Chapter 46
“W-What the…”
Startled, No Death frowned.
The Red Ray that had flown at them wasn’t something you could simply dodge—like an ordinary person trying to dodge a bullet.
But Hyuk-min sensed it in advance and helped everyone evade.
Click. Clack. Click. Clack.
The Succubus Queen approached, black heels clicking against the floor.
“Dodge!”
Both Hyuk-min and Hyun-jung threw themselves aside.
But No Death didn’t.
He stood his ground, glaring at the Succubus Queen.
Then, a torrent of Red Rays.
Sssshhhk.
No Death’s body split in half and burst into flames.
However—
Shwwwaaaa.
As if it had never happened, No Death’s form restored itself.
The Succubus Queen’s eyebrow twitched.
“What is this?”
She was flustered.
No Death should have been dead after being cut in two, yet he stood perfectly fine.
But he wasn’t the only one who made the Succubus Queen tense.
There is also another genius in Hyuk-min’s [Party].
Thwump!
Whoosh! Ping~
Hyun-jung’s shot grazed the Succubus Queen’s cheek and struck her earring dead-on.
The Succubus Queen’s mocking sneer slowly turned cold.
No Death smirked as he looked at Hyun-jung with her gun raised.
“You figured it out, kid.”
“I don’t know the activation condition, but I know where it’s coming from.”
“You’ve got sharp eyes. Looks like she fires it from her earring with a flick of her finger.”
“I’ll provide support.”
“I’m going in.”
Gripping his iron sword, No Death kicked off the ground and charged the Succubus Queen.
“How dare you….”
Maybe it was because her earring—her means of attack—had been damaged.
The smile vanished from the Succubus Queen’s face.
“Are there two bothersome humans?”
Rage and killing intent filled her expression, her gaze locked only on Hyun-jung and No Death.
But that was her misjudgment.
Just as she prepared another Red Ray—
Shuk!
Hyuk-min’s [Immortal Demon Sword], approaching without a sound, sliced off one of the Succubus Queen’s ears.
“Kyaaak!”
Blue blood sprayed as she clutched the severed ear and staggered back.
‘That human is the leader…?’
Biting her lip, the Succubus Queen glared at Hyuk-min—only then trying to unleash the Red Ray she’d been about to fire.
But Hyuk-min in [Regression Mode] was the strongest in the [Party], without question.
Ziiiing.
The Red Ray meant for Hyun-jung and No Death skimmed over Hyuk-min’s head as he ducked.
From that lowered stance—
Thud!
Hyuk-min stomped hard and swung the [Immortal Demon Sword] at the Succubus Queen.
At the same time, the crescent-shaped attack formed by Hyun-jung’s [Hidden Skill: Railgun] followed.
Shunk!
As the Succubus Queen tried to shield her neck, it severed both her arms, then carved halfway through her throat.
Gush. Gush.
Blue blood poured out.
“I miscalculated….”
Blood spilled endlessly from her ruined neck.
With dying eyes, the Succubus Queen stared at Hyuk-min and moved her lips.
“I should have aimed for you first.”
She tried to recover with rapid regeneration, but the wound was too severe.
To anyone’s eyes, the collapsing Succubus Queen looked like a cleared boss.
No Death arrived late and tapped Hyuk-min on the shoulder.
“What the hell. You could’ve cleared this by yourself. Why the long face?”
Hyuk-min’s expression didn’t relax even as he watched her crumble.
Without lowering his guard, he kept his eyes on the dying Succubus Queen. Only when her face hit the ground did he speak.
“It’s not over yet. It’s just beginning.”
“Huh? There’s another boss?”
“No. There’s a second phase.”
At those words, tension returned to No Death’s face.
“You should’ve told me sooner.”
“Black Mana is about to flow out of that small prison over there.”
As if on cue, the moment Hyuk-min finished speaking, black Mana began to seep from the small prison they’d thought was empty.
Just looking at it, an unsettling energy wrapped around the [Party].
===
– “It’s all over….”
It was the moment they thought everything was finished.
– “What is that…”
From the small prison in the back, which they had thought was just decoration, black Mana began to seep out. Then, that immense black Mana soaked into the Succubus Queen’s corpse.
– “It’s not over yet! There’s a second phase!”
A voice echoing from somewhere added to the tension of the more than one hundred people still alive.
– “Dammit….”
Back then, Hyuk-min was an adventurer who had only just shed his fledgling feathers.
When he realized the “boss” was nothing but a puppet, unknown fear seized his entire body.
Tap, tap.
– “Get a grip.”
The one who snapped Hyuk-min out of it was the elderly Sunbae adventurer who had given him so much information.
– “Look over there.”
While everyone watched the Succubus Queen’s second-phase revival, the Sunbae adventurer pointed toward the prison the black Mana had poured from.
