Levelling Up In An Exclusive Dungeon

Chapter 10

While Kang Jin-hyuk-nim was casting Heal towards the front, he felt a sense of unease.

Wondering what was going on, he looked around and found his baseball bat trying to crawl out of his inventory on its own.

Kang Jin-hyuk-nim realized from past experience that this phenomenon wasn’t happening without a reason.

“Is there something nearby?”

Kang Jin-hyuk-nim quickly grabbed the baseball bat and carefully looked around.

Thanks to the bat’s ability to sense enemies, Kang Jin-hyuk-nim could vaguely feel the enemy’s location.

Kang Jin-hyuk-nim saw a part of his vision shimmering like a heat haze and immediately swung the bat.

“Kieeek!”

A Lizardman, who had been camouflaged with protective coloration, screamed with its face caved in.

Seeing that, the surrounding Lizardmen were startled and revealed their original colors.

“Gasp!”

“Monsters came all the way here?!”

The Clerics turned pale as soon as they discovered the monster group that appeared right next to them.

The Titan Hunters fighting in the front seemed preoccupied with chasing after Ahn Do-yoon, who had rushed out impulsively.

They seemed completely unaware of the monster group that had ambushed them from behind.

Kang Jin-hyuk-nim shouted to the panicked Clerics, telling them not to worry.

“I’ll take care of them, so you guys focus on healing!”

Hearing that, the Clerics jumped up with surprised expressions.

“You’re going to block them all by yourself?”

“That’s impossible!”

Just by roughly counting, there were over 20 of them.

It was practically suicide for a single Cleric to face something that even damage-dealing Hunters would struggle to handle.

“We’d rather help too!”

“If we fight together, we can manage somehow!”

The Clerics thought they could withstand the ambush if they healed each other.

But that method could never be a solution.

“If you do that, the Hunters who went ahead will all die. Even a slight delay in healing is causing their health to drain rapidly.”

“B-but…….”

“I’m saying this because I’m confident. Don’t worry and focus on what you were doing.”

Kang Jin-hyuk-nim spoke confidently and then adjusted his grip on the bat and ran towards the Lizardmen.

The skeptical Clerics witnessed Kang Jin-hyuk-nim smashing a Lizardman’s head with a single swing and regained their composure.

“How can a Cleric hunt like that…….”

“Come on, don’t get distracted! As he said, let’s focus on healing!”

“Yes!”

As the Clerics began to heal the Hunters, the Lizardmen moved to stop them somehow.

But as long as Kang Jin-hyuk-nim blocked the path, the Lizardmen couldn’t advance any further.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

The moment the baseball bat struck, the head of the Lizardman that had recklessly charged forward was crushed like clay.

The Lizardmen’s morale plummeted as they saw their comrade die without even a scream right in front of their eyes.

They were overwhelmingly outnumbered, yet they couldn’t even handle a single enemy.

Some of the Lizardmen, unable to bear the humiliation, charged forward.

Five or six of them swung their swords simultaneously, thinking they could overwhelm him with numbers, but none of them reached their target.

Kang Jin-hyuk-nim, moving swiftly, had already circled around to the Lizardmen’s flank.

Filled with confidence from previous battles, he advanced fearlessly and swung the bat.

“Kiiiieeek!”

The Lizardman, struck in the side, collapsed in a tangled heap with its comrades who had charged together.

While Kang Jin-hyuk-nim was crushing the heads of the fallen Lizardmen one by one, a single Lizardman gritted its teeth and attempted a surprise attack.

The Lizardman, stabbing the tip of its sword into Kang Jin-hyuk-nim’s back, smirked.

However, contrary to its expectations, the target didn’t collapse, bleeding.

“Keeek?”

Kang Jin-hyuk-nim smashed the head of the bewildered Lizardman with his bat.

Then, he frowned as he rubbed the spot where he had been stabbed.

“Damn it, this is going to leave a bruise.”

Thanks to the chainmail he had received from the Dwarf and worn under his clothes, the damage Kang Jin-hyuk-nim sustained was only a minor bruise.

“Kiiiiiik!”

Seeing him unharmed even after being stabbed, the Lizardmen fled without looking back.

Even with their monstrous minds, they realized there was no chance of victory if they continued to attack.

The Clerics, watching the scene, couldn’t help but admire him.

“Wow……. He really blocked them all by himself.”

