Chapter 51

The party members, having confirmed the death of the mutant Ascent, gathered around Siyoon once more.

They too had apparently seen the message, their expressions bright despite their disheveled appearances.

“That ended easier than expected.”

They seemed surprised at how effortlessly they had taken down the mutant Ascent.

Of course, even using conventional methods, the hunt wouldn’t have been impossible.

After all, every one of them was a hunter with skills exceeding B-Rank.

It simply would have dragged on much longer.

This was a creature that had moved its branches and roots to attack even while burning.

With that level of regeneration, it wouldn’t have gone down easily.

Siyoon had essentially brought that entire process to an end in a single stroke.

“I knew your sniping skills were impressive, but I didn’t expect this level!”

“That was remarkable.”

“Unloading bullets along the exact same trajectory… If any Gunner I know heard about this, they might faint.”

Having watched Siyoon’s sniping from afar, they each showered him with praise.

The sniping Siyoon had demonstrated was fundamentally different from the norm.

Firing a sniper rifle in rapid tempo along the same trajectory.

Easier said than done—even with skills, it bordered on the impossible.

A firearm produces recoil with every pull of the trigger. That’s simply how guns work.

No matter how much you mitigated it, you could never eliminate it entirely.

Yet Siyoon had sniped as though recoil simply didn’t exist.

Watching his companions marvel, Siyoon spoke with casual indifference.

“Small talk later. The fire is still spreading.”

Indeed, the flames clinging to the trees continued to blaze.

Though it was some distance from their position, it was better to act quickly.

In a forest with vegetation this dense, fire spread fast.

“I noticed light coming from the pillar earlier. Is that our next destination?”

“Yes. As you’ve all seen from the messages, the Hidden Route is now fully open.”

At the mention of “Hidden Route,” the hunters’ eyes turned serious.

They understood just how rare a Hidden Route was in a dungeon.

Moreover, it was their intended destination.

“A new path appeared beneath the pillar along with the light.”

Siyoon gestured toward the pillar.

The light that had surged upward as they made their way here had long since vanished.

In its place, a staircase had formed directly beneath the pillar.

“Come to think of it, what’s the next condition? It only said it was open—there wasn’t any specific detail about it.”

Baekseon said.

As he noted, the next progression condition for the Hidden Route had yet to appear.

Normally, once a Hidden Route opened, the next condition would appear and continue in sequence.

“That staircase is likely the trigger. The moment we descend, a new message will appear and generate our objective.”

Siyoon said.

No matter how connected the route was, the objective wouldn’t appear until they progressed forward.

To use an analogy, it was like pausing a game without selecting an option.

Of course, they couldn’t stay like this forever if they wanted to escape, so progressing was essential.

However, there was a problem.

“With a staircase appearing so suddenly, it likely leads to some kind of structure… but without information, speculation is impossible.”

Descending that staircase itself was easy enough.

But what mattered was that they had no idea what would happen after.

It meant their preparations for danger could only be inadequate.

No matter how well they prepared, crisis would find them.

“That’s hardly news. Didn’t we undertake the Hidden Route with that much in mind?”

Taeju and Eunhyun shrugged.

Siyoon let out a sigh and spoke.

“Of course that’s accounted for, but there’s no harm in being careful.”

Saying so, Siyoon pulled something from the bag at his waist.

It was none other than doping agents.

“Are those… doping agents?”

“That’s right. Embertic mk.2, recently released by Onwol.”

“You’ve brought something quite impressive.”

“Don’t just stare—take one each.”

At Siyoon’s words, the party members raised their eyebrows.

They looked surprised.

“You’re giving these to us?”

“I packed plenty in preparation for this commission anyway. More importantly, if we’re going to use them, now is the optimal time.”

The claim of having prepared ample supplies was true.

Siyoon’s bag contained numerous potions and doping agents.

The varieties alone exceeded ten, and the total count was in the dozens.

What’s more, every single one of them had been enhanced.

Not knowing what might occur, he had prepared accordingly.

Furthermore, the bag holding them was far from ordinary.

He had purchased it himself and personally enhanced it to +6.

Its options included weight reduction, expanded storage space, external impact cancellation, and quality preservation.

It was an item perfectly optimized for carrying things around.

“We appreciate the thought, but we brought our own doping agents, you know.”

Eunhyun said, producing a purple potion he had tucked inside his clothing.

But Siyoon shook his head.

“These are special items I had custom-ordered. They’re not even comparable to what’s sold on the market.”

“What?”

“Is that true?”

It was, of course, a lie.

Siyoon hadn’t contacted Onwol since that initial transaction.

These were doping agents Siyoon had purchased as Embertic and then additionally enhanced.

‘It’s a lie, but it doesn’t really matter.’

They wouldn’t be able to verify the truth anyway.

They accepted the doping agents and downed them without hesitation.

Their eyes snapped wide open instantly.

“The effect of this is incredible…!”

“Onwol does custom production for potions like this?”

Everyone wore expressions of sheer astonishment.

No doubt an immense surge of elevation had shot through them the moment they consumed it.

It was a doping agent that enhanced physical functions—strength, speed, dynamic vision, reflexes, and more.

Combined with Siyoon’s Enhancement, the effect would be extraordinary.

‘If three doping agents can earn their goodwill, that’s a profitable trade.’

What Siyoon had given them was Embertic enhanced to +3.

