Chapter 37: Stronger Than I Thought (2)

The 2 star Dungeon.

Even though he had researched beforehand, Suho was still surprised.

It was vast.

Unlike the 1 star Dungeon, which was like a cave or the interior of a building, the 2 star Dungeon was a forest.

There was sky above, and the wind blew.

“Good thing we brought a guide.”

It wasn’t that he was annoyed or anything, but coming with Kim Jinseong’s senior was definitely the right choice.

As Suho was forming his impressions of the 2 star Dungeon, Song Jaegoo was equally tense.

“Expensive armor, swords, and even a magic backpack. Being rich for a rookie, huh?”

Maybe it was because Song Jaegoo was surprised that Suho wasn’t careless.

He felt a bit irritated for no reason.

“But being a rookie and just having fancy equipment isn’t everything. This senior will show you some real skill.”

Song Jaegoo spoke toward Kim Jinseong and Suho.

“You probably already know most of the dungeon info, but I’ll give you a quick briefing.”

Kim Jinseong and Suho nodded.

Song Jaegoo continued.

“This dungeon is, as you can see, very large and densely overgrown with bushes. You might get ambushed by hidden monsters or be surrounded, so only move along the designated paths.”

“Yes, senior.”

“Understood.”

“And the monsters here are Mushroom Boxers—mushrooms about the size of a person with fists attached. Except for the occasional jump, just watch out for their punches.”

“However, one second after they die, a spell called Spore Scattering activates. It spreads tiny magic fragments in a 2m radius. If you get hit properly, you could die, so be careful.”

The briefing ended.

Song Jaegoo quietly moved forward.

“Stop. There are three Mushroom Boxers ahead. I’ll initiate with a Flame Strike. You two focus fire, take down the one hit by the arrow first, then fall back and handle the others.”

Song Jaegoo fired an arrow.

Swish—

The flying arrow struck the Mushroom Boxer’s head perfectly.

The Mushroom Boxer let out a piercing scream and charged, bouncing forward.

The other two followed suit.

Suho and Kim Jinseong charged out to meet them.

Though they had set off together, Suho arrived first.

‘Let’s see just how tough 2 star monsters really are.’

Suho raised his Flame-Powered Sword.

Flare—

Flame Strike was charged.

Suho swung his sword.

Before the Mushroom Boxer could react, the blade struck its head squarely.

Mugwaaaang—!

The mushroom head was instantly shattered, scattering in all directions.

‘Pretty weak, huh?’

The monster wasn’t as strong as expected.

Suho immediately stepped back.

Magic was welling up from the Mushroom Boxer’s corpse.

Puwaaang—!

With a bursting sound,

a handful-sized magical energy ball shot out in all directions.

“Ugh -!”

Kim Jinseong, who was running, was startled and quickly retreated.

He hadn’t expected Suho to handle the monster so fast.

Behind him, Song Jaegoo’s eyes went wide as he re-fired an arrow.

‘What? Took down a Mushroom Boxer in one hit?’

The arrow Song Jaegoo fired was just a feint.

It wasn’t a fully powered attack.

So the credit for defeating the Mushroom Boxer went entirely to Suho’s destructive power.

‘That kind of power…?’

Startled, Song Jaegoo quickly composed himself.

‘Nice gear, huh? I can’t just stand by and watch. I’ll show you some senior-level skills.’

Pride was everything to Song Jaegoo.

Clenching his teeth, he pulled the string.

Song Jaegoo’s specialty, Multi-Shot, was released.

The arrow split into four in midair.

Thump—thump—

Two arrows struck each of two Mushroom Boxers evenly.

By that time, Spore Scattering had ended.

“I won’t lose either!”

Kim Jinseong, burning with competitive spirit, charged forward.

Suho moved ahead again.

‘If we kill them immediately, Spore Scattering will activate, right?’

If that happened, Kim Jinseong wouldn’t be able to fight because he’d be dodging spores.

“Let’s lure them to the side first.”

Suho deflected an incoming Mushroom Boxer’s fist with his sword’s guard.

Then he stabbed its belly with the blade.

“Guhweh—!”

The Mushroom Boxer emitted a strange sound.

Suho took it along and moved to the side.

“Now die. Flame Strike!”

Flames ignited along the blade.

Suho thrust the sword forward.

Mugwaaaang—!

Once again, the Mushroom Boxer’s head was instantly shattered.

Suho quickly stepped back.

Not only because of Spore Scattering but also because there was no need to fight further.

“That side’s done too.”

Because Kim Jinseong and Song Jaegoo had each taken down one.

Unlike the calm Kim Jinseong, Song Jaegoo was still on edge.

‘That guy… what is he? How is he so strong?’

Suho’s movements were unusual from the start.

Even during battle, he was considerate of Kim Jinseong’s positioning and left space for the arrows to fly.

