My Skill Book My Way - Chapter 28
Chapter 28
I could tell what kind of monster had appeared without even looking.
There was a Dongdaemun Dungeon No. 2 nearby.
And these heavy footsteps.
'I knew it!'
When I turned the corner, there was a golem.
Besides the golem, the monsters I had seen in the dungeon last night were scattered throughout the streets.
The monsters were indiscriminately attacking people.
I took out a spear from my inventory.
I didn't really have a reason to hunt monsters since I hadn't received a quest, but it didn't feel good to just stand by and watch people die either.
[A new objective has been assigned.]
"..."
I summoned the book and looked it over.
--------------------
-Objective Setting-
[Sub] Exploration
- Explore the space connected to the purple portal.
[Sub] Monster Extermination
- Exterminate all monsters in the vicinity.
--------------------
'I was planning to do that anyway.'
I couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling that someone was making me work, but that didn't mean I was going to stay still.
I was about to apply [Thunder Spear] to Jain's axe-spear but hesitated.
If it were inside a dungeon where there were only me and the monsters, that would be one thing, but using Thunder Spear here carried the risk of hurting people who were close to the monsters as well.
'Besides, normal attacks are more than enough to deal with these monsters anyway.'
"Charge!"
I flew toward the nearest monster.
Crack!
"Uaack!?"
The man pinned under the goblin screamed.
"Hurry and run somewhere without monsters."
I said, shaking blood off my spear.
"Th-thank you!"
He shouted and scrambled away.
I started by taking down the monsters attacking people first. Then, as if recognizing me as an enemy, the monsters stopped assaulting people and rushed at me.
'Saved me the trouble. Good.'
I immediately used [Thunder Spear].
Crackle!
After swinging my spear a few times, the monsters weak to electricity—goblins, bats, and the like—were annihilated instantly.
I personally smashed the stone lumps that didn't conduct electricity well.
After killing twenty goblins, four bats, and five mini-golems like that, there were no more normal monsters in the vicinity.
'All that's left is the boss golem.'
I turned my head toward the golem. It was smashing cars and buildings.
'If I'm going to take it down anyway, I might as well get something out of it.'
I selected magic stones with [Drop Enhancement], then used [Charge] to take down the golem.
"Waaah!"
As the remains of the collapsed golem disappeared and I was picking up the magic stones on the ground, I heard a sudden cheer.
Looking around, there were quite a lot of people.
'They didn't run, they just watched?'
People who didn't know the value of their own lives.
[Objective achieved.]
[You have acquired 1,500 EXP.]
I put the spear and magic stones into my inventory.
Then my phone rang.
It was Hyeri.
"Hello?"
[Mr. Hwajin, where are you right now?]
"Ah, I'm at Dongdaemun right now. On my way to the guild, I stopped for a moment..."
[That's a relief. Perfect timing.]
"What do you mean?"
[You know that overflows are happening in dungeons across the country right now, right?]
"Yes. I was just taking down monsters from an overflow."
[Are you near Dongdaemun Dungeon No. 2?]
"That's right."
[Then please wait in front of the dungeon. Mr. Gangil, the Vice Guild Leader, and I are heading there right now.]
"Huh?"
[An emergency quest came to the guild. It's to investigate a dungeon where an overflow has occurred.]
"Ah, I see. Understood. I'll wait in front of the dungeon."
I hung up and used [Charge] to dash toward Dongdaemun Dungeon No. 2.
The area in front of the dungeon was quieter than I expected. There were only government officials and soldiers standing guard with tense faces.
"Ah, you're the person from yesterday!"
One of the officials ran up to me.
"Did you come after receiving a quest to reduce the overflow level today as well? You've come at the perfect time. Right now..."
He thrust the overflow measurement device I had seen yesterday toward me.
"No, today it's not that..."
"Mr. Hwajin."
I turned around at the sound of my name and saw the Vice Guild Leader walking over. Hyeri and the older man were with him.
The Vice Guild Leader told the official that we were from Atlas Guild.
"I apologize for earlier."
The official bowed to me.
"Then we'll leave the investigation to you immediately. This..."
He handed the Vice Guild Leader a disc slightly larger than his palm.
The metal disc was covered in unfamiliar characters—shaped as if worms were dancing.
"What is this?"
Hyeri asked the Vice Guild Leader.
"I'll explain once we're inside. We don't have time."
The Vice Guild Leader stood before the portal leading into the dungeon and had us place our hands on the disc.
"We'll enter like this. Don't let go."
As I followed the Vice Guild Leader's instructions and entered the portal, a voice rang out.
[You have entered the central area of Seoul Dongdaemun Dungeon No. 2.]
[This dungeon is a 4-Star Dungeon.]
[Overflow: 9999/10000]
[Monsters have been generated.]
"The central area? I heard something like that."
The older man said with a puzzled expression.
"I'll explain as we descend."
The Vice Guild Leader put the disc in his inventory and began walking. We followed behind him.
"That disc is called a [Core Ticket]. It's an item that drops for the first person to clear a dungeon when it appears."
'Core Ticket?'
The word ticket made me think of a paper ticket.
"As you all know, when you take a portal into a dungeon, it creates a dungeon that only those people can enter. The dungeons we usually enter this way are called Parallel Stages."
I knew dungeons were generated as if copied, but this was the first time I heard a name for it.
"However, Core Dungeons entered with a Core Ticket have slightly different properties. Here, monsters multiply after a certain amount of time."
"Huh. That's fascinating."
The older man said in a slightly surprised voice.
