Chapter 26: The Sealed Gale Valley

Description

As they entered the dungeon, a notification sound immediately rang out.

[You have entered the D-rank Dungeon: Gale Valley Tainted by Darkness.]

[Benefits are granted as the first-time entrants.]

[Rewards will be upgraded.]

Seong-jun, confirming that the dungeon was D-rank through the notification, flashed a confident smile.

“It’s a D-rank dungeon. This seems doable.”

Although they had primarily been raiding E-rank dungeons, he had been planning to upgrade to D-rank soon.

It was perfect timing that the first dungeon they stumbled upon happened to be D-rank.

“But will the three of us be okay? We originally planned to recruit more people before heading into a D-rank dungeon.”

Normally, they would have looked for more members before attempting a D-rank dungeon.

However, they had now entered one without any additional reinforcements.

“The hunting time will be a bit longer, but the raid itself isn’t impossible. Besides, given the name ‘Gale Valley Tainted by Darkness,’ there’s a high probability it’s a darkness-attribute dungeon. That’s the best possible condition for us.”

Seong-jun’s intention to recruit more people before entering a D-rank dungeon was solely to increase efficiency, not because the raid was impossible to clear.

Therefore, there was no particular problem with just the three of them tackling it.

Moreover, as the name suggested, the likelihood of it being a darkness-attribute dungeon was high.

There couldn’t be a better scenario for Seong-jun.

‘First-entry benefits plus the darkness-attribute advantage. I’ll be able to sweep up an incredible amount of experience points. I can’t let this opportunity slip away. Like Yu-seon said, it might be better to just live in the dungeon until we clear it.’

If this dungeon truly turned out to be darkness-attributed, Seong-jun could gain a massive amount of experience.

Thus, he intended to stay inside until the dungeon was finished.

“Wow. Our first D-rank challenge is a first-entry dungeon. I’ve got a good feeling about this. By the way, since the rewards are upgraded for being the first to enter, if we catch the boss, won’t we get B-rank rewards?”

Basically, the loot or rewards obtained from killing a dungeon boss are one rank higher than the dungeon itself. But since the rewards were upgraded as a first-entry benefit, it meant the rewards would be two ranks higher.

In other words, since this was a D-rank dungeon, defeating the boss would guarantee B-rank rewards.

“That’s true, but the problem is that it’ll be difficult for just us to raid the boss. We might have managed an E-rank dungeon boss somehow, but this is D-rank.”

Although they hadn’t raided an E-rank boss yet, it seemed entirely possible given their current state, even if it might be a bit tough.

However, D-rank was a different story.

Since the gap between ranks widens significantly with each step up, a D-rank boss would be incomparably stronger than an E-rank one.

Unless Seong-jun leveled up and reached A-rank, it was practically impossible to clear under their current conditions.

“I suppose so. I just said it because I was feeling greedy.”

“It’ll be hard on our own, but we should be able to join a boss raid team later. Our presence alone changes the rank of the rewards, so they’ll definitely want us to join.”

If those who received the first-entry benefits joined a boss raid team and landed the final blow, they would be credited with the clear, allowing everyone to receive the upgraded rewards.

Therefore, even if they couldn’t take down the boss by themselves, there would be no problem joining a larger raid team later.

“Tsk, the best thing would be to keep it all for ourselves, but I guess it can’t be helped. It’ll be too hard for us right now. Anyway, let’s get moving. It might be fine for now, but we don’t know when others will discover this place, so we need to milk it as much as possible before then.”

Eventually, once the hiking trails became crowded with people, the existence of the dungeon would be revealed.

When that happened, other parties would naturally enter.

Gwang-taek wanted to hunt as many monsters as possible before then to fully enjoy their rights as the first entrants.

“Let’s do that. I’ll start the buffs.”

Seong-jun immediately applied buffs to himself, Gwang-taek, and Yu-seon.

Soon, with Gwang-taek in the lead, they began the dungeon raid in earnest.

***

The main monsters of the Gale Valley Tainted by Darkness were Corrupted Sylphs, the spirits of the wind.

Originally, Wind Spirit Sylphs were playful, freedom-seeking, proactive, and aggressive, yet friendly spirits toward those they didn’t consider enemies.

