One Hour Into the Dungeon

One hour into the dungeon.

We still hadn’t left the entrance. Or rather, we were stuck circling endlessly through places that felt exactly like the entrance.

The Canyon of Hidden Scales was far larger than I’d imagined, and the dark lower reaches of the gorge connected through tunnels like an ant nest—a true maze.

Even with Hive guiding the way, I’d doubled back twice. Whether it was the incomplete nature of our communication or the paths themselves shifting mid-route, I couldn’t tell. But without a scout leading us, we would have taken far longer. That much was certain.

Dungeon paths, aside from the major structures, rearranged randomly the moment people entered. So even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Kang So-seon couldn’t be relied on for navigation.

“Hup!”

Shhhk!

“Geeeek!”

My shadow blade sliced through a salamander’s eyeball.

The slimy salamanders kept pouring out of nowhere like infinitely multiplying cockroaches, blocking our path. Thanks to them, I’d learned how to land fatal blows without needing fire to clear their mucus. The eyes were the most universal weak point.

My growing mastery of the Dismantle skill was starting to shine. Even with a brand-new specimen, I somehow knew exactly where to stab to cleanly sever muscle, or how to peel the scales more easily.

Even if a creature was coated head to toe in slime, as long as it moved, gaps always existed. I hurled a shadow dagger into its leg joint, then expanded the shadow fused with its own into a spike that erupted upward.

With luck it would pierce straight through and cripple the thing instantly; even without that, it locked the creature’s movement for a crucial second, making the follow-up easy.

Thuk!

“Gerrrk…!”

I thrust an elongated shadow spear deep into the naturally gaping mouth, twisted it for a firmer hold, then poured mana into the tip. The spearhead bloomed into a morning-star bristling with sharp spikes.

Weightless or not, the sheer volume and razor edges were more than enough to shred the soft inner flesh the mucus couldn’t protect.

Pwaaak!

The creature’s body ballooned like an overinflated balloon. Its eyes bulged from the sudden pressure as it thrashed for air, but the spikes had already shredded its lungs. Instead of a scream, only blood sprayed out before it went still.

“Burn! Burn! Burn!!”

While I finished one cleanly, Kang So-seon kept firing Fire Shot after Fire Shot, roasting the ones pouring in from behind. Their bulk made dodging the rain of fireballs nearly impossible.

The mucus that had protected them moments ago began hardening. What once shielded them now became shackles, and panic set in. They tried to flee too late—my pre-set shadow traps made even that difficult.

“Kung!”

Growl’s razor claws from the rear, combined with my finishing strikes, dropped the last of them. The fight finally ended.

The system alerts poured in the moment combat ended. Over thirty enemies in this stretch alone—hardly surprising.

Of course they hadn’t all appeared at once. Three to six here and there, then another ten drawn by the light of Kang So-seon’s Light spell, then ten more attracted by the noise of fighting. Whether the dungeon’s size simply spawned more monsters, or the escape-focused mission caused infinite respawns, there was no way to know.

It had been a forced march, yet none of us were tired. A quick check of the Book of Summoning showed something new had been added.

“Hmm.”

New was nice, but not what I wanted. I double-checked with the Book just in case the name was misleading, but the maximum growth size was under fifty centimeters—tiny. Large by previous-life lizard standards, sure, but here, where monsters the size of large dogs were common, it was just a snack.

Still not the sub-dragon I was after.

Did I have to keep evolving it here? Or was a higher-tier specimen locked behind conditions separate from the data? If only someone could give me a straight answer… but no such person existed. Frustrating.

I’d already wasted too much time. Part of me wondered if I should just raise other summons instead. Honestly… yeah. I was getting a little anxious.

While I stayed stuck, others might be advancing one step—or three. The gap was already there; the thought of it widening made my body tense on its own.

I wasn’t talking about nobodies. I meant people like Reus.

“What’s wrong?”

Kang So-seon noticed my brooding and shoved her head into my line of sight, blocking the Book. Fresh from battle, her soft scent rose more strongly than usual.

What was she thinking, being this careless…?

Or maybe she was just that confident in her skill. Either way, it felt like she was looking down on me. I frowned and pushed her head aside to reclaim my view.

“You smell. Stop clinging.”

“Hiiiek?!”

I’d expected her to stick even closer, but she recoiled in horror. I couldn’t help a dry laugh.

“D-do I really smell that bad?”

