Chapter 54
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Discovering the Hidden Dungeon
-----------------------------------------------------------------
After they truly began ascending Silver Moon Mountain, Lee Se-hun put on a display of utterly overwhelming combat.
Paang—!
Every time the Five-Colored Flame Blade was drawn from his waist, most of the monsters charging in recklessly rolled across the ground, lifeless.
A few quick-witted ones managed to hurl themselves aside and survive, but it didn't change much in the end.
Puuk!
He'd hurl the Five-Colored Flame Blade gripped in his hand to sever their breath in an instant.
Paak!
Pull the Flame-Stacking Sheath from his waist and smash their skulls.
Seogeok!
Or wrap his hand in white light and slice them apart. They died without a chance to resist the relentless barrage.
No matter where you looked, it didn't seem like his first real battle. Yet the one putting on the show, Lee Se-hun, wore a face full of dissatisfaction.
'Tch... Controlling my strength is harder than I thought.'
He'd meant to slice only the heart but ended up severing the spine too. In spots where one step would've sufficed, he'd taken two.
Trivial mistakes that barely affected the fight overall. But Lee Se-hun noted every single one and corrected them on the spot.
'No fun, and inefficient too? Can't have that.'
A blacksmith to his bones, Lee Se-hun didn't particularly enjoy honing his power through battle like ordinary heroes did.
How could he relish risking injury—staking his life no less—when he barely had time to hammer metal?
But life being what it was, he couldn't just skip it. So he'd devised his own solution: optimizing combat.
'With my current physical abilities and gear, the cost for one Silver Wolf should be 5. But the average so far is about 5.7... Need to shave it down more.'
Factoring in mana, stamina, gear performance—everything—he felled monsters with the most efficient movements possible.
A stark, mechanical mindset that treated battle purely as work.
Lee Se-hun thought nothing of it, but the other heroes' reactions were ice-cold.
'No soul.'
'All show, no substance.'
'Bro, just stick to hammering.'
Not just the Three Dogs who'd shared tips, but even seasoned fighters lambasted his style beyond mere criticism.
It irked him a bit at times, but he didn't complain much. After all, he'd once cursed blacksmiths who chased efficiency over craft.
'Still, some saw it in a good light.'
One was Ma Gwang-su, flattering him for the gear repair tab. The other...
Koruruk—
...was Ryu Eun-ha, her stomach growling nonstop from behind.
“......”
Ryu Eun-ha, silently watching Lee Se-hun's fights, heard the noise and promptly pulled a red dagger from her subspace pocket, biting down.
Pakang! Kwadeuk—Kwaduk!
The blade snapped like a chocolate bar, melting in her mouth.
The fire-attribute mana inside and the finely honed edge pierced from her tongue to her whole body.
A clean taste worthy of high-grade gear. Fine as a palate cleanser, and normally it'd curb her hunger somewhat.
But...
Koruruk—!
Today, her gut rumbled louder, like a protest.
“Ugh...”
Her hunger worsening instead of fading, Ryu Eun-ha furrowed her brow slightly.
A reaction utterly unlike her usual. She'd had no clue why until now, but it was starting to click.
'Because of Cadet Lee Se-hun...'
His combat style fully exploited his gear's capabilities.
At first, she just thought it impressive. But as the fights piled up, she grasped the terror in it.
Hwaruruk!
The Five-Colored Flame Blade, slipping from the Flame-Stacking Sheath, wreathed in five hues of flame.
Others might think he was just swinging it enhanced by the sheath. But Ryu Eun-ha saw the finesse.
'The five flames within the Five-Colored Flame Blade. He's boosting each slash by leveraging their properties.'
Perfectly balanced flames. He upped the 'green' one's ratio, making them spray like windborne fire to accelerate his strikes.
'Subtle properties not even listed in the info window. Amplifying them with the sheath...'
A feat possible only with profound gear knowledge and exquisite control.
Thanks to it, sheath and blade performed beyond 100%. And Ryu Eun-ha craved that extra flavor.
Gulp—
Like adding a chef's sauce to already delicious food.
Or showing someone debating dipping or pouring sweet-and-sour sauce that you stir-fry instead!
To Ryu Eun-ha, already eyeing sheath and blade, this fight was pure torture.
Koruruk!
Leading to hunger that wouldn't quit, no matter what she ate.
'First time for this...'
Even those treating gear like extensions of themselves hadn't stirred this feeling. What made the difference?
As Ryu Eun-ha pondered, munching new gear to quiet her belly...
Lee Se-hun booted the last Silver Wolf's head and caught his breath.
“Hoo... Hoo...”
94 Silver Wolves in 20 minutes. No breaks beyond moving, so his stamina was dipping.
'Could take another 80, but... better conserve from here.'
The goal was Jurgen Kruger's item—specifically, locating and clearing its hidden dungeon.
Even dumping fights on Ryu Eun-ha, variables could arise. He needed reserves.
Decision made, he glanced at her gnawing a double-bladed axe.
“Department Head.”
“......”
“Department Head?”
Kwadeuk—Kwaduk—
She kept chomping without reply. Noticing her eyes on sheath and blade, Lee Se-hun chuckled.
'Must really want it.'
Could probably sell for cup ramen prices at the peak. Sheathing the blade with that thought...
Chalak!
“Ah, ahem. I heard you. Speak.”
“Mind if we rest a bit?”
“Do as you like. I can take you back to the terminal if you want. Your call?”
“I'll rest here. Counts as experience.”
Scanning around at his answer, Ryu Eun-ha nodded once satisfied.
“This spot works. Go ahead.”
