‘Heh heh. Stupid foes.’

Quesha and Sirio looked down at the Hunters from above.

She was too happy. Laughter leaked out constantly.

The reason for this was the presence of a dependable leader.

His name was Sonta.

He was the most promising warrior in the tribe. When he chose Sirio, herself, as a team member to enter the dungeon, Sirio twisted with joy and embarrassment.

Sonta was not only strong but also intelligent.

If she did as he said, she could earn a lot of points.

This operation was also conceived by Sonta.

Even if their appearances differed, the armored foes had a habit of taking care of each other, so if one foe’s leg was broken and left behind, they would definitely come to their aid.

That’s when they are most vulnerable.

Just like now.

Sirio gripped daggers in both hands and put all her strength into her tiptoes.

As soon as Sonta gave the signal, she would drop like a hawk and cut the throat of one foe.

Blood would gush, and she would lick the blood that splattered on her face. And she would enjoy that metallic taste.

‘Heh heh.’

Sirio crouched like a beast, watching the foes.

The foes whispered for a moment, then one foe jumped into the ravine.

Their habit of taking care of their kin had been triggered.

Whee! Whee!

Then, a very high-pitched whistle sounded.

A high-frequency whistle that armored foes couldn’t even hear.

It was Sonta’s signal.

“Kyaaah!”

Sirio immediately kicked off the ground and shot towards one foe.

She raised her daggers as high as they could go. Her pupils dilated, glinting as they locked onto the target.

Her teeth were bared like a wild animal, and her bright red tongue flickered.

However.

Clang!

A flash of light burst in front of her nose.

It was a magic formation created in an instant.

‘Th-this is… what in the world!’

Sirio was astonished. Such a quick response was impossible.

Even warriors much stronger than Sirio couldn’t react like this. But a sorcerer, who wields magic?

‘They found out…!?’

Sirio realized it belatedly.

The fact that Sonta’s ambush had been discovered.

Wham!

A Magic Missile that arrived in an instant struck her forehead.

The speed of the descent was fast, and a powerful impact hit her forehead, causing her neck to snap back forcefully.

She crumpled and fell to the ground. She was still breathing, but her consciousness had already flown away.

“Seo Gangjin, main! Combat response D!”

At the same time, Kim Songcheol’s voice echoed through the forest.

Seo Gangjin leaped into the air and powerfully swung his sword towards the falling Quesha.

Moon Gijeong’s magic blocked Seo Gangjin’s left side, preventing another attack directed at Seo Gangjin.

Clang-clang-clang!

Seo Gangjin’s sword and Quesha’s scythe clashed several times in the air.

At the same time, Oh Songhui sprang out of the ravine.

As if she had been waiting, she thrust her sword at Quesha, who had landed on the ground.

It was Quesha, wielding a greatsword.

Clang!

“Argh…!”

But the moment the greatsword and the sword clashed, Oh Songhui’s body floated up and was sent flying backward, slamming back into the ravine.

The difference in strength was too great.

‘This bastard?’

Sparks flew in Kim Songcheol’s eyes.

The moment that Quesha jumped into the battlefield, the tide would completely turn.

“Oh Songhui, main support!”

Kim Songcheol fired Magic Missile and Wind Cutter in succession, then quickly retreated.

The distance between Seo Gangjin and the Queshas was too close for more than a diversion, but it bought them a beat.

Then Oh Songhui leaped out of the ravine again and exchanged glances with Kim Songcheol.

‘Can you do it!?’

Oh Songhui was asking with her eyes.

Because the Quesha with the greatsword was strangely strong.

Turning her into support meant that Kim Songcheol intended to fight that Quesha one-on-one.

Oh Songhui was asking if he was confident in that fight.

“Adults should protect children.”

Kim Songcheol said as if it were obvious, and gestured with his head. It meant for her to go and help Seo Gangjin and Moon Gijeong.

One of them had already been incapacitated by Kim Songcheol’s critical Magic Missile.

Three Queshas remained.

If Kim Songcheol took on the Greatsword Quesha, the others would be in a 2-on-3 situation.

