Chapter 27: Raid on the Rakios Dungeon (2)

I officially began the hunt.

Olivier, who possessed tracking abilities, followed as my Supporter.

• Two giant ants detected 300 meters ahead.

It felt as if I had shrunk down and stepped into the underbrush.

Pushing through the dense foliage, I drew my Number 1 sword, the Longsword.

Silently, I moved forward, almost sliding across the ground.

As I neared them, the giant ants—about the size of a human—stopped working and stared at me.

They were carrying corpses shaped like Cubes as their load, but they hurriedly readied themselves for battle.

But before they could react, I threw two knives.

Thud! Thud!

One knife lodged between the antennae, and the ants twisted their heads in pain.

Though they weren’t seriously wounded, they opened their mandibles wide, ready to bite me.

I slashed the foremost ant’s torso, then spun around to cut the other one’s body as well.

Even with their bodies cut open, the creatures writhed on the ground.

• Continue straight ahead.
• Move to the right in 100 meters.
• Speed bump branch detected 20 meters ahead.

The Navigator function is impressive.

I have basic scouting skills, but Olivier’s tracking support makes moving through the dungeon much easier.

It’s like following a strategy guide while taking a shortcut.

• A Stag Beetle has spotted us and is approaching. Its exoskeleton is tough, so I recommend your Number 2 sword.

I released the Longsword into thin air. As the black Subspace swallowed it, I drew my Two-Handed Sword with my right hand.

A hum resonated.

The blade, powered by Magic Essence Stones, glowed with a faint blue light.

Thud-thud-thud!!

Seeing the huge beetle flying at me, a thought crossed my mind: a flying tank.

That was the first thing that came to me.

Could I actually cut this thing?

It looked as solid as a Golem.

• This weapon is made with Black Label-grade materials. Its performance is more than sufficient. If you can’t cut it, then it’s your lack of skill.

“Who asked you?”

Ignoring Olivier’s smug tone, I gripped the Number 2 sword with both hands and swung it wide horizontally.

Crunch!

The beetle collapsed on the ground, leaking fluid as it died and gave me experience points.

This actually works.

• You really are a monster. I can’t believe you cut through it.

“You told me to do it.”

Honestly, I didn’t think it would actually work.

“Are you kidding me?”

• Unlike other creatures, this one was a Stag Beetle, whose exoskeleton is incredibly tough—so tough that some use it as armor.

I wasn’t sure whether to trust this thing from now on.

They didn’t even explain anything and just told me to try it.

Even in this modern age where results justify everything, this seemed a bit much.

About an hour had passed since I entered the dungeon.

I slaughtered everything in sight.

Thanks to that, my System Experience steadily accumulated, and I leveled up twice.

“Drained after just an hour?”

The Number 1 sword, the Longsword, no longer flowed with Ether.

While it allowed me to dispatch enemies without effort, the Ether was consumed quickly.

• But your hunting speed improved. You leveled up twice in an hour.

Olivier teased.

Come to think of it, considering the number of monsters I cut down, I probably used it for quite a long time.

• This is surprising.

Olivier spoke slowly.

• Someone else found the boss first.

“Since everyone’s gunning for first place, there won’t be any fools.”

Someone had reached the boss before me.

As I suspected, it was a member of the Fighting God Guild.

“Hasol’s tracking skills really deserve recognition, don’t they?”

“She’s even better at finding things than a Guide.”

“Ah, no way. Must be luck.”

I vaguely remembered the name.

The woman who was acting friendly with me earlier—the candidate who said she spoke five languages during the interview.

If she has tracking skills, she’s probably a Supporter. If she’s good enough to be compared with the nation’s top Guide, then her ability must be real.

Although she wasn’t at the scene, she found the boss a step ahead of Olivier.

• Sorry. Since this is my first time as an Operator, there were some misunderstandings.

“No, you were useful enough.”

• Getting comforted by someone like you hurts my pride.

What does she want from me?

“Right, you’re completely useless. I was expecting something when you said you’d be the Operator, but you just fell behind everyone else.”

I openly mocked her.

• Hmph. You can only say that now. Don’t think that treating me like dirt will win my heart.

Is there no communication block function?

I fiddled with the System as the boss battle began.

“Changyeol and Inho, take the front line! Haram, keep using your support magic as much as possible! Hasol, hold the line with me!”

The Fighting God Guild Raid Team Leader’s orders were executed flawlessly.

I didn’t want to admit it, but this was truly the mark of a top-ranking guild.

Even the old-timers in our team wouldn’t have moved like that.

A rustling sound.

The boss awoke from the bushes.

Every insect here was huge.

The boss especially was enormous—about three times the size of a person.

The mantis, the insect world’s strongest hunter, had grown into a terrifyingly grotesque size.

Its huge forelegs raised high, its predatory eyes sent chills down anyone’s spine.

No, the party members were literally frozen with fear.

“Cu-Cure Light!”

The female healer’s voice triggered a skill pattern, which the System executed in the air.

A bright, warm light enveloped their heads, instantly restoring their composure.

“That thing looks seriously disgusting!”

The special forces man who had interviewed with me grabbed his sword and shield and charged forward.

Next to him, Kim Inho pressed the side with his spear.

“Here it comes!”

The boss tore through the bushes and lunged forward.

The two men tanking attacked frantically from both sides.

