Chapter 47

Everyone in the Raid Party shook their heads with expressions as if they had been chewing on dirt.

As if exploring the jungle wasn’t enough, they now had to scour a swamp to find the Boss Room; it was an utterly troublesome task.

‘A swamp?’

‘How are we supposed to search all of that?’

‘Good grief. There’s a limit to how tedious this can get.’

Even for veteran Hunters who had been through thick and thin, the experience of deliberately plunging into a swamp was something they had never encountered.

But that was the nature of Dungeons. No matter how irrational the situation, it was the Hunters’ lot to overcome it.

Five minutes later, the Team Leaders of the four squads gathered to discuss their future course of action.

“Honestly… the probability seems high.”

“That’s true. In fact, there are no other places left.”

“The problem will be the method of tackling the swamp.”

Since it was an obvious fact that the longer they wasted time, the harder it would be to clear the subsequent areas, reaching a conclusion wasn’t difficult.

For now, they had to take action quickly, regardless of the method.

“I don’t think deploying mediocre personnel will be of much help…”

“In reality, someone with a Trait suitable for exploration will have to step up, right?”

“My team has one mage who can manipulate the surrounding ground. Honestly, the others are at a bit of an ambiguous level.”

“Team 2 has two members with excellent detection abilities who don’t require breathing. Combat in rugged terrain is no problem for them either.”

Once they reached Level 3, they were capable of fighting on their own regardless of where they were dropped, but because of the terrain, bringing someone with a poor compatibility would only increase the risk.

Still, perhaps because twenty Hunters with all sorts of abilities had gathered, there were more people capable of exploring the swamp than expected.

Ultimately, after considering various situations, the Raid Party decided to form a temporary exploration team by selecting personnel capable of a plausible response.

The plan was for the exploration team to identify the location of the Boss Room first, and then attempt entry along with the Reinforcements.

“It seems we’ve reached a rough conclusion. Let’s hurry and prepare.”

The Team Leaders who participated in the meeting informed their Party Members of the contents and quickly assembled the exploration team.

“On our end, we’ll need Mr. Taewoon and Ms. Mina to put in some effort… will you really be alright?”

“Yes, well, it’s a bit bothersome, but I should earn my keep at times like this. I’m in top condition, anyway.”

“I’m fine as well. My physical condition is good.”

And so, the unexpected swamp exploration began.

“Whew, then… let’s give it a go.”

A moment later, a Hunter who had dived beneath the swamp as the vanguard emerged, covered in mud, and shouted.

“Phew! There’s definitely some kind of wide space down there! It looks like a cliff, or maybe a cave—it’s too dark to tell for sure!”

In the end, the unlucky premonition hit the mark, and the Hunters, each wearing a miserable expression, pushed themselves into the swamp one by one, following the lead of the vanguard.

Thus, what unfolded before the group was indeed a space like a giant cliff or a Cave.

“Damn it, I’ve never seen such a tedious terrain. Do we have to climb down the walls or something?”

While they weren’t explicitly protesting, the group began exploring the interior of the Cave, grumbling with expressions of absurdity.

Of course, a Dungeon is a place where anything can happen, but even so, this was far too malicious.

It would have been better to just engage in an open battle with the enemy.

‘Certainly… not many people would be able to use their strength properly under these conditions.’

Taewoon could move with relative ease by utilizing the power of The Red Man or the vines of Barata, but those who couldn’t already had expressions full of gloom.

While they were all reading each other’s moods, a Hunter from Team 1, with whom he had become somewhat acquainted, spoke to Taewoon.

“But aren’t you a physical-type Vanguard, Mr. Taewoon? Is it okay for you to follow us here?”

“Yes. I have a few tricks up my sleeve, so there’s no problem.”

“I’m jealous… Usually, Hunters who can do this and that are ambiguous in both areas, but you seem to be the opposite, Mr. Taewoon.”

From the perspective of other Hunters, it certainly felt that way.

Because Taewoon’s overall Trait, the ‘Theater of All Things,’ was of that nature.

‘It’s already at this level; as I go further, the difference will only become more stark.’

Thanking the abilities of the Theater of All Things once again, Taewoon continued to descend further into the Cave, following the other Hunters.

“The wind is stronger than expected! Everyone, don’t scatter and maintain your distance from the person next to you!”

He had expected it, but it wasn’t easy.

The combination of the raging wind, scattering mud, and the peculiarities of the terrain meant that even simple communication required raising one’s voice.

“Are you checking the path carefully? It’s already hard to move, so it’ll be troublesome if we get lost later.”

“Yes! The mud makes visibility uncomfortable, but it’s not to the point of being a problem! Let’s keep moving until something appears!”

Shin Myeongho, who had taken the role of temporary exploration team leader, shouted, but Taewoon chose to position himself slightly apart to observe the overall situation rather than blindly sticking to the group.

From his observation, there didn’t seem to be many people among the group who had enough leeway to look after others.

“I think we’ve come down quite a bit. Is there anything below!”

“Yes! I don’t know yet! But there’s no way a space this wide exists for nothing!”

“There’s something!”