"Does that apply to bosses too?"
"Yes. Bosses and elites also increase in number after a set time. The prevailing theory is that the monsters generated here transfer to each dungeon."
"Then the overflow level is..."
Hyeri said, looking around.
"Yes. It's a measure of how much the monsters in this Core Dungeon have multiplied."
"Isn't that dangerous? The overflow level was 9999 when we came in."
"Yes. It is dangerous."
Hearing the Vice Guild Leader's answer, I felt like I'd been punched in the head.
'What kind of person says it's dangerous so calmly? Look. Even Hyeri and the older man have blank expressions.'
I stared at him in disbelief, and he added:
"That's why I'm here. Ms. Hyeri, Mr. Gangil, if anything happens, retreat immediately and report the situation outside."
"Is my role different?"
Since I'd been left out of his instructions just now, I asked.
"Mr. Hwajin, I'd like you to handle the monsters with me. If you're someone who took down a field boss alone, the monsters of a 4-star dungeon should be nothing, right?"
I found his tone somehow provoking.
Because the Vice Guild Leader I'd seen until now wasn't this kind of person.
Just then, holes began appearing all over the path ahead.
From what looked like roughly a hundred holes, goblins emerged.
"We don't have the luxury to conserve strength. Eliminate them with everything you've got."
"...Understood."
I applied [Thunder Spear] to the axe-spear.
If I chalked it up to gear or skill buffs, I should be able to keep my magic stone refinement a secret.
"In return, you'll have to pay me properly."
"Of course."
The Vice Guild Leader answered and thrust his shield forward, charging ahead.
Boom!
Like a tank, he sent a dozen or so goblins flying into the air.
I couldn't feel any mana, so it didn't seem to be a skill.
'As expected, the Vice Guild Leader is strong.'
I gripped the axe-spear with both hands and glared at the goblins.
'Charge!'
As I plunged into the horde of goblins, electricity surged from the Thunder Spear and engulfed them.
[You have defeated 27 goblins.]
[You have acquired 810 EXP.]
Reaching the center of the goblins, I swung my spear at every one I saw, and each time goblins were swept away.
Before long, there were no more standing monsters.
"Then let's continue descending."
The Vice Guild Leader said and walked ahead.
"Hwajin. How'd you get so strong? You're incomparable to when you were at the Magic Tower."
As expected, the older man threw a question. Hyeri also looked curious, waiting for my answer.
I told them it was the synergy between the lightning enhancement effect of Jain's axe-spear and the [Thunder Spear] skill.
"I see... I wish I could create skills to match the situation too. Most hunters have to live with fixed skills."
"Mr. Hwajin is like a cheater to hunters. I'm jealous."
"..."
I didn't say anything. If our positions were reversed, I would have been incredibly jealous too.
I might have even distanced myself from that person entirely out of spite or jealousy.
"Well, no use getting depressed over what you can't do. Let's go."
However, the older man spoke with a surprisingly refreshing voice.
We continued advancing, sweeping away bats, goblins, and mini-golems.
I couldn't count exactly, but I had killed nearly 500 monsters alone, and with only the bosses in the cavern left, the EXP I had gained totaled nearly 15,000.
The Vice Guild Leader and I had handled nearly 90% of the monsters, but Gangil and Hyeri hadn't just stood by watching.
Gangil took care of the monsters we missed. Hyeri, true to her role as a buffer, cast mana recovery enhancements with excellent timing.
"The fact that there were so many monsters means there are multiple bosses, right?"
Hyeri asked the Vice Guild Leader, sounding worried.
"I don't know how many, but there are definitely multiple. Mr. Gangil, Ms. Hyeri, please wait outside."
'I'm getting tired of fighting monsters too, can't I wait outside as well?'
"Let's go, Mr. Hwajin."
Seemed not.
I entered the cavern with the Vice Guild Leader.
There were ten bosses inside the cavern, not to mention elites.
"Let's clean them up as fast as possible before they all rush at once."
The Vice Guild Leader said and kicked off the ground, flying toward them.
Despite wearing heavy armor, the Vice Guild Leader jumped above the golems and shouted.
"Super Gravity!"
Instantly, the Vice Guild Leader plummeted straight down.
Splat!
The shield he thrust out as he fell smashed the golem from head to chest.
'So that's the Vice Guild Leader's skill.'
The Vice Guild Leader landed safely on the ground.
'So that tremendous defense translates directly into attack power.'
I glanced at the Vice Guild Leader's fight and cleaned up the golems and elites.
***
Jinhan stole glances at Hwajin while fighting the monsters. Hwajin was flying around facing bosses and elites.
'As expected, his abilities are too outstanding to be called A-rank.'
Whether he's hiding his abilities and scheming something, or simply just strong.
As Vice Guild Leader, Jinhan felt obligated to determine whether Hwajin would be an asset or a threat to Atlas.
'For now, there's nothing particularly noticeable besides his abilities. I'll have to watch him a bit longer.'
***
[You have cleared the central area of Seoul Dongdaemun Dungeon No. 2.]
[Overflow level will be reset to 100.]
[A portal connecting outside the dungeon will be generated shortly.]
"Hmm."
The Vice Guild Leader looked at the now-empty cavern and made a dissatisfied sound.
"I've been observing carefully on the way here, but nothing seems particularly different. We need to find the reason why the number of monsters suddenly increased..."
It was then.
Booooom.
The cavern shook and a large portal appeared.
"Ah."
The portal glowed with a deep purple—just like the one from last night.