The hunters hastily attended to Michael’s corpse.
They followed Ramus’s gesture as he led the way.
“This is the place I saw.”
As they pushed through the bushes, a dark cave came into view.
And they could instinctively feel it.
Ramus’s prophecy had hit the mark once again.
“Just looking at it feels ominous.”
“…This place is definitely something.”
It was understandable.
The cave exuded an unsettling aura.
Even from the outside, it was an abyss of darkness.
The eerie silence felt like staring into the abyss.
Indeed, they couldn’t even imagine what lurked inside.
But no matter what they imagined, the ominous feeling suggested it would be worse than that, wrapping the team members in a sense of overwhelming dread. Such was the magnitude of the cave’s oppressive atmosphere.
Pyeong-ari cleared her throat and spoke up, and Ramus responded.
“This is indeed a suspicious place. Is this where you saw?”
“Yes. Specifically, I saw the inside of the cave. That’s where the owner of the dungeon is.”
That was the beginning.
Team members Joined in, speaking up.
Among them were the American hunters, with one of them, Galley, having Michael’s corpse lingering in his mind.
“…So the culprit who did this to Michael is inside this cave. Let’s go in right away.”
“Whatever it is, we’ll kill it all.”
Pyeong-ari let out a small sigh at their determination. While she empathized with their feelings, it was time to act with reason rather than emotion.
“Just a moment. Let’s not rush into things. It’s too dangerous for us to go in alone right now. We need to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances. And we need to inform the other teams, don’t we?”
“I’m sorry. But, but! I couldn’t control my anger…”
“I understand how you feel. But especially at times like this, we need to remain level-headed. Everyone seems too worked up. Let’s calm down before going in.”
It was then that Jong-sik spoke up. Where could they go anyway? As mentioned earlier, they couldn’t kill Koolara.
“Everyone, stop! By now, we’ve probably dealt with most of the monsters. Let’s set off the signal flare here, gather people, and then enter.”
So, I’ll go in alone, take care of it quickly, and come out.
Ignoring such thoughts, Kang Chang-soo, who seemed oblivious to them, carefully picked up the signal flare he had brought.
“Yes. I’ll notify them.”
A moment later,
Fweeing! Ping!
A red signal flare pierced the sky. Soon, blue signal flares burst from all directions.
A response to the red signal flare. In other words, it was a confirmation, indicating they would depart.
Seeing this, the team members remained vigilant and took a brief rest. In the midst of this, Jong-sik revealed his plan.
“Everyone, stay here as you are. I’ll go in for a moment to assess the situation and come back.”
Anyone listening would think he was going for a walk. Pyeong-ari widened her eyes in surprise, and Jong-sik objected. Even though it was Jong-sik, going in alone was still a cause for concern.
“What? Alone? No way!”
“Um, I’ll go in with the prophet. Since he’s seen inside, it’s better for him to go in first, familiarize himself with the terrain, and assess the dangers.”
“But it’s too risky. People will be here soon. Let’s go in together. Okay?”
“Especially at times like this, we need to think rationally. Who was it that said that?”
“But this is different!”
“This is the best option. So please wait here. I’ll be back soon.”
However, Jong-sik’s stance was firm. In the end, Pyeong-ari and the other team members couldn’t oppose Jong-sik’s decision.
Honestly, everything he said made sense. Even if they tried to stop him, Jong-sik was not someone who would listen to reason.
Eventually, the team members bid farewell to Jong-sik.
“Be careful.”
“If it gets too late or if anything feels off, I’ll go in right away.”
Jong-sik scanned the faces of those gathered. Pyeong-ari lacked leadership, and the white hunters were all equally excited. It seemed like Kang Chang-soo was the most suitable.
“That’s the plan. Oh, and while I’m gone, Kang Chang-soo Hunter will be in charge of on-site command, so everyone should follow him.”
At this, a slight smile crept up on Kang Chang-soo’s lips. Somehow, he felt validated by Jong-sik’s acknowledgment.
“Ahem, well. Thank you for entrusting me.”
Jong-sik entered the cave with Ramus. Despite the pitch-black darkness enveloping his body, he remained unfazed.
After all, this level of darkness couldn’t affect him in any way. He confidently stepped forward.
On the other hand, Ramus was not the same. He kept his eyes wide open, fearing he might lose sight of Jong-sik. If his master’s footsteps were delayed because of him…!
The impending agony was already making his whole body tremble.
‘I must not become a hindrance!’
That was Ramus’s thought.
A while later,
The two safely reached the end of the cave.
Countless bone fragments piled up in front of a blocked wall. Jong-sik recognized the creature at once.
“That’s him.”
[Finally, you’ve come. Ah, release the seal.]
“Yes, master. It’s him.”
Ramus replied politely. Since there was no one else to listen, he comfortably referred to Jong-sik as ‘master.’
‘Oh, no.’
Although not human, there was a presence that could hear.
[Him? Ah, I see. Are you referring to me?]
Until now, Ramus had conversed with Jong-sik in his mind. And Koolara couldn’t eavesdrop on such conversations.
However, the words spoken aloud were different. Despite being sealed, this place was clearly not within Koolara’s domain.
“What should we do? If the master commands, I will immediately release the seal on him.”
“Yes. Let’s do that.”
