Chapter 53: Graduate Kim Song-cheol (3)

“So, are we going in then?” Kim Song-cheol asked.

In a Dungeon, one could obtain not only points but also items and other rare materials. If they were capable, there was no reason not to enter.

“For now…”

Kim Jong-won looked around at his teammates. Although he was the leader, he had to consider everyone’s opinion.

Of course, no one expressed any reluctance. They had already cleared the “Normal” difficulty before, so there was no reason to hesitate now.

“…Let’s go in.”

Kim Jong-won walked over to the Portal Tablet and crouched before it.

As he placed his hand on the tablet and channeled Mana into it, the letters inscribed on the surface began to glow.

*Clack! Rumble!*

The sound of interlocking gears echoed, and the Portal Tablet soon slid open to the left and right.

Inside the tablet was a long staircase leading underground. Kim Jong-won stood up, tightened his backpack straps, and spoke.

“Even if it’s ‘Normal,’ we must never let our guard down. You understand, right? There could be traps, and we don’t know what might appear.”

“What else are we going to do but d—”

Kim Su-jin naturally started to add a few words before muttering to herself and lowering her head.

Though it was a bit late, she had managed to exercise some self-awareness. That alone was a significant improvement.

“It would be troublesome if we died. Ha-ha…”

Kim Song-cheol’s voice pierced through the brief silence. Kim Su-jin offered an awkward smile again, and her teammates’ gazes fell upon her.

One could easily grasp the situation.

“…First, I’ll take the lead. Young-jin, you take the rear. We’ll move in a standard guard formation. Song-cheol, please cover the back as well.”

Kim Jong-won gave the orders as if nothing had happened and stood before the stairs.

The teammates lined up behind him in order. Kim Song-cheol’s position was right in front of Song Young-jin, who was at the very back.

It was the position typically assigned to the most skilled Mage.

“We’re heading out.”

With Kim Jong-won in the lead, the Haetae Team began descending the stairs.

Kim Jong-won held his sword and carefully stepped down. The Mages followed suit, having already gathered their Mana.

The staircase grew darker as they went. The entrance was narrow, preventing much sunlight from entering. Then, at a certain point—

*Flicker! Flicker!*

As if by magic, flames erupted from the walls. The torches hanging there had ignited on their own.

Thanks to that, their vision was secured. The Haetae Team relaxed slightly as they continued down.

The stairs, barely wide enough for two people to pass, continued for quite a while.

The moment the stairs ended and Kim Jong-won stepped onto flat ground—

*Clack!*

A faint sound echoed, and the entrance they had entered through closed shut above them.

“We can’t leave now until we clear the Dungeon. Everyone, get ready.”

Kim Jong-won’s voice bounced off the narrow passage. He was clearly trying to keep the team’s tension high.

Even if it was “Normal,” this was a confined space. It would be much more difficult than hunting monsters in an open field.

Beyond the stairs, a long passage stretched out before the Haetae Team.

Led by Kim Jong-won, the Hunters entered the passage one by one. Torches ignited along the way, illuminating their surroundings.

The passage was about 2 meters wide.

At the far end of the passage, only darkness lurked. It felt as though something might appear, but the area remained frustratingly quiet.

Occasionally, sparks would fly from the torches with a soft *crackle*.

As they reached the end of the passage—

*Whoosh!*

A strong gust of wind blew, fluttering Kim Jong-won’s bangs. The light from the torches behind them only illuminated the ground beneath their feet.

They couldn’t see what lay ahead, but they could tell it was an incredibly vast space.

“Light.”

Park Joo-hyun created a sphere of light. The sphere flew forward, casting light in all directions.

“Huh?”

Kim Jong-won’s voice sounded flustered. Ahead of them was a cliff of immeasurable depth.

There was only one path to cross it: a long bridge.

Though it seemed architecturally impossible, a bridge only 2 meters wide precariously connected the two ends of the cliff.

The distance between the cliffs looked to be at least 100 meters.

“Is this really ‘Normal’…?”

