Chapter 66

A deafening rumble, as though the mountain might collapse at any moment.

The tremors originating deep within the earth sent the entire mountain shivering.

Yet far more alarming was the ominous energy surging from within—a malevolent aura born from the fracturing of the dungeon’s Core.

Pudeudeok.

Sensing the threatening presence, birds took flight in unison, winging their way beyond the blue sky.

After that initial uproar, the forest fell paradoxically silent.

More precisely, it seemed as though the entire mountain had been consumed by darkness.

Despite the bright daylight, the woods looked as dark as midnight.

That was the moment.

Kkeulreok… kwareureureuk.

Magic beasts tore through the pitch-black earth and emerged.

Viscous malice intertwined with the darkness as their forms assembled one by one.

It looked as though demons were clawing their way up through the earth from hell itself.

And it wasn’t just one—hundreds of creatures surged forth simultaneously.

An indescribably horrific sight.

‘So this is a Dungeon Break.’

The earlier commotion had vanished without a trace, replaced by a heavy silence.

Not even the faintest chirp of an insect could be heard.

If anything, that made it all the more unsettling.

“…Everyone, prepare for combat.”

It was Park Chaehwan who broke through the silence.

At his command, the hunters drew their weapons and took their positions.

Siyoon’s party was no different.

In the distance, six men approached with grim expressions.

“You’re Lee Siyoon? Sorry we’re a bit late—we were helping out over there.”

“But we made it in time.”

They gestured with their weapons in hand—a cursory greeting.

“These are the party members who’ll be accompanying you.”

“Good to meet you.”

The man indicated three individuals.

One was Kim Jiwoong, who had been with them already. The other two were introduced as Alex and Won Taesoo.

Given the circumstances, they exchanged only brief greetings.

“How’s the situation?”

“Not bad, but not good either.”

Alex spoke up.

“There seem to be more magic beasts than expected. And the hunters’ condition isn’t great either.”

“It certainly looks that way.”

The hunters gathered around the Sunhoe Guild moved with urgency.

Each confirmed their position and fell into formation.

However, the arrangement did look somewhat haphazard.

“The average rank of the hunters here is C-Rank. And if this is a Dungeon Break, we’re looking at thousands of magic beasts swarming in.”

“A few A-Rank hunters like Park Chaehwan will hold the front line, but if we don’t end this quickly, we’ll be in danger too.”

They had received a briefing beforehand.

Under Park Chaehwan’s lead, the Sunhoe Guild would engage from the front before pulling back toward the defensive barrier.

The reason for this tactic was to divert attention away from Serpa’s direction.

Since they couldn’t act independently during an operation like this, they had coordinated their plans in advance.

Kugugung…

Beyond the chain-link fence, the trembling grew steadily worse.

The shaking was caused by hundreds of magic beasts stampeding the earth at once.

The forest, which had been briefly quiet, heaved once more.

“Tch, they’re already here.”

“They’re coming.”

In that moment of peak tension, magic beasts lunged from the underbrush.

-Kuwoeoeo!!

-Kaaat!

Two magic beasts closed the distance in an instant.

They were Gnolls—brown-furred magic beasts resembling dogs.

True to their aggressive instincts, one snapped its jaws wide to tear into a hunter.

Peopeok!

In that split second, Park Chaehwan, at the vanguard, leapt forward and thrust his spear.

The Gnoll’s heart was pierced in a flash, and its lifeless body crumpled to the ground.

“Focus. The ones coming now won’t go down easy.”

“…Y-yes, sir. Understood.”

A completely different side of Park Chaehwan from before.

But Siyoon silently agreed with him.

The real fight was only just beginning.

Seupat.

Beyond the forest, hundreds of crimson eyes glinted in the darkness.

Low growls echoed from all directions, resonating like a chorus.

The Dungeon Break had begun in earnest.

A wave of magic beasts crashed against Suambong.

* * *

A Dungeon Break bore a superficial resemblance to a Monster Wave.

At least, that was true if one only considered the phenomenon of vast numbers of magic beasts swarming in.

Strictly speaking, they were naturally different.

But experiencing it firsthand rendered such distinctions meaningless.

Swaeeaeaek!

Peopeong!

“Don’t panic! Respond calmly!”