However, the Sylphs corrupted by darkness had become spirits of destruction, destroying everything in their sight.

Their attribute had shifted from wind to darkness, and their size had grown from palm-sized faeries to the size of a small child.

Instead of the green energy of wind and nature, black energy of darkness billowed from their bodies.

They were quite tricky to handle, as they moved with high speed and utilized long-range attacks with arrows of wind.

Swoooooosh!

Boom! Boom!

“Kieeeeee!”

Of course, that didn’t mean Seong-jun’s party couldn’t handle them.

“Phew, as expected of a D-rank. Even though they’re darkness-attribute, it still takes five or six hits to kill them. By the way, Seong-jun, what is your deal? How are you taking those Sylphs down in one or two hits? Weren’t you D-rank?”

Despite having various buffs and the Holy Weapon Enchant, Yu-seon, an F-rank Ranger, had to land five to six basic attacks to kill a single one.

Of course, that number would drop to two or three if she used skills, but a one-shot kill was impossible for her.

However, Seong-jun was taking down the Sylphs with just one or two Holy Arrows, his most basic skill.

No matter how much higher his rank was than Yu-seon’s, he was still supposed to be D-rank—and a Healer at that.

It was only natural for Yu-seon, who still believed Seong-jun was D-rank, to find it strange.

“I told you I’m a bit of a special Healer. And strictly speaking, I’m not D-rank. Well, I’ll explain the details to you slowly later, so just know that for now.”

Seong-jun’s current rank was B-rank.

However, his stats were at the level of an A-rank, not B-rank.

That was why he could take down D-rank monsters in one or two hits.

“Before this, I didn’t realize it because you focused on support and barely attacked, but at this rate, you could honestly be our main damage dealer.”

Judging by the performance he just showed, he boasted much stronger damage output than Yu-seon.

He likely had higher damage than most C-rank damage dealers.

“I’m focusing on attacking right now because the situation demands it, but trying to handle buffs, heals, and main damage all at once would disrupt my Holy Power management. I need to keep a reserve of Holy Power for emergencies, so it’s a bit much for me to step forward as the main damage dealer.”

Even though he possessed a massive amount of Holy Power—over 700,000 including his bonus reserves—it could still be depleted uncontrollably if he started using it recklessly.

Therefore, he had to manage his resources.

More than anything, no matter how powerful his attacks were, his primary role was still the Healer responsible for the party’s lives.

If he consumed too much Holy Power on attacks, he might not be able to provide proper healing when it was truly needed.

Thus, it was true that acting as the buffer, healer, and main damage dealer simultaneously was a heavy burden.

“Is that so? Anyway, Seong-jun, you’re a cheat character. I feel like if we just gave you a shield, you could even play the role of a Tanker.”

“Haha, isn’t that going too far? I’m definitely not a Tanker.”

Gwang-taek also added a word while watching them.

“As Seong-jun said, we don’t know what variables might arise, so it’s good to be mindful of mana management. I’ll make sure to handle the tanking, so let’s take it slow. Well, if other parties start entering, we can pick up the hunting speed then. By the way, those guys are so quick that I can’t do anything but block.”

Skeleton Archers and Sylphs were fundamentally different, even if both were long-range.

Skeleton Archers weren’t agile, so one could close the distance by moving quickly, but Sylphs were supported by rapid movement; even if he tried to get close, they would quickly create distance.

As a result, Gwang-taek had given up on melee combat altogether and was focusing solely on drawing aggro.

“You’re doing your part just by drawing aggro clearly like you are now. It’s thanks to you that we can attack with peace of mind. That aside, it hasn’t even been an hour and we’ve already caught quite a lot since we’re the only ones here. Have we caught about 10 percent?”

“Probably not that much yet? But I think we’re getting close. Oh? There are three over there. Since there are no other parties, there are monsters everywhere we move. Should I call this a good thing?”

As they walked slowly while talking, they spotted more monsters.

In dungeons where other parties had already progressed, the time spent searching for monsters was significant, but since they were hunting as the first entrants without other parties, monsters appeared as soon as they moved even a little.

“Of course it’s a good thing. Once other parties start entering later, our hunting speed will drop significantly. Plus, they’ll all enter as full parties, so even without my buffs, they’ll have a hunting speed at least equal to ours. So, we have to catch as many as possible while we’re alone.”

