The Cursed Fortress

Crack! The axe split the cursed butler's skull wide open. Thud! The cursed butler collapsed. Next came the cursed knight. Whoosh! Crack! The ether-infused axe tore through the armor and split the knight's chest clean in half.

"Haha." A laugh escaped me. Every time I felt an enemy's skull split open for the first time, an indescribable pleasure washed over me.

The battle... is fun.

I had experienced thousands of fights, yet this was the first time I truly understood what it meant to fight as an Awakener. In my previous life, I had only watched from behind, hidden away, or run errands. But now everything was different. I swung the ether blade myself and cut down my enemies.

The rapid rise in my ether didn't matter. What mattered to me now wasn't some fast growth rate. Simply being able to fight, simply having the power to protect myself and my family, was enough.

To a third party, Eun-seong looked like a fish in water. Swinging his axe as he weaved between enemies, he seemed born for battle. His movements were simple—slashes, chops, the occasional kick—yet brutally efficient. Every swing of his axe split enemies in a V-shape, sent limbs flying, or decapitated them outright.

His performance was so overwhelming that even Captain Im's team and Choi Yoo-ra had stopped fighting. There was simply nothing left for them to do.

"Team leader? Is that guy really a newbie?"

"Hmm." Captain Im thought for a moment before answering. "He might be an unregistered Awakener who awakened a long time ago."

"No, that's not it," Choi Yoo-ra cut in sharply. "I saw it. He awakened right in front of me."

"You're certain?"

"Absolutely. I was standing right next to him. If you don't believe me, go read the investigation report from that day."

"If Hunter Choi personally witnessed it, I suppose there's no need to check the report. Still, it's hard to believe. How can someone display that kind of combat ability so soon after awakening?"

"Talent, probably."

"Excuse me?"

"He was like this the first time I met him. He wasn't even an Awakener back then."

"What do you mean?"

"He just fought well. Like someone who'd been rolling around battlefields since the day he was born."

"So it's genetics after all."

"Genetics?"

"Eun-seong's father is a legend in special operations. Eun-seong himself was set to enlist as a naval special warfare officer until recently."

"Then it really is genetics." Choi Yoo-ra nodded in understanding.

"Half-crazy runs in the family too?"

"……Colonel Cha is known for his excellent character."

Captain Im squeezed his eyes shut. Honestly, he couldn't deny Choi Yoo-ra's assessment that Eun-seong seemed a little unhinged.

"See? I told you he's not right in the head. He's laughing and crying at the same time."

Choi Yoo-ra pointed at Eun-seong. He was clearly smiling brightly as he mowed down enemies, yet his eyes were red and watery. The sight was so grotesque it was impossible to tell whether he was laughing or crying.

"Hmm. We may need to request a psychiatric evaluation after all."

"What evaluation?" Choi Yoo-ra snorted. "You know how this world works. How many hunters aren't at least a little crazy? You're still active military, so you're probably less affected."

"Haha……"

"But hey."

"Yes?"

"I'm genuinely curious—what exactly is his identity?"

"……?"

"At first I thought he was a supporter. But he's not. Look at him— what kind of supporter can carve up 4-star ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠monsters like that? And the way he absorbs ether blades too."

"I agree. However……"

"You want me to keep quiet?"

"Yes."

"Don't worry. I'm not planning to go around blabbing."

"Thank you."

"It's over." Choi Yoo-ra retrieved her ether blade—her chain.

It felt refreshing. After wiping out enemies for the first time, an inexplicable sense of elation refused to fade. Was this what they called an adrenaline rush, or an excess of dopamine? Maybe both.

"You look like you're in a good mood."

"Not bad."

"How's your condition?"

"Perfect."

"Then we're good."

Choi Yoo-ra didn't ask anything else. Captain Im's team looked quite shocked as well, but everyone kept their questions to themselves. They probably had plenty of questions. Not that I had any intention of answering them.

"Let's head straight to the 9th floor like this."

"Understood."

We continued moving toward the 9th floor where the boss awaited. Since we'd already rested sufficiently inside the rift, there was no need to stop.

Clang! Along the way, we smashed every jar we came across, not forgetting to farm etherium.

We passed the 7th floor and reached the 8th. Not a single monster in sight. The 9th floor was the same. It was as if every monster had dried up and vanished.

"It appears another raid party has already entered the boss room."

"Seems that way."