She turned around, sniffing herself seriously, then muttered, “Seems fine… or is it?” The whole performance was ridiculous.

It was more fragrance than odor, but I had no obligation to say so. Watching the shameless clinger peel away so easily was downright refreshing. I should’ve used this method sooner.

“So you don’t?”

“Mmph.”

My cold reply made her hug herself, face flushing as she pulled that signature pout.

“Y-you’re a pervert, Hubae-nim…!”

“If you know that, then stop gluing yourself to me. I might actually jump you.”

Of course I had no intention of doing so. As I’d said before, my type was the stacked older-sister variety. Kang So-seon’s figure was attractive by any third-party standard, but it was still the slender type. Sadly short of the volume I preferred.

In that regard, that woman had been truly vicious. Day after day she’d changed her body’s size, scent, and color, rubbing against me nonstop until she finally matched my tastes. And she’d succeeded.

…Ah. I’d gone and recalled a dark nightmare I never wanted to remember. I’d dealt the damage, yet my mood plummeted with it. What kind of self-destruct was this?

“Auu, huuuh…”

Without any filter, my gaze naturally scanned her body. Sensitive to stares as she was, she caught it instantly, eyes darting in panic until her face ripened like a tomato.

“I-I, um…”

She fidgeted, rubbing her thighs together like someone who’d just received a confession. The unexpectedly pure reaction killed my interest. I’d thought she’d brush it off with a sly grin, but she seemed completely unprepared for this kind of teasing.

“It was a joke. Why are you taking it so seriously?”

“…Ah?”

I would’ve liked to watch her squirm longer, but break time was over.

I’d already extracted the magic stones. If my guess was right, pushing forward would bring us to the center. Even during the last fight I’d noticed the soil felt different from everything before.

“We’ve rested enough. Let’s move.”

“Ha! No—huff, seriously…!”

She wanted to say something but the words wouldn’t come. Her thoughts were still tangled. That had been me until recently—every time I tried to think deeply, her endless chatter had driven my stress through the roof.

I hoped she’d finally understand my suffering and shut that mouth for even a moment.

She swallowed the unfinished words and exclamations, sealed her lips, then poured mana into the sword at her hip and gave it a sharp shake in the air.

Shhhk—

A strong wind sound and a trail of blue mana. I was satisfied. Finally, some peace. She’d stepped out of her original role, but focusing on combat was a good sign.

Would she start thrashing the next monsters while imagining my face? Judging by the way she was seething, they’d probably get beaten half to death before being killed. Whoever showed up, my condolences in advance.

The newly quiet party advanced at impressive speed.

Midway the tunnels widened, and simple passages began showing regular patterns. Hard to believe mere monsters had dug these.

“Artificial corridors?”

“No matter where you start, the final destination is always the temple at the dungeon’s center. The more signs of human hands, the closer we are. Hmph!”

“…I see.”

She’d given me the full explanation and still pouted afterward. Too kind for her own good.

Grrrrumble…

“…Another tremor.”

This one felt closer than the last. Because we were nearing the center? I’d heard the earthquakes were the earth dragon’s doing, so maybe the beast itself was nearby.

Earthworm, turtle, and finally mole, was it? Even without the Named tag, Kang So-seon had stressed how massive they were. Their size would be beyond imagination.

“Caw!”

“…Huh?”

Urgent emotion flooded from Hive. It almost never happened, so my nerves snapped taut. What now?

Grrrrumble…!!!

The growing vibration was anything but ordinary. Kang So-seon noticed too; her expression hardened as she looked at me. At the same time Hive’s information made my eyes narrow.

“…Sunbae-nim, could you describe what an earth dragon looks like?”

“Uh, well… instead of claws on its front legs it has hard pincers like a hermit crab, and spines grow between its fur like a hedgehog.”

That wasn’t a mole—that was a mutant chimera. The problem was that something matching eighty percent of her description had just been spotted. And it was heading straight for us in real time.

I gestured toward the darkness beyond the light of Light.

“…Does it look like that?”

“Huh? Oh, yes! Exactly like that, thrusting forward a carapace that looks like stone—wait?”

Thud-thud-thud-thud

The vibration that had only intensified now shook the entire corridor. No—it kept growing without any sign of fading. Thinking about it, of course it wouldn’t be normal.

Kraaack!! Clang!

A gigantic pincer tore through the tunnel entrance, and between the claws a rodent-like snout twitched as it locked onto us.