Since it was a D-rank dungeon, once it was discovered and other parties began to enter, the clear rate would rise quickly.

They would likely form parties with five or six C-ranks and two or three D-ranks, so they would definitely show a hunting speed similar to Seong-jun’s party even without his buffs.

Therefore, hunting as many monsters as possible before other parties arrived was currently the best course of action.

“True. That’s the right answer. Alright, let’s go.”

As he said this, Gwang-taek rushed forward and cast an aggro skill.

Whoosh!

In response, the Corrupted Sylphs began to pour a barrage of attacks onto Gwang-taek.

“Kieee?”

“Kyaaaa!”

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

Swoooooosh!

The wind arrows fired by the Corrupted Sylphs shot fiercely toward Gwang-taek.

Thud!

Bang!

Thud-thud!

Every single one was blocked by his shield.

“You punks! Despite my looks, I’m a B-rank Tanker! Do you really think D-rank trash like you can even leave a scratch on my body? Hahaha!”

Gwang-taek deliberately raised his voice, casting an aggro skill to increase his threat level.

As the second aggro skill took effect following the first, the Sylphs’ attacks were focused entirely on Gwang-taek.

If he could have landed basic attacks, he could have increased his threat level through those, but since the Sylphs strictly avoided melee combat, he had to maintain his threat level using only aggro skills.

Because Gwang-taek was a B-rank Tanker, each of his aggro skills generated significant threat, allowing the hunt to continue; if he had been a lower-ranked Tanker, maintaining threat wouldn’t have been easy.

“Yu-seon. I’ll take two, so you handle the one on the left.”

“Got it.”

Once they judged the aggro was sufficiently drawn, Yu-seon and Seong-jun immediately went on the offensive.

Seong-jun, who had better damage, took two, while Yu-seon, whose damage was relatively lower, took one.

Swooooosh!

Swoosh!

Swooooosh!

Just as the Corrupted Sylphs had fired wind arrows at Gwang-taek, Seong-jun and Yu-seon fired arrows of light at the Sylphs.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Crash!

“Kiek!”

“Kiaaaaak!”

One of the two Seong-jun targeted was hit by a clean critical strike and died instantly, while the other survived instant death as the critical hit was weaker.

“Holy Arrow!”

Swoosh!

Boom!

Of course, it was eventually finished off by the subsequent Holy Arrow.

Yu-seon also finished her situation without much trouble by dealing heavy damage with a burst fire followed by rapid basic attacks.

“Phew, they’re only easy because they’re drawn by Gwang-taek’s aggro and their movements are minimized. If it wasn’t for that, I think catching even one would have been hard. Why are they so fast?”

Unlike burst fire, which boasted incredible speed, or homing arrows that acted like guided missiles, regular basic shots traveled at a moderate speed in a straight line.

If the enemy were moving incessantly in all directions, it would have been difficult to hit them properly.

However, since the Sylphs’ attention was focused on Gwang-taek and their movements were minimized, Yu-seon’s accuracy with basic attacks had increased.

Just then.

[You have achieved a 10% clear rate within 1 hour of the first entry. The closure condition has been met, and the dungeon is now sealed.]

[Entry to the dungeon from the outside is no longer possible.]

[The seal will only be lifted if the dungeon is cleared or all entrants are annihilated.]

[Experience points gained from monsters in this dungeon will significantly increase.]

[Additional rewards will be granted upon clearing the dungeon.]

A sudden notification sound rang out.

“Huh? Wh-what is this! Dungeon closure?”

“Heck! Dammit! This was a Closed Dungeon?”

A Closed Dungeon.

It appeared no different from a regular dungeon, but it would convert into a Closed Dungeon the moment specific conditions were met.

One could not enter from the outside, nor could those inside leave.

To lift the closure, one had to either clear the dungeon or all hunters who entered before the closure had to be wiped out.

“A Closed Dungeon. This is a truly unexpected situation.”

The portal looked exactly like a regular dungeon, and no hints were given upon entry that it was a Closed Dungeon.

Everything was identical to a regular dungeon, and if the specific conditions weren’t met, it would simply end as a regular dungeon without ever converting.

