The hunting was so smooth it was almost boring enough to induce a yawn.
Since it was a C-rank dungeon and featured the dark attribute, Seong-jun’s party could have cleared it without much difficulty on their own.
With Karl Buckman added to the mix, it was an absolute breeze.
Whenever Gwang-taek pulled enemies in using his Chain of Light, Karl Buckman finished them off cleanly before Seong-jun or Yuseon even had a chance to step in.
“Wow! I’m speechless. I know they’re C-rank monsters, but isn’t this too much? I haven’t even been able to draw my bow properly yet.”
Objectively speaking, Karl seemed slightly inferior to Choi Gang-hyeok of Changcheon, but that was only because he hadn’t fully recovered yet.
If he received complete treatment and succeeded in reconstructing his left arm, it was clear he would display a level of power incomparable to Choi Gang-hyeok.
“Karl Buckman’s specialty was originally dual wielding. If he’s this strong with just one arm, I can’t even imagine how powerful he’ll be once his left arm is restored.”
Seong-jun and Yuseon could only shake their heads in awe at Karl Buckman’s overwhelming skill.
However, they weren’t the only ones impressed. Karl Buckman was also feeling quite surprised.
‘Heh! Even the All-in-One buff was impressive, but this Holy Weapon Enchant is truly absurd. Guaranteed critical hits against the dark attribute? And the minimum multiplier is 500%? This… this basically turns basic attacks into ultimate moves.’
He had already felt that All-in-One was out of this world, but Holy Weapon Enchant was a buff that left him truly speechless.
If he entered a B-rank dungeon with this buff active, he felt like he could sweep the entire place alone.
‘I heard that Changcheon succeeded in clearing an A-rank dungeon because Seong-jun joined them, and now I understand why. With such monstrous buffs, it would be stranger if they failed. However, there is one thing I don’t understand…’
Karl Buckman tilted his head, a look of confusion crossing his face before he turned to Seong-jun.
“Seong-jun, I’m genuinely curious. This Holy Weapon Enchant… while it increases light attribute attack power significantly, the guaranteed critical hits only apply to the dark attribute, right? From what I know, the A-rank dungeon Changcheon cleared wasn’t dark attribute. How were you able to clear it?”
This was exactly what Karl Buckman was curious about.
While Holy Weapon Enchant showed absolute dominance against the dark attribute, it was obvious it wouldn’t be as powerful against other attributes.
In that case, how did they clear an A-rank dungeon that wasn’t dark attribute?
Seong-jun replied nonchalantly.
“Oh! That’s nothing special. One of my skills allows me to change the target’s attribute to dark. Usually, we just hunt normally, but if the situation looks a bit tricky, I just turn everything into the dark attribute.”
When Seong-jun mentioned he had a skill to change a target’s attribute to dark, Karl Buckman’s eyes widened.
“Ha! What? You can change the target to the dark attribute? That’s insane. It’s a total cheat.”
That meant he could hunt in any dungeon as if it were a dark attribute dungeon.
Naturally, Holy Weapon Enchant would trigger guaranteed critical hits every time.
In Karl Buckman’s eyes, Seong-jun’s abilities were nothing short of broken.
“If you call this a cheat, then S-ranks are cheats just by existing. They’re beings that have far surpassed the normal standards of strength.”
From Seong-jun’s perspective, S-ranks themselves were the cheats.
Their strength was in a completely different realm that couldn’t be described simply as being strong.
Of course, one day Seong-jun would reach an absolute position where even they wouldn’t dare look up at him, but for now, it was true that he fell far short of the S-rank level.
“Is that how it works? Regardless, it’s truly amazing. I never imagined such buffs could exist in my life. It feels like I’m experiencing a new world.”
While they were busy admiring each other’s capabilities…
*Rumble!*
Suddenly, the entire dungeon shook violently as if an earthquake had struck.
“Whoa! Wh-what is it?”
“Wait! Is this an earthquake?”
The shaking was so intense that it was difficult to maintain their balance without holding onto something.
*Rumble! Crash! Rumble!*
The shaking, which felt like it would never stop, lasted for about 1 minute before finally subsiding.