In the ensuing conversation, Koolara realized that something was amiss. He wasn’t being taken into consideration at all.
Enraged, he summoned his scattered subordinates.
[“Such insolence! How dare you, mere humans, pledge allegiance to them instead of me, Koolara!”]
Meanwhile, Ramus, who had approached the wall, began drawing a magic circle. The materials for the circle were the magic he had collected.
[“Is he trying to release the seal now?”]
Eventually, the magic circle drawn on the wall activated. Koolara briefly showed surprise at the unexpected turn of events.
But it was short-lived. Whatever the case, if only the seal could be undone, that would be enough.
Soon, the scattered bone fragments began to move, coalescing into a single form. It took the shape of a lich, a being of eternal life.
“Hahaha! You fools know no bounds.”
A sinister voice echoed through the cave, and at the same time, Jong-sik recited a prayer taught to him by his comrade and saint of the Eldar continent, Rachel. It was a kind of buff.
While he couldn’t learn skills related to divine power from anyone else, she had personally imbued divine power into him, creating a spell solely for Jong-sik.
In an instant, divine power surged through the mana he controlled.
“I shall bring you pain greater than death!”
And that became Koolara’s final lamentation.
“Fool.”
A single blow was more than enough from the start. And with that, Koolara, who had just emerged into the world, was annihilated. It was a devastating and futile demise.
Jong-sik calmly surveyed the ground.
Among the scattered red ashes, there was loot.
They were called runes.
Jong-sik carefully picked them up.
“…What’s that?”
The source of his power was wriggling on the ground.
To an unfamiliar observer, it might just seem like a rock.
But Jong-sik knew what it was.
A peculiar item condensed with mana.
It was neither something he could easily take nor something he could simply discard.
“If that falls into the hands of someone like Ramus, it’ll be a headache.”
In the end, Jong-sik made a different choice.
He began absorbing the source of power.
And then, unexpectedly, a holographic window appeared before him.
“[Acquired Koolara’s Essence (Lv.1) Skill.]”
Detects mana.
Can sense the whereabouts of sealed kin.
It was an unexpected harvest and his first skill acquired since coming to Korea. Jong-sik, who was rarely caught off guard in unexpected situations, was momentarily taken aback.
But that was only for a moment.
“This could be useful, couldn’t it?”
Jong-sik smirked.
Meanwhile, Ramus, who had witnessed the entire scene, trembled involuntarily.
Seeing his esteemed master, who was once revered as a great being, being killed like an ant, sent shivers down his spine. At the same time, memories of the previous day came flooding back to him.
“…Obedience is the only path to survival.”
Meanwhile, outside the cave, a fierce battle was raging.
It wasn’t just the hunters who gathered upon seeing the signal flare; every monster inside the dungeon seemed to have converged.
Growls and roars echoed.
“We’ll be at a disadvantage if we enter the cave. We mustn’t be pushed inside! Everyone, stay alert!”
Captain Kang Chang-soo shouted as he swung his long spear, knocking trolls back and forth on the ground.
Soon, elementalists stepped forward. Their role was to momentarily halt the monsters’ movements.
Frost and lightning poured out from all directions, preventing the monsters from getting up as desired.
Although it was only temporary, it was sufficient.
The waiting assassins swiftly slit the monsters’ throats.
“Healers!”
The healers had the final task. Those protected by tanks rushed into the battlefield.
“They’re coming again. Fall back! Archers, aim for their ankles!”
Kang Chang-soo effectively commanded the battlefield. However, the waves of monsters seemed endless.
As a result, victory didn’t come easily.
Moreover, a series of processes were necessary to deal with the monsters perfectly.
It meant the battle would take longer than usual. And then, it happened.
“Growwwl!”
“Kkaaah!”
Monsters suddenly began howling.
Some even Squirmed on the ground as if in agony.
‘What on earth is happening?’
Everyone was dumbfounded by the unexpected turn of events.
However, they weren’t about to miss this golden opportunity.
“Now’s the time. Attack!”
Experienced Kang Chang-soo took the lead, and the rest of the team followed suit.
As the hunters rushed forward, a cloud of dust rose. At the same time, red ashes flew in the wind from the bodies of the rolling monsters.
“What’s going on? These creatures seem to have returned to normal?”
“Huh?”
Even the monsters seemed bewildered, some suddenly showing signs of aggression.
“What the heck is happening?”
“Healers, come out!”
“It’s an all-out attack!”
Whatever was happening, they couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity. The assault team pressed on fiercely.
As time passed, the ground became littered with the bodies of the monsters. They had gained a clear advantage.
After a while,
“Heave, ho!”
“Everyone, get up. If everything’s settled, we’re heading into the cave right away!”
The assault team turned to leave after the slaughter. It was finally time to meet the dungeon’s Boss and find the lost leader.
But then, someone emerged from the dark cave. It was the leader of the assault team, Dok Jong-sik
Fortunately, it seemed that nothing unusual had happened. Understandable, since he looked exactly the same as when he entered. Not a scratch on him.
However, the following words from Dok Jong-sik made the entire assault team suspicious.
“It seems things have been roughly sorted out in here too.”
His words implied that things inside had also been settled.
Sure enough, Dok Jong-sik confirmed with certainty.
“I’ve already collected the loot for now.”
