“Um… Was it that guy?”
More than 80 hunters were following us.
While scanning for any suspicious individuals among them, a man caught my eye.
He didn’t have exceptionally strong magic, but there was a strange magical resonance swirling around him.
I was wondering how an entire group of 80 people managed to charge right at us, and it seemed that the man at the front had some skill related to tracking.
He must have thought we might have a problem with it once our party found out because he released that ability right after arriving, but it was hard to fool my eyes.
‘He’s well-prepared. Did he cast a skill on Yeom Tae-seok or Noh Ha-yoon outside the gate?’
It probably wasn’t a constant positioning ability.
If it were something like [Reconnaissance], I wouldn’t have missed it even if Yeom Tae-seok and Noh Ha-yoon joined late.
‘I suspect the ability is something like…’
It seemed to be a type of skill that designates a target beforehand like [Distance Sense] or [Enhanced Senses].
Once designated, those abilities could be activated in a short time when needed. They were quite useful skills in many ways.
By having insurance on the abilities he cast on the strongest members of this dungeon, Noh Ha-yoon and Yeom Tae-seok, he essentially saved many lives.
“Orc squad, defend the rear!”
When all the hunters hid behind us, Yeon-hee stationed ten orcs in the back.
This created a small wall between our party and the other hunters.
Of course, this wasn’t to protect the hunters who’d been driven into a dead end.
Right when we were racing toward this terrain, Yeom Tae-seok had approached Yeon-hee and made that request.
(We need to be careful of hunters striking from behind.)
(Hunters can’t be trusted.)
What Yeom Tae-seok said felt like him spitting in my face, but unfortunately, it was true.
In these large-scale battles, what hinders us from unleashing our full power isn’t always enemies but treacherous hunters.
Yeon-hee exchanged glances with the stationed orcs, and Dotti 2 nodded, signifying his commitment to his duty.
Just as we were being cornered, the massive undead army led by the giant skeleton seemed to be taking a moment to catch its breath for some reason.
It wasn’t because those undead were out of breath.
Perhaps the experiences they accumulated before death still lingered as echoes, making them survey the battlefield out of habit.
Thanks to that, other hunters sharing the space with us were also able to mentally and physically prepare themselves. Of course, this was only a respite granted to those in the rear.
The Lizard Squad already at the front had engaged in battle and was struggling against a squad of skeletons.
“Ugh…”
“My leg…! Guh…!”
A number of hunters had suffered serious injuries.
Seeing the bizarrely cleanly severed body parts, it looked almost like they had been attacked by the Bone Dancer.
There’s no way they hadn’t prepared for those creatures upon entering this dungeon.
‘Monster drops, perhaps?’
Those near 800 monsters wouldn’t have all concentrated in one spot, but even if they had dispersed in groups of 200, it was easy to imagine the massive damage.
– Suddenly… suddenly, hundreds of them…
Somebody’s mumbling solidified my thoughts.
– Ugh… it’s impossible with just a mid-level potion! Does anyone have extra potions? I’ll pay you back!
The desperate cry of someone was relayed directly to us at the front.
Though unsaid, it was easy to feel that they were asking us for help.
‘How much should I sell them for…’
We had Irmana’s lake water, so the utility of potions was comparatively lower for us.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to sell them to those in urgent need.
Plus, there weren’t many potions left in our possession. If we gave away the few we had, our image would improve, not worsen.
‘Five high-rank potions, ten mid-rank potions…’
Prices vary greatly at each crafting workshop, but high-rank potions cost at least three million won each—insane prices.
Even so, they recover injuries much better than Irmana’s water, which is good for replenishing magic. So, we were keeping at least a minimal quantity.
Of course, this referred to what I was holding; Yeon-hee had one of each high-rank and mid-rank potion. So, I was basically acting as a warehouse.
‘…Let’s leave two each.’
I passed all the remaining potions to Bae Joo-ah while keeping the minimum quantity, then pointed to Yeon-hee and made an X sign discreetly.
“…Ah ha, got it.”
If I directly handed potions to Yeon-hee, the soft-hearted girl might feel sympathy upon seeing the injured and give them away for free. That’s why I left it with Bae Joo-ah.
Even if our revenue improved, the image of giving out free favors would be troublesome. Once is one thing, but two becomes three, and then the life of a sucker begins.
Bae Joo-ah quickly caught on to my intention as she rummaged through her own potions. It seemed she was already preparing to negotiate.
After passing the potions, I quickly pushed forward.
Actually, this wasn’t a time to casually exchange items.
The main forces of the monsters were starting to show movement, and I noticed the front-line Lizard Squad gradually being pushed back.
(Bomb guy! You’re dead. Together!)
Lizardman 1 glared at the enemy with a crumpled expression.
Having already been hit by the Bone Dancer twice, he was clearly tense.
In fact, the matchup wasn’t great for a Lizardman.
The Bone Dancer might lack in other abilities, but its speed was at least on par with anyone in this dungeon, making it hard for a Lizardman to dodge its suicide attacks.
Swoosh—
But, those Lizardmen that were obliterated by the suicide attack were summoned back again, ensuring a constant supply to the front line now that Bae Joo-ah and Baek Ah-rin had also joined the front.
“Hehe… Ice Field!”
