NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25
Eventually, Song Ha Yeon and Baek Eun Ha returned to the dungeon after stopping by home.
After being cramped in the narrow car three times, Baek Eun Ha’s complexion had turned pale, but Song Ha Yeon’s attitude was resolute.
“…You brought this upon yourself.”
“Ugh.”
Thus, they once again confirmed their identities at the entrance, where the staff, still slightly suspicious from the earlier incident, hesitated but ultimately approved their entry after glancing at the B Rank Song Ha Yeon.
With that, the two managed to enter the D1 Rank Dungeon.
Woosh.
Hwiing.
“It smells like beast.”
Song Ha Yeon, now a professional hunter in the upper-middle class, was adept at gathering information.
“With this terrain, won’t we encounter Gray Wolves or Elo Monkeys?”
Boasting her knowledge, Song Ha Yeon noticed that her master was only sending her sharp glances.
“Um, Master?”
Feeling a bit deflated, she heard Baek Eun Ha respond.
“…Take out everything you usually use.”
“Ah, yes.”
Could it be that she was sulking just because she had to stay in the car for a bit longer?
Casting a quick glance at her master, Song Ha Yeon started summoning the undead using the medium she had prepared.
Hooong.
“Undead Call.”
Pooof!
Giggik.
Gigi-gigik.
Accompanied by eerie bone sounds, undead began to rise from the ground.
Skeleton Warriors and Archers, among others. The sight of the summoned creatures standing in formation looked quite impressive.
Fwooosh—!
Among them, the highlight was the Skeleton Masher.
Seeing its blood-stained bones and its enormous body compared to other skeletons made it seem like even a decent hunter would hesitate before it.
“How do you like it?”
Song Ha Yeon, who had crafted this spectacle, looked at Baek Eun Ha with a confident face.
Indeed, at this level, she wouldn’t be outmatched even among B Rank hunters. Her master would surely be impressed.
However, in an instant, Song Ha Yeon’s expectations were shattered.
“…It lacks substance.”
“Eh? Why?”
Song Ha Yeon couldn’t see anything particularly wrong.
The time taken to gather power was short, and the quality of the individual undead was excellent.
But Baek Eun Ha walked up among the skeletons and began to smash the Skeleton Masher’s head with his fist, filled with magic.
Thud!
Thud!
Bang!
“…Look.”
“W-what is it?”
Not understanding his intention, Song Ha Yeon asked again, to which Baek Eun Ha whined.
“…Its head is empty.”
So, does that mean it’s not filled? Song Ha Yeon nearly blurted out in disbelief at her master’s nonsense.
Oblivious to Song Ha Yeon’s feelings, Baek Eun Ha issued another command.
“…The medium.”
He probably meant he would show her directly. With a mix of faith and skepticism, Song Ha Yeon handed over the carefully crafted medium for the Skeleton Masher.
Thud.
Taking it, Baek Eun Ha frowned and began to examine the bones with scrutiny.
Then, he seemed to ready himself to cast necromancy.
“……”
However, after about ten seconds of waiting in that position, he sighed heavily and began to whine again.
“…There’s no sincerity in the materials. I can’t find the motivation.”
Only then did Song Ha Yeon finally realize.
‘Ah.’
As she had heard in the past, Baek Eun Ha was an old necromancer who had lived for over a hundred years in that other world.
In other words, her master was quite an eccentric elder.
#
Pooosh!
That was it.
Gigi-gigik.
“W-what about this time?”
Song Ha Yeon certainly had talent. Even in such a short time, she was showing improvement the more she was pointed out.
However, from my standpoint, it still didn’t quite satisfy me. I felt embarrassed to even call her my disciple.
“…That’s not how you do it.”
“Ugh.”
But I decided to stop giving advice.
Our conversation was slowly becoming difficult, and perhaps because we had lingered too much at the entrance, the dungeon’s monsters were approaching us.
Grrrr.
Cwooow!
“…They’re here.”
As Song Ha Yeon had predicted, the monsters residing in this dungeon were a pack of Gray Wolves.
The vanguard consisted of five creatures. That many should be easy.
I stepped forward to gather some energy.
“Are you sure you don’t need my help?”
Of course, it was fine. After all, Song Ha Yeon was brought along merely as a distraction at the entrance.
However, just as the fight was about to begin, a surge of anxiety forced me to call out to Song Ha Yeon again.
“Uh, uh over there.”
“Ah. Yes. Should I help?”
“Could you… just stay out of sight for about ten meters…?”
“Ah. Yes.”
Hearing that, Song Ha Yeon gave me a sympathetic look and disappeared from my sight.
Finally feeling the debuff lift, I quickly took a combat stance.
Cwooow!
Pat.
Paw.
The first to rush in were the two from the front. A pincer attack targeting both sides. I began to chant the spell I had prepared beforehand.
“Curse Blind.”
Swish!
Cwooow!
Keng?
The Gray Wolves, baring their teeth, halted in confusion.
Seemingly having regained their bearings by scent, they prepared to resume their assault, but even a moment’s delay was enough.
I stepped back, avoiding their attack while channeling energy to touch the area around the hearts of the Gray Wolves.
Then, gently reciting a spell, the energy flowed within them and triggered a corrosion curse.
Keh-hehng!
Keng!
Thud.