Unless there were major variables, they wouldn’t lose.

Team 25A is strong.

Kim Songcheol turned to face the Greatsword Quesha. With the ravine between them, the two Hunters faced each other.

“Was it you? The one who knew beforehand.”

Quesha casually slung her greatsword over her shoulder. Even though the ambush was discovered, there was no sign of disappointment. Instead, she was overflowing with confidence.

“I’m very angry right now. It’s the first time since I was extorted in an arcade 20 years ago.”

Kim Songcheol replied.

“Hmph, all talk.”

At the same time, Quesha dashed towards Kim Songcheol.

Quite fast.

She was much faster than Oh Songhui, who was known for her speed.

It was unbelievable that she was wielding a greatsword.

But Kim Songcheol was also confident in his speed.

Not movements, but casting.

Rupture! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Magic formations appeared one after another, and magic missiles poured out.

Quesha’s expression changed drastically. He hadn’t expected it to be this much.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Quesha quickly brought his greatsword forward to block the magic missiles. The sword was so large that it could also be used as a shield.

Thanks to this, Quesha’s speed didn’t slow down even amidst the pouring barrage.

“Shallow!”

Quesha shouted.

Kim Songcheol’s lips twisted into a hawk-like sneer.

“Dig.”

Suddenly, the ground beneath Quesha’s feet gave way, and his body swayed. Quesha displayed reflexes so fast that even Kim Songcheol was surprised. He slammed his greatsword into the ground, grabbed the hilt, and did a somersault.

He was using the falling momentum as propulsion to charge forward.

Quesha leaped over the ravine in a single stride and dropped towards Kim Songcheol.

“Light.”

Kim Songcheol’s incantation was like spitting out words.

A large ball of light completely enveloped Quesha’s head.

It looked as if he had a large light bulb covering his head instead of hair.

Quesha lost his balance in mid-air and stumbled.

This was because his vision was completely taken away.

Using light magic in such a way seems simple, but it requires incredible magic formula stability.

Light magic fundamentally relies on ‘fixation’ to spatial coordinates.

Moving slowly along the coordinate axes is relatively easy, but a moving head traverses X, Y, and Z coordinates wildly.

To match all of that and move the light magic, it was impossible with just magic formula calculations.

Kim Songcheol seized that opportunity and retreated far back.

Quesha rolled on the ground, felt the gravity, and then charged at Kim Songcheol’s position like a bull.

It seemed he had pinpointed the location by sound.

It was an astonishingly animalistic sense.

However.

“Dig.”

Again, Quesha’s leg suddenly sank into the ground.

“These dog-like petty tricks!!”

Eventually, Quesha couldn’t contain his anger and shouted.

However, calling it a petty trick is a misnomer.

The activation speed of 1st Circle Dig Magic is considered slow.

Using it to match quick footwork was by no means a petty trick.

“Dig.”

Kim Songcheol cast the magic with a stern expression.

Although he was using Dig Magic as if to mock him, for Kim Songcheol, this was the best form of deterrence.

With the continuous Dig Magic, Quesha’s opposite leg, which he was about to step out with, suddenly sank again.

Kim Songcheol’s finger, which had been glaring at Quesha, moved without delay.

“Magic Missile.”

Instantly, magic formations sequentially appeared on both sides of Quesha and in awkward mid-air.

That was also when the light magic was dispelled.

Even Kim Songcheol couldn’t maintain another magic while continuously casting.

But Kim Songcheol was confident.

Seven-tenths of the victory was already his.

Suddenly, two magic missiles flew from the magic formations that appeared on both sides and struck Quesha’s right hand.

Crack!

His fingers bent at a strange angle, and the moment he let go of the hilt, a magic missile flew from the magic formation that had appeared in an awkward position and accurately struck the greatsword.

It was all calculated and set up from the beginning.

Clang!

With a clear sound, the greatsword spun and slipped from Quesha’s hand.

Quesha’s other hand flailed in the air, but magic missiles continued to fire, hitting the sword with ‘clang, clang’ sounds and pushing it far away.

