EFME 121

“Hold on.”

At that moment, Muyoung stepped forward. Sunyul trembled for a moment, wondering what Muyoung was going to do again. And Muyoung…

[ Using skill ‘Erasure’. ]

Of all things, he blew away the fake Jihyun’s head just like that.

With a scream, the fake Jihyun’s body melted and bubbled away. It ran like a liquid, and later turned into bubbles, completely vanishing.

“What the… is this thing, Song Jihyun a fake?!”

“It seems so. No information popped up on her.”

As the fake Jihyun completely vanished, the surroundings underwent a subtle transformation. An atmosphere that felt similar yet different from just a moment ago lingered in the space.

“Ah, there’s Song Jihyun over there!”

Bada shouted. The real Jihyun was collapsed nearby. Sunyul took Muyoung’s hand and pulled himself up.

“H-How did you know? That she was a fake.”

“Because you looked genuinely wronged. I checked Song Jihyun with [Encyclopedia of All Things].”

“Thank you…”

“For what.”

Sunyul approached Jihyun together with Muyoung. Saebyeok was casting recovery magic on Jihyun. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to have any injuries.

Yoonjae turned to look at Sunyul.

“By the way, how did you know Jihyun was a fake?”

“There was a strange poster put up.”

After Jihyun safely regained consciousness, Sunyul checked the poster along with the group.

“Wow, this is a total ghost story. I love this kind of stuff. It makes my heart flutter a bit.”

“You vanished and reappeared just now, you know?”

“I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Sunyul looked at the poster again.

Since number 3 was the truth, number 8 could be ignored. They cleared the dungeon while paying attention to the remaining rules.

At the very end of the underpass, a middle boss monster appeared. At a glance, it was a creature that resembled a lizard.

However, its transparently visible brain was swollen as large as the head beneath it, and it had multiple mouths, each dripping a different colored mucus. Exposed bone was visible at the tip of its long tail, which wasn’t physically connected but fixed in place by an intangible force.

The lizard nimbly crawled along the ceiling to move. Its speed was so fast that it was difficult to follow with one’s eyes.

[ Using skill ‘Magic Bullet Shooter’. ]

However, the opponent’s speed didn’t matter much to Sunyul. Because Sunyul’s magic bullets never missed a target.

Boom! An explosion erupted from the lizard’s body. At that moment, red mucus sprayed out from the lizard’s mouth.

Crash! The explosion caught on and spread along the scattering mucus. Bada, who was approaching, quickly slashed through the mucous substance with his sword to avoid the attack.

“Bada!”

“I’m fine.”

The lizard’s long tongue smeared green mucus onto its own body. Then, its body, which had been wounded by the explosion, was healed in no time.

It seemed that each type of mucus had a different effect.

“We need to disable its mouths.”

[ Using skill ‘Touch of the Abyss’. ]

A black hand that suddenly appeared out of the darkness gagged the lizard’s mouth. Simultaneously with the gagging, the lizard’s body melted away smoothly. Then, in the next moment, it appeared in a completely different spot. Right behind Saebyeok.

[ Stop. ]

[ Using skill ‘Researching Magic Scholar: Halt’. ]

Muyoung’s [Word Magic] and Sunyul’s skill were used at the same time. At that, the lizard melted away smoothly once more, heading behind Yoonjae this time.

[ Using skill ‘Fire Wheel’. ]

A bright light flashed, and a painful scream echoed out. At the very least, it was a relief that it went behind Yoonjae, who possessed an attack skill this time.

“It seems we shouldn’t use binding skills.”

“It’s acting annoying.”

Muyoung, having the path he could comfortably take sealed off, clicked his tongue. Since the underpass might collapse, he couldn’t use large-scale skills either; it was a bothersome enemy. Not that they couldn’t catch it, though.

“Lee Bada.”

“Yeah.”

Bada’s traits and skills were relatively disadvantageous against massive enemies, but they truly shone in a space like this.

[ Trait ‘Sword Saint’ is currently active. ]

[ Due to the effect of trait ‘Sword Saint’, you become proficient in using swords. Current proficiency 854% ]

[ Trait ‘Song of the Sword’ is currently active. ]

[ Due to the effect of trait ‘Song of the Sword’, all stats increase. ]

[ Trait ‘Gladiator’ is currently active. ]

[ Due to the effect of trait ‘Gladiator’, all stats increase. ]

Bada attacked the lizard’s legs without using any skills. It was an effective attack even without explicitly relying on a skill. The lizard spat out rapidly healing mucus, but the speed at which its wounds increased was faster.

