Chapter 241

Chapter 241. Gluttony Incident (5)

The approach of a monster with the trait of being strong against the strong, and weak against the weak. No—but to be precise, the S-rank hunters present here were powerful, yet their skills were ambiguous enough that they weren't significantly affected by the magical creature's ability.

The sand-colored lizard, the boss of this place, had a tendency to gain power proportional to the gap between itself and any opponent with a high mana reserve. But since Earth had no rank beyond S-rank, the monster's enhancement remained relatively small.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

So the only handicap they had to endure—was that monster's hypersensitivity, subtly hinted at by a certain archmage.

Kyaaah!

The dungeon boss, which appeared relatively docile when facing A-rank teams or the body of a compatriot under control, now revealed its truly horrifying face once again in the corridor.

Its scales, tinted in champagne gold like a 14k ring, were covered in red boils, and it let out a loud, guttural scream, like an erupting volcano.

“Kaaaaaaaah!”

The S-rank boss monster finally revealed its full form before the hunters. The reptile, glowing wildly as if shuddering at the recognition of an equal power entering its nest.

“Heuk!”

“Ugh.”

The weaker members who had moved to the southern corridor tensed at the boss's overwhelming presence. The sensitivity of the sand-colored reptile was triggered only by the rich magic power of true powerhouses. If they had known this would happen, it would have been better for a fraudulent appraiser to proceed with the raid alone and quietly guide the A-rank team to the entrance. But the problem was that the wizard in question had already exhausted all their energy while facing the dungeon's weakest monster.

Tak.

In the end, it was an inevitable battle. Jung Haseong fixed his gaze on the monster charging straight toward him and gripped his red sword firmly.

Whoooosh!

What followed was the spell cast by the S-rank fire wizard, regarded as the pinnacle of the Flame series. To slow the boss's charge, he summoned a wall of fire, intending to intimidate his opponent.

Rather than wavering, a powerful wave of blue light surged upward, instantly blocking the monster's path.

"Grrr!"

But just how strong was the otherworldly monster's awareness of its territory? With a sickening sound, the grotesque creature broke through the rising wall of fire with its body and made its way toward the hero of Korea, who had his back to the ones he was meant to protect. The monster swung its forepaw at him.

Claaank!

A transcendental roar that didn't seem like just a single blade and a few claws clashing.

"...?!"

A transcendental roar that didn't seem like just a single blade and a few claws clashing.

“....?!”

But in that moment, the black-haired wizard, who had been physically blocking the approaching monster, suddenly sensed the disparity.

A smell that was far from the aroma of good food cooking—an unpleasant, faintly acrid scent of burning. Wait, is that the smell of something burning?

‘Huh?’

Clank!

Jung Haseong used his monstrous strength to push the monster back with his sword. But even with the distance between them, there was no change in the scene before his eyes. The six-legged reptile, its face smeared with soot, was still crying out in pain. Was it really just the flames of that fire barrier that caused the enemy's skin to burn?

‘The attack power is...’

Only then did the national hero truly realize his change. Up until now, he had only faced A-rank prey, so there had been no real opportunity to gauge the limits of his strength, except for the speed at which he cleared dungeons.

The attack power is...

Only then did the national hero truly realize his change. Up until now, he had only faced A-rank prey, so there had been no real opportunity to gauge the limits of his strength, except for the speed at which he cleared dungeons.

For Haseong, who hadn't participated in events like the Inevitable Malice or the Kagoshima Gate incidents, this was his first time facing an equal opponent. However, when even his skills functioned normally—and in such a threatening way—against an S-rank monster, the wizard couldn't help but realize it.

'It's different.'

This was exactly the result Kim Giryeo had intended. Jung Haseong's skills, having been refined through the training with alien creatures, had now reached a level of power far beyond what they once were.

The efficiency improvements made in several stages not only fulfilled the dream of protecting his fellow compatriots that this pyromancer had been trying to achieve, but also brought about amazing developments that raised the pyromancer's skills to the next level.

