Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 39
>Chapter Title: Hero-Grade Secret Dungeon
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Chapter 39
>39.
>Money?
>It would be nice to earn some, but it wasn't something he absolutely needed right now.
He had no intention whatsoever of letting an incredible opportunity like this slip away and handing it over to someone else.
‘I'm already drooling over what I might get.’
A hero-grade secret dungeon—maybe he could even score hero-grade items?
>At the very least, rare+ or better should drop, right?
Do-hyun might have the worst luck imaginable, but this was a secret dungeon. He couldn't help feeling a surge of anticipation.
‘Eye of Truth... it's really the best.’
Truth be told, he had hoped it might uncover a dungeon.
The ability to pierce through anything hidden reeked of an explorer's search skill—no one could deny that. That's why Do-hyun had wandered the forest before stepping into the Goblin Chieftain's Lair.
Despite all that effort, he hadn't found a thing and was about halfway to giving up. But to think it would trigger a massive event like this!
‘If it was gonna pull out something like this, it should've done it sooner. So damn mischievous.’
Thanks to it, he'd snagged a rare title. He welcomed that kind of mischief a hundred times over.
He wasn't sure if the search range applied to Eye of Truth, but the all-stats +2 effect was pure honey.
“Huu.”
Do-hyun's expression, twisted in a grin as he grumbled pointlessly at the unresponsive Eye of Truth, turned deadly serious.
It was the first such expression he'd shown since taking down the Iron Blood Wyrmspawn.
Truthfully, he'd been able to half-ass it up until now. He hadn't even needed precise control—monsters just dropped dead after a hit or two.
PVP had been the same. He hadn't felt a shred of tension.
But this secret dungeon was different.
‘Everything changes starting at hero-grade.’
Normal-grade and rare-grade dungeons weren't all that different.
>Players just had a bit more to do, and things got a tad trickier.
But hero-grade ramped up the difficulty exponentially.
>This held true for any ranked system, not just dungeons.
‘Items, skills, bosses... this is where it gets real.’
No matter how much trash-talk the game got for its awful luck mechanics, Demlock had one unbreakable rule.
‘The lower the odds, the more guaranteed the payoff.’
God Ose was no different.
>Just look at his unique ability 'Adventurer' or Eye of Truth.
>They were one-of-a-kind, boasting overwhelming performance.
By the same logic, the rewards from a hero-grade dungeon had to outclass those from rare-grade ones.
Imagine grinding a brutally tough new boss only for the rewards to be barely better than the previous one.
>No one would bother—no one would hunt hero-grade bosses over rare-grade ones.
Of course, probability was still that maddening factor...
[First discovery grants additional benefits.]
>[First clear guarantees a boss-related equipment item drop.]
>[Experience gain increased by 30%.]
>[Drop rate increased by 30%.]
‘Kuh... now that's a game.’
None of that mattered to Do-hyun right now.
>He just needed to clear the dungeon for sure. And in that department, his confidence exceeded anyone else's.
[Enter the secret dungeon?]
“Yeah.”
[Conditions met.]
>[Entering secret dungeon 'Black Goblin Sorcerer's Hideout' shortly.]
>[5......]
>......
>[2......]
The final '1' message flashed, and his vision went white. Do-hyun grinned.
‘Time to claim those rewards.’
It was the moment the continent's first city, Raven, saw its very first secret dungeon open.
* * *
-Entering a secret dungeon is like shoving your head into a wild beast's maw.
Those were the words of Fried, God Ose ranking 1279, from an interview.
When curious players asked about secret dungeons, he paused, then spat that out. It left most scratching their heads.
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Is it that hard?”
“Suicide mission?”
“Then why's everyone freaking out to find one? Masochists?”
They got the double meaning but couldn't grasp the intent.
But players who'd been through a secret dungeon all nodded in agreement.
>They understood instantly.
What happens when you stick your head in a beast's mouth?
-It clamps shut.
Unless it's a well-trained animal, nine times out of ten, it snaps closed.
>Drooling over self-delivered prey, it chews you up.
Secret dungeons were exactly like that beast's maw.
[Dungeon entered.]
Boom!
The moment he entered, a massive black orb hurtled toward Do-hyun in welcome.
Not a literal orb—it was a magic sphere of mana.
>And this wasn't some basic fireball, either.
[Direct hit from Curse Orb inflicts status ailment 'Dark Vision.']
>['Dark Vision' effect: Vision narrows for a set duration.]
The staple curse spell of curse sorcerers, their bread-and-butter.
>The damage was negligible, but that Dark Vision was the real problem. One hit, and your vision turned suffocatingly cramped.
Like navigating a cave by dim lantern light.
But Do-hyun's vision remained crystal clear.
[Trait 'Hero' blocks mental corruption.]
>[Ignores 'Dark Vision' effect.]
He had the top-tier trait 'Hero,' a hard counter to CC effects.
Bang! Boom boom!
A few more shots flew in, but the 'Hero' trait blocked them all, rendering them harmless.
Do-hyun brushed the curse residue off his clothes.
‘Some welcome party.’
That was why Fried put it that way—and it was the core concept of secret dungeons.
They came in all varieties with different gimmicks, but nearly every one tormented players the instant they entered.
>Maze types hit you with traps, single-boss ones with attacks like this.
Difficulty aside, the dungeon started the moment you stepped in.
[To dare enter my home uninvited... you've lost all fear, human.]
Even villains got a grace period for their grand entrance or transformation—that was the code.
But this honorless creep wasted no time. Do-hyun turned toward the raspy, grating voice—and saw them.
Kiruk... Kirruk...
>Kiririk...
