Chapter 47
[The Party Skill Armament ‘Lion’ has been activated.]
Hyuk-min’s dark vision returned, and his severed consciousness snapped back into place.
The time it took for his scattered mind to return felt like little more than a second.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzap.
[Transcending from Death.]
[HP is restored.]
The sensation of every single cell in his body being reconstructed intensely stimulated Hyuk-min’s mind.
“Uh…?”
“U-Uncle!!”
His eyes, which had been closed, shot open with the feeling of hot blood surging through his entire body.
“Cough! Cough!”
“You… you…”
The first person he saw was No Death.
All too familiar with Hyuk-min resurrecting from death, No Death’s expression went beyond surprise and straight into concern.
“Have you become a Revenant?”
A smirk escaped Hyuk-min’s lips.
He pushed himself up, as if to prove he didn’t need any help.
“Not a chance.”
“Uncle!!”
Hyun-jung, deactivating her [Hide] skill, rushed over and threw herself into his arms.
The sight of Hyun-jung sobbing—just how worried she’d been—was enough to make him feel sorry.
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
The sound of falling rocks echoed from a distance, and he could see the Succubus Queen getting back on her feet.
‘It’s not over yet.’
Hyuk-min soothed Hyun-jung and gently pushed her away.
Then he picked up the [Immortal Demon Sword] he had dropped.
“It’s not over yet. Everyone, get ready.”
“You’re mean, Uncle…”
Hyun-jung was still catching her breath, the shock not having fully subsided.
Wiping away her tears with her sleeve, she lightly tapped Hyuk-min’s chest.
“We’ll talk later. We don’t have time.”
[12 seconds remaining until Regression Mode ends.]
“Let’s end this quick and have that talk.”
No Death, now free from the [Charm] skill, gripped his iron sword with a serious expression.
True to No Death’s pride, he unleashed black smoke as he used [Spirit Materialization], showing his resolve not to make the same mistake twice.
Hyun-jung also reactivated her [Hide] skill, disappearing along with her gun.
“Hide.”
All preparations were complete.
About nine seconds remained until [Regression Mode] ended.
Gripping the [Immortal Demon Sword] tightly, Hyuk-min began gathering all his mana and shouted.
“No Death! Watch out for her Charm and tie up both her feet!”
Fwoosh.
No Death nodded and, with a surge of black smoke, instantly struck at the Succubus Queen.
Clang!!
It was faster than expected, but to the Succubus Queen with her high [Stats], it wasn’t particularly fast.
“You think I’m that easy just because you landed one hit?”
With an arm wrapped in black mana, the Succubus Queen effortlessly blocked No Death’s iron sword, which was empowered by [Spirit Materialization].
Despite the powerful clash of forces, the Succubus Queen didn’t budge an inch. She grabbed No Death’s arm with her free hand and yanked him in.
Then she brought her face close, clearly intending to Charm him again.
However.
It might have worked the first time, but No Death wasn’t so easily dealt with.
He was the strongest agent, capable of taking on Hyuk-min and Hyun-jung’s [Party] by himself.
Fwoosh.
Just before No Death’s lips could touch the Succubus Queen’s, his body turned into black smoke and dispersed.
“Tch.”
Clang!!
Re-forming his body, No Death’s iron sword struck the Succubus Queen’s black mana once more.
“Annoying. Don’t worry. I have a much better slave than you.”
The Succubus Queen forced a smile through her frown and looked toward Hyuk-min, still standing his ground.
The moment she judged she couldn’t catch No Death and tried to rush Hyuk-min—
The black smoke of [Spirit Materialization] condensed powerfully and seized both of the Succubus Queen’s ankles.
It didn’t stop there.
“The Wraith’s Mist is me.”
The black smoke in the direction she tried to run took No Death’s shape, and he swung his iron sword again.
Clang!
“No one can escape my pursuit. How dare you make me a liability to the team?”