“Buuuuuuuuu!!!!”

Then, tormented by the light of Light, it began slamming its pincer arms down without mercy.

Bang! Bang! Bang!!!

Each blow collapsed terrain and shook the ground. Its body filled the corridor completely, making retreat awkward, while the brute force that made the earth itself ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tremble made charging in equally hard.

Even if we attacked, that rock-hard carapace sat like an immovable shield—meaningful damage seemed unlikely. Growl had the highest strength among us, yet even he preferred agility over pure power contests. We simply lacked the means to match that raw force.

Magic or anything else—fighting in this position put us at a severe disadvantage.

“Hive!”

“Caaaaaw!!!”

At my shout Hive beat its wings and launched shadow crows. Distracting its vision would only last a moment. Moles had poor eyesight to begin with; their other senses simply compensated. Even a brief blind ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠spot was enough.

“Explode together with the mighty light!”

While the crows stole its sight, Kang So-seon began a new chant. The Student Council Vice President’s reputation wasn’t empty—she completed the spell in that tiny window.

Light. Explosion. Recognizing those two words, I tore my gaze from the earth dragon, spun, and prepared to draw shadows.

“Flash!!”

Piiiiiiing—!

Blinding light erupted right in front of the earth dragon’s eyes. A ringing filled our ears as the pure artificial light explosion illuminated the far end of the tunnel in an instant.

“Bu…!”

Noise plus eye-searing flash left the beast reeling. Time to open distance. I grabbed Kang So-seon’s arm as she prepared her next spell, pulled her into my arms, and settled us both atop Growl.

“Kya—mmpf…!”

“Quiet. You’re too loud.”

The ringing still lingered; her yelling right next to my ear made everything feel stuffed. I sealed her mouth with shadow, secured us firmly to Growl, then condensed a massive amount of shadow and hurled it backward.

It felt exactly like the spider we’d fought before spitting silk.

Shhhk!

The image locked; sticky shadow webs spread in every direction, clinging to the entire corridor. I poured mana to reinforce them, then we bolted.

“Pwah! Seriously, warn me before you do stuff like this!!”

“In a crisis like that?”

“Ugh…!”

No matter how much she raised her eyebrows, those soft eyes made her look anything but scary—more like she was flirting.

“Front.”

“I know without you telling me, okay!”

Irritated by my flat tone, Kang So-seon swung her mana-charged sword forward. A thin line of energy sliced through a giant bat-like monster charging at us. Weaker than Reus’s sword aura, but lethal enough.

“…..!!!!!!!!!”

Boom! Rumble-rumble!!!

From behind came an enraged roar and the sound of collapsing earth. It was properly pissed.

The pursuing earth dragon was bad enough, but the new monsters appearing as we neared the center were the real headache.

“Shaaaa!!”

“Kiiik!”

Centipedes with jaws grown into cow-like horns, creatures resembling giant fruit bats, and massive woodlice with rocks embedded in their backs—things that had somehow stayed hidden until now now blocked our path. Maybe the earth dragon’s furious thrashing had stirred up every peaceful resident in the area.

Clearing them all fell to Kang So-seon.

“Wind, bind the enemy—Aero Bind!! Burn! Burn! Burn!!!!”

She casually demonstrated a devilish combo of wind magic to immobilize followed by Fire Shot to incinerate, or infused magic into her sword so that sword aura both cut and burned at once.

A technique only someone deeply versed in both magic and swordsmanship could pull off.

“Freeze—Ice Pillar”

Occasionally she slashed a wall and raised ice barriers to block the pursuers trying to regain their senses. Temporary measures at best—the earth dragon, accelerating madly, shattered them without mercy.

The monsters caught in between? Not my problem. Minced or eaten—one or the other.

The system apparently counted even this as experience and started handing out skills freely.

I wasn’t just leaving everything to Kang So-seon, though. While keeping her securely fixed so she could spam magic without restraint, I used the newly corrected Trap Setting skill to plant shadow traps behind us, trying to slow the earth dragon even a little.

All improvised, of course—nowhere near enough to stop it.

Still, I’d raised the skill level. Against that thing, even one point of Dexterity would be precious.

“Hubae-nim! Up ahead!”

At her words I looked forward—the end of the tunnel was coming into view. Light meant outside, or at least open space where we could fight properly.

The earth dragon was barely a few meters behind; the cold pressure on my back was intense. I poured the last of my mana into one final trap, then infused Growl to boost its speed.