Since the excessive performance might raise suspicion, he had handed over a moderately prepared batch.

“Now that preparations are done, let’s head in.”

Siyoon said, meeting the gazes directed at him.

There was no point in delaying any further.

It was time to explore the Hidden Route in earnest.

* * *

Following Siyoon’s instructions, the party descended the staircase.

The staircase was wide enough for two grown men to stand side by side with room to spare.

Taeju and Baekseon led the way, with Eunhyun and Siyoon following behind.

The reason for this formation was simple.

To respond quickly to unforeseen situations.

In a dark, narrow staircase like this, staying close together was more advantageous than spreading out.

If the line stretched too long, it would be difficult to handle attacks from behind.

Conversely, if everyone bunched up at the front, there wouldn’t be enough space to move in emergencies.

So it was best to stay grouped while leaving enough room for each person to move.

[ You have entered the formal path of the Hidden Route. ]

[ You have entered ‘Underground Staircase’. ]

[ Updating objective. ]

[ Descend the staircase. ]

“Hmm.”

Siyoon tilted his head as he read the message.

As he had predicted, the quest updated upon entering the staircase.

But the new objective was remarkably simple.

“We just have to go down the stairs?”

“Looks like it.”

“Probably a step toward the next objective.”

Descending the staircase was merely one of the stages arranged for the Hidden Route.

The real challenge would begin the moment they reached the bottom.

That said, letting one’s guard down now would be foolish.

There was no telling what kind of madness might be lurking within these stairs.

[ Currently wearing ‘Lantern Bracelet +6’. ]

[ A small orb of light can be summoned at the user’s will. ]

Siyoon activated the Lantern Bracelet’s function.

An orb emerged from the bracelet and floated upward, illuminating their surroundings.

“Oh, perfect timing. It was getting dark.”

“Keep a close eye on our surroundings as we descend. There could be traps installed.”

Relying on the light, the group slowly descended the staircase.

Unlike the entrance of the staircase, the darkness grew deeper the further they went.

Deep, damp shadows where one couldn’t see an inch ahead.

The light only illuminated a round patch around them and nothing more.

The boundary between light and darkness was drawn with startling clarity.

By now, they couldn’t even see the path they had come from.

Had he not summoned the orb of light, even descending would have been difficult.

How long had they been descending?

Siyoon glared into the darkness, furrowing his brow.

‘…Something’s off.’

It was bizarre.

Everything around them was eerily silent.

Descending a staircase should produce echoing footsteps.

Yet nothing could be heard.

So completely silent that it didn’t even register on Siyoon’s keen senses.

“…!”

Suddenly, Siyoon looked around.

By the time he realized it, he had already been left alone.

‘When exactly?’

Just moments ago, he had been descending the staircase with his companions.

Yet now, they were nowhere to be found no matter where he looked.

Siyoon thought calmly.

‘First of all, we didn’t get separated by diverging paths.’

The staircase they had been descending was a single path.

There were no branching routes to begin with.

That left two possibilities.

Either a trap had been triggered by some mechanism, or they had been naturally separated as part of the Hidden Route’s progression.

If it was the former, things would become much more complicated.

He would have to figure out what kind of trap it was, then deduce the cause and effect and where everyone had been scattered.

But if it was the latter, progression would be fairly smooth.

‘For now, I have no choice but to keep going down.’

Siyoon descended the staircase with his nerves on edge.

How long did he descend that dark staircase?

A single message appeared before his eyes.

[ You have descended the entire staircase. ]

[ Conditions have been met. ]

Hwaak!

In that instant, the surroundings brightened along with the message.

As Siyoon shielded his eyes from the blinding light, a peculiar landscape revealed itself.

“Where is this…”

What appeared before his eyes was a corridor with a gloomy atmosphere.

Paths and walls constructed entirely of gray brick.

Weeds sprouting between the stones and creeping vines covering the walls.

And bizarre flowers hanging at intervals, emitting light.

It had the atmosphere of ruins untouched by human footsteps for ages.

‘Why would a space like this exist in a tropical rainforest?’

Siyoon surveyed the scene and clicked his tongue.

Granted, as a space entered through the Hidden Route, it was naturally different from ordinary areas.

But this was considerably different from a tropical rainforest, wasn’t it?

It felt like catching a glimpse of a vast civilization built underground.

[ You have entered ‘Enseodotar’s Underground Passage’. ]

[ Find the exit and proceed to ‘Central Tropical Rainforest’. ]

Siyoon glared at the newly appeared message.

A single word that had been nagging at him since earlier.

“Enseodotar.”

Come to think of it, the dungeon’s name was also Enseodotar’s Rainforest.

The pillar, and now this place too—both bore that name.

That implied something deeply connected to the dungeon.

It could even be a clue regarding the Hidden Route’s boss.

“First things first—I need to find a way out.”

Siyoon organized his thoughts.

A message with nothing more than a dry instruction to find the exit, devoid of any real explanation.

Given that the other party members had been scattered, they were likely in the same situation.

He had braced himself when entering the Hidden Route, but this was far from an ideal situation.

“I’ll just have to trust that everyone can handle themselves.”

Worrying about the party members could come later.

Finding the way forward took priority now.

Having made his cool-headed judgment, Siyoon steadied his breathing.

There was no time to stand idle.

First and foremost, he needed to press forward.

He set off into the corridor with its peculiar atmosphere.