“Phew, it finally stopped. But what was that? Does this kind of thing happen?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never heard of an earthquake happening inside a dungeon before.”
As everyone stood puzzled by the unexpected situation…
**[An Elite Ghoul has appeared]**
A short notification rang out.
“What? An Elite? What does that mean?”
“Don’t tell me the clear rate already exceeded 90%?”
“That’s impossible. When we entered the dungeon, the clear rate was only 23%. It’s only been a little over 1 hour; there’s no way it reached 90% already.”
It was true.
The clear rate when Seong-jun’s party first entered was only 23%.
Furthermore, including Seong-jun’s party, there were only six parties at the dungeon entrance.
No matter how much the All-in-One buff helped, achieving a 90% clear rate in just over 1 hour was impossible.
“Come to think of it, I don’t think the notification said the 90% clear rate was achieved. Does that mean an Elite appeared regardless of the clear rate? Is that even possible?”
There had never been a case where an Elite appeared regardless of the clear rate.
In short, the current situation was unprecedented.
“It looks like we need to check out what’s going on. Let’s move for now.”
Since an unprecedented event had occurred, they needed to figure out what was happening.
Staying still and letting an unexpected variable catch them off guard would lead to disaster.
Seong-jun’s party began to move forward cautiously.
—
Despite wandering through the labyrinth for a long time, they didn’t see a single monster, which was strange.
“What’s going on? It’s not like the monsters could have just vanished into thin air, but there’s not a single one in sight.”
“Something is wrong. Ever since the notification about the Elite appeared, the normal monsters have vanished. I think something we don’t know about is happening.”
The ghouls, which used to be visible after moving just a short distance, were nowhere to be found the moment the Elite notification popped up.
How could they possibly explain this?
Just then…
“Oh! Th-there!”
In their sight, they saw ghouls moving somewhere.
“Ghouls! But something is weird. They’re not just wandering around; it’s like they’re migrating somewhere.”
Just as Seong-jun said, the ghouls were walking as if they were heading toward a specific destination.
Gwang-taek looked at Seong-jun and asked.
“Should I pull them in with the Chain of Light?”
In response to Gwang-taek’s question, Seong-jun shook his head and said.
“No, let’s follow them instead.”
Seong-jun suggested they track the ghouls.
Catching those few wouldn’t solve the mystery anyway; he judged it would be better to see where they were going.
“Follow them?”
“Yeah. Between the Elite appearing regardless of the clear rate and the monsters moving like that instead of wandering, this is definitely not a normal situation. To find out what’s happening, we have to follow them. It’s better to at least know what’s going on so we can react rather than getting hit blindly.”
When a situation occurs, there is a stark difference between knowing and reacting versus being caught unaware.
Therefore, Seong-jun decided he had to learn something about this mysterious situation.
“Fine! Let’s go!”
Gwang-taek shouted boldly as he led the way.
Seong-jun, Yuseon, and Karl Buckman followed cautiously behind him.
After traveling for quite a while…
Seong-jun’s party witnessed an unbelievable sight.
“Graaaah!”
“Gurgle!”
“Graaaaaaah!”
An incredible number of ghouls were gathered in a specific area.
And at the center of them stood an entity that appeared to be the Elite.
“Gasp! Wh-what is that!”
“Damn, there must be over 1,000 of them.”
It is generally known that over 2,000 normal monsters exist in a dungeon.
In other words, about 50% of the entire monster population was gathered in that one spot.
“The important thing is that monsters are still gathering even now. It seems like something is calling the monsters in the dungeon to that spot. What is it? Is it the Elite?”
Seong-jun suspected that the Elite was calling the normal monsters.
However, Karl Buckman shook his head and countered the idea.
“I doubt it. I’ve never heard of an Elite having the ability to call normal monsters, though maybe a Boss could. Between the Elite appearing regardless of the clear rate and the normal monsters huddling in one place like that, there is definitely something going on that we don’t know about.”
Karl Buckman judged that the Elite hadn’t caused this situation, but rather that the Elite had appeared because a specific situation had occurred.
“Anyway, what are we going to do?”
When Yuseon asked for a plan, Gwang-taek replied as if the answer were obvious.
“What else? We have to get out of here. There’s no way the four of us can handle a crowd of that scale. I think leaving the dungeon and reporting to the Association comes first.”