Taking advantage of the opening, the party leader and Go Hasol—the main damage dealers—began their assault.

Go Hasol was smart enough to speak five languages, and her tracking skills were excellent.

But her archery was also outstanding.

Her accuracy was decent, and the skill where she infused arrows with magic seemed quite powerful.

She was very steady.

Gradually chipping away at the boss’s flesh, the battle heavily favored the Fighting God Guild’s party.

“This is dangerous.”

• It’s going to fail.

Olivier and I shared the same opinion.

“Enough!”

Kim Changyeol, a special forces veteran, bared his teeth and laughed. One of the mantis’s legs was cut off.

I thought the cooking was done; now it was time to eat.

Something felt off.

The Fighting God Guild’s party leader, Baek Juhwan, sensed it too.

The battle was overwhelmingly in their favor.

One of the mantis’s legs was gone, and Go Hasol’s Wind Arrows were landing critical hits continuously.

“No way…”

That was when Baek Juhwan realized why he felt uneasy.

“Fall back!”

His shout echoed through the battlefield.

But it was already too late.

“Ugh, cough!”

Kim Changyeol, who had charged forward confidently, was hit by the mantis’s counterattack and rolled across the ground.

His shield was shattered, and his Power Suit flickered faintly.

The boss was still taking damage but showed no sign of pain.

Instead, it was getting faster.

“Something’s wrong.”

I had thought it was an ordinary boss, but now I was chilled by the suspicion that it was hiding something.

“Inho, take Changyeol and retreat! Hasol, gather your party and retreat too!”

“Yes? O-older brother!”

“There’s no time!”

Baek Juhwan infused magic into his arrows.

The ether-infused arrow glowed brightly and struck the mantis’s exoskeleton.

Boom!

The shell was torn apart in an explosion. Even as chunks of flesh fell and fluids sprayed, the boss didn’t react at all.

On the contrary—

“Ha…”

Baek Juhwan stood there stunned.

The mantis, which had been some distance away, suddenly leapt and flew toward him without any wind-up.

“Brother, it’s dangerous!”

Anyone could tell it was dangerous, but there was no time to dodge.

Baek Juhwan realized this was the end for him.

Was it a montage flashing through his mind?

The mantis’s sharp foreleg came crashing toward his torso.

Crack!

Fluid splattered.

Only much later did he realize it wasn’t his own.

Aether Blade coated with faint blue light sliced through the mantis’s foreleg.

The man wielding the blade nonchalantly flicked the fluid off into the air.

“Huh?”

Baek Juhwan recognized the man from somewhere, and Go Hasol, Kim Changyeol, and Kim Inho all knew him well.

“Is it okay if I take over now?”

Baek Juhwan was speechless at the question from the man who had saved him.

Even with a foreleg severed, the monster was still lethal. Yet this man seemed at ease.

“You need to avoid it! No matter what damage you take, it won’t reduce its HP!”

“Yes, yes, I know. It’s insanely tough.”

The mantis jumped high.

Boom!

A shockwave radiated from where the boss landed, kicking up a cloud of dust.

“Everyone, retreat! Abort the raid!”

There have been countless cases where reckless pride led to party wipeouts.

Baek Juhwan was certain he had made the right call.

By the time he regained his senses, they were already out of the mantis’s territory.

The man from before was nowhere to be seen.

‘He told me to avoid it, but I was stupid…’

He was their savior. Judging by how he cut off one of the boss’s arms alone, his weapon was incredibly strong.

But simply being strong didn’t mean the boss could be defeated.

“W-what do we do? Someone I know is still there…”

Go Hasol stammered to the party leader.

Baek Juhwan thought for a moment and shook his head.

“Just wanted to land the finishing blow. Can’t help it. Reckless pride is a death wish.”

Thud. Thud.

Roaring sounds came from behind as they fled.

Baek Juhwan muttered that when they returned after regrouping, he would at least recover the body.

It was thanks to that sacrifice that they escaped without casualties.

“You go on ahead.”

“What?”

“I’m coming with you.”

Kim Inho, who had been on the same team, left the injured Kim Changyeol in Baek Juhwan’s care and turned back.

Earlier, it seemed he had some close relationship with the Hanul Guild’s pack mule.

He was subtly trying to promote the Hanul Guild’s pack mule.

All of it.

“W-what do we do?”

“What else can we do?”

Lately, the guild was doing so well that they seemed unstoppable once lifted up.

Baek Juhwan had definitely ordered a retreat, but if someone died like that, they had chosen death themselves.

“Everyone retreat. We’ll raid with the other guilds.”

The Fighting God Guild party, retreating, soon arrived where other guilds were hunting.

The other guild members were surprised to see the Fighting God Guild arrive covered in blood.

It was unfortunate not to be able to claim the boss’s reward alone, but failing to close the dungeon now hurt their pride more.

If they led the other guilds to kill the boss, their worth wouldn’t be small.

“The boss is strong. Anyone want to raid together? Rewards will be distributed evenly.”

“Understood.”

Perhaps sensing an opportunity, people readily expressed their willingness to join.

“Only five more people. High-level only.”

As Baek Juhwan gathered more people, a message appeared.

• Boss Rachios has been defeated.

“Huh?”

The Fighting God Guild—especially Baek Juhwan—were filled with confusion.

“How was the boss defeated? By who?”