With permission, he sat on his pre-scouted spot, back to a rock.
Kkudeudeuk—
Shadow Matter Armor rippled, reshaping. The nagging discomfort under butt and back vanished.
Adapting not just to body but surroundings. Lee Se-hun eyed it intrigued.
'This thing... better than expected.'
Tech behind the armor was subpar, but Shadow Matter's versatility made it solid anyway.
Felt like skin more than armor. Satisfied yet wistful...
'Master this right, and I could've dropped cost to 4... even 3.'
But it was just injury prevention. Push it in combat, and Ryu Eun-ha wouldn't approve.
'Plus, it'd break.'
Borrowed gear—even if she disliked it—broken meant no more loans.
Deciding to use moderately and return it, he inspected the armor...
“Cadet Lee Se-hun.”
Ryu Eun-ha spoke from her spot nearby.
“Mind if I ask something?”
“Sure. Go ahead.”
“Your moves show years of battle experience. Mind sharing who taught you?”
Curiosity, expectation, a hint of doubt. Lee Se-hun flinched inwardly.
'Showed too much.'
Nothing special, so fine to show. But it piqued more interest.
Still, expected post-regression. He gave his prepared excuse calmly.
“No teacher. Just habits from living solo.”
“Habits?”
“Yeah. Kept pondering efficient body use. Naturally carried over to fights.”
Her puzzlement deepened at his casual reply.
“What kind of life makes habits like that instinctive?”
Perfect grasp of surroundings and self for optimal action.
Simple in words, but consciously tuning every move? No easy feat.
And that was daily life? Doubt budding...
“No money.”
Lee Se-hun continued plainly.
“Parents' inheritance went to the workshop. Monthly aid? Spent on practice materials. Nothing left. So I reframed it.”
“Reframed...?”
“Yeah. Just maintain the body, whatever it takes.”
Meals by nutrition and value, not taste. Clothes only if HVAC failed. Non-forging time? Floor naps.
Machine-like life, right up to Babel.
“Sounds simple, but finding the line's tricky. Too little food drops stamina; too much leaves none for materials.”
“......”
“Hitting the sweet spot's key. Early on, couldn't gauge it—collapsed from exhaustion often. Nearly died first winter...”
Recent in time, ancient history after 31-year regression.
Memories vivid from revenge-fueled days.
'Worked my ass off back then.'
Relentless mentally and physically. Tough daily, now just 'that happened'.
Time, and revenge achieved.
'Need to crush those Demon Gods too...'
Lost in thoughts, he noticed no reply and looked over.
“......”
Ryu Eun-ha stared silently, eyes complex. He winced.
'Skipped too much.'
Not convincing alone. Nostalgia stirring, he spilled old tips.
“Know E-rank Hornpig? Meat tastes like pickled rubber trash, but packed with nutrients. Cheap staple. Eating it sparingly built stamina thrift.”
“Once, cheap tongs snapped pulling molten metal vat—poured on foot. Nearly extra toes. Learned to splurge on gear after.”
“Shoulder injury, no cash for doc. Hammered with other arm. Two weeks later, doc said delay would've wrecked it... Whew. Checked body religiously since.”
Warmed up, he rambled excitedly...
“Enough.”
Solemn Ryu Eun-ha cut him off.
“That explains your style.”
Burning life as fuel to max talent—natural outcome. Files hid the brutality.
Pity in her eyes.
“You don't live like that anymore, right?”
“Nah. Stunts growth.”
Tension eased.
“Now I push muscles and mana circuits to necrosis edge for max growth...”
“Cadet Lee Se-hun.”
She stepped close, gripping his shoulders firmly.
“I get wanting fast growth, but no overdoing it. Got it?”
“Uh? Yeah... Moderately...”
“Got it?”
Unrelenting till the answer. Familiar from before regression. He nodded.
“Got it.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Don't worry.”
No intent, but agreeing's efficient.
'Not even that extreme.'
Not micromanaging organs, no twisted nerves, no daily circuit slicing. What's the issue?
Reading him, she sighed.
“Early semester now, but opportunities'll come. As Borsippa top...”
Listing top-student perks, his eyes drifted past her shoulder.
“...Huh.”
Faint light spilling over dark ridges. He looked skyward.
Moon peeking through clouds, about to hide. He turned to her.
“Department Head! Carry me and jump high!”
“Pardon?”
“Urgent! Hurry!”
Perplexed but swift, she surged her blood energy, scooped him, and kicked off.
Tuung—!
Gale whipping faces, view shifted instantly. Scanning Silver Moon Mountain's expanse...
'Jurgen Kruger's item dungeon absorbs moonlight-charged demonic energy.'
Pre-regression A-rank heroes spotted it by chance, found after 3-week probe.
No moon, no trace; flows too subtle.
They boasted no one else could've found it so soon.
'That's ground search. Up here...'
Tracking tainted air flowing ridge-like, natural demonic flows... He spotted the anomaly.
Unremarkable peak. But faint demonic seep under mid-slope clearing.
Pointing instantly.
“There!”
“...That?”
S-rank instincts caught oddity at once. Before she overthought...
“Might vanish! Smash in!”
Not complex, but if she deemed risky and skipped...
Grasping urgency, she moved.
Paang—!
Midair kick propelled toward entrance.
Red trail like meteor. Dozens of km closed in blinks.
As her body neared crash...
Whoong—
Spun half-turn, left foot lashed ground.
Kwaaaaang—!!
Earth erupting, cliffs crumbling.
Instead of rebound, they plunged below. Certain now.
They'd entered the hidden dungeon.