Chapter 5. The Rising Newbie (4)

Another day passed. Kang-jun had been operating as the team's core dealer, and Rakunda—the team leader and guard—found himself drawn to the man even more. The guy was genuinely incredible. Kang-jun finally understood why the training instructor had praised him so relentlessly. The instructor had clearly seen something in him.

'This guy's the real deal.'

Rakunda had half-dismissed the instructor's claim that Kang-jun was a top-three genius among third-dungeon hunters, but now he knew it was true. Especially when Kang-jun swung his sword with lightning speed—that was when Rakunda was certain. A first-year rookie wielding a blade that powerful? Absolutely impossible. The sword was one of the most difficult weapons to master. For someone like Rakunda, who held that conviction, there was simply no explanation. Earthlings adapted faster than other races, but they weren't particularly talented—yet this guy was a clear exception.

Of course, talent bred jealousy. Wang Gang was growing increasingly irritable as Kang-jun's standing climbed. Kang-jun wasn't weak, but Wang Gang could only chalk it up to excessive luck. He was confident that if he gave it his all, he could match the guy.

That jealousy naturally showed in his words and actions. But he couldn't be too overt about it—there was no need to broadcast his envy to everyone.

In any case, the labyrinth exploration proceeded smoothly. No one could deny that the guard Rakunda and dealer Kang-jun had carried the team.

And Kang-jun had grown considerably closer to Lady Secretary Ayumi in a single night. Camilla, apparently possessing some shred of pride, had kept her distance after being coldly rejected, merely watching for openings. Kang-jun felt no regret whatsoever—he hadn't even initiated a single word with her. They'd been intimate enough, but their relationship had cooled quickly.

The gods themselves were eager to see how this bare-assed lady secretary would be cooked and roasted. Since Ayumi was a healer, Kang-jun wasn't entirely opposed to the idea of recruiting her. He'd spent two precious coupons to buy an information detector and examined her stat window.

She'd claimed she was only 27 and called him oppa, but she was actually in her thirties. So that's why they say you can't trust a woman without checking her age first.

Lady Secretary Ayumi was overall neither outstanding nor lacking—exactly mid-range specs. Still, her stats were higher than Kang-jun's in some areas, meaning trait activation during intercourse was possible. Recruitment was a bit questionable, but if he kept a line open, he could use her someday.

The third day of exploration began, and they wandered through the labyrinth once more, searching everywhere.

The morning went without a hitch—just routine exploration. But after lunch, problems arose during the early afternoon expedition.

Rakunda's team discovered traces of another labyrinth team in their exploration zone. Of course, wandering through a labyrinth meant you'd inevitably find other teams' traces, but what they encountered this time was different from the usual.

"...Looks like they were wiped out?"

Abdul Rahim made the assessment after examining the intestines, blood, and scattered flesh bits strewn everywhere. Rakunda agreed. If they hadn't been annihilated, they wouldn't have left their gear behind like this. The massive supply bags carried by porters were filled with intact monster bones. For them, it was a windfall.

The problem was figuring out why this labyrinth team of roughly ten had been wiped out.

Since labyrinth teams had become standardized, total annihilation had become rare. Usually, teams were wiped out for one of two reasons: either they lacked skill, or they overreached without knowing their limits.

"Something's going on here."

They had likely encountered an unexpectedly powerful monster. That was the danger of new labyrinths. While a rank was assigned, it was only provisional and could change later. There had been cases where a Grade 3 became Grade 2, or Grade 2 became Grade 1. A downgrade wasn't much to worry about, but an upgrade was definitely a problem.

"What should we do?"

Kagul asked Rakunda. The team leader's decision was crucial here—his choice would determine the team's fate. Wang Gang subtly hinted at a big score.

"What if it has a core? Then we just take it down. That'd be pretty profitable."

A single mana core was worth more than that heavy supply bag full of monster bones, so the team members couldn't help but salivate.

"There might not be just one."

"Then we retreat. Let's just check it out, that's all."

Rakunda gathered ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the team's opinions. Some wanted to turn back now that they had an extra money bag, while others argued it could be a monster with a core and worth fighting. Kang-jun sided with the latter. If the monster had a mana core, as Wang Gang suggested, their profits could more than double.