The thoroughly irritated lizard exhaled transparent mucus, then hoisted its tail.

Its tailbone detached and bounced in all directions. Everywhere the sharp tailbone touched began to corrode.

“Argh!”

Jihyun ultimately took a hit. It was an attack powerful enough to leave a wound despite having [Blessing of Protection]. Sunyul warped to that side and used [Sanctuary Declaration].

“Are you alright?”

“Ah, yeah. I’m fine.”

Contrary to her words, the wound was quite deep. Sunyul let Saebyeok inside the sanctuary.

“This is going to rot.”

While uttering such gruesome words, Saebyeok pulled out a potion from his inventory and poured it over. Jihyun held back a painful groan. Fortunately, however, the skin color that had turned green reverted to normal.

[ Using skill ‘Hymn of Regeneration’. ]

As Saebyeok used his skill, Jihyun’s wound began to heal bit by bit. Sunyul verified that and then checked the situation back on the lizard’s side.

Its tail had returned to normal, and his allies were pushing it hard again.

Bada’s sword continuously pressured the lizard, and Muyoung also kept threatening it ceaselessly with [Shadow Raid] and [Shadow Needle].

Yoonjae… didn’t seem to be of much help in an underpass that might collapse if things went wrong, but he was occasionally using containment skills at least.

Sunyul also joined back into the attack.

In a brief interval, the tide of victory had tilted considerably. The bleeding lizard seemed more occupied with fleeing rather than attacking the group. Sunyul joined up with everyone and used his skill.

[ Using skill ‘Magic Bullet Shooter’. ]

A magic bullet wedged into the gap that Bada had wounded and Muyoung had widened, exploding inside. The lizard gradually slowed down, and at a certain point, stopped completely.

And then.

“Gather around!”

Sunyul shouted as he watched the state of the lizard, which was swelling up strangely. Seeing his allies quickly backing away, Sunyul immediately used his skill with all his might.

[ Using skill ‘Sanctuary Declaration’. ]

A circular barrier formed around Sunyul. Almost simultaneously, the lizard swelled up to an absurd size and exploded just like that.

Boom!

It was a sound so massive that it was unbelievable that just a single monster had detonated. Its power was equally grand.

Rendering their previous caution to prevent the underpass from collapsing utterly pointless, the underpass began to cave in all at once.

“Is it crazy?!”

“Wo-Wow! Whoa!”

“It’s okay! If you stay inside here, it’ll be fine! Pr… Probably.”

“It’s fine.”

Even Sunyul himself lacked confidence, but Muyoung spoke calmly from behind, placing a hand on Sunyul’s shoulder.

“Because something of this level is nothing to you.”

Sunyul nodded as if possessed. Then, he focused intensely in case his skill might break. Because if even a single crack appeared, he would have to recast it quickly.

“Lim Sunyul.”

“Yes?”

“Can you expand the sanctuary?”

“I-I can expand it, but… won’t the defense become a bit weaker if I do?”

“We need to expand it at least up to the ground so that a hole to escape through is made.”

“Ah.”

Sunyul hastily expanded the sanctuary. The round, spherical sanctuary widened its domain more and more.

The underpass caved in loudly. The sounds of consecutive collapses echoed noisily. When a massive rock fell over his head, his heart shrank.

However, even during that time, the sanctuary Sunyul had created suffered no anomalies. Around the time the collapse of the underpass concluded, Sunyul’s sanctuary also reached the surface.

“Sunyul, are you alright? Your complexion looks bad.”

Bada asked worriedly. Sunyul nodded his head.

“I’m fine. It’s just because I was tense.”

“How timid. Getting like that over just this much.”

Bada glared at Saebyeok, who spoke with a laugh. At that, Saebyeok subtly shifted his gaze and feigned ignorance.

“Let’s head out now then.”

Muyoung cleared up the spot. The group flew up near the top of the sanctuary, then deactivated the sanctuary to escape.

As the sanctuary supporting the center vanished, another collapse occurred in the underpass. Looking at the underpass caving in noisily, Yoonjae clicked his tongue.