– “I think that’s a [Hidden], but no one’s noticed it yet.”
They had thought it was just a black wall with iron bars as decoration, but it wasn’t.
Once all the black Mana—mistaken for a wall—drained away, a small bottle filled with pink liquid was left behind inside the prison.
It was clearly no ordinary item.
– “Why are you telling me….”
– “You’re asking why I’m telling you instead of taking it for myself? Hah.”
The Sunbae adventurer let out a low laugh and looked at Hyuk-min.
– “I lost my youngest brother, who looked a lot like you, last week. Here.”
– “Then….”
– “This is my second time here. This double [Dungeon] was a place we tried to clear every day for two weeks.”」
The Succubus Queen’s corpse, having absorbed the black Mana, slowly began to rise.
Facing the same situation again, Hyuk-min naturally thought of that Sunbae adventurer.
The face that had taken care of him, the eyes that carried quiet grief.
‘This time, I will protect you.’
===
As the Succubus Queen not only rose fully but floated into the air, Hyuk-min tightened his grip on the [Immortal Demon Sword].
It was time to repay what he’d received that day.
If they cleared it today, that Sunbae adventurer wouldn’t have to lose his youngest brother.
When the last of the black Mana finished sinking into her body, Hyuk-min shouted.
“No Death! Hyun-jung! Watch out for the kiss! Stay sharp—keep your eyes wide open!”
Before he could even finish, the black Mana condensed inside the Succubus Queen exploded with a BOOM!!, whipping up a violent gust.
A shockwave so intense the entire dungeon trembled.
“Keuk!”
“Ack!”
Neither No Death nor Hyun-jung could withstand it, both squeezing their eyes shut.
And then—
Fwip!
In the brief instant it took to blink, No Death froze.
When he opened his eyes, the Succubus Queen’s beautiful face was right in front of him.
‘When did she…’
But something blocked her body, stopping her from closing the distance.
No Death slowly turned his head.
“Snap out of it!! No Death!!!”
It was Hyuk-min, the [Immortal Demon Sword] plunged into the Succubus Queen’s side.
Even in [Regression Mode], Hyuk-min’s clenched jaw showed how monstrous the second-phase charge was.
“Dammit!”
No Death’s face twisted.
His body stiffened in shock—but only for a moment.
Snapping back at Hyuk-min’s shout, No Death gripped his iron sword and swung at her neck in one motion.
Thwack!
“….?!”
“No Death! Dodge!”
No Death’s [Stats] were high enough to be near ranker-level.
And yet, even with everything behind the swing, the blade couldn’t cut through her neck.
It only bit shallowly into her skin, not even drawing blood.
“What the hell!!”
Startled, he tried to yank the sword free—
“No Death!!”
Smooch!
The [Immortal Demon Sword] lodged in her side tore like ripping cloth as it carved a long gash across the Succubus Queen’s flank.
And then the Succubus Queen’s lips pressed to No Death’s.
“Mmph!”
“Dammit.”
Thwack!
Hyuk-min retrieved the [Immortal Demon Sword] and kicked the iron sword lodged in her neck.
It drove deeper, and the recoil sent Hyuk-min flying back, away from both the Succubus Queen and No Death.
“Hyun-jung!”
“Yes!”
He’d warned her in advance for this.
Already aimed, Hyun-jung pulled the trigger at once.
Thwump!
Just as the [Mana Bullet], spewing blue flame, was about to pierce No Death’s head—
Smack!
The Succubus Queen’s hand—still kissing him—moved to shield No Death’s head, then fell limply to the ground.
Smirk.
The Succubus Queen smiled as if showing off to Hyuk-min and Hyun-jung.
When their lips parted, No Death’s expression was no longer his own.
Empty eyes. Slumped shoulders.
“Now the numbers are even, aren’t they?”
She pulled the iron sword from her neck and handed it to No Death.
Without resistance, No Death took it and looked at Hyuk-min and Hyun-jung as if he now belonged to her side.
“You there, human. What are you? Have we met before? How do you know me so well?”
She bit her lip.
“Do you have a higher search skill than me? How did you know my true body was in there? That should be something no one knows.”
Thwump!
Hyun-jung fired again mid-sentence.
But there was no way a direct shot would hit No Death now, fully under the [Charm Skill].
Clang!
With a single swing of the iron sword, blue sparks scattered—and Hyun-jung’s bullet vanished without effect.
“You truly are a curious human. Well~ I can just make you my slave and find out.”
Her white skin, stained black by Mana, the Succubus Queen licked her lips with a red tongue.
Smiling seductively, she pointed at Hyuk-min.
“My slave. Go and attack, won’t you?”
At her command, No Death began walking toward Hyuk-min and Hyun-jung.
===
Thwump! Thump-thump-thump!
From hiding, Hyun-jung’s shots—enabled by her newly acquired [Hide (Stealth)] skill—rained from every direction, all aimed at No Death.
