Chapter 52: Double Dungeon

As he exchanged small talk with Yoon Hye-jin, they soon arrived near the dungeon.

A steep area where few people set foot and dungeon warning signs came into view. Since it was difficult for ordinary people to even climb up there, it seemed that no separate surveillance personnel had been deployed.

Hyeon-jun funneled mana into his feet and climbed up the hill. He was about to lower a rope he had prepared so that Yoon Hye-jin could follow, but...

"Heave-ho."

She followed him up without much effort. The height was quite significant, but she had reached the top using nothing but pure physical ability.

It seemed that what she had said earlier was not a hollow boast.

"You look pretty strong too, Brother. Did you really need to hire a mercenary?"

The dungeon currently before them was D-rank. As she said, there was no need to hire extra help for such a place.

However, there was a reason Kim Hyeon-jun had specifically chosen this dungeon. It was because another dungeon existed inside this D-rank dungeon.

That was right. Hyeon-jun had come here targeting a double dungeon that only two people could enter.

'The ones who discovered this dungeon before the regression were from a mid-sized guild.'

Currently, this dungeon was owned by the military. It was also a dungeon that would be transferred to a private guild in about 6 months at the latest.

Before the regression, the military had handed over the dungeon after a private guild proposed some kind of deal. And the result? The mid-sized guild that discovered the double dungeon hit the jackpot.

Inside the double dungeon was a Monster Essence.

'But now, I’m the one who will take it.'

Kim Hyeon-jun licked his lips and entered the dungeon.

It took less than a few minutes to deal with the monsters inside.

Flash! Flash!

He quickly took care of the swarming bat-like monsters by stabbing or swinging his spear. The creatures crashed to the ground and died without even being able to scream.

"What the... Brother, you're stronger than I thought. Why did you call me if you were going to do this?"

Yoon Hye-jin, who had been watching from behind, grumbled.

'Wait just a bit, and you'll find out.'

Hyeon-jun walked to the far end of the dungeon entrance.

Whoosh.

As he ran his hand along the stone wall, blue light leaked from the edge. As if he had known it was there, Hyeon-jun coated his spear with mana and began to strike the wall repeatedly.

Fragments of stone were ferociously carved away. After a while, the sight that was revealed made Yoon Hye-jin's eyes widen.

"That's..."

It was only natural, as she was seeing the legendary double dungeon she had only heard rumors of.

"Brother! Could you please take me with you?"

She even went so far as to say she would pay him to let her into the double dungeon.

'Wait. This isn't the reaction I expected.'

Hyeon-jun's plan had been to use money to pressure the mercenary if she refused to enter the double dungeon. Usually, a double dungeon was more dangerous than a normal one.

However, she was practically begging to go in together, even saying she didn't need any item distribution. Looking at her eyes, far from being scared, they seemed to be sparkling with excitement.

"Forget the money. Let's go in together."

"Really? You're so cool, Brother. I'll listen to everything you say."

Yoon Hye-jin reacted as if she had received a gift. Hyeon-jun found it questionable why she was so happy.

'Well, it worked out, so it's fine.'

It saved him money, and she didn't even want a share of the items.

Yoon Hye-jin was a 20-year-old Hunter. The Guild Master of the mid-sized guild 'Flame' was her father.

Like her father, who easily handled high-ranking spirits, she also had a talent for spirit arts. She had awakened the Spirit Summoning trait at a young age.

That was at age 14. Summoning a lower-ranking spirit while still in middle school was a remarkable talent.

However, her father overprotected her more than expected. He even opposed her renewing the Hunter license she had obtained long ago.

Desperate to go to a dungeon as soon as possible, she eventually used her trump card.

"Grandfather! Can't I start working as a Hunter for real now?"

She had obtained permission through her grandfather.

"You little rascal. You came to me because your father wouldn't give you permission, didn't you?"

Though he was from an older generation, her grandfather was very open-minded and gave his permission easily.

"But you mustn't get hurt. Don't go to dangerous dungeons alone. Only up to C-rank."

"You're the best, Grandfather!"

The reason Yoon Hye-jin, the daughter of a Guild Master, was working as a mercenary was due to her grandfather's influence. Her grandfather had been called the King of Adventures in the past. He was the Hunter who discovered South Korea's first hidden dungeon.

Yoon Hye-jin, his granddaughter, had been influenced by him since childhood.

Once her grandfather's permission was granted, she applied for mercenary work indiscriminately. In the process, she crossed paths with Kim Hyeon-jun and, through a stroke of amazing luck, ended up in a double dungeon.

'Is this how Grandfather felt when he first discovered a hidden dungeon?'

It might not be a big deal to some, but her spirit of exploration and adventure felt like it was boiling over.

'I'm glad I asked him to let me come along.'

They were atop a giant floating boulder. It was a high-altitude dungeon where they had to cross between these massive stones, but Yoon Hye-jin was not afraid.

"Leave this part to me!"

On the contrary, she even took down the attacking monsters with ease.

"Salamander!"

At her call, a spirit in the form of a flame coiled around her legs. Seeing her fight in that state, Hyeon-jun realized why she hadn't brought any equipment.

'She uses spirits like weapons.'

Yoon Hye-jin's combat style seemed to involve using martial arts while being clad in spirits. Even on the old, rickety bridge connecting the stones, she shot down the crow-like monsters called Black Cries.

'She's definitely not a D-rank Hunter.'

Watching her calmly handle several Level 4 monsters in a high-altitude area proved that much.

'It's good because it saves time. Aerial monsters are tricky to deal with.'

Just clearing the area near the dungeon entrance would significantly shorten the conquest time. Since Yoon Hye-jin had only asked to accompany him, there was no need to share items either.

"Brother! This area is clear! Take this one with you!"