Before they could even feel any pain, the two Gray Wolves fell to the ground, convulsing.
It looked like they would die in about five seconds.
From there, it became simple.
“Undead Call.”
Hooong.
Whoosh.
[Gruuuh.]
[Kruuk.]
In an instant, the Gray Wolves covered in energy were reborn as faithful servants of death.
I didn’t hesitate to issue the command.
“Attack.”
[Kru-kruk.]
Cwooow!
Keh-ack!
Crack!
Crack!
The conclusion came swiftly. Unlike the previous encounters, I could now use some of my own energy to assist.
The difference was indeed significant.
“Keek…”
With the final cry of the giant Gray Wolf leading the pack, the battle concluded without excitement.
Song Ha Yeon, rushing in to see the spectacle, wore a surprised expression.
“Wow….”
Seeing her face, I felt a swell of pride.
For Song Ha Yeon, as a necromancer, she must have truly felt how impressive my skills were from that battle.
“Weren’t you level 1? How could this be?”
That was the reaction I expected.
I felt all the frustrations of the past wash away as I grinned broadly.
“Heh.”
Despite having terrible hardware, I was achieving maximum efficiency.
Truly a perfect skill.
If one were to grade me, it would be challenger-level control!
“There’s fur on you.”
Rubbing.
“Eeeek!”
Thud!
Lost in self-praise, I let out an embarrassing scream as Song Ha Yeon suddenly gripped the back of my neck, causing me to crumble to the ground.
“D-don’t… touch… me…”
“Ah! I’m sorry!”
In an instant, an eerie silence filled the dungeon, only the harsh notification sound ringing out.
Ding!
【Your level has increased!】
#
In the association’s subordinate organization, Lee Seung Cheol, who managed the entry records for the dungeon, thought to himself as he watched Baek Eun Ha and Song Ha Yeon enter the D1 Rank Dungeon.
‘They’re going to struggle a bit.’
It wasn’t hard to guess their objective. Considering their rank difference, they were likely a growth duo for one another.
It was a common practice among the high-ups.
‘These silver spoons….’
However, Lee Seung Cheol knew well the hardships they were about to face.
‘They’re thinking the same way. Just because she’s B Rank, does she think she can do anything alone?’
Once every couple of months, there’s always a high-ranking hunter who tries to conquer a low-rank dungeon alone.
But it was truly laughable, as they never came back for the same task after their first experience.
‘When they actually try, they realize it’s tougher than they thought.’
When approaching a dungeon as a party, they just had to focus on their roles. But battling a multitude of monsters alone made it impossible.
While their basic specs weren’t bad enough to lose, they naturally couldn’t engage in efficient combat.
Moreover, conquering a dungeon wasn’t solely about fighting. Sometimes, one had to navigate through mazes or analyze hidden rules using their wit.
Doing this alone was akin to willingly inviting hardship upon themselves.
So what happens? In the end, they would exert all the available strength they had, yet time would drag on.
Unless it were a D3 dungeon, choosing a D1 or D2 rank usually spelled trouble.
‘Didn’t that B Rank fighter take until dawn to come out last time?’
They had entered confidently, thinking they’d finish it in an hour, only to emerge later with faces full of weariness.
Ultimately, those who attempted solo challenges realized the calculations didn’t add up and returned to their original parties.
Surely, the two who just entered would follow in the same footsteps.
‘Wow, and they’re not even front-line classes? They should at least have some backup when they come in like this. What on earth are they thinking?’
Then it could be said the conclusion was pretty much settled.
A woman who didn’t seem to have any notable close-combat abilities, and a cute girl who likely had never lifted a finger for a fight in her life.
Additionally, their visible gear and items were woefully inadequate. The sheer lack of preparedness showcased their immaturity.
Lee Seung Cheol already felt he could foresee their future.
‘Since they’re bound to take a while, should I leave my juniors here and go grab some food?’
However, just two hours later, Lee Seung Cheol’s expectations would be completely shattered.
“Ah, seriously, master. How could you not give me even one?”
“……”
“Are you still sulking? Come on, the great Lord of Death couldn’t possibly be upset over something like that?”
“…Shut up.”
Two hours.
It had only been two hours since they entered the dungeon.
Moreover, the two did not look like they had even participated in a proper battle.
It didn’t make sense from a logical standpoint.
“Did you, uh, clear it?”
“…We cleared everything, so we came out, right?”
With Song Ha Yeon’s nonchalant statement, Lee Seung Cheol stood there, mouth agape.
After processing their exit, once he saw them leave, he scratched his head in confusion.
‘That’s strange….’
Then he called up a senior who had taken leave to ask him a question.
Ding ding!
[What?]
“Senior, is it normal to clear a D1 Rank dungeon in just two hours? With a party of one B Rank and one D Rank?”
[If there’s a B and a D, is it a bus? It’s easy; what nonsense are you spouting? Even with a four-person party, six hours is considered fast.]
“Is that so?”
[If you’re going to spout nonsense, hang up. I don’t want to talk about work while on my day off.]
Click.
‘That’s quite strange….’
Hearing his senior’s words only confirmed this was no ordinary clearing speed.
“Is it that not all B Ranks are the same…?”
Song Ha Yeon and Baek Eun Ha.
Lee Seung Cheol decided to firmly engrave the names of these two unusual individuals in his mind.