Park Joo-hyun muttered, feeling a sense of foreboding.

It felt different from the “Normal” difficulty they had cleared in the past.

Kim Song-cheol stepped out of the passage and surveyed the surroundings.

The ceiling was so high he couldn’t estimate its height, and the space stretched out to the left and right as far as the eye could see.

Testing things out, Kim Song-cheol created a sphere of light and sent it to the right, but it eventually vanished into the distance.

“The door is blocked.”

Song Young-jin pointed toward the opposite side. The Light magic Park Joo-hyun had created was illuminating the area.

There was a passage similar to the one they had come from, but it was currently blocked by stone.

It was certain they had to enter that passage, though how to open it remained a mystery.

“We’ll have to go there to find out. We have no choice but to cross.”

Kim Jong-won first tapped the bridge with his foot. He was the epitome of the saying “look before you leap.”

Feeling it was solid, Kim Jong-won cautiously began to cross the bridge. His teammates followed behind him.

They were about halfway across when it happened.

*Rumble!*

Suddenly, a pile of rocks tumbled down from above the passage behind them. Their path back was now blocked. However, they had no time to be surprised.

*Screech! Kyaaa!*

From all directions, cries like fingernails scratching a chalkboard echoed.

“Prepare for battle!” Kim Jong-won shouted urgently.

The Swordsmen raised their blades and guarded the flanks, while the Mages immediately fired Light magic to the left and right.

They needed to see their targets to attack. Five or six spheres of Light magic flew through the air.

Soon, the sound of flapping wings was heard.

“Damn it!”

Monsters flying in massive swarms finally revealed themselves.

They weren’t just on one side; they were coming from both.

They looked like Wyvern-like Monsters. Their wingspans were about 3 meters.

Their individual strength was lower than the average fodder in a D-rank Dungeon.

However, the problem was their numbers. There seemed to be dozens of them on each side.

On level ground, they wouldn’t have been a major issue, but the Haetae Team was currently standing on a bridge only 2 meters wide.

There was nowhere to run. Both the front and back passages were blocked. If they were struck by a monster and fell, their survival could not be guaranteed.

“I’ll take this side, so please handle the opposite one,” Kim Song-cheol said.

His voice was remarkably calm despite the urgent atmosphere.

“Will you be okay?!”

Kim Jong-won asked. If Kim Song-cheol could handle one side entirely, it seemed doable.

“Don’t worry.”

Kim Song-cheol gave a small smile and reached out his hand.

He had mastered three spells. The first was the well-balanced Pin Burst.

Now, it was time to use the second.

A Magic Circle began to form in front of Kim Song-cheol’s hand.

It was as complex as expected of 4th Circle magic, but its completion was instantaneous.

“Blade Storm.”

With a short incantation, palm-sized blades began to shoot out from the center of the Magic Circle.

It was a spell with low individual power but capable of covering a wide area.

*Thwack-thwack-thwack!*

The translucent blades, imbued with pure white light, tore through the dark space. It looked like a shower of large flower petals fluttering in the wind.

However, their power was not as delicate as petals.

*Screech! Craaa!*

The blades began to shred the monsters’ wings. Wing joints were severed, holes were punched through membranes, and those truly unlucky had their heads split open instantly.

There was nowhere for them to hide. The blades covered the entire swarm.

The monsters that had been flying in with such momentum began to fall like autumn leaves.

They weren’t high-defense monsters to begin with.

The blades cut through them with even the slightest contact.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the mages were sweating profusely as they cast their spells.

“Ice Fog!”

The freezing mist froze the monsters’ wings.

“Stone Missile!”

Several sharp stones shot them down.

“Shield!”

They even used defensive barriers to block the monsters’ flight paths, causing them to collide and fall.

This was the true form of 4th Circle user Mages. For them, 4th Circle magic was essentially a finishing move.

“Blade Storm!”

After about 7 seconds of casting, Park Joo-hyun finally completed his own Blade Storm.

