Chapter 31
The sun had set, and the night was completely dark.
Hwang Ji-young, leisurely swirling a glass of whiskey, suddenly asked about Hyuk-min.
“Did Bang Hyuk-min and that girl return?”
The Right Wing, who was organizing documents, shook her head.
“No, they haven’t returned yet.”
Hwang Ji-young’s eyebrow twitched.
“The cement factory. You said there’s no Dungeon there, right?”
“Yes. It’s just a factory—no Guild, no Dungeon.”
He went to a cement factory with no Dungeon and still hasn’t returned?
Suspicious.
Ever since she met this man named Hyuk-min, the only reason he ever went anywhere—aside from Tower raids—was to clear Dungeons.
But this cement factory had no Dungeon, and there was nothing to gain.
Yet he went with a young girl, rushed enough to ask Black Label for help?
“Strange.”
It was far too strange.
“Right? Is Bang Hyuk-min the type to waste time on useless things?”
“It’s definitely strange. But no matter how much we dig, there’s nothing there. Even when we sent the Left Wing, they said it was so dark they couldn’t see anything, let alone a Dungeon.”
Hwang Ji-young’s eyebrow twitched again.
“So you’re saying Bang Hyuk-min is doing something we don’t know about. Again.”
“He wouldn’t chase something pointless. If so, he’d have come back already.”
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
The strong whiskey slid down her throat.
The empty rocks glass rattled as the ice spun.
Silence. Then anger.
“So Hyuk-min knows something we don’t. Again…?”
“Heh… that’s right…”
“What the hell is he? How does he know so much when even we don’t? That unlucky bastard. If you don’t reply to my text the moment you get back, you’re dead.”
Hwang Ji-young left the hideout with heavy steps.
Once she disappeared, the Right Wing—who had been smiling—turned solemn.
Countless documents lay on her desk.
“To have information that even the best of Black Label doesn’t know…”
They were all files related to Bang Hyuk-min.
The Right Wing stared at them with a cold expression.
“He’s dangerous. Bang Hyuk-min is.”
= = =
Thump! Thump thump!
The Ogre Skeleton’s bone club slammed into the ground, creating huge cracks each time.
Thankfully, as strong and massive as it was, its speed was sluggish.
“Hah!”
But as expected of a boss monster, there were problems.
Crack!
“Damn it.”
Its bones and core were so tough that even the Immortal Demon Sword imbued with Mana could only scratch them.
Thump!
Thwack!
Hyun-jung’s precise marksmanship wasn’t much better.
Bullets hit the core, chipping fragments before bouncing off.
But…
There was something even more troublesome.
Unlike other skeletons, the Ogre Skeleton understood the importance of its core.
Kuooh!
Thump thump thump!
Ting ting ting—
Whenever a bullet flew toward its core, the Ogre Skeleton curled up, blocking every shot with bone harder than the core itself.
It roared in fury.
They had attacked its core ten times already.
Even so, the large core was only scratched—barely damaged.
“Uncle, what do I do?”
“Mana Bullet! Use Mana Bullet!”
“He’s sensitive to my Mana! The moment I gather Mana, he curls up! I can’t shoot properly!”
She had already seen the monster curl up multiple times while she was charging Mana.
Even Mana Bullets could only crack the bones, and the monster easily repaired itself by reattaching them.
“Hoo…”
“Uncle…?”
He took a deep breath.
He already knew the answer.
He had just been trying to save the opportunity for later.
But dragging this out only put Hyuk-min’s Party at a disadvantage.
He gripped the Immortal Demon Sword.
When the attacks stopped, the curled-up Ogre Skeleton slowly rose.
It gripped its bone club and prepared another strike—intent on smashing Hyuk-min until nothing remained.
“Prepare Mana Bullet when I signal.”
“Yes?”
The bone club rose toward the ceiling.
Hyuk-min made no effort to dodge.
A dangerous moment.
Swish.
He simply raised one finger for Hyun-jung to see.
A platinum ring glinted on his index finger.
Whoosh!
The bone club descended like a guillotine.
At that instant—
He clenched the ring and shouted.
“Get ready!”
And inwardly—
Pure Barrier!
[The active Skill of the SS-Rank Pure Barrier Ring is activated.]
[All abnormal status effects are removed.]
[A barrier is formed with a radius of 30cm around the user.]
White light burst from Hyuk-min’s body.
His pain vanished; his heavy limbs grew lighter.
A thin white membrane spread around him.
Clang!
The barrier effortlessly stopped the Ogre Skeleton’s brutal attack.
Kuooh!
The recoil flung the monster’s arms upward.
It had no expression, but its bewilderment was clear.
Swish.
The monster suddenly turned toward Hyun-jung.
It sensed her gathering Mana.
But by then, the Mana Bullet was already loaded.
“Now!”
Hyuk-min shouted.
Thump! Thump thump!
Hyun-jung pulled the trigger.
“Aaaaaah!!!”
Blue fire—like the Dungeon’s torches—flared and vanished.
Thump! Thump thump thump!
Seven shots.
Seven blue streaks slicing the air.
Finally—
Crackle!
Rumble—
The once-unshakeable core fractured, then shattered as a blue bullet pierced through.
The Ogre Skeleton collapsed into bone fragments.
“Haa… haa… haa…”
Hyuk-min breathed heavily.
Hyun-jung smiled, raising her gun in relief.
Just as she stepped forward—
“Regression Mode.”
