Chapter 30
This Dungeon was on an entirely different level from anything he had stepped into before.
The moment his feet touched the ground, a biting cold pierced his bones, and a foul stench—one he had never encountered in any Dungeon—hit his nose.
“Ugh…”
Hyun-jung’s face twisted in disgust.
Where was this smell coming from?
What kind of Dungeon could be colder—and smell worse—than the Skeleton Dungeon they’d cleared before?
Whoosh.
“Huh…?”
A torch lit up.
Something was wrong with this place.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
“…It’s blue?”
Blue flames burst to life, spreading like a fast-moving blaze.
Every torch in the Dungeon burned blue instead of red.
Twitch.
It was just the torchlight.
Just the smell and the cold.
The interior itself felt empty and harmless.
And yet—
Why?
Why did uneasiness cling to his skin like damp cloth?
“U-Uncle…”
Unable to handle the oppressive dread, Hyun-jung grabbed Hyuk-min’s sleeve.
Just then—
“Get your gun ready.”
“Huh…?”
“It’s coming.”
There were no monsters.
Nothing in sight.
So why did her throat tighten?
“Uncle…?”
“It’s starting to move.”
Following Hyuk-min’s gaze, Hyun-jung looked down the corridor.
A long passage with a high ceiling—easily fifty meters long.
At the very end of it, a massive door began to open.
Silently.
Without a hint of light.
Without a sound from whatever lay inside.
She stared, eyes fixed on the pitch-black gap widening before them.
“Get your gun ready. Take your position.”
She still hadn’t seen any monster.
But—
Swoosh.
The moment Hyuk-min pulled out the Immortal Demon Sword, Hyun-jung’s expression sharpened.
Her large rifle swept through the air in a practiced arc—
Thud.
The barrel locked firmly toward the center of the door.
Her eyes narrowed.
“I’m ready.”
Hyun-jung was prepared for battle.
= = =
She heard the sharp metallic clicks of reloading from behind her.
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Hyuk-min’s heart began to pound harder, warming his tense body.
Thud. Thud.
Leaving Hyun-jung’s steady presence behind, he stepped toward the massive door, one slow step at a time.
He hadn’t even begun fighting, but sweat rolled from every pore.
He knew why.
He knew what was behind that door.
And he knew this was one of the most dangerous Dungeons in Korea.
Thud. Thud.
He passed the first line of pillars.
Then the second—
Kuaaaaaaah!!!
A thunderous roar exploded from within the dark chamber, followed by a violent gust of wind.
“So it is a boss monster.”
Gulp.
Hyun-jung swallowed hard—loudly enough to hear.
Her fear was obvious.
“Focus. I told you—this Dungeon is different from the others.”
“B-But…”
“I’m trusting you to watch my back. If you freeze up and stop shooting—”
He turned.
And smiled faintly.
“I’ll be in danger, right?”
Her trembling pupils stopped shaking.
Then—
“I’ll protect you. No matter what.”
The murderous resolve rising behind her eyes made it clear:
Hyun-jung would fight for him.
Clatter.
Something approached.
He faced the darkness again.
Clatter.
“…It looks damn strong.”
A huge, bone-white hand emerged from the shadows.
Then another.
The hands gripped the top and sides of the three-meter-tall door.
A massive Skeleton forced itself out, ducking under the frame.
“Ogre Skeleton…”
The enormous figure held a gigantic bone club, dragging it across the floor.
Kuaaaaaaah!!!
So the roar had come from that thing.
Thump!
The Ogre Skeleton raised its club high—
Bang!!
—and slammed it down, shaking the entire Dungeon.
Not anger.
A command.
An order to its subordinates to kill.
“It’s coming!”
Rumble—
Skeletons poured out from behind the Ogre Skeleton.
Dozens.
Clatter. Clatter—
He lowered his stance.
“Be careful. They look small, but those are Orc Skeletons—fast, strong, aggressive.”
“Uncle, be careful too. I’m ready to shoo—”
His calves bulged with tension.
He clicked his tongue, as he always did before a fight.
“Battle… start.”
Bang!!
Hyun-jung’s rifle thundered behind him as Hyuk-min charged forward.
= = =
His boosted Stats—and the extra Party buff—made him strong enough to stand against Orc Skeletons head-on.
Whack! Shatter!
The front-most Skeleton exploded into shards as Hyun-jung blasted its core.
Without pause, Hyuk-min burst through the fragments.
Shatter!