Blades began to shoot from his shimmering Magic Circle. Of course, it was incomparable to Kim Song-cheol’s version.

The number of blades was significantly lower, and the coverage was narrower.

By nature, Blade Storm was a spell designed to devastate an area within 5 meters.

It was impossible for it to cover dozens of meters like Kim Song-cheol’s.

Still, the effect of the 4th Circle magic was clear. A large number of monsters lost their ability to fly and plummeted.

Finally, they finished off the last two monsters by striking them with Lightning Spear.

Two Mages had managed to hold off one side together. Kim Song-cheol watched the scene with satisfaction.

Of course, the others were too busy catching their breath to notice.

*Rumble…!*

Once all the monsters were dealt with, the wall blocking the passage ahead crumbled, revealing the path.

“Let’s cross quickly. That was terrifying.”

Following Kim Jong-won’s lead, the Haetae Team quickly crossed the bridge and entered the passage.

Their hearts felt much more at ease just by the fact that there was no longer a cliff beneath them.

“I never realized how precious solid ground was until now,” Park Joo-hyun muttered, looking fed up.

“Isn’t this strange? Why is this ‘Normal’?”

Song Young-jin said, sounding confused. The difficulty was definitely bizarre.

Flight monsters while they were trapped on a bridge over a cliff? Perhaps something had been omitted before the word “Normal.”

For example, “Normal for Kim Song-cheol.”

“We’re already inside. We have to keep moving.”

Kim Jong-won encouraged the team and continued to lead them forward.

Having entered the Dungeon, there was no way but forward.

After traveling about 30 meters through the narrow passage, they emerged into a large space.

It was a square room about 50 meters in diameter.

*Rumble!*

Again, the moment everyone entered, the passage behind them collapsed.

Simultaneously, stone doors opened on the front, back, left, and right, and four monsters walked out.

They all looked different, but one thing was identical: they were at least two levels above fodder like the Unicorn.

Their forms varied between quadrupedal and bipedal, but none of them looked easy to handle.

“Shit… Th-this definitely isn’t ‘Normal’!”

Kim Su-jin screamed.

Under ordinary circumstances, it would be right to avoid even one of these monsters.

Yet four of them had been released into this enclosed space. Despair flickered across the team members’ faces.

It was then that an explosion of hope erupted.

“Pin Burst.”

Pin Burst flashed, asserting its presence.

*Bang!*

A booming sound followed. An explosion 2 meters wide swallowed one monster’s head.

*Grrr…!*

Surprisingly, the creature survived the explosion. Unlike the fodder that would have been vaporized, it maintained its form. However—

“Pin Burst. Pin Burst. Pin Burst.”

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Explosions occurred relentlessly, stacking damage.

The monster’s once-sturdy head became as mushy as a sea cucumber, and it collapsed with its eyes rolled back in an instant.

‘I’ve confirmed its defense…’

Kim Song-cheol immediately shifted to the offensive.

“Pin Burst.”

He fired Pin Bursts without pause.

The teammates, who had been in despair at the sight of the monsters, were so stunned by his casting speed that they briefly forgot their fear.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

As if he were playing the drums, explosions erupted alternately on the monsters’ heads.

The intervals between them were no longer than the blink of an eye, even though he was using 4th Circle magic.

After nearly thirty Pin Bursts had been fired, the monsters that had charged in so aggressively all lay dead on the floor.

Their heads were either completely blown apart or on the verge of it.

“Phew, this one was a bit difficult,” Kim Song-cheol said.

But no one responded.

The Haetae Team members only stared at Kim Song-cheol with a mix of complicated emotions. They had finally realized it.

It was only “Normal” for Kim Song-cheol.

While they couldn’t be sure, by the Haetae Team’s standards, this would likely be “Very Hard.”

From their perspective, it was as if they had entered hell after misjudging the difficulty because of Kim Song-cheol.

“You son of a—”

The moment Kim Su-jin glared at Kim Song-cheol and tried to say something, Song Young-jin quickly closed the distance and covered her mouth.

