The hunt was going smoothly.
“Jihoon, I bet you could take down the boss by yourself.”
Just as the Fighting God Guild hunter said, Seol Jihoon looked like he could defeat the boss on his own.
After all, a Holy Knight is the nemesis of undead.
It was as if the dungeon itself had been set as undead-type just to hand victory to the Fighting God Guild.
“How about you go ahead and take down the boss first, just in case?”
“Well, it’s not like Hunter Seol is ever in danger in an undead dungeon anyway.”
With the best defense and even the Prayer of Healing, what was there to be afraid of?
“There won’t be any team that reaches the boss before us.”
No one argued with Seol Jihoon’s words. Well, except for a few people.
“Still, we should check just in case…”
The one who said that was Party Leader Baek Juhwan.
Some guild members sneered at him.
After all, he’d lost the boss to Lee Hyunbin several times, and was even on the verge of expulsion.
“You think we’re on the same level as Baek Juhwan Party Leader?”
Baek Juhwan was frustrated, but he couldn’t refute.
“This dungeon is pretty important, so I’ll check just in case.”
“I’m telling you, there’s no way a team got here before us.”
Seol Jihoon laughed and separated from the main group, heading out alone.
It wasn’t Baek Juhwan’s words that made him move first.
He just felt uncomfortable.
He had to keep wearing that fake smile.
Seol Jihoon cast Blessing of Light on himself.
The shining Holy Power shot out like living arrows, pouring down on the undead nearby.
Fwoosh, fwa-haaat!
The Death Knights hit by Holy Power melted like ice cream under a flame.
If the other hunters had seen it, they would have been shocked out of their minds.
Death Knights were mid-to-high-grade Monsters. To wipe out such beasts so easily was something only Seol Jihoon could do.
‘Is it here?’
Without much trouble, Seol Jihoon arrived at what he assumed was the Boss Room.
At a glance, the door was of a different scale compared to the others.
He hesitated for a moment—should he enter the Boss Room alone, or wait for the others?
‘No need.’
Nowhere else, and with this elemental advantage, he could display overwhelming power.
Showing his prowess here would only be a good thing.
“…!”
At that moment, Seol Jihoon couldn’t believe his eyes.
The Boss Room was open.
Thinking it couldn’t be, he stepped inside.
“You’re here?”
The place looked like a storm had swept through.
What appeared to be an audience chamber—the Boss Room—was packed with Monster corpses.
Sitting on the throne was Lee Hyunbin.
At his feet lay a Lich, assumed to be the Boss Monster.
‘How?’
That was the first thought to enter Seol Jihoon’s mind.
Since Hyunbin was alone in the audience chamber, he must have come here by himself.
‘Did he take down all these alone?’
A Death Knight was a former Knight turned Monster.
Though their combat prowess varied depending on their skills in life, they were leagues above ordinary Monsters.
That’s why the scene before his eyes was hard to believe.
Did Lee Hyunbin possess Holy Power?
No. If not, then how?
“I haven’t taken down the boss yet.”
“…?”
Lee Hyunbin pointed at the Lich.
As he said, the boss wasn’t dead yet.
It made no sense.
“Why do you think I haven’t?”
It was something Seol Jihoon hadn’t considered.
He’d naturally assumed the Fighting God Guild would claim the boss.
The profit and honor gained from slaying the Boss Monster. And the enormous experience points as a bonus.
Those were far too sweet to give up.
Seol Jihoon looked at Lee Hyunbin.
He couldn’t guess what he was thinking.
Seeing that composure, Seol Jihoon thought,
‘There’s a reason he hasn’t finished the boss off.’
Of course.
Just one skill, or a few critical slashes from that sword, and the boss would be gone.
In other words, Lee Hyunbin didn’t want the dungeon to close just yet.
“I don’t really know…”
Seol Jihoon recalled what Lee Hyunbin had said earlier.
He’d been waiting for Seol Jihoon to arrive.
He had a purpose.
“There’s something I’ve been curious about.”
Lee Hyunbin grinned slyly.
“Are you a Villain too?”
He was a bit later than expected.
I thought he’d come sooner.
“What do you mean? Villain?”
I infused magic into the Number 2 Sword.
The energy of Ethere coated the blade in a radiant light.
I plunged it straight into the Lich’s back.
The Lich squirmed, letting out a deflating scream.