Whoosh!

A sudden sense of weightlessness. Then the cold damp of water. My mouth fell open. A waterfall. A waterfall right in front of us. The problem was that we were floating in midair.

Our full-speed charge had left a gap from the wall. Simply letting ourselves be swept into the falls was an absolute no-go. There might be water below, but from this height even liquid hit like concrete.

“H-Hubae-nim! What now?!”

“Anything that can cut our acceleration!!”

“Wall of fierce wind—Wind Wall!!”

A rough blast of wind aimed at the approaching waterfall lifted us just before impact. But it wasn’t enough—we were still airborne.

I sent mana and intent to Hive; its wings beat in answer, summoning a swarm of shadow crows.

“Lightening magic!”

“Grant this body the lightness of a feather—Wings!!”

A cool breeze settled over us, Growl included.

Without settling for the reduced acceleration, we kept stepping on the crows, descending toward the ground. It felt exactly like the Magpie Bridge. Fairy tales differed, but stepping across crows or magpies wasn’t that different.

“Aha, ahahaha!!”

With the crisis gone, only the excess adrenaline remained, jacking her tension sky-high. Kang So-seon laughed with her mouth wide open. I sighed.

“Hubae-nim, this is so much fun, right?! Again! Again!”

“I’d rather never experience it again…”

“Aww, don’t be like that! Stepping on the crows at the end was just like the Magpie Bridge from the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl story—it was hilarious!”

Her words made me frown.

To think I’d had the exact same thought. We hadn’t spent that much time together, yet the density of it must have been high enough for her way of thinking to rub off on me. The realization made me irrationally annoyed.

Weirdly unpleasant. Irritating.

The one-sided cheerful mood didn’t last. The world darkened for an instant, and a massive black pig plummeted from the sky.

Kuuuuung!!!!

The ground around the fallen creature cracked and crumbled. Dust mixed with water blasted upward by the impact sprayed filthy spray everywhere. Beyond it I kept my eyes locked on the writhing black shape.

“Wow… so earth dragons are fine even falling from that height. New discovery.”

“Probably because it’s a fat ball of fur. Softens the landing.”

“Aha!”

Don’t just accept that, you idiot. The long scrape marks on the upper wall made it obvious—it had been climbing down safely until it saw we were unharmed, lost its mind, and jumped.

Honestly, no sense of humor.

“Combat ready.”

It had slowed, but height was height.

Part of me hoped it would land head-first like Crow Number One who’d already emigrated to America and snap its neck, but the way it started moving immediately after impact made that unlikely.

“Hehe, don’t worry! I’ve already been gathering mana!”

She hopped down from Growl with a slightly disappointed look, ready to take the rear. I caught her shoulder and shook my head. After watching the previous fight I was certain—using her as a simple fixed turret was a waste.

Her skill Munmu-gyeombi let magic and swordsmanship grow equally. Restricting that flexible style was the same as starting the fight with her power cut in half.

Filling my encyclopedia and leveling the Hives mattered, but against a Named mid-boss I didn’t have the luxury of holding back.

“Sunbae-nim, take the vanguard.”

“Huh? Is that really okay?”

“Yes. You’ve put up with all my selfishness so far. For now, go wild however you like.”

I also wanted to calmly Observe the Named this time, so I’d play support.

That fact must have delighted her more than anything—she nodded harder and more vigorously than I’d ever seen. Excitement at fighting an enemy made her orange eyes glitter madly as mana began to gather around her.

“Huu… Enchant”

As if waiting for the perfect moment, she closed her eyes, took several deep breaths, then began pouring out a stream of mana.

Not mere muttering. Rapid-fire enhancement spells of every color stacked one after another; with each layer the mana density around her body grew denser and denser.

“Haste, Strength, Sharpness, Nature’s Body, Protect, Body Reinforcement, Slash Reinforcement”

I caught more than fifty just from the ones I recognized. Actual usage was surely higher. Buffed, beautiful aurora-like motes of light began floating around her—mana so vivid it was visible to the naked eye.

Just as Reus had once appeared like a giant, this was the form taken by mana condensed past its limits.

Looking as though she carried the Milky Way on her back, she finally finished preparing and smiled with lively, sparkling cheer.

“Ready!”

At that exact moment the creature thrust its head through the dust cloud.

“Buoooooooooooo!!!!”

The battle began.