Chapter 31: The Birth of a Hidden Archer

Seongjun’s fierce onslaught continued against the corrupted Ariel.

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

Each shot was an arrow of lightning, and perhaps because of that, Ariel’s health began to drop rapidly.

Of course, Seongjun didn’t just stand still either.

‘Rapid Fire of Holy Arrows!’

He cast the newly evolved Rapid Fire of Holy Arrows, which had changed after he reached Rank A.

Hummmm!

Hum!

Hummmm!

Five arrows of light formed in front of Seongjun.

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

Boom!

Crash!

Kaboom!

As the arrows of light pierced down, Ariel’s health plummeted along with massive explosions.

Rapid Fire of Holy Arrows had transformed into a skill powerful enough to be classified as a core ability, boasting high damage and a short cooldown.

‘It’s this powerful with such a short cooldown, yet it wasn’t Hermia Jaylin’s core technique. That means the efficiency of God’s Wrath must increase exponentially as the skill level and rank go up.’

For now, Rapid Fire of Holy Arrows felt much closer to a core technique than God’s Wrath.

However, the reason God’s Wrath was classified as the core technique likely meant its utility and efficiency would far surpass everything else as it leveled up.

Meanwhile, Gwangtaek watched this scene and asked in disbelief.

“Huh? Seongjun, what are you? You’re manifesting five arrows of light at once!”

“I’ll explain everything in detail after we catch this guy.”

“Oh? Oh, right.”

He intended to tell Gwangtaek and Yuseon anyway.

Now that he had reached Rank A, he didn’t plan on delaying his re-awakening test any longer.

But hadn’t he told them he was Rank D when he first re-awakened?

If the test result suddenly showed Rank A, they would naturally find it strange.

That’s why he planned to explain the situation calmly once they caught the boss and settled everything.

Of course, he didn’t intend to reveal every single detail.

Meanwhile, Ariel, who had been stunned and knocked down, stood up and prepared to launch a full-scale attack.

“Kieeeeeee!”

Ariel’s rage-filled roar echoed through the boss room, radiating an immense sense of pressure.

“Not so fast!”

Seongjun wasn’t about to just watch.

“Holy Attack!”

He cast Holy Attack, one of his melee skills, striking Ariel with his mace while simultaneously…

Vrrrrm!

Boom!

He unleashed the Stun Charging he had copied from Gwangtaek.

‘Stun Charging!’

Thwack!

“Kieee!”

Because Holy Attack and Stun Charging were used almost like a combo, it looked like a single attack to an untrained eye.

‘Rapid Fire of Holy Arrows!’

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

Boom!

Crash!

Boom!

Along with Seongjun’s Rapid Fire of Holy Arrows, Yuseon’s lightning arrows constantly hammered Ariel.

Her life force was draining at an incredible speed.

“If we keep this up, we can finish this within 10 minutes! Yuseon, spam your skills once you’re out of lightning arrows, and Gwangtaek, keep dealing damage with your basic attacks!”

“Oh! Got it!”

He said 10 minutes, but looking at the situation, it seemed the fight would end much sooner.

That’s how much Seongjun’s offensive skills had evolved since he reached Rank A.

6 minutes into the battle.

Ariel’s health dropped below 30%, and she unleashed an area-of-effect skill, but Gwangtaek’s solid defense prevented any significant damage.

And finally.

“Kiaaaaaa…!!”

Fssshhh.

The battle ended as her health hit zero.

“Waaaaah! It’s over!”

“We’re finally escaping this tedious dungeon. But somehow, catching the boss felt much easier than catching the elite monsters?”

Yuseon felt that the boss fight was much smoother than the fight against the elites.

It was natural, considering Seongjun’s abilities were completely different now compared to then.

[The Rank C Dungeon Boss, Corrupted Ariel, Intermediate Wind Spirit Tainted by Darkness, has been defeated. The dungeon has been cleared.]

[All monsters in the dungeon have been eliminated. The dungeon lockdown has been lifted.]

The dungeon clear message finally appeared, and the sealed dungeon was unlocked at the same time.

“The lockdown is lifted. The Association’s investigation team might enter soon, so let’s clean up quickly.”

Now that the lockdown was lifted, entry was free.

Of course, since the dungeon was cleared, no one would enter for hunting, but an investigation team from the Association might come in to check.