“Is he really a Cleric?”

The Clerics were amazed that a Hunter of the same class as them had shown a level of prowess they would only expect from a B-rank or higher damage dealer.

Especially, the way he beat the monsters with just a baseball bat left a stronger impression than those who hunted using flashy skills.

It wasn’t just the Clerics who were interested in Kang Jin-hyuk-nim’s performance.

S-rank Hunter ‘Seo Sang-ho’, who had rushed over after finishing his raid, also didn’t miss his actions.

“That Cleric saved Ahn Do-yoon’s life.”

If Kang Jin-hyuk-nim hadn’t stopped the Lizardmen who ambushed them from behind, the Clerics would have been wiped out.

It’s obvious what fate would have awaited the Titan Hunters who lost their Clerics.

“I should get to work too.”

Seo Sang-ho, who had been observing the situation from a distance, stretched lightly.

And then, he leaped and landed in the center of the Lizardman group.

There was no way for the Lizardmen to react to Seo Sang-ho, who had flown over 200 meters in 3 seconds and landed like a cannonball.

Boom!

The moment he landed, a tremendous roar swept through the area, shaking the surroundings as if an earthquake had occurred.

The Titan Hunters cheered at Seo Sang-ho’s spectacular entrance.

“It’s the Guild Leader!”

While everyone was rejoicing that they were now safe, Ahn Do-yoon alone had a sullen expression.

He asked his colleague next to him in an irritated voice.

“Who called the Guild Leader?”

“I called him as soon as things went south. There’s no problem with asking for help from a fellow Guild member, is there?”

“……Doing unnecessary things.”

I could have handled it myself without that guy.

Ahn Do-yoon seemed to want to say that.

But no one acknowledged it.

The person in charge of command couldn’t hold back and broke the formation first, so who would trust and follow him?

Unlike Ahn Do-yoon, Seo Sang-ho didn’t act alone.

Despite having the skills to do so, Seo Sang-ho prioritized taking care of those who were exhausted and being pushed back.

“I’ll clear a path, so those with health around 50% get to the back!”

Seo Sang-ho shouted loudly and then imbued his fists with Aura.

As the fist of the 4th job advancement of the Martial Artist, the Fist Emperor, struck out and overturned the front line, the Lizardmen were literally torn to shreds.

“What the hell is that all of a sudden……!”

Kang Jin-hyuk-nim stared at the scene unfolding before his eyes with his mouth agape.

“It seems like S-rank Hunter Seo Sang-ho has arrived!”

“Seo Sang-ho? The Guild Leader of Titan?”

“Yes! It looks like we can go home now.”

So this is the strength of an S-rank Hunter.

Kang Jin-hyuk-nim was greatly impressed by the sight of him single-handedly turning the tide of the battle.

He realized that he still had a long way to go compared to that level of skill.

And he also felt a sense of anticipation that he could become that strong someday.

Seo Sang-ho, who had cleaned up the situation within 15 minutes of his arrival, counted the bodies of the Lizardmen scattered around.

Roughly estimated, there were at least 300 of them.

Even if they hired Clerics as mercenaries, it wasn’t a scale that could be handled with rookies.

“Ahn Do-yoon, you crazy bastard.”

Seo Sang-ho realized that it was a mistake to appoint the Vice Guild Master based on performance alone.

He approached Ahn Do-yoon, who was sulking, and grabbed him by the collar.

“What were you thinking, trying to handle this alone without calling for backup? Were you planning on getting everyone killed?”

“If I asked for help in that situation, the Guild’s reputation…….”

“It’s not the Guild’s reputation you were worried about, it’s your own damn ego!”

Seo Sang-ho was displeased with Ahn Do-yoon’s attitude of trying to achieve results even at the expense of excluding Hunters from other guilds.

He had tolerated it so far because the executives argued that it brought great benefits to the Guild, but he couldn’t stand it anymore.

To think that he would cause such a crisis because of his petty pride, even when he was in a position to be responsible for the rookies.

It would have been better if he had at least maintained his composure and commanded until the end, but Ahn Do-yoon even gave up on that.

Seo Sang-ho realized that there was no point in reasoning with this kind of person.

Seo Sang-ho frowned and let go of Ahn Do-yoon’s collar.

“I’m not going to let this slide, so go back and wait for your punishment.”

“No, what did I do wrong? It was just bad luck.”

