My Way Skill Book 011
Chapter 11
The four who had grabbed Seono headed straight for the dungeon.
I stuck close to them and entered together when they went through the portal leading into the dungeon.
[You have entered Seoul Yeongdeungpo Dungeon No. 8.]
[This is a 2-Star Dungeon.]
[Overflow: 174/1000]
[Monsters have been spawned.]
The bastards who had entered the dungeon began hunting monsters.
Seono stood aside with a gloomy expression.
"What are you standing around for! Aren't you going to dismantle them already?"
Thud.
One of the men kicked Seono hard in the back.
Seono, who tumbled to the ground from the impact, clung to the fallen monster with a face that looked like he was about to cry.
'Just hold on a little longer.'
He couldn't hear me, but I said it inwardly.
While the bastards were hunting, the mana I had lost from [Stealth] gradually recovered.
After finishing the hunt on the 1st floor, the bastards went down to the 2nd floor. I followed behind them down the long staircase leading to the 2nd floor.
Once down on the 2nd floor, the bastards began catching monsters just as they had on the 1st floor.
While worrying about how to catch the four Hunters, I summoned my book and created one more skill.
After that, I continued tailing them while waiting for an opportunity.
It was when they had come deep into the forest, far from the staircase.
"Hey, I gotta take a quick piss."
One of them said so and headed to a spot away from the group.
'The time has come.'
I followed him.
Fortunately, it was exactly that bastard who had faintly sensed my presence.
I approached from behind the bastard, who knew nothing and was pissing against a tree.
The spear thrust with all my strength pierced straight through his defenseless back.
Stab!
Stealth broke the moment I attacked, revealing my form.
"!?"
The bastard's face as he turned around was filled with two emotions: bewilderment and shock.
However, he couldn't scream or alert his comrades to my presence—he only flapped his mouth open and closed.
When I pulled out the spear, the bastard tried to run toward his comrades.
I stabbed him in the back once more.
The staggering bastard collapsed forward.
The fallen bastard couldn't move at all. His HP had dropped drastically.
HP was a Hunter's life gauge.
As long as it wasn't a fatal injury like having one's neck severed or abdomen pierced, if a certain amount of HP remained, a Hunter could move while conscious.
However, if it dropped to 10% or below, the Hunter lost consciousness, and at 0%, they lost their life.
'Stealth!'
The world turned black and white again, and I prepared a trap to catch my next prey.
***
"Why the hell is this bastard taking so long?"
When the comrade who had gone to relieve himself didn't return no matter how long they waited, one of the Hunters growled in annoyance.
"Hey! Gim Uil! What are you doing!"
He shouted, but there was no answer.
"You don't think he got attacked by a monster, do you?"
"Moron. Would he get done in by monsters on the 2nd floor? And even if something had happened, he would've screamed or something."
"Maybe he went to piss and got the sudden urge to shit?"
A few more minutes passed, yet their comrade still hadn't returned.
"Something's wrong. You guys wait here. I'll go look for him. Where the hell is this bastard and what is he doing?"
One of the Hunters turned back the way they had come.
The surroundings were filled with trees, making visibility poor.
While wandering around calling his comrade's name, the Hunter spotted something on the ground and stopped.
It was a small leather bag.
'This is Uil's inventory. Why is this here...?'
The next moment, he felt a pain like his back was being torn apart.
"!?"
He quickly turned around.
The Hunter who had been with Seono earlier was holding a spear wrapped in flames.
The Hunter, who had been about to curse, realized no sound was coming from his mouth and opened his eyes wide.
It was because of the [Silence Spear] skill that Hwajin had created.
Created with
The attacked Hunter tried to raise his weapon to counterattack. However, Hwajin, seeing that, wildly twisted the spear embedded in the opponent's back.
"!!?!?!?"
The hellfire-like heat spreading through his body scorched the Hunter's muscles and internal organs into a mess.
The Hunter, whose HP plummeted by a massive amount in an instant, let go of his weapon and lost consciousness.