Whether it was a stroke of good luck or bad luck, the conditions had been met exactly when only they were present, and the dungeon had converted into a Closed Dungeon.

“58 minutes. Ha! We hit the 10 percent clear rate with only 2 minutes to spare? Dammit, if it were an E-rank dungeon, I would’ve welcomed it with open arms, but this is D-rank. Even if we somehow manage to kill the regular mobs, how the hell are we supposed to kill the elites and the boss?”

It was only two minutes.

If they had spent just two or three more minutes catching those last three monsters, it wouldn’t have converted into a Closed Dungeon.

But what could they do?

The milk was already spilled.

What they needed to think about now was how to survive.

Regular monsters would just take some time; they weren’t a major problem to hunt.

The problem was the elites and the boss.

Even if they somehow managed to kill the elites, their current situation made it difficult to face the boss with just their current party.

“The problem is that we can’t just hold out indefinitely. Yu-seon, how many hunter combat rations did you bring?”

In response to Seong-jun’s question, Yu-seon answered immediately.

“27. Assuming three meals a day, it’s a total of three days’ worth.”

Three days’ worth for three people eating three meals a day.

Yu-seon had prepared 27 rations.

“27 rations. If we assume we eat two meals a day, we can somehow last five days. Even if we’re more frugal, it’ll be a week at most. At the very best, we can hold out for ten days. That means we have to settle this one way or another within that time.”

The reason they couldn’t just wait was the lack of food.

One might argue that since it was a field-type dungeon, self-sufficiency was possible, but since they had almost no knowledge of otherworldly plants, they couldn’t just eat anything.

They might eat a poisonous plant and end up in a disaster.

In the end, the maximum time they had was roughly ten days.

“We’re lucky Yu-seon prepared combat rations; otherwise, we would’ve been in serious trouble.”

If Yu-seon hadn’t prepared the rations, they would have had to hunt while starving immediately.

‘Hmm, a D-rank dungeon, plus the experience bonus from the darkness attribute and the first-entry bonus. On top of that, the experience bonus from the dungeon closure. With so many experience bonuses stacking, the amount of experience gained should be massive, but the question is whether I can level up. If I can just level up and reach A-rank, I feel like a breakthrough will appear.’

Assuming he kept running E-rank dungeons, he had estimated it would take about two months to reach the next level.

Could he bridge that two-month gap with just this one dungeon?

The hopeful thing was that since this was a D-rank dungeon, the experience gain was significantly higher than an E-rank one, and with the Goddess’s Blessing, the experience gained from fighting darkness-attribute monsters was greatly increased.

Furthermore, there was the experience boost from being the first entrant and the boost from the dungeon closure.

All these factors combined would provide an enormous amount of experience per monster.

And if he could level up to A-rank that way, it seemed like a breakthrough for the boss raid would emerge.

Not only would he get new attack skills, but his various buffs would also increase significantly.

‘Haa, worrying about it won’t solve anything. Let’s just face it head-on.’

No matter what the outcome would be, one thing was certain: there was no other way.

Their only option was to bet everything on that small hope and keep hunting monsters.

“There’s no other way right now. Let’s try to clear out as many monsters in the dungeon as possible before the food runs out. We need to finish the clearing within three to four days to have time to come up with a strategy for the boss.”

At Seong-jun’s words, Gwang-taek nodded his head.

“You’re right. If we’re going to die either way, we might as well try something. With these massive experience bonuses, we can even hope for a level-up.”

While Yu-seon was already at level 10 and couldn’t level up anymore, Gwang-taek’s level had been reset upon re-awakening as a B-rank Tanker.

He was currently at level 3 after running F-rank and E-rank dungeons, but with such high experience bonuses, he estimated he could gain at least one level while hunting, which he judged would be somewhat helpful in tanking the boss.

“Let’s resume the hunt. I don’t think we need to change our hunting pattern just because the situation has changed. Let’s proceed carefully, just as we’ve been doing. However, we’ll continue hunting without breaks, so manage your mana well. Let’s go.”

As soon as Seong-jun finished speaking, they moved quickly to find the next monster.

Although they had to overcome this situation with their own strength without external support, they didn’t fall into despair, as they still had something to look forward to.

I Became an EX-Grade All-Purpose Priest Episode 26

E-book Publication 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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