I agreed with Captain Im. The traces of battle scattered everywhere suggested another party had come before us. A dungeon eruption didn't send everyone back to the starting point. It only moved them to the same 0th dungeon as their current location, so it wasn't strange that a party already near the boss room had arrived faster. They might even be in the middle of the raid already.

"Let's go check it out anyway."

We headed straight for the boss room. The boss of the Cursed Fortress resided in the 9th floor area known as the Lord's Hall. The closer we got, the louder the noises became. When we drew near enough, we could already hear the boss fight raging inside.

"Aaaagh!"

"You son of a bitch!"

"Kuhk!"

The situation was dire. Nearly twenty hunters were being slaughtered.

"It's the Boramae Clan," Choi Yoo-ra said after recognizing the hunters fighting the boss.

Ah, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠those guys. Most hunters formed clans because they preferred hunting in groups. While temporary parties were possible, the job was so dangerous that hunters naturally sought reliable comrades, leading to fixed clans. The Boramae Clan was one such group. Nothing particularly remarkable about them. Their clan master was somewhat outstanding, but the clan itself was average. They had many members, mostly 1- to 3-star hunters, and had never done anything noteworthy with their influence. They had been involved in various incidents, though nothing serious. The name Boramae came from the fact that they were formed during a gate incident at Boramae Park in Seoul.

"The Boramae Clan has an agreement with the Defense Strategy Department. It should be fine to help them."

"I can't stand filthy bastards."

Unlike Captain Im, Choi Yoo-ra was reluctant to assist. Her reaction was understandable. The Boramae Clan had a notorious reputation for sexual harassment scandals. Senior members constantly bombarded female rookie hunters with confessions, and male hunters fought over female hunters. It had become a running joke.

"That's one thing, but we can't just let them die. There are female hunters in there too."

"True enough."

Choi Yoo-ra didn't look pleased, but after seeing the female hunters, she seemed to have made up her mind.

"Let's go."

The moment we agreed to help the Boramae Clan, we charged forward.

"Captain Im Mu-seong of the Defense Strategy Department! Fall back!"

"Get out of the way and don't get in our way!"

We pushed ahead so the Boramae Clan members could retreat, then faced the boss directly.

"How dare you enter this place."

A white-haired old noble in a red robe glared at us with hostility. His hair was dull and white, his skin corpse-pale, and his eyes and mouth carried an eerie, grotesque air.

"Chomp, chomp." The Count tore at human flesh stuck under his long fingernails while glaring at us. "How dare mere commoners intrude upon the Lord's castle. I shall tear you to shreds, drink your blood, and chew your flesh."

We ignored every word the Count spewed. Monster speech was almost never worth listening to. They had no idea who we were and were usually babbling nonsense even to themselves. They were simply enemies. Enemies with whom conversation was meaningless.

Clench! I gripped the Mad Butcher and closed the distance to the Count.

Shrrrrrrk! Crack! Choi Yoo-ra's bladed chain wrapped around the Count.

This was why she was highly regarded as a dealer. She could restrain enemies, giving allies the freedom to pour out firepower without worry. That was an enormous advantage.

"Now!"

At Choi Yoo-ra's signal, Captain Im's team and I unleashed a barrage of attacks on the Count.

"You bastards!"

The more the Count struggled, the deeper the blades dug in and the tighter the chain constricted.

"Kuaaaaaaaaagh!" A scream of agony burst from the Count's mouth.

Bang! A shockwave centered on the Count slammed into us.

"Agh!" Captain Im's team and I were sent flying over ten meters and crashed into the wall.

"Kugh!" I wiped the blood from my mouth and forced myself up. My insides felt rattled. It seemed like my liver or pancreas had taken damage. To be reduced to this state by a single shockwave—truly, a boss was a boss. The Count was no easy prey. Even 4-star dealers like Choi Yoo-ra struggled against him. The Boramae Clan had nearly been wiped out, so of course he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wasn't an easy opponent.

Not enough attack power.

Even the 4-star ether blade, the Mad Butcher, could only inflict shallow wounds on the Count. It hadn't dealt any meaningful damage.

"Get up and hit him! Hurry!"

Choi Yoo-ra, true to her 4-star rank, hadn't been pushed back by the shockwave and was still holding the Count in place.

Healing first.

Whoosh! I pulled a Healing Card from the Infinite Deck and used it, then flung cards toward Captain Im's team as well.

Whoosh! While the Healing Cards restored us, Luck and Full Moon Cards slipped ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out of the deck on their own and seeped into the Mad Butcher.

Huh? It felt like the missing attack power had been filled in.