A piercing shriek rang out, and something began to fly erratically through the air before them. It was practically a signal announcing the start of battle.

“Aw, f*ck! What now?”

“Blade Bats! They’re Blade Bats!”

“Switch to Formation 2! Focus only on the personnel to your sides and intercept the enemy with minimal coordination!”

Blade Bats were Beast Type Monsters with wings like sharp blades, possessing high speed and long-range sonic attack capabilities.

Having encountered flying monsters on a cliff inside a Cave where there was hardly a proper place to step, the battle naturally took the form of a chaotic melee.

“Take this!”

“One’s coming from behind! Dodge!”

In the chaotic situation, most Hunters continued to fight without even knowing what was what.

Groans of pain echoed from all directions, and the screams of the Blade Bats continuously flowed out, filling the interior of the Cave.

The number of enemies was decreasing, but it was evident that everyone was struggling because this type of combat was unfamiliar to them.

“Urgh! How many are left?”

“There are still many! Watch the bottom at 6 o’clock!”

“Damn it, even if you say that, how am I supposed to know where that is!”

“This is hopeless. Should we just blast them with a barrage!?”

Watching the Hunters whose coordination was beginning to crumble, Taewoon assessed the situation and simultaneously raised Barata, aiming at a suitable spot.

“Pierce.”

A tree vine shot out instantly, piercing a Blade Bat, and simultaneously created a foothold between the Cave walls, making movement easier for the Hunters.

“What? Whose is this?”

“Anyway, nice!”

“Left side clear! Readjust your posture and calmly target the remaining individuals!”

Taewoon, who had sprinted across the created foothold, leaped into the air without losing momentum, pierced the neck of a Blade Bat circling in the sky, and then fixed himself back to the rock wall.

Once the movement occurred exactly as he envisioned it in his head, no complex thought was needed after that.

“…Pierce.”

With tree vines fired in perfect timing, several Blade Bats flying erratically in the air were shredded and began to plummet down the cliff.

He had already dealt with more than five Blade Bats, but many still remained. To make matters worse, the scream of someone from the group began to be heard from the other side.

Seeing a man who had begun to fall toward the bottom of the Cave, perhaps having lost his balance while fighting the enemy, Taewoon quickly shifted his gaze to grasp the surrounding situation. Then, he took out the Red Wax Mask and put it over his face.

【Cinema Skill: The Red Man】

Appearing as if surging out from between the rock walls in an instant, Taewoon grabbed the man’s arm, infused strength into the hand holding Barata, and aimed the spear tip at the flying beast before him.

With Taewoon’s strike, the Blade Bat targeting the man lost its wing and plummeted. Creating another foothold with Barata, Taewoon landed and placed the man behind him.

“Hu, whew, thank you. I thought my heart was going to drop…”

“It’s nothing. Are you hurt anywhere?”

After quickly checking the man’s safety, Taewoon traversed the battlefield freely, utilizing the power of The Red Man and the vines of Barata.

That made eight. This was a sufficient achievement. Taewoon glanced at the situation and, together with the group who had regained their momentum, quickly cleaned up the remaining enemies.

And so, the first battle in the Cave came to an end.

“What’s the situation?”

“There’s one with minor injuries. It’ll be difficult to continue fighting.”

“…For now, let’s send them back up.”

Although a perilous situation had unfolded, this proved that the Raid Party’s prediction was correct.

Shin Myeongho, the temporary exploration team leader, let out a sigh of relief and asked Taewoon with a gaze full of admiration.

“Those tree vines were incredibly helpful. How many times can you perform the act of creating footholds like you did earlier?”

“I might be able to do it for short bursts, but creating and maintaining them enough for everyone to step on consumes a fair amount of energy.”

“Then it would be unwise to waste them… Instead, it might be better to select a few people and head downward at a faster pace.”

Shin Myeongho also seemed to feel that there was no other way after experiencing one battle, so he declared that they would increase the tempo, sending the ambiguous personnel back up with the injured.

“Ugh, my luck.”

“Still, if we suffer just a bit more, won’t the rest of the members put in more effort in the next area? Haha.”

“It’s reassuring to have Mr. Taewoon. I think you caught over eight on your own just now…”

The situation was grueling, but since their hypothesis had been confirmed, the option of retreating was practically non-existent.

The temporary exploration team continued their search, defeating several more groups of monsters, and finally discovered a passage located at the bottom of the Cave.

“The entrance is narrow, but the space inside seems quite wide.”

“Something is sparkling; it feels like a cave.”

“Shall we all try entering together?”

The interior of the passage was filled with rock honey and mysterious structures, showing a appearance certainly different from the previous terrain.

The unpleasant mud was now almost invisible, and every time they moved their feet, puddles of clear water splashed, creating a cluttered noise.

“…Let’s go deeper.”

After walking cautiously for a while, the end of the passage soon approached, and the group faced a giant door from which an unusual amount of Magical Power was leaking.

“…It seems we’re roughly correct, right?”

“Yes. It would be more surprising if it weren’t.”

“Hah, it seems the hard work paid off.”

The first Boss Room of the Multi-type Dungeon.

That was the moment it finally revealed itself before everyone’s eyes.