Therefore, Seongjun wanted to settle the situation as fast as possible.

He needed to sort out what to hide in his subspace and what to show openly.

“Here’s the loot. A spirit stone and boots.”

“Let’s check the boss rewards first, then we can decide what to hide and what to reveal.”

“Sure. By the way, there are three reward chests?”

Usually, a boss clear rewarded one chest.

But now, three chests had been summoned.

“The number of reward chests probably increased because of the first-entry benefit combined with the closed dungeon bonus.”

At Seongjun’s words, Gwangtaek stared at the chests.

“One gold chest and two silver chests.”

It was obvious at a glance that the gold chest would have better rewards.

“We can just open them one by one and distribute them.”

Regardless of how many chests there were, they had to check the contents first before splitting them based on their shares.

However, Gwangtaek had a different idea.

“No, let’s not do that. Let’s just each pick one.”

Seongjun looked puzzled at Gwangtaek’s suggestion.

“What? Each pick one?”

“There are three of us and three chests. We each open one, and whatever comes out, the person who opened it keeps it. For the record, Seongjun, you take the gold one. Yuseon and I will each take a silver one. You don’t have any objections, right, Yuseon?”

Rather than going through the hassle of calculating shares, he suggested they just pick one since there were three.

In the process, he was yielding the gold chest to Seongjun while he and Yuseon took the silver ones.

In response to Gwangtaek’s question, Yuseon nodded.

“Of course. If it weren’t for Seongjun, this place would have become our grave. Isn’t this only natural? I was going to suggest the same thing if you hadn’t. For the record, I’ll take the left one. I’ve had my eye on that one.”

“Haha, alright then. I’ll take the right one.”

Since Yuseon agreed with Gwangtaek, Seongjun asked for confirmation.

“The gold chest looks like it has the best stuff. Are you sure you want to give it to me? You don’t even know what’s inside.”

“That’s exactly why we’re giving it to you. Like Yuseon said, without you, we’d be dead. Besides, this party wouldn’t even function without you. Your contribution is that high. Even so, your share of the distribution is only 10% higher than ours, right? You should at least get a benefit from things like this.”

Even if Gwangtaek was a Rank B Tanker, the three-man party couldn’t be maintained without Seongjun.

Moreover, it would have been impossible to earn more than double the average income every hunt.

Yet, the distribution ratio was 3:3:4.

Gwangtaek had always felt bad about that, so he wanted Seongjun to get more rewards when the opportunity arose.

“Gwangtaek is right. Considering what you do for the party, Seongjun, this much of a benefit actually feels lacking.”

Since Yuseon followed up Gwangtaek’s words, Seongjun replied with a smile.

“Alright then. I’ll open the gold chest. No complaining regardless of what comes out.”

After saying that, Seongjun approached the gold chest.

Gwangtaek and Yuseon also approached their respective chests.

Click!

Seongjun opened the chest and immediately checked the contents.

‘Gloves, a robe, and… Wait, is this an Awakening Stone?’

Inside the gold chest Seongjun opened were a pair of gloves, a robe, and an Awakening Stone.

Since a Rank B item was guaranteed due to the first-entry benefit, the gloves and robe were likely Rank B.

The important thing here was the Awakening Stone.

It was likely Rank B as well, but what mattered was what kind of class it was.

Seongjun hurriedly picked up the stone to check it.

[Rank B] Wind Spirit Archer Awakening Stone [Hidden]

– Upon use, allows awakening as a Rank B Hidden Class, Wind Spirit Archer, which specializes in long-range attacks.

– If used by an Awakened individual of a lower rank, they will re-awaken as the Rank B Hidden Class, Wind Spirit Archer.

Seongjun was shocked after checking the stone.

“Heh! A… a Hidden Awakening Stone!”

Even within the same rank, classes were divided into common, somewhat rare, and very rare.

Naturally, the higher the rarity, the stronger the class was compared to others of the same rank.

But separate from that, there was a category called Hidden Classes, which were known as the strongest of their rank.

Taking Rank B as an example, they were marked as B++ like rare classes, but their actual power was comparable to a Rank A.

Therefore, a Hidden Awakening Stone was far more valuable than most rare stones.

When the words “Hidden Awakening Stone” left Seongjun’s mouth, Gwangtaek and Yuseon’s eyes immediately fixed on him.

