Shaking my head, I looked down at the swarming wolves below.
After organizing the line, I tossed a few Skeleton Bombs into the midst of the wolf pack and leaped down.
Choosing the ones that were injured and unable to keep their balance, I stabbed them with my dagger several times.
– You’ve gained a minuscule amount of experience points.
It seemed I had no hope of leveling up anytime soon. Since these creatures were at least five levels above me, I figured it was better to give up on any expectations.
Wooh-oooh-oooh!―!!
Before I could catch my breath, the howl signaling the second wave sounded. The deep resonance sent shivers through the hunters, who turned their heads towards the cave.
Taking advantage of the temporary lull, I moved towards our party.
‘They’re holding up better than I expected.’
Though my summoned creatures looked a bit worn, seeing them maintain a solid defense line made me feel satisfied.
However, Baek Ah-rin, stationed at the forefront, was drenched in sweat. It looked extremely dangerous for someone so exposed in the melee of this isolated area.
At a glance, her arms and thighs were riddled with various wounds.
‘Those injuries should heal quickly, but isn’t she overlooking the bleeding…?’
A hunter should never adopt a ‘this is nothing’ mindset against any foe, yet Ah-rin seemed to lack a sense of urgency when facing weaker enemies.
“Hah— Il-wol is here. Finally, a Champion Wave. It’s going to be tough facing more than two of those.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll cover you with rocks.”
Seeing the exhausted Ah-rin, I thought perhaps it would be better for her to refine her basics deeper in this dungeon.
Or she could join the government faction and hunt villains. With her quick feet and keen hearing, she seemed perfect for that.
Awoooo—
Lost in thought, the boss finally revealed itself. The Lesser Dire Wolf Champion.
It was larger than a regular wolf with little horns sprouting from its head, making it easy to distinguish from the standard ones.
Of course, the horns were mere decoration right now, but I knew the next time I’d encounter a higher-tier Dire Wolf, it would exhibit a completely different fighting style.
Da-da-da-dat—
With the appearance of a boss class, a total of ten wolves came out, two of which charged straight toward us.
“Why is the one furthest away coming to attack us first?!”
“Huh-okay. I’ll take both of them, so you guys handle the others!”
Ah-rin stepped forward, as if indicating she could handle this much. Given her experience in D-ranked dungeons and her role as party leader, she was particularly eager today.
It wasn’t necessary, but since she wanted to do it, it wouldn’t be polite to stop her. I was curious if she was planning to show off her ‘Lightning Step’ again.
As I was focusing on her movements, two Champions followed the two wolves charging toward us, making a total of four.
“……! L-Let’s fight together! We’re one! Team play! Team play!!”
After enthusiastically stepping forward, Ah-rin hurriedly retreated behind me and shouted.
“Hahaha! Come at me, you mutts!”
“Oh, Ah-rin… why do you act like this…”
Joo-ah fanned herself with her hand watching her friend’s antics.
“Four at once? That’s tough. I don’t know why half of them are coming after us, but I’ll block the path!”
Removing her hands from her flushed face, Bae Joo-ah blocked part of the path with her favorite ‘Rock Barrier’. As we circled in, Ah-rin and I each took one of the wolves.
The remaining two were taken by Lizardman 1 and Dotti 2.
Lizardman 1, still newly upgraded, would have a tough fight against the Champion, while the Orc Warrior Dotti 2, with a much higher rank than the wolves, would handle it easily.
“Surround them! There’s no training in the dungeon!”
Of course, as Yeon-hee said, we didn’t have to be honorable and fight one-on-one. Just blocking one of them would unleash a swarm of summoned creatures, while Yeon-hee’s bow and Joo-ah’s rock magic [Rock Fist] targeted the blind spots of the Champion wolves.
While Ah-rin was already in a one-on-one with the Champion, she skillfully evaded its front paw and teeth attacks while gradually stacking the damage.
The Champion clearly displayed superior physical abilities compared to regular wolves, but there had to be a certain level of difference for it to land a hit on Ah-rin.
And while Ah-rin pushed hard against the wolf, I had already plunged my dagger into the Champion’s neck and pinned it to the ground.
*Kkegegeung—!*
After delivering a single bomb to the charging wolf, I grabbed its nape, pinned it to the ground, and the fight was over.
In fact, it felt more challenging to deal with when surrounded by five or six wolves.
– You’ve defeated the Lesser Dire Wolf Champion!
– You’ve acquired Rune of Swiftness (Intermediate)!
– You’ve gained a slight amount of experience points!
Since the Lesser Dire Wolf fought only with physical power, it was easy to subdue it like this, but the guys at a higher tier would not be so pathetic.
Those horns that sprouted from the Champion were not for physical combat; they were a body part imbued with magical potential. Imagining lightning bolts shooting out from those horns, I knew those beasts would be a far cry from cute pet levels.
*Puk-puk—!*
“Yayaya!! Heheh— how about that, you damn mutt!”
Ah-rin, covered in blood, kicked the back of the fallen Champion, looking triumphant.
Still, true to her skills specializing in one-on-one combat, she subdued it faster than Lizardman 1 and Dotti 2, who were engaged in team attacks with other summoned creatures.