Whoooosh...

A faint heat, like a whirlwind, tickled the air. Then, centered around that small swirling motion, a burst of indigo exploded right above the sand-colored reptile's left eye.

"Kaaaaaaah!"

A faint heat, like a whirlwind, tickled the air. Then, centered around that small swirling motion, a burst of indigo exploded right above the sand-colored reptile's left eye.

“Kaaaaaaaah!”

Whoosh.

Though it was still an imperfect flame, unable to maintain its full blue intensity, it was enough. Jung Haseong breathed in the searing heat as though it were his very breath and passed it on to his fellow hunters.

“The defense is weaker than I thought.”

“Yes? What did you say?”

“Even though it’s an S-rank boss monster, its body is weaker than we expected.”

A uniquely precise judgment honed through thousands of dungeon raids—the hallmark of the top-ranked hunter.

“As expected, the S-rank monsters in this place seem to be lower-rank even within the same rank! Let’s first attempt to block the boss’s pursuit, and if successful, move in to neutralize it immediately!”

There was no need for the alien appraiser to point it out one by one. The veterans present were able to gauge the monster’s exact level with their accumulated experience and sharp instincts as active hunters. And once they determined t

o block the boss's pursuit, and if successful, move in to neutralize it immediately!

There was no need for the alien appraiser to point it out one by one. The veterans present were able to gauge the monster's exact level with their accumulated experience and sharp instincts as active hunters. And once they determined that the beast before them could be killed, there was only one job left for the hunters to carry out.

“Everyone, please step aside for a moment. I have to do some work now.”

Right. Anyway, hunters can’t just run away with their tails between their legs. It would be embarrassing.

Next, the world's only S-rank curse sorcerer activates their innate spell. She focuses all her mind on the enemy of humanity, a creature that devours the people of the streets, sending a surge of black energy. It was a curse technique infused with overwhelming hatred.

***

Wooong...

A few minutes later.

Beyond the golden corridor, the familiar noise echoes. Like the eerie wind sweeping through a hole in a rock, it gives off a somewhat unpleasant and distinct vibration. Has there ever been a time when this sound felt so endearing?

“Ah, the exit! That’s the exit, right?”

“Awesome! That’s awesome!”

The regular 3rd team of the Neo Sisters Guild. Among them, Ahn Yoonseung, who is particularly young, and the youngest member of the team, eagerly welcome the passage that has appeared, practically jumping with joy.

“Hey, the future of Korea is looking really bright…”

“Yeah, my friend from Hanshin Guild was telling me they got an offer to immigrate to Canada recently. They were thinking of leaving the country, but I wonder if I should try to talk them out of it.”

“Why doesn’t our guild have any S-ranks…? Come to think of it, Hunter Kim’s a free agent, right? How come no one’s managed to scout him yet…?”

However, the atmosphere was subtly different among the veteran hunters, including the team leader.

Murmur.

Even with the S-rank hunters, known for their sharp hearing, right in front of them, they couldn't stop their conversation. The recent achievements were simply too shocking.

"Whoo..."

To cut to the chase, the number 1 and 2 ranked hunters in Korea managed to successfully hunt an S-rank boss alone. The six-legged lizard here, while an S-rank creature, was a far weaker creature compared to the likes of Hawaii's Nuckalavee or Japan's Black Dragon King. Its physical strength was far inferior. Yet, despite being a mere "threshold" S-rank creature, even facing it left the industry's top two hunters utterly battered.

"Hunter Haseong, do you happen to have any leftover painkillers? I'm really dying here with just one."

"Here it is."

"Ah~ Thank you. Thank you."

Anyway, it was a victory worth recording. Esther, whose arm had been shredded by the monster's claws, swallowed a painkiller and replayed the situation from earlier in her mind.

"When my flesh was being torn, I thought I had just stuck my spear into something I shouldn't have. But wow, we actu...