As he was about to move further into the dungeon, he felt a warm sensation on his shoulder. When he turned his head, a small ball of fire had settled on his shoulder.

It was about the size of a tennis ball. It was a lower-tier fire spirit called a Salamander, but to Hyeon-jun, it just looked like a warm ball.

'It's nice and warm since the wind is blowing.'

It felt like a portable hand warmer, so he accepted it without refusal. From now on, they had to cross between the giant floating stones several times, and a sharp wind was blowing.

Kim Hyeon-jun attached the Piece of Ruyi Jingu Bang to his military spear.

Cling!

The shaft of the spear was instantly dyed red. After confirming the effect was applied, he aimed it toward the half-collapsed bridge.

"Grow."

As he spoke the command, the length of the spear began to increase.

"Enlarge."

When he increased the width as well, it looked as if a large log had been laid across the gap. Hyeon-jun began to cross between the stones by stepping onto the spear shaft.

Crossing between the stones floating high in the air was not difficult. Even as a fierce wind whipped at his face, his balance did not waver. It was thanks to his Acrobatics trait.

'This is exactly why I came here.'

If he didn't have the Piece of Ruyi Jingu Bang or the Acrobatics trait, he would have had to come much later. Before the regression, it took the Hunters who conquered this double dungeon 10 days. That was because they had to install equipment and various safety devices to cross the gaps.

Not to mention dealing with the bird-like monsters flying in the air. On the other hand, for him? All it took was equipping the unique item, the Piece of Ruyi Jingu Bang. Forget 10 days; he intended to finish the dungeon conquest in under 3 hours.

"He doesn't seem like an ordinary soldier."

Meanwhile, Yoon Hye-jin, who was watching the scene from a distance, tilted her head. It was obvious from the way he calmly shot down the attacking Black Cries. The way he crossed between the high-altitude gaps as if it were nothing was the same.

"But just in case..."

She asked the Salamander to protect the soldier well. The Salamander nodded its head vigorously. Of course, to Hyeon-jun's eyes, it just looked like a ball.

"We're almost there."

1 hour had passed since Kim Hyeon-jun entered the double dungeon. During that time, he had crossed the treacherous terrain several times using the Piece of Ruyi Jingu Bang. Areas where no man had set foot? He could easily cross them by utilizing the fragment.

Since he could cover most terrain by extending its length or increasing its size, it couldn't be more convenient. It also retracted automatically, making the process incredibly smooth.

'As expected of a unique item.'

He felt that one couldn't ignore the power of items. Regardless, the place currently before Hyeon-jun was the habitat of the boss monster. If he walked just a few steps further, the boss would appear.

The boss monster was a gorilla-type creature named Gorgos. Its level was Level 4, and it possessed the Penetration ability—an ability that partially ignored the opponent's defense. That was also the essence ability Hyeon-jun wanted.

Roaaaar!

As he moved forward, the boss monster, Gorgos, appeared as if it had been waiting. It was more than 3 times larger than an ordinary gorilla. Its fur and skin were dyed blue. If one were hit by its attack, which was imbued with the Penetration ability, they would end up in the intensive care unit at the very least. That was based on a Level 4 Hunter.

"Uh? Brother! That thing is too much! It's a boss monster! Run away quickly!"

Yoon Hye-jin, who seemingly didn't expect a boss monster to appear, screamed from afar. Eventually, a small ball of wind appeared from nowhere and even pulled at his cheek. It was sending a signal to run away.

"It's okay! It's the one I came to catch!"

Hyeon-jun signaled that it was fine. Yoon Hye-jin, who had come as a mercenary, seemed more shocked than he was. Well, it was understandable since he hadn't explained the dungeon in detail.

Thump!

As soon as he finished talking to Yoon Hye-jin, Gorgos raised its fist and slammed it down ferociously. Hyeon-jun easily avoided the attack by stepping back. The ground where he had been standing was gouged out, and stone fragments flew violently.

"You have quite a temper, don't you?"

Roaar!

Enraged that its attack missed, the boss monster beat its chest and roared. Its voice was thunderous, almost giving the illusion that the earth was shaking.

Of course, even so, it wasn't scary at all. Its level was Level 4.

'On the other hand, my level is Level 5, and my stats are overwhelmingly higher.'

In terms of stat values, they were likely higher than those of an average Level 6 Hunter. It was the result of steady effort without becoming conceited about having a hidden trait. He had also consumed some things that were good for his body.

Roaaaar!

The battle followed a typical pattern. As Hyeon-jun imbued his spear with mana and began to fight in earnest, Gorgos's strength began to drain rapidly. Not only was its body riddled with holes, but black mana began to cover its body as if it were alive. And it was happening fast.

The power to weaken monsters imbued in the mana—it had become even stronger than when he fought the goblin shaman.

That wasn't all.

"Are you helping too? How precious."

Yoon Hye-jin's spirit on his shoulder even began to spit fire. Its firepower felt about 3 times stronger than a torch.

Roaaaar!

As its wounded body was seared by fire, Gorgos thrashed in agony. In the midst of that, it swung its fist ferociously as if making a final stand. Even that, however, was futilely blocked by Hyeon-jun's spear.

"It feels like my bones are vibrating; it must be the Penetration ability."

In the end, the creature couldn't hold out much longer and collapsed.

[You have defeated the boss monster.]
[You have gained experience points.]
[You have obtained 420 gold.]

"This is why I like boss monsters. They give a good amount of experience and gold."

Hyeon-jun glanced at the hologram and walked toward Gorgos's corpse. What he originally intended to get was something else. Naturally, he also knew how to get it.

Sss.

As he injected mana into the creature's gaping mouth, a round object popped out as if it had been waiting. It was the Monster Essence.