“Don’t lose your nerve!”

Magic beasts assaulted them from every direction.

It was like a tidal wave.

Slay one, and two more charged; shake them off, and four bared their fangs.

They exploited every gap, pressing their attacks relentlessly.

Their drooling, charging forms resembled ravenous demons.

-Keong! Keong-keong-keong!

-Kuwoeoeo!

-Syaaaa!

Their variety was staggering.

A beast with the mixed features of a dog and an eagle.

A snake with two heads.

A lion bearing goat horns.

The magic beasts native to Surisan had intermingled with those spawned by the Dungeon Break.

Seogeog.

Siyoon wasn’t just watching, either.

He fought alongside the commissioned hunters, engaging the magic beasts on their flank.

Kwakwakwang!

At that moment, the ground beneath a magic beast that had triggered a trap erupted.

Crimson flames flashed through the cracks in the earth, swallowing the magic beast whole.

-Kieeeeek!!

-Kkaereureureuk!

The flames slowly melted the beast’s hide.

It thrashed in agony, but the more it struggled, the fiercer the flames burned.

The fire even spread to the surrounding magic beasts.

‘The corporation said they supplied materials—those are some impressive bombs.’

Anti-Magic-Beast Flame Bombs, designed to inflict greater damage on magic beasts.

Given how the fire spread to nearby magic beasts, each bomb had to be worth at least hundreds of millions of won.

“Fire!”

Pipipipiping!

At Park Chaehwan’s command, the archers released their bowstrings in unison.

Dozens of arrows rained down like a storm, piercing through the magic beasts.

Through the barrage, Park Chaehwan thrust his spear in a wide arc.

Tuhwak!

Force condensed to its apex detonated a magic beast in a single blow.

The densely packed front line blew open in a perfect circle, as though a crater had erupted.

The devastating display drew every magic beast’s gaze toward the carnage.

“Now! Go!”

Park Chaehwan’s voice cracked like lightning.

Siyoon didn’t let the opening slip by.

While the beasts’ attention was fixed on the vanguard, his group plunged into the forest.

Seogeog, peopeopeok!

“Move fast! If they surround us, it’s over!”

“I know!”

The eight members, Siyoon included, carved through the sea of magic beasts.

With aggro locked onto Park Chaehwan, no additional reinforcements came their way.

At least, for now.

After barely breaking through the hundreds of beasts, the man spoke.

“We’re heading to Taeulbong. Seulgibong is in your hands.”

“Fine.”

Siyoon replied curtly.

For the record, their party had split into two as planned.

Divided based on the two members who possessed pathfinding skills.

The Core of the dungeon that triggered the Dungeon Break had fractured into several pieces scattered across the area.

The objective of the commission was to destroy these Cores.

As such, splitting up to search the vicinity was the most efficient approach.

“See you on the other side, then.”

The party that had traveled together thus far split in two.

Watching the others recede into the distance, Kim Jiwoong spoke.

“We should hurry too. Dragging this out puts us in danger just the same.”

“So we finally get to see the skill that everyone’s been talking about.”

“Glad I get to satisfy my curiosity.”

Kim Jiwoong and the other two—Alex and Won Taesoo—regarded Siyoon with evident interest.

A curiosity that seemed almost out of place given the gravity of the situation.

Then again, that was likely because those two were A-Rank hunters.

“I’ll lead the way. Keep your presence concealed and follow me.”

Siyoon lightly Enhanced his entire body in one pass.

Ttiring!

[ Enhancing ‘Entire Body’. ]

[ Overall muscle strength increases. ]

[ Body durability increased. ]

[ Body reaction speed increased. ]

[ Functions of each body part are enhanced. ]

With the surge of vitality, the sensations across his skin grew sharper.

The effects of Enhancement and Path Finder must have stacked together.

‘This way.’

Siyoon locked onto a direction before long.

He already knew the map, so the route itself was clear.

The problem was the distribution of magic beasts.

‘I can’t fight every single one on the way.’

With the Dungeon Break in effect, this area was now a danger zone.

Magic beasts were packed as densely as commuters in a subway station at rush hour.

That was why he used Path Finder to chart the shortest route with the fewest beasts.

Sasasak!

The group cut through the forest, matching Siyoon’s pace.