“What? A Hidden Stone?”

“No way! What is it? What class?”

Seongjun looked at Yuseon and spoke.

“It’s the Rank B Hidden Class, Wind Spirit Archer.”

“A… an Archer Hidden Stone? Oh my god…”

Yuseon couldn’t hide her shock, her eyes unable to look away from the stone in Seongjun’s hand.

“Even if it’s a dealer stone, a Rank B Hidden class would easily be worth over 100 billion, right?”

Among stones of the same rank, Tanker and Healer stones were the most expensive, followed by Dealer stones.

But Hidden stones were in a league of their own in terms of price.

Considering it was a stone for a long-range dealer like an Archer, a Rank B Hidden stone could be expected to fetch at least 100 billion, and up to 200 billion at most.

“Is it possible to be this lucky? How did we get exactly the stone we needed? Here, take it. I told you before, didn’t I? If an Awakening Stone dropped next time, I’d give you priority. Luckily, one that fits you perfectly came out.”

As Seongjun tried to hand the stone to Yuseon, she hurriedly waved her hands in refusal.

“Ah, no. The situation is different now than it was back then. If we were splitting everything, it might be different, but we agreed that whatever came out of each person’s chest belongs to them. That means I have no claim to that stone.”

If they had decided to split everything from the chests, Yuseon would have had a share.

But since they agreed to keep what they found, Yuseon technically had zero claim to it.

Of course, she said that, but her eyes still wouldn’t move from the stone.

“So what? Just give me your share of the distribution for this run. We’ll call it even with that.”

Since they had cleared an entire Rank D dungeon, the monster corpses and magic stones alone would be worth a significant amount.

Adding the distribution of the Mithril ingots, Yuseon’s share would likely be at least 20 billion.

Even so, it was far from enough compared to the value of a Rank B Hidden Awakening Stone.

Yuseon shook her head at Seongjun’s words.

“Sigh, still, that’s not right. Of course I want it, but you’d be taking way too much of a loss. Even if I gave you all my Rank B artifacts, it wouldn’t be enough.”

The average market price for Rank B artifacts was between 5 to 7 billion, and they could go over 10 billion if they had special skills.

Even then, it wasn’t enough.

Even if all three were worth 10 billion, her total payment would only be around 50 billion, which was far below the market price of a Hidden stone.

“It’s a Hidden stone. Sure, if I put this up for auction, I could aim for up to 200 billion. But what’s the point? It’s not like I’m desperate for money right now, and I want our party to become stronger. 100 billion? 200 billion? I believe we can earn that as much as we want once we move up to higher-rank dungeons.”

He already had over 10 billion in his bank account, and by discovering the ruins this time, he was set to earn several times that.

He wasn’t in urgent need of cash.

He judged that instead of giving it to someone else via auction, it was better to pass it to Yuseon and increase the party’s power, even if he took a bit of a loss.

“That’s true.”

“So, do as I say. In exchange, I’ll take all of your settlement money and the artifacts that came out of your reward chest.”

At Seongjun’s words, Yuseon asked cautiously.

“Is… is that really okay?”

Since her desire to use the stone was plain to see, Seongjun smiled and handed it over.

“Of course. Here, take it. In return, if another Awakening Stone drops next time, I’m taking it. Haha.”

Taking the stone from Seongjun, Yuseon took a deep breath as she looked at it in her hand.

Then, she used it immediately.

***

The Association personnel waiting outside the closed dungeon were unable to leave.

The reason was that the clear rate had reached 99%.

“Um, how long has it been since it hit 99%?”

“It seems about 6 hours have passed.”

It had reached 99% around 2 PM, but it was now past 8 PM.

Since the lockdown hadn’t been lifted, it meant they were still alive.

“What is the average boss hunting time for a Rank D dungeon?”

In response to the Director’s question, Team Leader 1 immediately answered.

“Based on a ten-party raid, the average clear time is between 2 to 3 hours for Rank C hunters.”

Usually, it took about 2 to 3 hours for 10 full parties led by Rank C hunters to clear the boss.

But currently, there was only one three-man party inside.

“Hmm, if it takes 2 to 3 hours for ten Rank C parties, then a three-man party including a Rank B Tanker would take several times that for a raid, right?”

Since only one three-man party was taking on the boss, it was certain that even if they succeeded, it would take a significant amount of time.