*Churraak!!*
Even with Lizardman 1 combining forces with the Specter, they were still struggling. It seemed hard for him to keep up with the Champion’s agile movements, and the dulled machete kept slicing through thin air.
Meanwhile, Lizardman 1’s skin was scratched in multiple places, revealing flesh and oozing blood due to the wolf’s claw attacks.
But once the Specter joined to aid Lizardman 1, the balance of power quickly flipped, and we managed to subdue the remaining Champions as well.
Even with the summons working together, it seemed the time taken to take down just one Champion was heavily influenced by ‘Bleeding’ and its effect on health.
Perhaps that’s why several summoned creatures around us were struggling against the general wolves that were beginning to swarm back in.
At that moment, a refreshing song echoed from somewhere, and I noticed the ‘bleeding’ from the summoned creatures gradually subsiding.
――♪
‘… Ham Eun-young is certainly quite useful.’
It wasn’t just dispelling mental-type magic; she also demonstrated the ability to delay the worsening effects of status ailments.
With her bard skill that has the effects of revenge, this was a talent that was hard to overlook.
‘Hmm… a Sorcerer, a Bard, a Close-range Dealer…’
If I thought of the summoned creatures as tankers, we were only missing a proper ranged physical attacker or a more offensively specialized Sorcerer to complete the lineup.
Yeon-hee was covering the ranged attacker role, which made me think of two people immediately for the Sorcerer position: Noh Ha-yoon, who used ice magic, and Yu Dal-ri, who specialized in nature.
However, Yu Dal-ri shared some traits with Bae Joo-ah, which was slightly disappointing since both were more support-oriented.
On the other hand, Noh Ha-yoon had a clear affiliation, which meant she wouldn’t be around for long. Of course, her unpredictable tendencies also played a part, but that’s something I could control, so it wasn’t a big deal.
‘If we formed a guild with that combination, hmm…’
I dove back into the swarm of wolves, sketching an outline of my ideal future.
―――“It’s over. Hahaha.”
As the wave that seemed never-ending came to a close, Bae Joo-ah finally cracked a smile while gazing at the slaughtered wolves piled in the pit.
Her face, smeared with blood residues as she smiled, resembled something out of a horror film, but thanks to that, I was able to see Bae Joo-ah’s face free of her glasses once again.
Though she dusted off the gory remnants on her face, she still looked somewhat displeased, frowning slightly.
‘She looks so innocent at first glance…’
With that face, it was hard to believe she had just struck down the ones who had been chasing us.
– The summoning circle has disappeared. Please exit the cave. This is a final reminder. The barrier will be set soon, so please exit the cave—
The staff outside signaled for everyone to leave.
“Phew— how was today for you, Yeon-hee?”
“I enjoyed it! At first, I found it hard to adapt, but… I think there’s a unique joy in experiencing a boss fight for the first time.”
“Haha? You’re certainly unique, Yeon-hee.”
“Ah… really?”
There had only been one confirmed casualty, a hunter who was dragged away while floating in the air. Many others suffered serious injuries. However, perhaps due to the sense of relief from it being over, the voices of those around sounded remarkably bright.
– It ended quite smoothly, didn’t it? Honestly, wasn’t there over double the usual numbers?
– Right? Only one person died, which is miraculous…
– Ah, my leg, damn… Regardless of the Champion’s number being random, this is just wrong. How many times have I cleared this? And suddenly like this? There’s no luck in that.
– Isn’t it thanks to the Summoner? Their quantity was insane.
– They’ve been hyping that genius lately, but this one is the real deal. We should thank them and at least get to know each other, right?
– Forget it… I hear they don’t even talk to people without talent.
– What? Really?
‘Where are these ridiculous rumors coming from… could it be that guy? The one in the red hood.’
The face of the guy I met during the promotion test resurfaced. I’d been thinking of him every day, hoping that if I ever crossed paths with him, I could deal with him on the spot.
Though it was technically correct that it ended smoothly with a single death, boss fights are inherently high-risk and high-reward.
That’s why low-tier fighters never participate in boss fights. Unlike in the fields with steadily spawning monsters, there are far more variables and significantly higher dangers.
Despite the tough battles, those with bright faces must have gained something, and those with grim expressions had likely gotten little to nothing. To rank highly in contributions is no easy feat.
“Don’t you think we ranked in the top contributions?”
“Yeah! All thanks to you, Yeon-hee.”
“No, hehehe—”
“Since we secured the runes, we got a lot, but the numbers… shouldn’t they reflect the effort we put in, especially after a struggle like this?”
Our party had completed the boss fight and acquired 11 Runes of Swiftness, including four extracted from the Champions. Normally, that would be a satisfactory haul, but nothing exceeded 17. Hence, Joo-ah was grumbling about it.
We caught our breaths for a moment before promptly exiting the wolf den. The darkness had gradually settled over the dungeon after nearly an hour of boss stage.
We instructed the summoned creatures to carry torches, illuminating our surroundings. While that would definitely attract monster aggro, facing them would be a treat from my perspective.
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