“It’ll die soon, though it’s still barely alive.”
“Did you leave it alive just to brag? It’s lucky it’s me standing here—someone else might have ‘stolen’ the kill.”
Steal. As in taking credit for someone else’s accomplishment.
“Do it.”
“…Huh?”
“Steal it.”
Leaving the Number 2 Sword impaling the Lich, I drew the Number 1 Sword.
“I set the table for you.”
Surely he understood what I meant.
Seol Jihoon tilted his head.
“May I ask if you’re picking a fight with me right now?”
He’s dumber than I thought.
“Sorry. Honestly, it’s been so long since anyone picked a fight with me, I just wasn’t sure.”
Seol Jihoon laughed, his eyes gleaming like a predator’s.
From the start, Seol Jihoon had been pretending to be an easygoing young man, but now his true colors were starting to show.
“Sorry, I just don’t understand…”
“What?”
“Why would you give up the boss on purpose?”
Laugh? Give up?
“You’re asking if I’m a Villain?”
Seol Jihoon pulled a sword from his Inventory. The weapon looked almost like a lightsaber.
Seol Jihoon’s exclusive S-rank weapon. Twin Driver.
“If I really was a Villain.”
Seol Jihoon slowly approached me.
“Shouldn’t you be running away?”
He was clearly eager to fight.
He’s got to be a Villain. My instincts tell me so.
Even if not, I wanted to test him out.
Just how strong is an S-rank Villain? How big is the gap between us?
He didn’t stop, striding towards me in measured steps, and then suddenly dashed in.
Clang! Crackle!
The sound of sword against sword echoed as magic-infused Ethere sparked like a welding torch.
With his free hand, he swept the air.
A Shield of Light came flying at my side.
I dodged, putting distance between us and Seol Jihoon.
“Wow, your reactions are great.”
Seol Jihoon spoke like a homeroom teacher praising a grade-schooler.
He was almost disarmingly gentle.
He raised his hand as if testing me.
The Shield of Light, empowered by its master’s will, shone brightly and flew at me.
I poured magic into my sword and struck the Shield of Light.
Thunk!
My wrist tingled. At the same time, the shield didn’t break, but pressed down on me.
I withdrew my sword and sidestepped.
Before I knew it, multiple Shields of Light were orbiting Seol Jihoon, guarding him like an escort.
Cornered, I saw Seol Jihoon smile at me, relaxed.
“What’s wrong? Didn’t you want to spar with me?”
“Yeah.”
“Or did you just provoke me to see me run around dodging?”
He was having fun.
That Aegis skill really is a pain.
There’s a strange sensation, as if it absorbs attacks. And he’s not even struggling while summoning several at once.
He didn’t get his S-rank just by collecting cards.
“Are you a hardliner, or a moderate?”
“…!”
For the first time, Seol Jihoon’s face tensed a little.
He reacted when I mentioned their jargon.
“How’s the Office Worker doing?”
He’s on the hardliner side.
“Honestly, I figured there was something up. You took down all the Death Knights solo, and even the boss.”
Seol Jihoon raised his hand. Shields of Light closed in from all directions, as if to crush me.
“What’s your goal?”
“My goal?”
“Yeah, your goal.”
Villains who keep sacrificing offerings to summon something.
Before, I thought their goal was to bring out the Earth Dragon.
If it hadn’t been for me, the damage from the Earth Dragon would’ve been catastrophic. But is that really their endgame?
“My goal is simple. To protect people, and one day, create a peaceful world without Gates.”
Look at this guy.
Smiling so innocently, playing the role of the righteous, diligent youth. But his eyes said otherwise.
Cold, emotionless, sharp, and cunning.
“What exactly do you want to hear, Team Leader Lee Hyunbin of Hanul?”
‘He’s definitely wary of me.’
Seol Jihoon asked with a nonchalant smile.
It’s common knowledge you can’t record audio or video in a dungeon. So even if I reveal myself, it doesn’t matter.
Still, he was on guard.
‘Did info from the Kim Kimon case leak?’
Anyway, my suspicions were confirmed.
“Don’t mess around like this. To be honest, people are sensitive right now because of what you did to the Fighting God Guild.”
Seol Jihoon raised his hand to dispel Aegis.
He was trying to smooth things over as just a little incident.
Good idea. He knew that if this situation escalated, things could get tricky.