Anyway, it was a victory worth recording. Esther, whose arm had been shredded by the monster’s claws, swallowed a painkiller and replayed the situation from earlier in her mind.

'When my flesh was being torn, I thought I had just stuck my spoon into something I shouldn’t have. But wow, we actually managed to take it down.'

This battle was marked by Jung Haseong’s outstanding performance.

In the mouth of that sand-colored reptile, there was actually some kind of fire-spitting device hidden, and as you know, Korea’s best pyromancer was standing there.

'Was Hunter Jung Haseong’s attribute defense ability that good?'

Anyway, what on earth did Kim Giryeo teach that hero? Seo Esther watched Korea’s national hero, whose injuries were noticeably lighter than her own, and wondered. She couldn’t help but feel a playful sense of dissatisfaction, realizing that the gap between her and the already hard-to-catch first place had widened even further. Of course, that feeling didn’t last long. Before she knew it, someone’s cheerful voice completely shifted the mood and changed the topic altogether.

“E, excuse me! Guild Leader of Korea’s Magic Tower!”

Soon after, Ahn Yoonseung from the Neo Sisters Guild approached with a respectful demeanor. The young hunter, now standing before the industry veterans, clasped both hands politely and asked a question.

“Hello! Thank you so much for coming to help us! But if you don’t mind me asking—Hunter Kim Giryeo…? Did Giryeo Hyung not enter the dungeon at all?”

“Ah.”

“I’ve been wondering why I haven’t seen Hyung around since earlier…”

In response, Esther answers with a brief sentence, including a gesture.

“If you’re looking for Giryeo, he’s right over there, coming this way.”

Whoosh.

Ahn Yoonseung instinctively turned his head at Esther’s reply. And just like that, the distinctive hairstyle of the one he hadn’t been able to find until now immediately caught his eye.

“Ahn Yoonseung.”

Ahn Yoonseung.

Limping.

A blond man, approaching with an oddly awkward gait, closed the distance.

What's going on? I've been behind you this whole time. Did you not notice me at all?

As he said, Giryeo had been hiding behind the last pillar of the corridor with the relatively weaker Seonwoo Yeon. It was only after all the fighting had finished that he finally showed his face. However, the reason why the S-rank hunter hadn't taken the front lines was something everyone in the room could automatically understand, without needing to go through any trivial questions.

Tuk, clang!

The sound of a shield worth billions crashing through the dungeon's air echoed. There was no time to explain. Ahn Yoonseung immediately opened his mouth and screamed in a voice close to a yell.

Hyung-nim!

The shirt, stained all over in bright red, barely retains some hint of its original color around the collar. The abdomen, still not fully healed, is covered with various blood components that have dried messily.

“Hyung-nim!”

The shirt, stained all over in bright red, barely retains some hint of its original color around the collar. The abdomen, still not fully healed, is covered with various blood components that have dried messily.

Ahn Yoonseung, upon seeing the state of the hunter, which was clearly unusual, helplessly let his equipment fall to the ground. It wasn’t an action he did intentionally; he had been so shocked that his blood pressure dropped dramatically, leaving him unable to grip anything in his hands.

“W, what happened—no! Aaaahh!”

His head was so confused that he couldn’t form proper sentences. As Yoonseung stammered with a face gone completely pale, Seonwoo Yeon, who had been watching the situation, spoke up in his stead.

“He got caught in a dungeon trap.”

For a while, the public official’s explanation continued. As soon as Kim Giryeo recognized the danger to Ahn Yoonseung’s team, he voluntarily entered the S-rank gate and took on the role of clearing the path. He managed to disarm most of the traps safely, but in the process of opening the final door, he made a mistake—ending up like a mouse caught in a mousetrap, or so they say.

“S, so that’s why the rescue was so fast!”

“Yes. Actually, Hunter Kim Giryeo had already taken care of most of the monsters, so we didn’t go through many fight

S, so that's why the rescue was so fast!