"Then we just check. If there's one, we try. If there are two or more, we retreat. Agreed?"

"Okay."

After reaching consensus, everyone stretched and loosened their limbs. Even if there was only one, it was clearly no pushover.

They wandered through the labyrinth with mixed anxiety and anticipation, but by evening, they hadn't found the monster. Since they'd have to retreat tomorrow, everyone looked quite disappointed.

The team set a watch schedule and each entered their tents. Before lying down, Kang-jun cycled through the Heavenly Demon Mind Method once. The fatigue eased slightly.

He lay there planning what to do with the money earned from this expedition, then fell asleep. First, clear the debts. Then buy some equipment and supplies from Zixu, and...

· · ·

Kang-jun woke up again, drifting from sleep. Ever since entering the novel's world, his perpetually sharp nerves had naturally developed into chronic insomnia. Even when he slept, he often dozed lightly. If he woke in the middle of the night, he'd toss and turn for a long while.

This insomnia worsened in the labyrinth due to anxiety. He wasn't likely to die easily now, but in the early days, he'd faced near-death crises constantly, and the anxiety had been severe. It had improved considerably since then, but mental issues weren't easy to fix. Especially without resolving the fundamental problem of the dungeons themselves, a complete cure was nearly impossible.

Still, this condition had given him the ability to easily detect faint killing intent. That was why his eyes had opened now—he felt a killing aura slithering across his skin.

'...This is strong.'

Kang-jun spread his qi to gauge the monster's level, and his expression hardened considerably. It was the strongest monster he'd encountered in his fourth playthrough. Roughly level 250. ...A familiar ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠feeling.

He quickly stepped outside his tent. Rakunda happened to be on watch.

"It's not your turn yet."

"Didn't you feel it?"

Seeing Kang-jun's serious expression, the quick-witted Rakunda immediately spread his qi. Only then did the team leader realize something unusual had appeared. At the same time, he marveled once again at Kang-jun's ability. Even Rakunda, who had been awake, hadn't noticed it quickly—yet Kang-jun, who had been asleep, had detected it. Proof of his exceptionally high mana stats.

"Wake everyone up. Something's here."

Kang-jun kicked the tents open. Team members emerged groggily, rubbing their sleepy eyes. Seeing them drowsy, Rakunda quickly shouted.

"Everyone, get ready for battle! It's the one we were after!"

The one they were after? The team members didn't immediately understand Rakunda's words, but then something clicked and their eyes widened.

They snapped to attention as if they hadn't just woken up, steeling themselves.

"...It's pretty strong?"

None of them had seen a level 250 monster before. So even after checking its mana output, they couldn't accurately gauge its level. They only knew it was far higher than 200.

Rakunda managed to roughly estimate it. He judged it around level 240. Even he had seen monsters at that level only a handful of times.

The team leader looked like he was hesitating. Fighting or not fighting both seemed questionable. At level 240, the chance of winning without casualties was slim.

Kang-jun had already identified the creature. It was a human-type monster called a Death Knight. They appeared frequently in Grade 1 labyrinths and rarely in Grade 2. Kang-jun had encountered them a few times in Grade 2 labyrinths.

Usually, each labyrinth had one boss-level monster, and this one was essentially the boss's subordinate. In Grade 3, it was a boss; in Grade 2, a mid-boss; in Grade 1, a mob. Still, there was a reason Death Knights had to be taken down—they carried mana cores with extremely high probability.

'A couple of them would be deadly.'

With so many enemies, it would be quite difficult to handle with only a first awakening. And their team wasn't particularly large. ...The reason the other team had been wiped out was almost certainly this creature.

Rakunda decided to fight, instructing everyone to do their best from their positions.

"It's around level 240. It's really strong, so don't let your guard down for a second!"

He added that they should use every means available.

After team leader Rakunda finished speaking, they heard footsteps in the quiet stillness—sounds very similar to human footsteps. Rakunda ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tore open a glow stick and threw it toward the area. But before it hit the ground, something sliced it cleanly in half. The light dimmed considerably.