The long-neglected forest was inhospitable.

Branches jutted out at random, and the undergrowth was tangled thick.

The ground, a rough mix of stone and dirt, was uneven enough to make footing treacherous.

Steep inclines and narrow gaps between boulders occasionally blocked their path.

Yet they navigated such terrain with practiced ease.

They had encountered far rougher landscapes in dungeons.

-Syaaaak!

-Keureureureung!

Then, from the upper slope beyond the rocks, a sharp killing intent washed over them.

Glancing that way, they spotted roughly twenty magic beasts charging toward them.

“Leave this to us. Hang back for a moment.”

“Can’t have our guide getting hurt.”

“Cover fire would be appreciated, though.”

In a flash, Kim Jiwoong, Alex, and Won Taesoo stepped forward to block the path.

Completing the mission required Siyoon, their guide.

So unless circumstances dictated otherwise, supporting from the rear made sense.

But Siyoon grabbed their shoulders with a frown.

“I don’t need protection. And don’t block my way for no reason.”

“You’re a ranged fighter, right? Even if you can switch to close combat…”

“It’s a waste of time.”

Cheolkeok!

Instead of answering, Siyoon nudged Kim Jiwoong aside and drew the shotgun from his back.

The sheer weight of the weapon, raised in an instant, gave the group pause.

That brief moment was all he needed to deal with the beasts.

Kwaaaang!

He pulled the trigger, and a monstrous gunshot erupted.

The force was so powerful that, for a split second, the surroundings seemed to warp.

Dust billowed upward, and fragments of shattered rock struck their faces.

“The power of that shotgun…”

“Hah.”

The upper slope had been scooped out in a perfect circle, as though someone had taken a bite out of it.

The twenty-odd magic beasts had been blown to pieces in a single shot.

Such was the force that even nearby trees caught in the blast were reduced to splinters.

“No time to stand around. That noise will draw more beasts soon.”

“What? Ah, right.”

“Stop staring and keep up.”

Indeed, after the gunshot, the presence of magic beasts in the area grew noticeably more hostile.

The group tore their gazes from the devastation and followed behind Siyoon.

* * *

About twenty minutes had passed since Siyoon began leading the way.

The group let out hollow laughs as they caught sight of an observation deck in the distance.

“…The rumors weren’t for nothing.”

They nodded in agreement with Alex’s murmur.

On the way here, they had engaged magic beasts a total of eight times.

For a Dungeon Break, that was remarkably few encounters.

Even more astonishing was that those eight engagements had taken only twenty minutes.

“Not bad.”

“……”

The group’s eyes fixed on Siyoon.

To achieve something so remarkable and offer only that as a reaction.

Their looks said it all—utter disbelief—but Siyoon was unfazed.

‘The faster we complete this commission, the lower the risk.’

Siyoon understood the mission parameters perfectly.

He had filtered out as many magic beasts as possible on the way.

But that was only feasible because Suambong was drawing aggro.

Even that wouldn’t last; eventually, the beasts’ attention would start to shift.

He had to destroy the Core before that happened.

‘…Something’s off.’

But things were never that simple.

Scanning the area, Siyoon was certain a Fragment of the Core was nearby.

The reason? Simple.

Path Finder had reacted.

Guidance and exploration—the ability to detect hidden things and paths.

Here, “path” carried both a figurative and a fundamental meaning.

But there was a problem.

‘The Core’s energy is too tangled.’

It was an inherent characteristic of a Dungeon Break.

A single Core fracturing into multiple pieces.

Because of that, the energy branched in countless directions, making it nearly impossible to pinpoint an exact location.

If Path Finder were a higher level, it might not have been an issue.

‘Shame it’s only level one at a time like this.’

As Siyoon clicked his tongue in frustration, Kim Jiwoong asked.

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

“No. I was just thinking we’ll need to search the area from here on.”

The group, who had tensed slightly, let out a breath at Siyoon’s words.

“Then we just search.”

“Thanks to you buying us plenty of time, we have more than enough to look around.”

“The other party is probably still on their way to Taeulbong, right?”

That was when it happened.

Kwakwakwang!!

From somewhere nearby, a massive explosion rang out, and flames shot upward.

They scrambled up to the observation deck to check.

The location was precisely along the route to Taeulbong.