He looked like some flashy, unrefined rookie.

But that was far from the truth.

“Is this really your first time in a 2 star Dungeon?”

Song Jaegoo wondered if this was some kind of hidden camera prank.

Ridiculous thoughts like that briefly crossed his mind.

But only briefly.

Song Jaegoo soon returned to his usual thoughts.

‘I can’t afford to be nervous from the senior’s point of view.’

There was pride, damn it!

With his mind settled, Song Jaegoo gave a stern command.

“Alright, let’s collect the spoils. I’ll put them in my bag first. If it fills up, Suho, you put yours in your bag.”

The three of them stuffed the dead Mushroom Boxers into their magic backpacks.

Soon, the gathering was done and their first hunt completed.

“Not tired, right? Let’s move on. When I was this level, I didn’t even feel like sleeping.”

Song Jaegoo stood up confidently, trying to appear unfazed.

“Haha, got it, senior.”

….

Two hours passed.

“Level up already?”

He had gained a level in just two hours.

Song Jaegoo barely suppressed his excitement and kept his serious expression.

“Even with a full party in a Guild Dungeon hunt, it would take several days.”

That was being generous.

Besides, you had to wait in line to enter a Guild Dungeon.

‘Who is that guy, really?’

Song Jaegoo sneaked a glance at Suho, the reason for the rapid leveling.

Was he a secret weapon raised by their Guild?

Otherwise, why would Kim Jinseong be sticking so close?

“Could he be a co-leader of the Three Major Guilds?”

Having read some martial arts novels in his youth, Song Jaegoo’s imagination ran wild.

“Since we’re done gathering the spoils, shall we rest a bit, senior?”

Kim Jinseong stopped Song Jaegoo’s daydreaming.

“Oh? Yeah, let’s rest a bit. Suho, you must be tired, sit down.”

“You worked hard too, senior.”

Suho had already figured out Song Jaegoo’s personality.

Since it wasn’t costing anything, and if volunteering made people happier, there was no harm to Suho.

“Haha, that’s right. Suho is really upright. If you keep it up, you’ll become someone great.”

Song Jaegoo sat down, smiling with improved mood.

Because he cared about appearances, Song Jaegoo got along well with those who acknowledged him.

The break began.

Suho sorted through his thoughts.

‘Next time, I probably won’t need to bring anyone.’

If he moved carefully, he could manage alone.

Then he could actively use the Baryong.

‘For now, I’ll go alone. Later I might bring Hyunsu or someone.’

Jung Hyunsu was perceptive.

The attribute arrows he fired had helped several times.

If brought along, he would be enough for one person.

“Oh? Someone?”

At that moment, Suho sensed something.

Rustle.

Soon, a group appeared from the other side, pushing through the bushes.

It was another party.

Six people in total.

They were approaching Suho’s group.

Song Jaegoo immediately straightened from his seated position.

He grabbed his lowered bow.

“Stop, stop! Let’s hurry so we don’t cause any misunderstandings.”

He spoke toward the approaching party.

Kim Jinseong and Suho also took battle stances.

A reply came soon after.

“Hey, hello. No need to be so wary. We’re just passing through.”

“Have you hunted a lot?”

“Sorry to interrupt your rest. Heh heh.”

Several spoke in quick succession.

They kept walking in the same direction.

Song Jaegoo slowly brought his bow back to his chest.

“Don’t come any closer. This is the last warning.”

His tone was calm but clearly contained a threat: he would shoot immediately if necessary.

“You’re pretty sharp. Alright, alright. We won’t get close.”

“Bro, let’s head that way.”

“Let’s go.”

They glanced at Suho’s group as they walked away.

“This is why Association Dungeons are… ugh.”

Song Jaegoo clicked his tongue and relaxed.

Kim Jinseong asked him.

“Senior, did those people just now have bad intentions?”

“Could be, or maybe they’re just not well trained.”

When noticing another party, the protocol is to avoid being seen and go around.

Even if you meet face to face, no greetings are exchanged.

You have to distance yourself quickly.

To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

But those people just now broke that rule.

“Is that okay?”

“You have to stay alert. Whether monster or hunter, if they’re not allies, they’re targets to be wary of. Even if we didn’t meet those people, caution is natural.”

“That’s true.”

While the two talked, Suho didn’t relax his gaze.

“Those people didn’t get far.”

The hunters they just met stopped somewhere they couldn’t be seen.

Kim Jinseong and Song Jaegoo didn’t know, but Suho’s instincts had pinned down their location.

“I hope this doesn’t turn bloody.”

Suho stared coldly toward the other side.

***

“Bro, what do you want to do? Rob them?”

Jo Paenghyeon, deputy guild leader of Under Dog Guild.

He asked his older brother and guild leader, Jo Paengseok.

“That magic backpack the archer had on his back wasn’t a normal one. And the bow he held wasn’t cheap either.”

