Chapter 64 – Competitive Dungeon Raid (1)

-Deliveryman Coin to the mooooon!

└To the Han River we goooo!

└Your coin has been replaced with toilet paper.

└You never know. It’s not like Tushin is the only one in the dungeon.

└Not happening.

└The dungeon itself is an undead dungeon, lol. Don’t you know Seol Ji-hoon’s ability is on a whole other level against undead?

The very existence of a paladin is the ultimate counter to the undead.

└I heard Hanul has a healer with strong divine power too?

└Don’t you know Hanul’s healers are basically at the band-aid and antiseptic level?

└They’ve gotten a lot of decent hunters lately, but they’re still a long way off. Their supporters can’t even compare to Tushin’s.

Just as the community comments suggested, the Tushin Guild’s dungeon raid was incredibly fast.

As if they had been waiting for their entrance, countless zombies and skeletons greeted them.

“Turn Undead.”

The moment he stepped inside, Seol Ji-hoon activated an exorcism skill only high-ranking priests could use.

In an instant, the surrounding zombies and skeletons crumbled where they stood.

The hunters who witnessed this overwhelming power stood there dumbfounded.

“I will take the lead.”

Seol Ji-hoon literally stood at the front and walked. Just by walking, the zombies and skeletons around him either collapsed or fled.

“Wow, fuck. Isn’t this a bit much?”

“The type matchup alone is on a whole other level.”

Seeing Tushin seize the initiative right from the start, the Hanul Guild and other guilds muttered as much.

“Everyone else, just take your time and have fun! We’ll clear this in no time!”

At the blatant jeer from the Tushin Guild member, a Hanul Guild hunter furrowed his brow.

“Seo… No, Katrinne.”

“Hmph.”

Hearing my words, Katrinne stepped forward, confidently crossing her arms.

“What’s that?”

“Is she some kind of chuunibyou?”

“Those crazy Hanul bastards, are they cosplaying as Power Rangers now?”

The Tushin Guild reacted as if they were going to die from laughter at the sight of Katrinne.

However, Katrinne, clad in her costume, stepped forward proudly and extended her hand.

“Justice Turn Undead!”

*It’s not Justice. Stop adding weird names to it.*

That girl Katrinne has been on cloud nine since she got that costume armor. I don’t know if it’s because she thinks it’s fine since no one can see her face.

Tushin scoffed. But only for a moment.

A holy light, equal to or even greater than Seol Ji-hoon’s, turned all the surrounding undead to dust.

…!

…Huh?

Contrary to her ridiculous appearance and actions, the result was astounding.

Overwhelming.

I could see the people from Tushin flustered after witnessing her divine power.

Especially Seol Ji-hoon.

“Was that amazing?”

I answered Katrinne’s question.

“No, that’s something anyone can do.”

“Oh, right? I thought it was weird that everyone was so surprised.”

At my and Katrinne’s banter, the faces of the Tushin members contorted.

*In terms of pure divine power, not even Seol Ji-hoon’s grandfather could beat this girl, let alone Seol Ji-hoon himself.*

*Her level is still low, but her sense for using that power is more overwhelming than anyone’s.*

“Wow, Hanul has a healer of that caliber?”

“She’s not losing to Tushin at all.”

Hearing the murmurs from the other guilds, Katrinne grew smug and lifted her chin.

I could see the yellow scarf wrapped around her neck stiffen and rise.

Tushin’s attempt to seize the initiative ended in failure.

They would move together until they reached a fork in the dungeon.

Seol Ji-hoon no longer used Turn Undead. After all, even without an advanced skill, zombies were nothing more than punching bags to be beaten one-sidedly.

Soon, as they reached the upper levels of the dungeon, a fork in the path appeared.

People from different affiliations would split up and hunt on their own.

In other words, the real competition had begun.

From now on, it was a battle to see who could take down the boss first.

“Olivier.”

-Analyzing. Enemies are swarming from the surrounding area.

The Tushin Guild also has someone with good tracking abilities.

Go Ha-sol, who interviewed with me and acted friendly.