“True, but they might have given up on clearing the boss. Of course, even if there’s a high probability that Kim Seongjun re-awakened, the only proper dealer they have is Choi Yuseon, a Rank F Ranger. I wonder if they would even try to clear the boss with that kind of power…”

The Director shook his head at Team Leader 1’s words.

“That might be true. But in the end, they will try to clear it. Whether you sit still and starve to death or die while fighting the boss, death is the same. In that case, trying to clear the boss while you still have some strength left is the only way to increase your odds.”

Even trying to think positively, it was hard to imagine the current people inside clearing the boss.

If Seongjun had re-awakened as a high-rank healer as the rumors Team Leader 1 heard suggested, and if he could use powerful attack skills, it might be a bit different.

But otherwise, the team leader’s judgment was that they could never clear the boss.

The problem was that they had no choice but to try.

If death was unavoidable regardless of the choice, fighting the boss at least offered a sliver of hope.

“By the way, it’s getting late. Why don’t you head back? I’ll contact you immediately if there’s any change.”

Since it was well past clock-out time, Team Leader 1 asked if the Director wanted to leave first.

At that, the Director looked at the closed dungeon portal and spoke calmly.

“I’ll stay a little longer.”

For some reason, the Director of the Dungeon Management Bureau didn’t want to leave.

And the Director’s intuition was spot on.

About 10 minutes later.

“Gasp! Cl-Cleared! The dungeon clear rate is 100%! The dungeon has been cleared!”

The clear rate had hit 100%.

Something impossible had happened.

“Is… is it true? Is it really 100%?”

“Yes! Dungeon clear rate 100%! The dungeon is cleared!”

As soon as those words were spoken…

Hummmm!

The sealed dungeon portal was released.

“Dungeon lockdown has been lifted!”

If the clear rate was 100% and the lockdown was lifted, it meant the dungeon had truly been cleared.

“My god. They actually cleared the dungeon? A Rank D closed dungeon with only three people? And with two Rank Fs included?”

The team leader stared blankly at the opened dungeon portal with an expression of disbelief.

Team Leader 1 approached the Director and spoke cautiously.

“This makes it certain. Kim Seongjun, the Rank F Buffer. He really has something special.”

In the current situation, Seongjun was the only possible variable.

From various rumors, it was easy to guess that he wasn’t just an ordinary Rank F Buffer.

“First, contact the Association and tell them to dispatch the dungeon investigation team.”

There were several teams within the Association.

Most were composed of civilians, but a few were made up of Awakened individuals.

Those teams were the Crisis Response Team, the Villain Response Team, and the Investigation Team.

Among them, the Crisis Response and Villain Response teams weren’t strictly Association-owned but were formed by people dispatched from guilds for cooperation.

The only team entirely composed of Awakened individuals under the Association was the Dungeon Investigation Team under the Dungeon Management Bureau.

The investigation team’s job was to go to newly discovered portals and determine the dungeon’s rank, the types of monsters appearing, and their attributes.

Since it wasn’t particularly dangerous work, most were low-rank hunters, with the highest known rank being C.

“Yes! I’ll call them right away!”

As the employee left to contact the Association, the team leader frowned while looking at the portal.

“Tsk, it’s frustrating that I can’t enter since I’m not an Awakened. If I had known, I would have called the investigation team and had them wait here earlier.”

In the case of the Dungeon Management Department, after the investigation team finished their survey of a dungeon, their job was simply to control access to the dungeon and investigate illegal smuggling, so the entire department was composed of civilians.

The team leader was also a civilian, so entering the dungeon was impossible.

In the end, there was nothing he could do but stare blankly until the investigation team arrived.

I Became an EX-Grade All-Rounder Priest Chapter 31

E-book Release Date: 2025.11.14

Author | Kim Hyun-jun

Publisher | Heo Heung-beom, Park Gun-won

Published by | Poten

Address | [04783] 10th Floor, 11-gil 8, Yeonmujang, Seongdong-gu, Seoul

Phone | 02-6320-8500

Fax | 02-6320-8585

ISBN | 9791175302167

Price | 100 Won

(c) Kim Hyun-jun 2025

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Since this e-book was published under a contract with the author, unauthorized transcription, reproduction, distribution, or sharing without the written consent of both parties is prohibited.