He activated the Skill he’d been saving and gripped the Immortal Demon Sword again.
“Huh…? Wasn’t it over!?”
She hurriedly readied her gun again.
But Hyuk-min’s voice was calm.
“That monster wasn’t the boss.”
“What do you mean—”
“Get ready! The real fight starts now!”
Jjeooooong!
A violent shockwave burst from the darkness of the boss room, pushing Hyun-jung back nearly 30 meters.
The force alone told her Hyuk-min was right.
Clank.
Hyun-jung aimed forward, swallowing hard.
The power she felt just now was nothing like the Ogre Skeleton.
Clatter. Clatter.
Metallic footsteps echoed.
Something stepped out into the blue torchlight.
The true boss of the Tomb of the Dead Knight.
A black suit of armor.
A black spear etched with unknown patterns.
And green flames burning inside an empty helmet.
Death Knight.
Clatter.
It turned sharply, locking onto Hyuk-min.
The moment it recognized him as an enemy, it lunged.
Green flames erupted as it kicked off the ground.
Even with Regression Mode, the monster was fast.
Tang!!!!
The Immortal Demon Sword and the black spear collided midair.
Kagagagak—
Metal screeched under the pressure of their struggle.
A deadly contest—neither stepping back.
As expected of a Death Knight.
He had never failed to overpower an opponent while using Regression Mode.
Until now.
This wasn’t an ordinary Death Knight.
He had expected it to be strong—this was a Hidden Dungeon’s boss, after all—but actually crossing blades showed just how abnormal it was.
Kagagagak—
During the stalemate—
Thump!
Bang!!!
Light flickered inside the monster’s helmet as its head jerked to the side.
“Don’t bully my uncle!”
Hyun-jung’s bullet struck the Death Knight’s head.
The impact bent its neck.
It staggered.
Good job, little monster.
Hyuk-min didn’t miss the opening.
Mana surged as he unleashed his Skills.
“Bind, Vine Restraint, Weight of the Sky!”
Ropes of Mana strangled its neck.
Vines shot up from the ground, wrapping its arms.
Gravity pinned it down.
Thump!!
The Death Knight’s knees sank into the ground.
He didn’t stop.
He infused Mana into the Immortal Demon Sword and drove the blade into its helmet.
Kuooh!!!
Green flames burst violently as the bound monster trembled.
“Kuaaaaaaaa!!!!”
He pushed with all his strength.
The blade slid deeper—slowly, painfully slowly.
Halfway in—
“Uncle! Right hand!”
Hyuk-min glanced at the monster’s right arm.
Somehow freed.
A fist was already flying toward him.
Damn it!
He dropped the sword and crossed his arms to block.
Bang!! Flare!
Cheeeeeeeek—
The impact sent him skidding back.
Green fire splashed across his vision.
His arms throbbed with pain—his left arm cracked from the previous blow.
But there was no time to focus on injuries.
Just as he seized an opening, the monster would seize this one and attack relentlessly.
I have to move.
Reflexively, Mana exploded through his body, propelling him backward.
Whoosh!
A black blade sliced past the tip of his nose.
A fraction slower and half his head would have been gone.
Don’t relax. Don’t relax.
Battles end the moment you feel relieved.
He steadied his breathing and scanned for the next attack—
Bang!!
“…?!”
Instead of attacking, the Death Knight staggered, swaying.
Fragments of blue Mana scattered through the air.
“Aaaaaaaa!!!”
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
Hyun-jung’s screams echoed as each shot hammered the monster’s body, pushing it back and lifting it slightly with each impact.
What…?
This was different.
Her earlier shots barely fazed it.
Now the Death Knight shook violently under every hit.
“He’s my uncle! I’ll protect him! Aaaaaaaa!!!!”
At that moment, a realization hit him.
The Party Window must have opened.
New notifications flashed in Hyun-jung’s Status Window.
==========
[‘Choi Hyun-jung’ has acquired a new Skill.]
[SS-Rank Skill ‘Railgun’]
[SS Rank] Railgun
An upgraded Mana Bullet that consumes as much Mana as the user pours in.
Penetration and damage scale with Mana input.
==========
“Get away!!!!”
That explained everything.
Her anger had forced the Skill awake, unleashing overwhelming power—far beyond her usual output.
But—
The results were far from ideal.
Click. Click.
“Hoo… Hoo… Hoo… Uh…?”
Swept up in emotion, she hadn’t considered the aftermath.
Her Mana gauge had hit zero.
Her magazines were empty.
She had no means of attack left.
On the other hand, the Death Knight was rising again.
Sssseuuu—
White steam drifted from its overheated armor.
It was hurt—but still fully combat capable.
Worse, a message flashed for Hyuk-min.
[20 seconds left until Regression Mode is deactivated.]
In the worst possible moment, Hyun-jung whispered in despair.
“Uncle…”
Regression Mode would vanish in 20 seconds.
Hyun-jung could no longer fight.
The Death Knight was slowly recovering.
Could anything be worse?
Her voice trembled.
“I… I don’t think I can help anymore… Should we… give up…?”
He expected sadness.
But a snort escaped him instead.
“Hmph. You’ve helped enough.”
“U-Uncle…?”
The worst situation.
Hyuk-min smiled.
A confident smile—like victory was already his.
“No. You’ve done almost everything.”
Then he sprinted toward the Death Knight.
“Good job. Wait here. I’ll finish it.”