Noh Ha-yoon’s face started to brighten.
Especially during battle, there were times when I could feel an invisible thread of magic connecting us, and it seemed like a similar feeling emerged in the gorge.
‘Is it because we combined Ice Bombs and Freeze Magic so many times in the gorge that it’s still influencing us…?’
Or maybe it was due to the time she got thrashed when we first met.
Whatever the cause, I just hoped Yeon-hee wouldn’t notice this magical thread.
So far, there had been no reaction, but I felt guilty for no reason. Damn.
Anyway, that’s that. I could leave the smaller fry to Yeon-hee and the companions… but there was just one problem.
I activated [High-speed Flight] while jumping into the air and charged directly into the heart of their main power.
While just a single enemy, my sudden and familiar yet alien presence in their formation shook them greatly.
Bam bam bam bam—!
The sound of hundreds of skeletons clashing together caused my senses to tremble. This complex environment… isn’t exactly where I shine, but I’m willing to endure a bit longer.
– ······!!
I knew that the small ripple I caused wouldn’t affect all 800 monsters, but…
‘What if I set off 30 bombs?’
I tossed the bombs I’d prepared high into the air and began hurling them at the surrounding monsters.
KABOOM!!
An endless sequence of explosions erupted, and simultaneously, hundreds of thousands of bone shards scattered everywhere.
Those shards acted like claymores.
Boom boom boom boom bang—!
In an instant, the exploding bone shards gnawed into the bodies of countless undead, and the skeleton soldiers whose bodies began to crack were clearly flustered.
It was right after that we and our summoned creatures, along with the hunters ready for combat, launched a full-on assault on the undead horde.
– Large numbers of enemies defeated!
– Experience points have increased significantly!
– Acquired Rune of Fury (Mid-level).
– Level increased. Choose three stats to boost.
‘Oh? I’ve hardly seen a rune drop today, and finally…’
It hadn’t been long since I leveled up, and now I was leveling up again. Clearly, this dungeon was providing experience points that matched my capabilities.
=====
Rune of Fury (Mid-level)
– When health is below 15%, attack power increases by 36%.
– The effects of the Rune of Fury do not stack.
=====
‘Nice. That’s a useful one.’
The Rune of Fury was a must-have for mid- to low-tier hunters among the ten rune sockets they have. Its non-stacking ability makes it even more valuable.
Of course, I wasn’t planning to use it just yet. I’d have to consider it if my health dropped below 15%.
Despite my detonations in the center of the chaos, the biggest one, the Giant Skeleton, was unaffected and was reaching out toward the mass of hunters.
Whoooosh—!
The massive Giant Skeleton swung its hand with full force just once, sending three hunters flying far away, crashing into a pile of rocks.
– KRAAGH!
None of the three were dead, but they were clearly injured and in pain.
‘What strength… just how much strength does it have?’
Despite being just bones, its size was close to that of a three-story apartment, so even an ordinary attack was akin to unleashing the combined skills of several D-rank hunters at once.
At that moment, as chaos erupted, the Bone Dancers came dancing toward the flying hunters. Were they looking to finish them off?
KRAKOW—!
But thanks to Noh Ha-yoon’s Ice Field and the Neos Harpy Yeon-hee sent flying, the Bone Dancer’s intent was intercepted.
“We just have to keep them away, right? I don’t understand why we can’t handle this level of preparation. Right? Is this hard?”
“Y-Yeah…”
Yeon-hee supported Noh Ha-yoon, who was gradually returning to her original self during this intense battle.
In this large-scale combat situation, it seemed Noh Ha-yoon could finally ride the momentum against Yeon-hee’s overpowering presence.
Their contributions were overwhelming, and even the hunters who had been riding the bus with us gradually began to show more initiative.
In the first place, they were top-tier D-rank hunters operating in Nargul’s dungeon.
If we just set the stage, they would naturally do their part.
Calculating the remaining numbers simply, it was roughly a 90:750 fight.
Does it mean each hunter has to face only eight undead? Quite a hopeful situation.
Ultimately, the biggest problem now was the Giant Skeleton looking down at me.
If it weren’t for this monster, the other hunters wouldn’t even have come running to us.
There were another ten Giant Skeletons, but they were effectively immobilized by Noh Ha-yoon’s magic.
But this one was different. Even though it was hit by Freeze Magic, it simply shook its legs, freeing itself with no issue. It was no ordinary creature. Are you perhaps reincarnated?
One head was about the size of a medium car. The skull clearly had human features, but how did it come to have such a body? A chimera?
‘That skull is incredibly thick…’
It wouldn’t be easy to penetrate it and strike at the core.
But that’s what makes it intriguing to conquer.
I invested the stats I gained from leveling up into Sense, Agility, and Wisdom, then immediately charged at that giant creature. No, I practically flew, climbing up its grotesquely bent arm.
– Hwaaaah?!
While climbing the right arm, I discovered it was trying to attack with three massive arms one after the other.
Whoooosh—!
‘Isn’t the speed for such size just insane?!’
Vroom-! Whooosh-!
Once, twice, thrice.
The force behind those swings was so intense it initially scared me.
But, thanks to my enhanced Agility from my growth, my reaction time had significantly improved, and I had no trouble dodging its attacks.