But too bad. I’m not letting it end here.
Crash! Shatter!
My sword shattered Aegis, scattering like glass across the floor.
Seol Jihoon’s pupils dilated in shock.
No need to clean it up for him. Why bother?
“Guess you didn’t hear from the Office Worker.”
Now, for round two.
“You shouldn’t judge me by your standards.”
Thwack!
My low kick smashed into Seol Jihoon’s shin.
“Ugh!”
It was satisfying to see Seol Jihoon’s previously relaxed face crumple like paper.
He staggered back.
Understandable. The pain must be unfamiliar.
“Not used to getting hit because you’re always hiding behind shields?”
Wham!
Seol Jihoon reeled from my one-two punch.
“This… no, this is…!”
“What?”
“Forget breaking Aegis for a moment.”
He was truly flustered now that his skill was shattered for the first time.
“It just felt like a regular punch, but the pain…!”
Usually, when a hunter awakens, they sync with the System. A mana stone is naturally created.
The oft-mentioned HP System. When hit, your HP decreases. That’s the norm.
Hunters with high HP don’t even feel pain.
“You all must not get along well, huh? Not sharing secrets?”
The Office Worker didn’t get knocked out by me for nothing.
The HP System isn’t absolute. It only applies within the boundaries of your awareness.
Just because reality is like a game doesn’t mean it’s actually a game.
As Seol Jihoon charged at me, he summoned Aegis again to block.
I wrapped Soul Breaker around my sword and slashed.
Crash!
“…!”
Seol Jihoon watched his ultimate defense shatter again.
I slashed at his neck. He barely blocked.
With my left hand, I grabbed his arm.
Using his own arm to interfere with his sword swing.
Wham!
I spun and struck his head with an elbow blow.
This should be the finishing blow.
“Kh…!”
Seol Jihoon didn’t fall, but he leaned back against the wall, gritting his teeth.
His expression looked much better now.
He must not understand.
No fancy skills, just being battered senseless by someone who appeared out of nowhere.
Eleven years.
I’ve been doing this for eleven years, enjoying the System’s benefits.
No matter how many battles he’s fought, he hasn’t rolled around on fields of corpses like I have.
-Dungeon boss, Lich, has died.
Suddenly, a message popped up before my eyes.
I looked at where I’d left my sword—turns out the Lich had stopped moving.
Ah, guess I wasn’t paying enough attention to him.
“What, already? The boss is down?”
Just then, people from the Fighting God Guild started coming into the Boss Room.
They must’ve witnessed the scene of me facing off with Seol Jihoon.
“Team Leader!”
At that moment, our guild members entered safely as well.
Seeing me squaring off alone against the Fighting God Guild members, Kim Taeyang and Kim Inho’s eyes blazed.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“What? Kim Inho, you traitor, changing guilds and glaring at your seniors? You better watch yourself.”
“You only just joined Hanul, and now you want to boss us around just because you’re a senior?”
“What? Are you crazy?”
Tension flared between the guilds.
Seol Jihoon wiped his lips.
His lip was split from my blow.
“It’s nothing. Don’t make a fuss.”
“Hunter Seol, you were attacked by that bastard—”
“No. Hunter Lee Hyunbin took down the boss a long time ago.”
“…!”
Learning that Hanul had taken the boss, the Fighting God Guild members’ faces filled with shock.
From what they saw, it must have looked like I was picking a fight after Seol Jihoon stole the boss.
“Hunter Lee Hyunbin was just so strong, I thought I’d try a spar, that’s all.”
That’s how Seol Jihoon put it.
It’d be hard to admit he’d just gotten beat down by me.
“Thank you for accommodating my unreasonable request.”
Before I knew it, Seol Jihoon had returned to his easygoing young man act.
The traces of my hits were already gone, thanks to his innate Holy Power.
“And don’t get the wrong idea. Things are tense enough between Fighting God and Hanul.”
It was hard to tell if that was a threat or advice.
“In my opinion, Fighting God probably…”
I responded firmly to his vague remark.
“I’m pretty sure they know what you really are.”
A smile cracked awkwardly across Seol Jihoon’s lips at my words.
“Congratulations on taking the boss. Looks like you got quite a haul.”
That’s all Seol Jihoon said in reply.
I have good instincts.
And now, I finally understood why I never liked Fighting God from the start.