“This is irritating…”
Just as the Succubus Queen’s face crumpled into a fierce scowl, her eyes suddenly widened.
A powerful condensation of mana surged from somewhere.
The Succubus Queen’s gaze whipped around, and at its end stood Hyuk-min.
“What in the world are you people? A Skill with such high Mana consumption, and a weapon that doesn’t shatter even after accepting all that Mana… Are you even human?”
Even to the Succubus Queen, it was an immense amount of mana.
Having gathered everything he had during [Regression Mode], the mana infused into the [Immortal Demon Sword] was likely enough to slice through even the Succubus Queen in a single blow.
“But what a shame. You’re too far. You think that attack can reach me?”
Sensing danger, black mana erupted from the Succubus Queen’s body.
Pang!!
The instantly scattering black mist dispersed even the Wraith’s Mist that had been holding her ankles.
Seeing Hyuk-min lower his stance as if to strike at any moment, the Succubus Queen kicked off the ground and rose into the air.
‘Fool. My specialty is speed.’
She waited for Hyuk-min’s attack with a sneer.
It was at that very moment.
“Now!”
Bang! Vzzzzing!
A clean explosion of purified mana rang out.
From the Succubus Queen’s perspective, it didn’t feel like much, so she turned her head slowly.
“Haa… haa… haa…”
She’s struggling? Why?
In the distance, Hyun-jung came into view, breathing raggedly.
The Succubus Queen’s eyebrows twitched.
A blue line…?
The blue line had already vanished, leaving only a faint afterimage.
As the Succubus Queen’s gaze followed the lingering trace, a sharp pain surged through her, and both legs went limp.
Thud.
“Uh…?”
She tried to force strength into them again, but it wouldn’t work.
Even moving her arms felt strange—like her body wasn’t her own.
‘Something’s wrong.’
The Succubus Queen’s gaze snapped to the center of her chest.
And all her thoughts stopped.
Drip. Drip, drip.
A hole had appeared in the center of her chest from who knows when.
Its location was precisely where her heart was.
‘When…?’
Blue blood dripped from the hole, filling the Succubus Queen with bewilderment.
It was then.
“Farewell.”
“Ah…”
When she lifted her head, the [Immortal Demon Sword], brimming with powerful mana, was right before her eyes.
How did it get here so fast? That thought vanished the moment she saw the helmet Hyuk-min was wearing.
“That helmet…”
The ability of the [Death Knight’s Helmet].
The moment she recalled its teleportation ability, a hollow laugh escaped her lips.
“How absurd.”
Those were the Succubus Queen’s last words.
A massive, blue, crescent-shaped [Railgun] filled her vision.
Slice!
The massive blue crescent, infused with all his mana, not only split the Succubus Queen’s body in half but also completely bisected the enormous boss room.
[Regression Mode ends.]
===
Phase 2 turned the battle into a chaotic mess with the Succubus Queen’s [Charm] skill, making it impossible to tell friend from foe.
The number of people, which had been over a hundred, rapidly dwindled, and the vision of the battle Hyuk-min had first seen became reality.
Two hours after the pandemonium of hell had unfolded.
– “We killed it!!”
In the end, the Succubus Queen fell at the hands of the 12 Rankers dispatched to clear the [Double Dungeon].
The raid had started with hundreds, but only about 20 survivors remained.
– “A success that can hardly be called a success.”
However, as befitting a [Double Dungeon] boss, the Succubus Queen’s life force was tenacious.
From among the charmed corpses everyone thought were dead, one person sprang out and threw a spear at Hyuk-min.
Thinking it was all over, Hyuk-min had let his guard down and didn’t even think to dodge the incoming spear.
‘Ah… I’m going to die.’
Just as he had that thought.
Thwack!!
Blood splattered as the tip of the spear stopped right in front of Hyuk-min’s eyes.
– “Are you all right?”
– “S-Sunbae…?”
Hyuk-min saw it.