Over 1,000 monsters were gathered.
And these weren’t F-rank or E-rank; they were C-rank monsters.
What could a party of only four people do?
“True, that’s the right call. Let’s go quickly.”
Yuseon also agreed with Gwang-taek’s opinion.
However, Seong-jun’s thoughts seemed slightly different.
“Wait, is there really a need for that?”
At that, Yuseon, Gwang-taek, and even Karl Buckman looked at Seong-jun with puzzled expressions.
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
Seeing them like that, Seong-jun flashed a thin smile.
“Look over there. Someone has prepared a very elaborate feast for us. It would be rude not to enjoy it. Wouldn’t leaving such a well-set table be a breach of etiquette?”
Gwang-taek let out a sigh at those words.
“Hah, of course. I knew you wouldn’t let this slide. Why? Are you going to hit them with an area-of-effect skill?”
“But Seong-jun, you’d have to get close to the center to cast God’s Wrath. Will it be okay? Gwang-taek can protect you for the short moment you’re casting, but if that one shot doesn’t wipe them all out, we could be the ones in danger.”
There were over 1,000 monsters.
If they didn’t finish them in one blow, they could be swallowed by that massive swarm.
“They’re C-rank, not B-rank. Plus, they’re dark attribute. I can definitely take them out in one shot. Even if I can’t, Yuseon, you have your area-of-effect skill too. Was it Wind Spirit’s Bombardment? And you have your ultimate, the Spirit Magic Light Cannon.”
After saying that, Seong-jun looked at the ghouls huddled together and spoke again.
“An opportunity like this is rare. When else would monsters gather like that in a dungeon? Whether this is a natural phenomenon or something artificially created by someone, it’s a chance to clear the dungeon in one go. And we’d practically be monopolizing the dungeon.”
Meanwhile, Karl Buckman felt bewildered as he listened to their conversation.
Over 1,000 monsters were gathered—what on earth were they talking about?
At that scale, even for someone like him who was S-rank, clearing it was impossible.
Of course, since they were only C-rank monsters, he wouldn’t be easily defeated; in fact, he could show an overwhelming performance.
However, overcoming the pressure of numbers was not easy.
The moment his Aura ran low, he would likely fall from hunter to prey.
Even an S-rank like him felt that way, so what was this conversation?
“What are you all saying? Are you suggesting we jump into that swarm of monsters and wipe them all out right now? With just us?”
When Karl Buckman asked in disbelief, Seong-jun smiled and said.
“You hit the nail on the head. That’s exactly what we’re going to do. It would be foolish to see a tempting fruit and not pick it. Oh! But don’t worry. I won’t let you be in any danger, Karl.”
Karl Buckman was lost for words at Seong-jun’s statement.
“……”
Regardless, Seong-jun turned to Gwang-taek and Yuseon.
“I’d like to wait until every single monster in the dungeon gathers, but if they start moving before then, the situation could get awkward. So, we’re going right now. Gwang-taek, open the path, and Yuseon, provide support. Karl, please wait here as it might be dangerous.”
Gwang-taek sighed again.
“Hah, fine. Let’s do it. Who could stop you when you’ve already made up your mind?”
Yuseon also adjusted her grip on her bow and spoke.
“If Seong-jun has decided, then that’s it. Got it. Let’s try monopolizing a dungeon for once.”
Watching Gwang-taek and Yuseon agree to Seong-jun’s absurd plan, Karl Buckman went beyond bewildered to feeling completely dumbfounded.
However, what was even more ridiculous was Seong-jun telling him to stay behind because it might be dangerous.
“Ha! Are an A-rank and a B-rank worrying about an S-rank right now? This is the first time in my life I’ve been treated like this. Fine. I still can’t see how this is possible, but seeing your reactions, it seems you have a plan. I’ll help open the path with that tanker named Gwang-taek.”
In Karl Buckman’s eyes, Seong-jun wasn’t a reckless person.
If he was acting like this, there had to be a way.
Above all, while an A-rank and a B-rank were charging into that monster swarm, the highest-ranked person in the dungeon couldn’t just hide.
It was a matter of pride.