“Dig, dig, dig.”

Kim Songcheol didn’t miss the opportunity while Quesha was flailing and continuously chanted Dig Magic.

Each time Dig was activated, Quesha’s body sank further down.

In an instant, Quesha’s head went below ground.

Quesha tried to get out immediately, but.

“Magic Shield.”

He was blocked by the magic shield pressing down from above and crumpled into the bottom of the pit.

Rupture! Crash!

The magic shield quickly broke. It was only a 1st Circle defensive magic to begin with. It couldn’t withstand Quesha’s punches.

But it bought time.

Seizing that opportunity, magic formations began to appear and disappear sporadically above the pit.

Rupture! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Magic missiles and wind cutters alternately shot from the magic formations, churning up the pit.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Disgusting noises repeatedly came from inside the pit.

“Gah!”

The scream was a bonus.

Kim Songcheol continued to cast magic without even blinking.

He was resolved that if Quesha emerged, he would die.

Magic missiles were embedded in the pit in bundles, and the area around the pit was a mess from the wind cutters.

“…”

After a long time of wildly firing magic, Kim Songcheol stopped casting when the inside of the pit became quiet.

He walked over to the pit and peered inside.

Inside was something, he didn’t know if it was human or not.

‘Did I really not need to go this far…?’

Only then did Kim Songcheol turn around with a complicated expression.

Behind him, the members of Team 25A, who had already finished their battle, were pulling the German out of the pit.

Soon, Seo Gangjin and Oh Songhui carefully held the German and climbed out of the ravine.

Moon Gijeong, on the other hand, was staring blankly at Quesha’s greatsword lying on the ground.

His expression was far more complex than Kim Songcheol’s.

All sorts of emotions seemed to be flashing through him.

‘If it weren’t for Big Brother, we would all be dead…’

As a mage, he had watched Kim Songcheol’s battle.

No, the battle wasn’t the important thing.

The fact that he had toyed with the powerful Quesha using only 1st Circle magic?

That was also a huge achievement, but it all started from the moment he noticed the ambush.

If he hadn’t noticed the ambush, at least one or two would have died before the battle began.

Then the chances of winning would have been nonexistent.

It would have been an absolute annihilation.

When his thoughts reached that point, Moon Gijeong felt a shiver run down his spine once again.

‘If I had pushed Big Brother out and brought in the original team members…’

Then all four members of Team 25A would have disappeared with the dungeon.

It was truly the worst-case scenario.

“The injuries are severe, aren’t they?”

Moon Gijeong snapped out of it at Oh Songhui’s words. He looked back and saw the team members already providing first aid.

The German had large wounds on his thigh and side. The serious part was his thigh. The flesh was almost torn off, as if a giant beast had bitten it.

While the team members sprayed hemostatic agent and bandaged the wound, Kim Songcheol approached and checked on the German’s condition.

“He avoided the artery…”

Originally, the German was bait for an ambush.

That actually turned out to be beneficial, but the problem was the time he had been left unattended.

“Still, he bled too much.”

His consciousness was already fading to the point where he couldn’t speak properly.

He was mumbling something, but they couldn’t understand what he was saying.

Even though communication is possible in any language within the Dungeon.

“We need to get out quickly.”

“I’ll carry him.”

Seo Gangjin stepped forward and hoisted the German onto his back. He was the team member with the best stamina. That was the right decision.

Team 25A began to move through the Dungeon with one injured person.

They were in a hurry because the injured person’s condition worsened over time.

If they encountered a monster, Kim Songcheol would deal with it quickly, no matter what it took.

Moreover, Seo Gangjin was in a state where he couldn’t do anything.

If they hesitated, another injured person might appear.

Team 25A scoured the Dungeon for a Portal faster than ever before.

Kim Songcheol panted as if he was about to collapse. His mouth tasted sweet from exertion.

His heart felt like it would burst from moving through the mountainous terrain without rest.

And the same was true for Moon Gijeong, another Mage.

“Oh, over there!”

Then, Oh Songhui’s hopeful voice finally rang out.