Someone had approached faster than the spear and taken the blow in his place.
The person who had blocked the flying spear with their entire body.
The elderly Sunbae, who had protected and guided Hyuk-min throughout the fight with the boss, looked at him and gave a bright smile.
– “Sunbae!!!”
At Hyuk-min’s cry, many people began to move frantically.
– “Everyone! Be careful of the charmed corpses! We need to confirm the kills one more time!”
– “Confirm the kills!”
It was probably the first time Hyuk-min had cried since his parents died.
Even as he was dying, impaled by the spear, the smile directed at Hyuk-min contained not a hint of pretense.
– “I’m glad you’re alive.”
– “Why… Just why…”
– “You’re still young.”
– “You just met me for the first time… So why go this far…”
– “Guhk. Puheok!”
The Sunbae coughed up blood and collapsed to the side.
Even as he was dying, the old Sunbae smiled at Hyuk-min.
– “I have stage 4 liver cancer. I… came here to die. But then I saw you. Seeing you wanting to live reminded me of my youngest brother who passed away last week, so I helped with the raid as best I could.”
Coughing up dark, dead blood and letting out a deep sigh, the Sunbae spoke with a bright smile before he died.
– “It feels good to save a young friend before I go. Hehehe. Friend… even if it’s like hell… live diligently. Diligently…”
===
As [Regression Mode] ended, all the strength drained from Hyuk-min’s body.
But as the bisected form of the Succubus Queen turned into black, burnt ash, a smile naturally formed on his face.
‘That debt… has been repaid.’
It was a debt he couldn’t repay in his past life, and a debt the Sunbae of this world would never know.
But the kindness from that nameless Sunbae back then transcended his past life, delivering a deep warmth to Hyuk-min in the present, who carried fragments of those memories.
“Where are you going?”
“To get something I couldn’t get before.”
Still, it was his second bout of [Mana Exhaustion], so it was quite bearable.
Hyuk-min strode forward and cut open the small prison that had contained the Succubus Queen’s black mana.
Then he put the bottle of pink liquid resting inside into his [Inventory].
‘I got it this time.’
It was a regret that had weighed on the Hyuk-min of his past life.
This pink liquid they were supposed to take together.
In his past life, he had been in such a state of panic that he couldn’t grab it, and it disappeared along with the collapse of the [Double Dungeon].
But this time was different.
Rumble!
With the corpse of the Succubus Queen completely dead and gone, the clear phenomenon of the [Double Dungeon] began.
Now that he had obtained everything he needed, he had no lingering attachments to this [Double Dungeon].
Looking at the boss room as it cracked and disappeared, Hyuk-min said quietly.
“Let’s go.”
===
“Haa… That was tough.”
They left the [Double Dungeon], finally completing the clear they had so desperately wanted.
Fortunately, thanks to Hyun-jung, they didn’t have to use up any clothes when taking down the boss.
“You should have just told me to snipe it with the gun from the start.”
“That was only possible because it was far away. If it had been that range earlier, it would’ve been the same.”
“True, seeing how you exploded earlier, that seems likely.”
No Death nodded as if in agreement.
But a single comment from Hyun-jung momentarily stunned the two of them.
“Wouldn’t it have been fine if we just cornered it in the boss room and I sniped it?”
No Death and Hyuk-min looked at each other.
And they had the same thought.
There was a way like that, so why did we do what we did?
“They say if you’re stupid, your body suffers.”
“She really is a genius. I see why you dote on her, Hyuk-min.”
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
They came out after seeing the cathedral shake and the [Dungeon] close.
An official approached, hopping up and down with a joyful expression.
“Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thanks to you, it’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.”
“We’re the only ones who could have cleared that.”
“Of course! Absolutely! Of course.”
Even at No Death’s potentially offensive remark, the official gave a thumbs-up as if it were only natural and guided Hyuk-min’s [Party] until they were outside the cathedral.
“Goodbye!”