Countless corrupted goblins littered the ground.
>Eyes vacant, skin stained purple and half-rotted—they screamed undead.
[Black Goblin Sorcerer's Undead Goblin]
>[Black Goblin Sorcerer's Undead Goblin]
>......
Their names confirmed it: undead.
And they weren't the only repulsive sights.
Kiiik- Kii-
>Sssr-
Around the undead goblins swarmed at least twenty massive insects.
>In the corner of the half-collapsed ceiling, a giant spider had spun its web; on the battered floor, enormous centipedes writhed about.
>Some even clung to the undead goblins.
“Ugh, check out those visuals.”
VR made it way too vivid—heightening the gross factor.
[Kekeke... terrified of my children, are you?]
At the far end loomed something black.
Darker than the hood it wore, its skin gleamed obsidian. It lounged on a shabby throne webbed in spider silk.
>Green eyes glinted from the shadows.
Above it floated a red name and info window.
[Jihard Black]
>-Title: Hero-Grade Named Boss
>-Type: Goblin
>-Traits: Bloodline Factor, Curse Sorcerer, Necromancer, Nimble Hands.
>-Description: Survivor of a fallen clan.
>Jihard, heir to an elite bloodline, is a goblin who has lived for centuries.
>The reason for his seclusion and what he's preparing remain unknown.
‘Named boss?’
...That he hadn't seen coming.
Even for a brutal secret dungeon, a named boss?
Named bosses ranked higher than elite ones.
>Elites were just monsters exceptional for their grade.
>Named bosses owned a unique name.
In God Ose, they were singular existences—beyond comparison.
‘Not all named bosses are strong just because they have a name...’
Sure, in rarity, but difficulty was a crapshoot.
>A boss's power depended on how long it'd lived and how much it'd honed itself.
Some, like the Iron Blood Wyrmspawn, were absurdly broken. Others were laughably weak despite the title.
‘Hmm... can't tell from the info alone.’
Typical of named bosses.
>The Iron Blood Wyrmspawn had barely any description either.
He was about to shrug it off as par for the course when—
[Conditions met.]
>[Slayer activates.]
>[Jihard Black's hidden info unlocked.]
“Huh?”
He froze at the sudden alert, then let out an exclamation as it clicked.
‘Oh, right—this thing.’
The Slayer trait.
>It revealed locations and hidden info for monster types tied to his Slayer titles.
>He'd forgotten it since it hadn't triggered lately.
[View additional info?]
‘Hmm.’
Curious as he was, it wouldn't hurt... but first, Do-hyun eyed the boss.
Getting jumped mid-read would suck.
It sat there arrogantly, as if it could erase him anytime.
Kirruk... Kiruk...
>Ssss-
Were they waiting for orders? The undead and insects under its thrall stayed put.
Still, having all those horrors stare him down was unsettling.
Then, locking eyes, the boss spat in a haughty tone.
[Yet something's off... how did a human find this place? I hid it perfectly.]
“...Yeah, you did.”
Without an outlier like Do-hyun, it might've stayed hidden forever.
[I sense no explorer aura... a strange mix of energies. Quite the anomaly.]
Even Do-hyun had to blink at that.
A mere Raven boss sensing his all-master status at a glance?
The insight of a centuries-old boss?
[Hmm...]
It peered right through him, as if probing his soul—then grunted in frustration, failing to pierce the veil.
‘What the hell is this guy's deal?’
Fascinating in every way.
>The most rational boss he'd met, that goblin-sharp perception and presence—didn't seem goblin-like at all.
Curiosity piqued, Do-hyun checked the info.
[...A special race from ancient times, the Black Clan.
>They wielded unique arts born of their immense potential, ever at odds with 'humanity' due to their danger.
>But after 'That Day,' the Black Clan perished, vanishing from the world.
>Jihard Black carries their blood.
>Over centuries old, yet by Black Clan standards—where they live over a millennium—he's not even an adult.]
Do-hyun let out a soft whistle at the detailed reveal.
Slayer's performance exceeded expectations.
‘Black Clan... first I've heard of 'em.’
Even Demlock hadn't mentioned them.
God Ose built on Demlock's world, adding plenty new.
>Some old elements vanished, new lore appeared—it wasn't odd for Do-hyun to not know.
‘Whatever it is, it's no pushover.’
Humanity had feared them since ancient times.
And centuries of life? Strong, if anything.
Small mercy: it was still a kid, not even through puberty.
‘Four traits... no melee ones.’
High-tier indeed—traits galore, all necromancer-themed.
>Nimble Hands likely sped up casting...
Watch that Bloodline Factor variable, and he had this.
[An odd one, but you've stepped into my domain... my children...]
Right on cue, Jihard Black finished deliberating and slowly extended a hand.
As its pitch-black palm stretched out—like flipping a switch—the undead lurched forward.
Kraaah... Kraa...
>Sasasak- Sa-
Horrid noises as the monsters closed in.
Do-hyun advanced on the lounging Jihard Black behind them.
Step. Step.
Slow, deliberate strides brimming with unshakable confidence.
‘The tense one shouldn't be me.’
Ranged always tensed against melee closes.
>Even if they dominated all game, one slip in distance and it flipped.
>That was their dynamic.
Conventional wisdom—but this fool, banking on numbers, lounged like an idiot. Infuriating.
Time to show it.
‘Why assassins bully ranged.’
Why assassins were PVP kings.
Why ranged foamed at the mouth at the sight of one.
Kirruk... Kraa...
The monsters closed to arm's reach. Do-hyun murmured low.
“......Ki.”
A whisper too soft for close range.
And Do-hyun vanished.