Yes. Actually, Hunter Kim Giryeo had already taken care of most of the monsters, so we didn't go through many fights on our side.

It was then. The blond man, who had been wetting his throat with the last mana potion, quickly corrected the staff member's statement after hearing the employee's testimony.

No. It's not like that. I didn't catch them. There were just a few monsters from the beginning.

Ah. Then did you just ignore the A-rank ones left along the path and rush ahead? No wonder there were only a few weak enemies scattered around inside...

....

For some reason, the fourth S-rank Hunter fell into a brief silence. During the conversation, Seonwoo Yeon asked, "Then just how strong was the enemy you were facing alone that caused you to lose strength and make a mistake during the trap disarming process?"

Giryeo honestly admitted that it was just an insignificant creature. However, the hunters didn't believe him.

'It seems like you ignored the A-rank and only dealt with the S-rank.'

'Even if it's not a boss-level, how could you take on an S-rank solo...?'

'Did you end up facing a special creature, like a mid-boss? It's strange that only that one didn't leave a corpse.'

The collective distrust of the hunters was ultimately a result of the seeds he had sown himself, and now, what good would it do to have complaints?

Whoo.

Giryeo let out a short sigh and pulled something out from the item box at his waist. It was a round orb of an indeterminate dark blue color. As he crushed it with his hand, strangely, the tattered and worn Earth-style clothes he had been wearing quickly regained their original form.

"Huh?"

Swish.

The fibers appeared from thin air and completely restored the damaged suit. Seeing Seonwoo Yeon's surprised expression, Kim Giryeo covered up with a nonchalant voice.

“Don’t be surprised~ It’s a foreign item. Just an item.”

For reference, the orb he had just crushed was nothing more than a hollow, meaningless decoy, like an empty capsule from a gacha machine. These primitives tend to accept anything as a dungeon artifact if you just make up a decent-sounding explanation. After magically restoring his appearance, the alien addressed the awakened ones gathered at the scene.

“Everyone, before I leave, I have a favor to ask...”

“Favor?”

“Right. Especially you, Yoonseung—there’s something you really need to be careful about...”

A few minutes later. In front of the exit of the strange mutation gate.

– Oh my gosh.

– It seems to be coming?

– That magic power... it definitely feels like S-rank...

Murmur murmur.

As they stepped toward the noise-filled outside, a familiar scene gradually filled their view. The first to emerge from the gate was Esther. Though her frame could be described as gaunt, she appeared carrying not one but two corpses on her shoulders—each easily weighing over 100 kilograms. What this superhuman of the new age had brought back from the dungeon were none other than the corpses of an S-rank regular monster and the dungeon's boss.

“Heuk!”

The hunter's appearance was impressive in many ways. The guild leader of the Magic Tower laid down the chunks of flesh from the newly discovered monsters, intending to hand them over to the university professors.

“Hunter Esther!”

“Did you really complete the raid? No, how?”

“Is this the dungeon boss?”

“Ugh~ I’m going crazy. Everyone, please calm down. I’ll answer all your questions slowly, so just give me a moment.”

“What about Hunter Jung Haseong?!”

“Our national hero is inside collecting soil samples, so please wait for that as well...”

Booooooom!

But soon after, the crowd, which had been chattering with their shrill voices, suddenly fell silent, startled by a loud noise. The dry hum of an engine echoed through the air, matching the revolutions of the machine.

Tak.

The rider who descended from the large-displacement bike slowly surveyed the surroundings with a chilling gaze.

“What about Kim Giryeo?”

Green eyes that were so bright that they could easily be considered fluorescent. Likewise, the side effect body hair that was a cold purple color that seemed difficult to find in nature.

“Is he dead?”

The third S-rank Hunter of Korea slowly walked towards the crowd. And with almost no change in expression, he asked indifferently whether someone was alive or not.

Author's Thoughts

Hi, from now on, I will update this novel 3 chapters/week. Thank you for all your support so far:)