"Two left."
Hwajin dragged the fallen Hunter and disappeared somewhere.
When even the person who had gone to find their comrade didn't return, the faces of the remaining two Hunters grew increasingly dark.
"This is bad. Let's go look."
"Okay. Hey, you come too."
The two began wandering around searching for their disappeared comrades, dragging Seono along.
"Wait. Isn't that blood?"
"...Fuck."
The two Hunters flinched upon seeing the pools of blood on the ground.
The blood trail continued between the trees.
The Hunters drew their weapons.
"Hey, you walk in front."
"Urk...."
One Hunter roughly grabbed Seono by the nape and shoved him forward.
With Seono placed in front, the Hunters carefully followed the blood trail.
Their steps gradually slowed, cold sweat dripped down their faces, and their eyes moved nonstop to survey the surroundings.
Shortly after, in a small clearing surrounded by trees, the two finally found their comrades.
Seeing their comrades collapsed on the ground, motionless like hardened corpses, the two Hunters quickly put their backs against each other.
"W-who the hell...?"
One Hunter snatched Seono, who was beside him, and put a blade to his neck.
"We know you're here! Come out! If you don't, this brat dies!"
"What? Why are you suddenly doing this?"
"Don't you get it yet? It's obviously the bastard who was with this kid earlier!"
The Hunter holding Seono hostage surveyed the surroundings, dripping with cold sweat.
It was right the next moment.
"Here I am, you bastard."
A voice was heard right beside the Hunter.
The Hunter turned his head to see who had spoken, but he couldn't.
Because flames had engulfed his face.
***
I took my eyes off the Hunter rolling on the ground with his face on fire and looked at the Hunter beside him.
The bastard had an expression as if he had seen a ghost.
"U-urk...."
Seeing strength entering the bastard's hand gripping his weapon, I swung the Flame Spear without hesitation.
"Argh!"
Flames extending from the spear engulfed him.
"Krrgh!"
Even as he suffered in pain, the bastard tried to rush at me once more.
With the Flame Spear thrust forward, I used [Charge].
Squelch!
The spear accurately pierced the bastard's stomach.
Shortly after, the weapon the bastard had been holding fell to the ground.
[You have defeated four Hunters.]
[Obtained 100 EXP in total.]
[Objective achieved.]
[Obtained 100 EXP as an objective completion reward.]
[Defeated all enemies without taking damage using Stealth. Acquires new Word
[Obtained 20 EXP.]
'A Word!'
It was completely unexpected. I was surprised that Words could be obtained this way as well.
"Hyung!"
Seono ran to me. I placed my hand on Seono's head.
"You went through a lot. Sorry about earlier. I had no choice but to trick these bastards."
"Urk...."
At that moment, the Hunter whose face was contorted from burns let out a groan. It seemed he still had HP remaining.
"W-why would you do this for a D-Rank Hunter like that...."
I approached the bastard and kicked him hard in the jaw. He screamed.
"He's not D-Rank, he's a human, you bastard."
Leaving behind the bastard's groans, I looked at Seono.
"Seono."
"Yes, Hyung."
I handed the spear, now devoid of flames, to Seono.
"Do whatever you want. Those bastards won't be able to move properly for a while."
When I said that, Seono's eyes went wide. The bastard who had been groaning flinched and looked at Seono in alarm.
Seono held the spear close and quietly gazed at the fallen Hunters.
"I understand."
As if having steeled his resolve, Seono gripped the spear and walked toward the burned Hunter.
"P-please spare me! We—I was wrong! We won't make you work for us or follow you again, so please!"
Seono didn't stop walking.
"U-urk...."
I could see the burned Hunter trembling.
His HP must still be draining from the burns. His consciousness would gradually blur, and moving would become harder.
Thus, no matter what Seono did, he couldn't resist.
Seono stepped on the Hunter's back with one foot and raised the spear.
Crack!
Shortly after, in Seono's hand as he returned to me was the leather pouch the Hunter had worn on his waist.