His Mana-coated Immortal Demon Sword cut through core after core.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Spinning like a top, he tore through the ranks of Orc Skeletons who hadn’t even regained their footing.
A blur of blue Mana and bone fragments filled the corridor.
Whoosh—
Then he stopped.
A heavy fist swung toward the back of his head—
Whack!!
It vanished.
Hyun-jung’s rifle had blown it apart.
They didn’t need to speak to sync.
This was more than teamwork—it was instinct.
Kuaaaaaaah!!!
The Skeletons realized Hyun-jung was dangerous.
Their gazes snapped toward her all at once.
Hyun-jung bit her lip.
“Uncle!”
“I know!”
The Orc Skeletons burst forward, claws and bones cutting through the air.
‘They’re using tactics?’
Skeletons shouldn’t think.
Shouldn’t coordinate.
But these did.
The surrounding enemies blocked Hyuk-min’s path—
Trying to isolate Hyun-jung.
‘Annoying… but too slow.’
He cut through, grabbing the nearest Skeleton by the spine—
Just then—
Clatter.
‘It twisted its upper body?’
It willingly sacrificed its core to land a counterattack.
Screeeeech—
All of them suddenly scraped their feet against the floor and slowed dramatically.
‘What now?’
Whoosh!
Every eye turned toward him.
“U-Uncle! Be careful!”
Crack—
He split one core, but claws raked across his arm, leaving bloody scratches.
Skeletons swarmed.
From left.
Right.
Above.
Behind.
“Uncle!!!”
Hyun-jung’s scream split the air.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
She fired nonstop, bone fragments showering down like hail—
But Skeletons still crashed onto Hyuk-min.
Bang! Bang! Bang—
“Ugh!”
His knee hit the floor under their weight.
“Uncle!! Old Man Mode! Use Old Man Mode!!!” (T/N: LOL. )
He ignored her.
He didn’t use Regression Mode.
He clenched his teeth and endured the tidal wave of blows.
“Left!! Take the left first—!”
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Hyun-jung’s frantic firing covered him.
Bone shards slashed his skin—but he kept pushing.
‘Just a little… just a bit more…’
The left side buckled—
Flash!!
Blue Mana erupted from his body.
He tore out of the encirclement in a sweeping arc—
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
About five Skeletons were crushed instantly.
His Health plummeted.
His Mana plummeted.
His breath was ragged.
But the number of enemies shrank from 30+ to under 10.
“Haa… haa…”
He was reaching his limit.
Skeletons weren’t.
They never tired.
They never slowed.
“Haa…”
His sword was heavy.
His vision blurred.
‘The poison…’
Every wound deepened the spread.
Still—
Grip.
He forced strength into his shaking legs.
Creak—
“Haa…”
He crushed the last Orc Skeleton and turned toward the real threat.
The true danger.
The Ogre Skeleton.
His vision blurred again.
He dropped to one knee.
Hyun-jung rushed in, supporting him.
“Uncle! Please—use Old Man Mode! Please!!”
“No.”
“Why!? You’re poisoned! You’re hurt! If you keep going—”
She choked.
He pulled out a potion and splashed it on his wounds, drinking the rest.
His Health rose.
His vision didn’t.
“Regression Mode has a place. And this isn’t it.”
Despite the poison, he stared deeper into the boss room.
Hyun-jung followed his gaze—
And froze.
At last, she understood.
A suit of pitch-black armor stood within the darkness.
“Tomb of the Dead Knight.”
“T-Tomb of the… Dead Knight…?”
“That’s what we came for. We take that armor—no matter what.”
She still didn’t understand.
The boss was alive.
They could kill it, claim the reward.
Yet Hyuk-min refused Regression Mode.
“Uncle… please…”
“It looks like… we can take it.”
“What…?”
Despite turning pale, Hyuk-min smiled.
“You trust me… right?”
His voice—unlike before—held genuine confidence.
“I still have two chances left.”
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The Ogre Skeleton took its first heavy steps forward.
Hyuk-min lowered his stance again—
And showed her his finger.
Hyun-jung blinked.
A ring gleamed on his hand.
“Ah… that’s—”
Understanding dawned instantly.
Her fear disappeared.
Her murderous intent surged—far thicker than before.
“I’ll protect you. This time… for sure…”
Even Hyuk-min flinched at the intensity.
Then he smiled awkwardly—
And poured Mana into the Immortal Demon Sword.
“Let’s go again!”
Kuaaaaaaaah!!!