“Oh! Really? We’d be grateful if you helped, Karl. Then, let’s go. Gwang-taek! Go, go!”
As soon as Seong-jun finished speaking, Gwang-taek raised his shield and dashed forward.
“Damn it! You only die once! Go, go!”
At that, Karl Buckman also charged forward in sync with Gwang-taek, and Seong-jun and Yuseon quickly followed behind them.
—
At that time, the Korea Awakener Association was in a state of emergency due to a sudden situation.
“Is that true? The Holy Emperor Guild has requested an official visit?”
It was the Holy Emperor Guild.
One of the strongest guilds in the world, ranking at the very top, was said to be visiting Korea.
Moreover, the Guild Master, all the S-rank members belonging to the guild, and even their main combat team were coming.
“Yes! It… it seems to be because of Karl Buckman, who is currently being treated by Healer Kim Seong-jun.”
Why would the Holy Emperor Guild, which had never visited Korea before, suddenly request an official visit?
The important thing was that they requested it as a guild.
This meant they weren’t just coming to meet Karl Buckman; they had business with the Korean Association as well.
“What is the date of the visit?”
“Well… they reportedly launched their private jet immediately after contacting us!”
Launching a private jet at the same time as the request?
“What? They already launched the private jet? Ha! That’s not a request for a visit; it’s a notice of arrival! These crazy bastards!”
Calling it a request was just a nice way of putting it; launching the jet without even waiting for an answer was no different from a unilateral notification.
It was the kind of behavior only a global mega-guild like the Holy Emperor could pull off.
“What should we do? If the jet has already taken off, they will arrive in Korea a little after midnight.”
It takes about 14 hours to fly from New York to Korea.
Since it was currently a little past 11:00 AM, they would arrive in Korea during the early morning hours.
“What do you mean, what should we do! It’s not just any mediocre guild; it’s the Holy Emperor! We must ensure there is not a single flaw in our hospitality!”
The visit of one of the world’s strongest guilds to Korea was not something to be taken lightly.
It was extremely rare for the Guild Master, all the S-ranks, and their main force to move simultaneously.
Naturally, the Korean Association had no choice but to go into emergency mode.
“U-understood!”
“Where is Karl Buckman now?”
When the Association President asked for Karl Buckman’s whereabouts, the Director of the Dungeon Management Bureau spoke in a hurried voice.
“He has been confirmed to have entered a dungeon with Healer Kim Seong-jun’s party. The dungeon they entered is the Ghoul Labyrinth, a C-rank dungeon that appeared a few days ago!”
When told that Karl Buckman had entered a dungeon with Seong-jun’s party, the Association President looked baffled.
“Huh? Karl Buckman is in a dungeon? And with Kim Seong-jun’s party?”
“Yes, the record of entering the dungeon appeared in the system, and I double-checked with the on-site staff just in case, so it’s certain.”
The reason the Holy Emperor Guild was coming to Korea was Karl Buckman.
No, strictly speaking, it was more accurate to say it was for Karl Buckman’s treatment.
That was why they sought out Seong-jun even before finding Karl Buckman.
It was because Seong-jun was the one treating him.
But since both of them had entered a dungeon, there was currently no other way but to wait for them to come out.
“Hah, first, prepare thoroughly for the guests, and the moment Healer Kim Seong-jun and Karl Buckman emerge from the dungeon, explain the situation and ask them to come to the Association immediately!”
“Yes!”
While the Association President and other executives were preoccupied with the Holy Emperor Guild’s visit to Korea…
*Bang!*
Someone urgently threw open the door to the conference room and rushed in.
“A-Association President! We have a problem!”
The Association President asked with a puzzled expression.
“A problem?”
“It’s a Closed Dungeon! A C-rank dungeon in Gyeonggi-do has transitioned into a Closed Dungeon!”
At the news that a C-rank dungeon had become a Closed Dungeon, the Association President frowned.
“Tsk, then you should just dispatch a response team to the scene according to the manual. Why are you making such a fuss!”
“Th-that is… the dungeon that has transitioned into a Closed Dungeon is the one Healer Kim Seong-jun and Karl Buckman entered!”
The Association President’s face turned into a mask of pure shock upon hearing the employee’s report.