She once found the boss faster than Olivier in the last dungeon.

-There’s a magical presence presumed to be the boss on the next floor. I’ve marked it on your navigation.

*As expected.*

*Olivier’s search ability has been upgraded quite a bit. I don’t know if it’s because we’ve been syncing so often.*

“Enemies incoming!”

“All hands, to battle! Formation One!”

I drew my sword.

It’s good to give the team members more practical experience. However,

Tushin, and Seol Ji-hoon.

Because of them, I plan to get a little serious today.

***

A stable defensive formation, with someone who has defensive skills at the front and ranged attackers providing support fire from behind, is the most typical setup.

The tanker and leader, Ha Min-jong, stood at the forefront, facing the surging undead.

An extremely short dagger. In contrast, an extremely large shield made his playstyle recognizable at a glance.

Ha Min-jong defended the front, not letting a single enemy pass.

His defense was solid, but the truly important thing was…

“Ignis.”

A fire spirit engulfed the undead monsters from above.

*‘This is completely different from the rumors.’*

Team 2 Leader Ha Min-jong’s eyes widened as he saw the power of the spirit summoned by Seo Hyun-ji.

He was a man with a good eye for things.

Seo Hyun-ji became an S-rank because of her good ability. But it was true that her potential was relatively lower compared to other S-ranks.

Her actual combat ability was rated as being inferior to an A-rank.

“I got one more, right?”

“No, you have to subtract the ones you didn’t finish off properly.”

Kim Tae-yang and Kim In-ho, who had only been hunters for a few months, displayed overwhelming combat power.

Thanks to the two’s breakthrough power, Ha Min-jong found tanking to be quite comfortable.

*‘But what in the world is that?’*

Ha Min-jong looked at the healer in the ridiculous Power Ranger outfit.

A character who nodded their head with every word, kept their arms crossed, and maintained an air of triumphant pride.

He guessed she was still a young student, but she was casting buffs on her party at just the right times.

A normal healer can only replenish shield energy, cast defensive buffs, or cast offensive buffs.

But the healer with them was casting both offensive and defensive buffs as needed.

“Whoa, Lee Seo-yeon. With your blessing, I feel like my body could fly.”

“Lee Seo-yeon? Who’s that? I am merely Justice Yellow.”

“What’s with the act?”

“You don’t want heals and buffs?”

“N-no.”

“Then watch how you act.”

…Her skills are good, but she really seems to have a screw loose somewhere.

Ha Min-jong couldn’t help but think so.

“Alright, let’s move out immediately.”

Team Leader Lee Hyunbin encouraged his comrades.

Around him lay piles of armor and remnants from Skeleton Warriors.

*Gulp.*

He swallowed dryly without realizing it.

Among them all, the person he understood the least was Team Leader Lee Hyunbin.

He’s a porter, but he doesn’t seem like one.

That’s what everyone usually says. It’s a cliché and common expression, but he was on a different level.

“Team Leader, what in the world is he…?”

“I wonder.”

It didn’t seem like he was using any amazing skills. Just swinging his sword, moving, and swinging again.

Despite the monotonous repetition of actions, he was shattering two or three of them with a single strike.

*‘Hundreds. Thousands. No, these are movements honed through countless repetitions.’*

Ha Min-jong himself wasn’t a master of the sword, but he could guarantee it.

In truth, he never thought they would beat the Tushin Guild to the boss. No, the Hanul Guild he knew was at a level where even reaching the upper floors was a struggle, let alone fighting the boss.

*‘That trash-like guild has completely changed.’*

Ha Min-jong believed the guild he thought would be dismantled had changed after the new guild master boldly recruited Lee Hyunbin.

*‘I think I made the right choice coming here.’*

Ha Min-jong smiled.

There were many other guilds that wanted him, but he chose the path of becoming a needed guild member rather than just an ordinary one.

A choice he thought might be a dud could have turned out to be a winning lottery ticket.

“From here on up are the upper floors, so the monsters will be on a different level. Team Leader Ha, please take command.”

“No problem, but what about you, Team Leader Lee?”