“Putting together a raid team for this dungeon is going to be quite tricky.”

There are a few monsters that self-detonate, but for it to happen in an underpass of all places.

At least the monster was at the edge of the underpass, meaning they could bait it to explode toward the outside… but getting the timing right wouldn’t be easy.

“We’ll have to run it a few more times and study it. Until a certain method comes out, it might be better for Lim Sunyul to keep coming.”

“I can run it as many times as needed.”

“Don’t overdo it, though.”

“Isn’t it easier for me to do it than other people?”

Therefore, he didn’t really think he was overdoing it. Yoonjae looked at Sunyul with a peculiar gaze, then nodded.

Having cleared the underpass like that, they returned in front of the final mirror.

Muyoung quietly stared at Saebyeok. Saebyeok stood before the mirror. Instead of reflecting a different appearance like before, it simply cast an image exactly as it appeared.

“Breaking it!”

With Saebyeok’s bright voice, clink, the mirror shattered.

At the same time, a heavy atmosphere began to linger around. The sky grew dark, so the group headed outside.

However, the boss monster was nowhere to be seen. Usually, the boss monster should appear around this point. Or a system message announcing the completion of the raid should pop up if there was no boss monster.

“What is it?”

“Shall we look around a bit?”

“That would be better.”

In the end, the group began searching the surroundings. While checking the vicinity while being careful not to wander too far, Sunyul discovered a strangely shaped thing in the grassy bushes.

It was a small, shriveled bird that looked as if it were already dead rather than alive.

However, it was definitely blinking its eyes and looking at Sunyul. Then, it opened its beak.

—Power is… lacking. For now…

What it said was clearly heard by Sunyul.

—Soon, power… will well up. Very soon.

“Sunyul, attack it.”

“Huh?”

“Hurry.”

At the urging of Saebyeok, whom he hadn’t realized followed him, Sunyul used his skill even while feeling bewildered.

[ Using skill ‘Magic Bullet Shooter’. ]

Thinking there was no need to use it multiple times, he fired just a single shot. He wondered if it might have some hidden power, but.

You have completed the S-rank dungeon raid.

You have succeeded in clearing the dungeon for the first time.

Rewards will be distributed according to contribution level.

…It seemed that pathetic bird truly was the boss monster.

“What? That’s it?”

“I guess so, looks like it’s over.”

“Wow, what’s up with that? The middle part was the hardest.”

The boss monster met a simple end, and the dungeon raid was also completed.

Just like that, the dungeon raid of several days came to a close.

⊹₊｡ꕤ˚₊⊹

Title: (Breaking News) Gangneung Dungeon S-23 Raid Finished

Clear complete

Comments

—Wow holy shit

└Thank goodness

└ㅠㅠ My heart was racing, I thought I was gonna die

—Can I unpack the evacuation bag I packed?

└Unpack it for now

—Isn’t this a world first?

└Seems like it, really fast

└Wow ㅠㅠ Wow ㅠㅠ Truly amazing

—They didn’t get hurt, right?

└Everyone needs to be safe ㅠㅠ

Title: (Breaking News) All 6 members of the raid team are safe

That’s what they say!!

Comments

—Thank goodness really

└Ah ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Thank goodness ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└They cleared it so fast ㅠㅠ I thought maybe they overexerted themselves and got hurt

└For real, the scale of the dungeon looked huge too, but they cleared it so fast that I wondered if they were okay

—I must have been tense, tears are coming out

└Me too ㅠㅠ I wasn’t even the one running it, why am I tearing up ㅠㅠ

Title: For now I’m so relieved, but it’s scary

Why did a bizarre dungeon like that appear?

The atmosphere when a dungeon first appeared when I was in middle school is still vivid

It feels similar right now

Comments

—Let’s not incite too much anxiety

└Right, they came out incredibly fast this time

└Right now we came out fast, but there are still many places abroad that haven’t been cleared yet.. It’s a bit scary

—To be honest me too ㅠㅠ God-Sunyul, Kwon Muyoung, Go Yoonjae, Lee Bada, it was cleared only because all of them are combat-type S-ranks who are insanely strong hunters, but imagine if things like this keep appearing ㅠㅠ Fucking scary really

└Why do things like this keep happening ㅠㅠ Sigh