“This bastard really…….”

He almost threw a punch, but Seo Sang-ho managed to restrain himself after seeing the gazes around them.

Beating up the Vice Guild Master in a public place would only cause discord within the Guild.

As the leader of a large Guild, he had to prioritize the situation over his personal feelings.

“Sigh.”

Seo Sang-ho sighed and calmed himself down.

One of the Titan Hunters, realizing the serious atmosphere, stepped forward to change the subject.

“Guild Leader. First, let’s reward the Clerics who helped us.”

“Ah, right. I almost forgot.”

Seo Sang-ho recalled Kang Jin-hyuk-nim, who had been active against the Lizardmen.

He walked over to where the Clerics were gathered and expressed his gratitude.

“Thank you for your help. Without you, this could have turned into a major disaster.”

Kang Jin-hyuk-nim couldn’t believe that the Guild Leader of Titan was bowing 90 degrees to express his gratitude.

He had thought that all the people from large Guilds were arrogant, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

There was another surprise in store for him.

Seo Sang-ho approached Kang Jin-hyuk-nim and offered his hand for a handshake.

“I saw you handling the ambushing Lizardmen all by yourself. You have impressive skills.”

“Ah, yes.”

Kang Jin-hyuk-nim shook Seo Sang-ho’s outstretched hand with a bewildered expression.

“If you don’t mind, may I ask your name?”

“I’m Kang Jin-hyuk-nim.”

“Are you affiliated with any Guild?”

“No, not yet.”

“Then how about our Guild? Of course, we’ll waive the entrance fee.”

Kang Jin-hyuk-nim was taken aback by the sudden offer.

An S-rank Hunter personally inviting him? It was unbelievable even though he was experiencing it firsthand.

“You’re asking this guy to join the Guild?”

Ahn Do-yoon interrupted before Kang Jin-hyuk-nim could even open his mouth.

He remembered Kang Jin-hyuk-nim’s face from a few days ago when he had protested about monopolizing monsters.

He couldn’t accept a low-ranking Hunter with no real skills, who only whined, joining the prestigious Titan.

And above all, it hurt his pride that he had been helped by such a weak Hunter.

“What’s so great about this guy that you’re making such an offer?”

Seo Sang-ho’s patience was tested to its limits.

He was furious at the sight of someone who should be keeping his mouth shut acting so nosy.

‘Patience, patience, no, fuck this, I can’t hold back anymore.’

Finally, Seo Sang-ho shouted with veins bulging in his neck.

“This is the guy who cleaned up the shit you caused, you brainless idiot!”

All the Hunters present were startled by the sight of the Guild Leader shouting at his Vice Guild Master.

Kang Jin-hyuk-nim watched the scene with amusement.

The sight of the Hunter who had slammed him to the ground in the past getting chewed out by his superior was something he wanted to watch with popcorn in hand.

How can I make this atmosphere even more heated?

After pondering, Kang Jin-hyuk-nim smiled and opened his mouth.

“Thank you for the offer, but I’m not particularly interested in joining a Guild with someone like him.”

The moment Ahn Do-yoon heard those words, his eyes widened in fury.

He was already angry at being humiliated by the Guild Leader in front of everyone.

And now, even a Hunter he considered a nobody was saying such things, so he couldn’t stand it.

“Know your place and shut up, you bastard!”

Ahn Do-yoon reached out as if to slap Kang Jin-hyuk-nim across the face.

Seo Sang-ho tried to stop him when he saw that, but something moved faster than him.

With the sound of metal colliding, it wasn’t Kang Jin-hyuk-nim who was sent flying back, but Ahn Do-yoon.

“Whoa…….”

Kang Jin-hyuk-nim had swung the bat reflexively as soon as it sensed a threat.

Normally, Ahn Do-yoon would have been able to dodge such an attack.

But right now, Ahn Do-yoon’s stamina and MP were completely depleted from the long battle.

On top of that, he had been hit with full force by a bat enchanted with S-rank durability, so there was no way he could withstand it.

‘An A-rank Hunter fainted after being hit by someone like me? This is breaking news material.’

Sure enough, everyone around them was taking out their phones and snapping pictures of Ahn Do-yoon.

It wouldn’t be long before this incident was posted on all sorts of communities and became a hot topic.

Kang Jin-hyuk-nim smirked as he put the red baseball bat back into his inventory.