Ha Min-jong felt puzzled.

Lee Hyunbin was more adept in both combat and command.

Admitting this didn’t hurt his pride in the slightest, which was strange.

“I’m going to go ahead and call dibs.”

***

*Not bad, not bad at all.*

“Team 2, take the front and flanks! Team 3, provide support!”

*The new Team 2 Leader.*

*As expected of a guy who’s been around the block in this business, his way of managing the party is stable.*

Above all, being a tanker, he has a good grasp of the surrounding situation.

When you’re in the middle of a fight, you tend to lose sight of your surroundings.

It’s only natural. With guys rushing at you like rabid fans begging for an arm, who has time to look elsewhere?

*The members Team 2 Leader brought with him are also quite skilled.*

Nothing outstanding, but they weren’t lacking in any area either.

And most importantly, my Team 3.

Every single one of them has become a monster.

It’s partly thanks to my Knight Order effect greatly boosting their training ability, but their individual potential has also begun to shine.

Even now, they’re hunting the undead on the upper floors with stability, without using even half of their power.

So, I left the command to the Team 2 Leader and moved on my own.

“Graaah.”

“Uuugh!”

The sighs of the dead welcoming me could be heard.

It’s like they’re asking me to stay and play for a while, but I have no intention of indulging them for long.

*Crack, crunch!*

One swing of Sword No. 2, the two-handed sword, and their invitations to play vanished completely.

-A Death Knight-class individual is approaching.

Olivier’s voice came through.

I readjusted my grip on the sword and strode forward without hesitation.

Knights who had already witnessed death held up their swords and shields, their hostility burning.

Seeing them brings back old memories.

My knights.

We were awkward at first, but before I knew it, we had become like family to each other.

Thinking back, for an orphan like me, the memories from that other world were special.

It was tough at first, but…

“Grrr!”

The knights, no longer able to produce human voices, pressed forward, raising their shields towards me.

It wasn’t just one or two.

As expected of knights, their formation showed they were well-trained.

I coated Sword No. 2 with Aether.

One step, then another.

With every step forward, the bodies of Death Knights were torn apart.

-Boss reaction confirmed. I’ll mark it on the navigation.

Just as Olivier said, a being with a large mana stone core appeared on the minimap.

-Are you okay?

*What, all of a sudden?*

-You seemed to be getting emotional.

*Nothing to get emotional about. What a random thing to say.*

-Seeing the Death Knights, your old knights… Never mind. Anyway, you know that finding the boss before the Tushin Guild is all thanks to me, right?

“I’ll talk to that Demon King guy and ask him to raise your salary.”

-What are you talking about? You think I’d make an offer over something like that? Do you know I have five jobs because of my clones?

*Come to think of it, this girl didn’t just have a clone in Hanul; she had them all over the place.*

*One in a government agency, one in a research lab, and where else?*

-Which means I get paid five times a month. Huhu.

*Wow, that sounds amazing. It’s like a dream for the average office worker.*

“You must have saved up a lot of money.”

-No, my spending also increased fivefold….

*What am I supposed to do with her?*

*Is she really missing a screw somewhere?*

I could see the room where the boss was waiting.

There were no signs that anyone had opened the door. There were no presences nearby either.

“Alright, then.”

I open the door and step inside.

*Creeaak.*

With an eerie sound, a lich sitting on a throne raised its hand as if it had been waiting for me.

*Ruuuumble!*

The audience chamber shook, and from the ground emerged Death Knights, Phantom Knights. All sorts of knights popped out.

Befitting the variety of types, their weapons were also diverse: longswords, greatswords, flails, maces. A whole assortment.

“I am in the process of succeeding the throne.”

No one asked, but I felt like saying it.

I wonder if it understood what I meant.

I could see the knights charging all at once.

Knights are your typical thugs.

There are no such things as knights from fairy tales. But at the very least, beings who met their end protecting their lord wouldn’t be thugs.

There is a way to bestow the greatest honor upon these beings who stand, neither dead nor alive.

To create honor by dying at the hands of someone ridiculously strong.