It was an inventory that would probably sell for around ten million won at the market.
"It's the price for working under them until now."
"Is that enough?"
Seono nodded.
"Got it."
I took the spear back from Seono.
We left the unconscious Hunters behind in the dungeon and came outside.
"Hyung, take this."
What Seono held out to me was the inventory taken from the Hunter.
"Why are you giving this to me? You took it as compensation for what they put you through."
"Because you saved me from them, Hyung. It's my repayment. And I like that better."
Seono smiled and pointed at the Forest Goblin's inventory I had on my back.
'...You little rascal.'
I couldn't help but pat Seono's head.
"But Hyung, you're really strong. You took them all down by yourself, and you have so many skills. Are you perhaps an S-Rank Hunter?"
"No. I'm D-Rank, though?"
When I answered like that, Seono laughed. He seemed to think I was joking. Honestly, if I were in Seono's position, I wouldn't have believed it either.
Buzz.
Just as I was about to tell him I was serious, my phone vibrated.
'Huh....'
My body stiffened when I checked the phone screen.
The call was from Hyeongcheol.
I felt my chest rapidly grow cold.
"Seono, wait here for a second. I need to take a call."
"Okay."
I moved far enough away that the call wouldn't be heard while keeping Seono in my sight.
'What happened....'
It was Hyeongcheol himself who had said not to contact each other directly, in case our connection was revealed to the Soyu Syndicate.
For Hyeongcheol to call like this meant it was no ordinary matter.
"Hello."
"Hwajin."
Hyeongcheol's voice was slightly trembling, as if suppressing something. Swallowing saliva at the thought that something ominous had occurred.
"Why, what happened?"
"The Soyu Syndicate stormed the place where Jinhui was hiding."
My ominous premonition was correct. My mind went blank for a moment, and words wouldn't come out.
"We have a traitor among us."
"What about Jinhui!"
"Fortunately, we moved Jinhui to the hideout before that, but it's only a matter of time before the hideout's location is exposed. Besides the traitor, two others were captured too."
Damn it.
My legs began to tremble.
"I'm trying to calm everyone down somehow, but it's no use anymore. People are saying we should hand Jinhui over to the Soyu Syndicate right now. I'm sorry. I think you need to come back immediately."
"Got it. I'll head back right away. Hyeongcheol. I'm begging you. Please protect Jinhui until I get there."
"...I'll do my best."
After hanging up, I clenched my teeth.
It was too soon. I hadn't expected my leeway to disappear like this.
"Hyung?"
Seono had come to my side before I knew it.
"Seono, I'm sorry. I said we'd leave in three days, but something suddenly came up."
A shadow fell across Seono's face.
"Hyung. Can I come with you?"
"That's...."
I was about to say no. Right now, I wasn't heading to another dungeon—I was going to fight the Jang Soyu Syndicate. If Seono stayed by my side, he could be in danger too.
However, leaving Seono here alone was also unsettling.
Even though I had warned them I'd kill them if they showed up again, there was a non-zero chance those bastards would change their minds if they found Seono alone.
"...Fine. Let's go together."
Seono's expression brightened.
"But until my business is finished, don't come out at all and stay in the lodging."
"Yes!"
I took Seono out to the road to catch a taxi.
Shortly after, having arrived near Dongdaemun, I left Seono at an inn and caught another taxi heading to the underground force's hideout.
The hideout was an abandoned building on the outskirts of the residential area. It was a ruin where no one lived now, being a place that had suffered a monster attack.
I got out of the taxi and ran, but my smartphone vibrated in my pocket.
"Hello?"
"Hwajin. Where are you now?"
"I'm almost there. Near the hideout."
"Be careful. Those bastards have set up camp at the building entrance."
Upon hearing Hyeongcheol's warning, I stopped running blindly.
Hiding my body behind abandoned cars and building debris as I approached the hideout, I saw the Soyu Syndicate camping in front of the building entrance, just as Hyeongcheol had said.