Everyone's bodies tensed with tension. Kang-jun immediately converted all his mana into agility. Even at 44, overwhelming the creature would be difficult.

"Wh...?"

Those seeing a Death Knight for the first time were quite shocked by the human-type monster's grotesque appearance. A half-shattered helmet revealed a white skull beneath, and its black armor and thick, long greatsword were riddled with cracks. In the hollowed-out eye sockets, eerie green light flickered.

"Death... Knight..."

One team member who recognized it muttered. Everyone had heard of its notoriety at least once. Rakunda clenched his teeth.

"Don't let your guard down. If we combine our strength, we can kill it!"

It was a monster nearly 100 levels above Kang-jun, who was approaching level 150. In hero terms, it was A-class. For them, who were just entering the lower-middle B-class, it was an insurmountable gap.

Still, they trusted their numbers. There was only one of them, and eight on their side, including porters.

The Death Knight scanned them briefly, then suddenly lunged forward and swung its sword. Kagul blocked it with a massive shield, but a single strike left deep gouges in the shield. And Kagul's arm couldn't withstand the impact—it snapped with a sickening crack. The next attack would surely shatter the shield in half.

"Fucking...!"

With one attack blocked, the four dealers immediately counterattacked.

Kang-jun instantly circled behind the creature and slashed his sword.

But his sword strike was pathetically blocked by the creature's blade. The other dealers' attacks were lightly dodged or deflected with punches. The monster's physical power was overwhelming.

'...This is going to be tough.'

With that single exchange, Kang-jun was certain this battle would be extremely difficult. The level gap was too great—even if their attacks landed, they'd likely deal minimal damage.

Rakunda also looked like he was thinking this fight had been a mistake. If things went wrong, they could be wiped out just like the previous team.

He struggled to block the creature's attacks as much as possible. But after parrying the greatsword, his shield was already on the verge of shattering. Only then did he realize his error.

Ayumi poured healing magic into them. But no matter how skilled a guard was, blocking a monster's attacks without a shield was impossible. Even a cracked sword would slice through on contact.

Kang-jun also felt the crisis. It was time to pull out the cards.

Then the Death Knight cleaved through Kagul's body along with his shield. Blood and intestines spilled out as the man died instantly.

"Fuck!"

Wang Gang retreated in terror. No—everyone was terrified. The physical power gap was too vast. It was a monster they couldn't handle.

Of course, they couldn't outrun the Death Knight with speed. Even if they fled, at least a few would be caught and killed. With bad luck, they could all die.

Rakunda realized they were in a life-or-death crisis. But unlike the other team members, he didn't lose his composure. He racked his brain to find a way through this.

Reflexively, he looked at Kang-jun. A sliver of hope that perhaps the guy had a plan.

...And the team leader confirmed the unwavering look in his eyes. He had a strategy. Now, Kang-jun was all they had. To place their hope in a mere first-year newbie. But there was no other option. The other dealers already looked ready to run.

Rakunda could withstand one more attack. After that, he'd be in the same situation as Kagul.

The Death Knight's sword struck Rakunda's shield again. This time, it splintered apart. The follow-up blow was narrowly deflected at an angle, but his arm was completely broken.

"Hurry!"

Rakunda screamed desperately.

At the same time, Kang-jun gripped his sword with both hands and swung with all his might. It was the greatest power he could muster.

The Tai Chi Divine Sword was the essence of the Taoist sword technique. How many tearful efforts had it taken to master this form?

All that tremendous suffering was poured into this single strike. The pinnacle of formlessness, a sword technique as natural as nature itself! Like the Heavenly Demon Mind Method, this was also S-rank.

His stats were insufficient, making it difficult even to swing. But through countless experiences, he forced it into realization. It was barely imitation-level, but it was still the strongest sword technique in the second dungeon. Its power was by no means inferior to anything else.

Once upward, once downward. The sword moved twice. And unable to withstand the impact, it broke. Hundreds of thousands of won gone in an instant.

The Death Knight's sword slid off its armor. Everyone couldn't believe their eyes.

The monster fell.