But who was No Death?
Like the top contract agent of Black Label Company that he was, he parried every single bullet—no matter where it came from—with a single iron sword.
That wasn’t all.
Calculating the trajectories in an instant, No Death rushed straight to Hyun-jung’s position and swung.
Whoosh!
But Hyun-jung was the sniper genius of her era.
She didn’t go down to a simple slash.
The moment his strike failed, No Death swept his sword through the area again.
Clang!!
His silent attack using the [Death Knight’s Helmet] was nullified as well.
‘Dammit… I told him to be careful.’
Of all people, it had to be No Death—someone who knew the [Death Knight’s Helmet] ability well enough to defend against the silent attack perfectly.
But the one wearing the [Death Knight’s Helmet] was Hyuk-min in [Regression Mode].
Grip.
With No Death’s iron sword pressed against his, Hyuk-min tightened his hold on the [Immortal Demon Sword].
‘If I just kill him, he’ll be released from the [Charm Skill].’
Krrrk. Krrrrrk.
There was a difference in strength.
The clashing blades sparked with red flame as Hyuk-min steadily pushed No Death back.
Just as Hyuk-min was about to overpower him with higher stats and take his head—
“Why? Because he’s a guy who can’t die? You were trying to kill him to break the spell? Aren’t you underestimating me?”
Every time, the Succubus Queen’s interference forced even Hyuk-min to retreat.
“Too bad. You almost had it.”
Hyuk-min narrowly avoided another kiss, his face twisting into a scowl.
“It’s just that I’m not a fan of pretty flowers.”
“So you think I’m pretty?”
“You’re pretty, sure. But you’re full of poison.”
“Why don’t you taste my poison? You won’t be able to escape.”
Their exchange turned chilling.
In the midst of it, a single sniper shot struck the Succubus Queen’s forehead from afar.
Thwump!
“Ouch!”
Even a [Mana Bullet] couldn’t scratch the tougher skin of her second phase.
‘How much time is left on [Regression Mode]?’
[22 seconds remaining.]
His Mana pool had grown, letting [Regression Mode] last far longer than before.
But with that time now running out, he had no choice.
He picked the most reckless option in his head—something close to a gamble.
“I’m used to it.”
In his past life, every battle had been like this—surviving by luck, crawling forward until he became an adventurer.
No fight was ever easy, and there was never a time he didn’t have to push himself.
The world was a reckless challenge for Hyuk-min.
And he was used to recklessness.
He slowly lowered the [Immortal Demon Sword].
As if on cue, No Death rushed in as if he’d teleported.
“What? Are you giving up?”
Without even attempting to block the iron sword stabbing from behind, Hyuk-min only stared at the Succubus Queen.
And then—
Stab!!
“U-Uncle!!!”
No Death’s iron sword pierced through Hyuk-min and protruded from his chest.
“Keuhuk!”
Red blood sprayed from Hyuk-min’s mouth.
Like the top contract agent he was, No Death had pierced his heart in one strike.
“A pity. He was a slave I had many questions for.”
Smirk.
“What? Are you smiling?”
As his [HP Bar] plummeted, Hyuk-min smiled at the Succubus Queen.
Then—
Crack! Shuk!
With explosive force, he swung the [Immortal Demon Sword] he’d lowered.
An attack so reckless you could hear bones twist.
“Hmph!”
Startled, the Succubus Queen bent her upper body back to evade.
“Whew~ That was a surp—”
But the blade wasn’t aimed only at her.
The near one-hit kill instantly took No Death’s head, breaking the [Charm Skill].
Shwwwaaaa.
“Dammit!!”
His neck restored itself, and focus returned to No Death’s eyes.
Did he remember everything, even while charmed?
As he caught Hyuk-min’s collapsing body, No Death kicked the approaching Succubus Queen in the face.
Thwack! Crash!!
She flew back and slammed into a wall.
No Death slapped Hyuk-min’s cheek.
“Hey! Bang Hyuk-min!”
“Cough! Cough!”
“Get a grip!”
The [HP Bar] dropping by the second made it clear Hyuk-min didn’t have much time.
About five seconds.
Having already used the [Pure Barrier Ring] earlier, with no way left to survive, Hyuk-min looked at No Death and spoke.
“That’s why… I told you to be careful, you bastard.”
“This isn’t the time for you to be saying that….”
“Snap out of it. It’s not over yet.”
“You crazy bastard!!!”
Hyuk-min’s head slumped.
Through the [Party], No Death and Hyun-jung could see Hyuk-min’s [Status Window] as his [HP Bar] dropped to 0.
A System death meant a real death.
“N-N-No way….”
“Dammit!!!”
Just then, as everyone mourned Hyuk-min’s death in disbelief—
Shwwwaaaa.
“Huh…?”
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