Currently, Kim Song-cheol essentially held everyone’s life in his hands. There was no need to agitate him.

Kim Song-cheol also read the atmosphere and spoke with a neutral expression.

“Don’t worry. Dungeons don’t lie. If it says it’s Normal, then it’s Normal.”

He reassured the Hunters. A Dungeon would not deceive a Hunter and lead them to their death.

Kim Song-cheol knew that better than anyone. If it was “Normal,” he wouldn’t need to exhaust every single thing he knew while risking unconsciousness like last time.

“…Then, let’s keep moving,” Kim Jong-won said with a solemn, low voice.

For now, trusting Kim Song-cheol and getting out was the priority.

—

The passage was already open. Upon exiting the torch-lit passage, an even vaster space than before revealed itself.

It was a circular arena with a diameter of about 100 meters. The Haetae Team stepped into the space.

*Thump…!*

With a great vibration, the front wall opened. Initially, nothing could be seen. There was only darkness.

But soon, a heavy thumping sound was heard, and a giant monster emerged.

It was nearly 7 meters tall. It was a quadrupedal monster with bumpy, uneven skin.

Purple saliva dripped from between its sharp teeth. Even the Haetae Team members, who had frequented D-rank Dungeons, had never seen such a monster before.

They immediately looked at Kim Song-cheol. Their expressions asked if he could handle it.

Against a monster of that size, the Haetae Team would be of no help.

“I’ll try. Please step back for a moment.”

Kim Song-cheol stepped forward. The distance to the monster was about 80 meters.

*Roaaar!*

The monster let out a massive howl and began charging toward Kim Song-cheol.

Kim Song-cheol brought his hands together in front of his chest as if in prayer. It was time to reveal his third spell.

A Magic Circle formed between Kim Song-cheol’s palms.

It was so large that it extended even behind his body. Soon, the Magic Circle began to glow brilliantly.

“Bolt…”

Kim Song-cheol pulled his palms apart as if they were stuck together with great force.

*Zap!*

An incredible amount of electricity filled the space between his palms. Sparks flew, even scorching the floor.

Kim Song-cheol’s hands separated completely and then snapped back together in an instant, and a massive storm of lightning erupted around his hands.

“…Bringer!”

Kim Song-cheol thrust his hands forward. Intense lightning exploded from his palms.

He infused the spell with a bit of his will to control the currents of electricity.

The lightning twisted and merged, becoming a single beam of light that struck the monster’s chest.

*Cr-shhh!*

The monster endured the lightning beam with its body. A brief tug-of-war unfolded between the giant monster and Kim Song-cheol.

*Graaa!*

For a moment, it seemed the monster was being pushed back, but it let out a loud cry and lunged forward. The Haetae Team members watched with sweaty palms.

Standing before it, Kim Song-cheol joined his hands again and then thrust them forward once more.

A lightning blast even more powerful than the previous one struck the monster’s chest directly.

*Cr-shhh!*

It seemed the monster might endure it again, but the lightning dug into a small crack that had formed in its hide.

It started as a small fissure, but it grew in an instant. The lightning widened the crack as it tore through, eventually piercing straight through the monster’s chest.

The monster collapsed forward with a gaping hole in its body. Looking at the slumped creature, Kim Song-cheol thought to himself.

‘I suppose this is… just about Normal difficulty.’

Only then did Kim Song-cheol look back. The Haetae Team members were standing there, their faces pale.

“It seems to be over, haha…”

Just as Kim Song-cheol was awkwardly scratching his cheek—

*Flash!*

Suddenly, light poured out from inside the door where the monster had emerged.

Beneath the bright light sat a chest. It was the reward, signifying that the Dungeon had been cleared.

Kim Song-cheol and the Haetae Team members walked toward the chest.

While it was “Normal” for Kim Song-cheol, it was a reward corresponding to “Very Hard” for the Haetae Team.

They had no data on what might come out.

“Um… Please open it,” Kim Jong-won urged Kim Song-cheol.