As they turned their backs on the official who was still waving from afar, they all burst into laughter.
“He was probably thinking, ‘What can a mere C-rank do?’”
No Death’s words were spot on.
“Probably. No one knew it was a [Double Dungeon]. That was seriously tough.”
“It was your first time dying. I’m fine because I’m used to it. The first time you die, all your strength drains out.”
“Was it like that for you too? I’ll have to get used to it if I want to use it well. More importantly, is Hyun-jung okay?”
“My heart hurts more than my body. I really thought you were dead, Uncle.”
Remembering what happened earlier, Hyun-jung’s eyes welled up with tears again.
Hyuk-min smiled and stroked Hyun-jung’s head.
“As long as No Death is in the [Party], I become a Revenant just like him. Which means I don’t die.”
“I’m a little jealous of that.”
As if to change the mood, the teary-eyed Hyun-jung tossed out a playful remark.
But that one comment got on the Revenant’s nerves.
“Hey! That’s not something to be jealous of, okay? You try being a Revenant. You’ll go crazy wanting to die. Aish, only people who don’t know anything say they’re jealous.”
“So what! Not being able to die is something to be jealous of, you know?”
“Oh, listen to this one.”
“It’s what Qin Shi Huang searched for so desperately! It’s something all of humanity is jealous of!”
“This brat, to the very end.”
Hyuk-min waved his hand dismissively.
“Stop. Please, just stop. I’m tired.”
At Hyuk-min’s words, the two who had been growling at each other whipped their heads in opposite directions.
Then, perhaps feeling she had gone too far, Hyun-jung spoke to No Death first.
“Still, it’s your dream, so I’m sorry for talking like that. I went too far.”
It was a light, casually tossed-out comment, but upon hearing it, No Death—still turned away—showed a pleased smile.
“Ahem. Ahem.”
Then, clearing his throat, No Death started walking as if nothing had happened.
He was still prickly, but the feeling of being a team that had faced a life-or-death danger together seemed to be bringing everyone a little closer.
Standing in the middle, Hyuk-min saw both of their expressions and ultimately couldn’t hold back his laughter.
“Hmph.”
And then, just like No Death and Hyun-jung who were smiling subtly, he too showed a smile.
‘This is what a team is.’
No Death the Revenant and Sogoe Hyun-jung.
Hyuk-min clenched his fist as the things he had been planning were gradually coming to fruition.
===
On their way out of Jeonju Hanok Village, Hyuk-min’s eyebrows twitched when he saw a familiar face near the entrance.
‘Those Temple of Healing guys? Did they follow us all the way here?’
Their persistence was greater than he expected, and he was thinking they might have some other motive when a call came from Hwang Ji-young.
“What happened?”
[Those Temple of Healing guys you asked me to look into. It seems they made contact with the Land Cleaning guys.]
He knew it.
They weren’t the type to stick to him this persistently without a reason.
“So.”
[Looks like they were going to hand over information about the Legendary [Title] Holder in exchange for money. The deal with the Land Cleaning Guild, and the fact that they’ve been following you lately—don’t you think they smelled something?]
“Hmm, how did they find out? Ah!”
[What!? Did you remember something?]
Hyuk-min suddenly recalled what happened in the Tower.
‘Don’t tell me it was then?’
While dealing with the Temple of Healing guys in the Tower, there had been a moment when [PVP] was initiated.
He had just come out of clearing the Hermes [Dungeon] and was exhausted from [Mana Exhaustion], so he had forgotten to change his [Title].
He had dismissed it, thinking nothing would come of it, but it seemed something had happened—one of them must have seen his [Title] back then.
He wondered what to do for a moment.
As he pretended not to notice and walked past them, he saw the monk heading toward the cathedral, and a laugh burst out of him before he even realized it.
“Pfft!”
“What’s up?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just seems like something funny is about to happen.”
The monk’s urgent back, having picked the wrong target, looked utterly foolish.
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