Jo Paengseok nodded in agreement.

“Right? Even the guy in armor sitting there looked sharp. Let’s rob them, bro.”

Under Dog Guild.

On the surface, they looked like clueless hunters, but in reality, they were murderers.

More precisely, they were hunters and murderers at the same time.

They’d kill monsters, but when the opportunity arose, they’d kill people too.

“Hmm, it’s tempting…”

Jo Paengseok rubbed his chin.

It was definitely a tempting target.

But there was something bothering him.

“What’s wrong?”

“That archer… definitely a properly trained guy. His responses were textbook, just like what the major guilds teach.”

“Major guilds? Why would those guys come here?”

“Could be they came to train the ones nearby…”

Jo Paengseok’s thoughts drifted as Jo Paenghyeon pressed him.

“Bro, do we have to be afraid? You know my thrill. We can’t fail. And if we succeed, it doesn’t matter if it’s a major guild or not. We’ll just feed them to the monsters.”

“True. Without proof, no one can say anything.”

“Yeah, it’s about time we move to the 3 star Dungeon. Let’s go.”

“Alright, let’s rob them. Paenghyeon, stay alert as usual. Get ready.”

“Yeah, just wait a moment. Heh heh heh.”

Jo Paenghyeon gathered his gear and stood.

He used his skill.

Partial Invisibility!

His unique skill.

Half invisible, half visible—half the presence erased.

‘With Partial Invisibility and the Minimap skill, you can never be detected.’

Minimap was a skill that detected hunters and monsters within a radius of 3017.

Jo Paenghyeon had used these two skills to carry out his murders so far.

When you sneak up behind monsters during a fight, it’s an easy win. Heh heh heh.’

Partially invisible, Jo Paenghyeon headed toward Suho’s group.

***

“This time, there are four of them. Get ready.”

After assessing the Mushroom Boxer group, Song Jaegoo gave the signal.

Suho frowned.

“Why are they approaching?”

He sensed one of the group they had just avoided was coming closer.

“Stopped?”

The group halted about 30 meters away.

“Alright, let’s begin.”

With the signal, Song Jaegoo fired his arrows.

“Gueem—!”

The Mushroom Boxers screamed and started their charge.

While countering the Mushroom Boxers, Suho kept an eye on the movements behind.

His senses caught a movement from behind.

“They’re retreating. Are they gathering themselves?”

They came closer, then hesitated. When the battle started, they turned around and left.

That could only mean one thing.

“They’re trying to ambush while we’re fighting the monsters.”

We have to be ready.

Suho made up his mind.

“Let’s hurry.”

They needed to take down the Mushroom Boxers as fast as possible.

Flash!

Suho pushed off the ground and ran.

He surged past Kim Jinseong.

“Flame Strike!”

Suho deflected a Mushroom Boxer’s fist with his guard and immediately unleashed Flame Strike.

Mugwaaaang—!

[You have defeated the Mushroom Boxer.]

[Experience points gained.]

Ignoring the popping message, Suho moved again.

“Flame Strike!”

Mugwaaaang—!

Once again, a single hit.

The Mushroom Boxer’s breath stopped.

A shout came from behind.

“Brother, fall back! It’s about to explode!”

The first defeated Mushroom Boxer activated Spore Scattering.

“No time to dodge.”

Suho ignored Kim Jinseong’s warning.

Flare—

The Flame-Powered Sword ignited again.

Kwaaaaang—!

Between the flying magical spores, Suho rushed forward, ignoring defense.

Mugwaaaang—!

Explosions overlapped.

The battlefield was chaotic.

“W-What the hell are you doing?!”

“Brother! Brother! Are you okay?!”

Song Jaegoo and Kim Jinseong shouted, unable to approach.

After time passed, the dust settled.

The battlefield was clearly visible.

Screech—

Suho’s arm.

White steam rose from his forearm, unprotected by armor.

‘I thought I could endure it.’

Suho was in much worse shape than it looked.

The magical spores’ attack had bypassed the Red Gray Guardian’s Magic Defense.

The injury on his forearm was healing thanks to his Regeneration Stat.

“Suho, what the hell are you doing? Are you alright?”

Song Jaegoo asked, eyes filled with shock.

He had known Suho was impressive, but to take down four Mushroom Boxers at once…

Even after being hit by Spore Scattering, he seemed fine.

“What’s with that white steam?”

Surprise quickly turned into curiosity.

“But why suddenly like that?”

There should be no reason to rush while injured.

While Song Jaegoo was deep in questions,

“Battle ready!”

Suho pointed behind.

“Battle? What do you mean all of a sudden?”

Rustle.

The sound of bushes being pushed aside.

Song Jaegoo turned around with wide eyes.

There was a group staring back with eyes just as startled as his.

“What… what is this? Didn’t we just start fighting?”