire Spear would differ in size, but hers was different—a compressed variant that looked almost identical to Fire Arrow. Hard to distinguish without close inspection.
Especially mixed in like this.
It was one of her signature moves, never failing her expectations before.
Choi Taesu didn't notice either. He kept blasting Lightning Bolts to intercept—but one came faster than the rest.
He tried to shoot it down as usual.
But instead of vanishing, it overpowered his bolt and closed in fast.
Realizing it wasn't ordinary, he let out a short exclamation and cast Lightning Web.
A defensive net of electricity enveloped him.
Boom.
The Fire Spear exploded on impact, the shockwave tousling his neatly combed hair.
“All that talk about manners, and you pull the dirtiest tricks. Heh.”
Choi Taesu swept back his hair, his tone laced with irritation.
Despite his casual chatter, the White Witch held back—terrified by the terrifying thundercloud now swirling around him.
Crackle.
Crackle-crackle.
Lightning whipped around him, exuding overwhelming mana.
“You know what? This is my specialty.”
Again, before he finished, his assault began.
His thunder magic showed why he was Korea's top hunter.
The lightning spells from his hand were lightning itself.
Dozens, hundreds of bolts stormed toward the White Witch. His thundercloud spread everywhere, amplifying the barrage by scattering charges and boosting his magic.
But she didn't go down easy.
Engulfed in roaring white flames, she unleashed fire spells in all directions, shredding the thundercloud and striking at Choi Taesu.
As their battle kicked off, I couldn't tear my eyes away.
The fight blurred through the lab at insane speeds. No visible speed skills, yet faster than my Speed-Up Potion. And amid it, his lightning nailed every fiery projectile without error.
Staring dazedly, Choi Taesu's voice suddenly echoed in my head.
What are you spacing out for? Weren't the Dungeon Books important?
Only then did I realize he was buying me time.
And sure enough, he'd been subtly drawing the fight deeper into the lab—naturally enough that the masked ones hadn't noticed.
Right. Dungeon Books first.
I quickly located them.
They'd scattered when the spatial bag tore, but the now-dead masked figures behind me had gathered them neatly during my initial fight.
I scanned for something to carry them in, but nothing short of another spatial bag could hold over 1,500 books.
I rushed to the huddled researchers and found Park Seongyeol.
“Take the researchers and head to the elevator entrance.”
“What about you, Mr. Kim Taehoon?”
He'd switched to polite speech after seeing me—clearly spooked by how I'd taken down four masked intruders despite seeming like a regular hunter.
“Gotta grab the Dungeon Books. Get everyone to the entrance.”
I directed him, downed two buff potions, and started gathering the books.
By the time the lab was turning to rubble from Choi Taesu and the White Witch's clash, I'd collected them all.
Thanks to the masked ones' prep, it was quick.
As I finished, the battle shifted.
Thunderclouds—clearly his—filled the lab, his lightning pouring relentlessly at her.
Each spell brimmed with terrifying mana.
But she was no pushover.
Her body a blaze of white fire, she countered with a barrage of flames.
About 6-4 in his favor?
He seemed dominant, but her counters were fierce.
Then his voice rang in my head again.
Can't go all out 'cause of you. Got the books? Take those eggheads and scram.
This was him holding back? Insane.
How strong is he really?
I realized I still didn't truly grasp his power.
To avoid hindering him, I hurried the researchers to the first floor.
As we exited the Dungeon Studies Research Institute, a massive rumble echoed from below, and the building collapsed.
Kaboom kaboom kaboom BOOM.
“You can go now.”
I finished talking with the investigators and left the room.
Tough bitch. Who'd have thought she'd burn all her comrades' bodies to ash?
Two days had passed since the incident.
The Brain Emperor vs. masked intruders fight had leveled the building.
Choi Taesu won, but it was a half-victory.
Injured, she'd escaped amid the collapse chaos—and thoroughly incinerated her dead allies' bodies.
The entrance guards he'd knocked out were gone too, probably fled after waking.
The escaped researchers reported it to the World Hunter Association, and investigators interviewed survivors.
I'd cooperated as Kim Taehoon.
We only knew masked intruders targeted the Dungeon Books, but with evidence gone, no big leads.
Bodies reduced to ash left nothing.
Their only clue: white-flame fire magic.
Useful, but I had more—from quest abilities: the three names.
John Jones, Vince Cage, Russell Cruiter.
I didn't tell the investigators.
Explaining how I knew risked exposing me.
If I shared, it'd have to be through a third party.
And personally, I'd look into it.
Was wondering how to use Heo Jinhyuk. Time to test him on this. He brags about info, so let's see.
I'd inform him and ask, but I'd already decided to entrust it to him.
Meanwhile, I kept up petty revenge on Choi Taesu whenever I could.
“Tsk tsk. Guess I trusted the Brain Emperor too much. Thought with all that confidence, you wouldn't let her slip. Are you weak, or was she just that strong?”
His face crumpled as he yelled.
“That psycho used a mana stone bomb, I told you! Total nutjob. Only I survived unscathed. Any other hunter would've died.”
I didn't let up on his pathetic excuses.
“Excuses from the Brain Emperor? Must be embarrassing. Yeah, I get it. Happens. Only someone like you could es-ca-pe and live. Sure. Sure.”
“When did I escape? I'm Brain Emperor Choi Taesu! I don't run...”
He fumed excitedly, and only then did my anger from the lab start to fade.
To be continued in the next chapter...