“Hey… it’s okay now…”
Bae Joo-ah waved her hands while blushing. It seemed she felt quite embarrassed despite trying to help.
However, the ones who reacted even more than Bae Joo-ah were Noh Ha-yoon and Yeom Tae-seok.
I hadn’t applied any buffs to them until now, so their surprise was understandable.
-······!!
They both turned to me simultaneously, and I pretended not to notice, continuing to chop away with my sword. I was just a monster, so they could ask their questions to someone else.
It was as if they could hear my inner thoughts, as they started bombarding Ham Eun-young with questions about buffs.
After getting satisfactory answers, Noh Ha-yoon fixed her gaze on me, her eyes sparkling with something like flames.
That look clearly showed an intense desire to gain something. I didn’t know what it was, but she was definitely looking for an advantage over me.
‘No matter what, don’t keep sending those looks at a monster… You’ll get scolded by Yeon-hee!’
Boom─!
At that moment, a powerful explosion erupted nearby, cleanly severing one hunter’s right arm.
It was the Bone Dancer’s self-destruct, and just from the expression on the hunter’s face, it was evident he was regretting his mistake.
“Ugh…! Shit…! I definitely dodged that.”
‘As expected, that’s something to be careful of.’
The hunter must have thought he dodged it, but the Bone Dancer’s self-destruct could be fatal even with a slight brush.
It’s strange to think about.
A top-tier D rank hunter manages to misread an attack range? That’s unlikely.
Ultimately, a skill that hinges on self-sacrifice carries some unseen power that requires a more conservative approach.
“Think of it as needing to keep an extra meter distance during explosions!!”
Yeom Tae-seok urged everyone to maintain a safe distance during the fight. However, with the high percentage of close combat hunters, that would be easier said than done.
– Yes!
– Understood-!
Despite this, the hunters on the battlefield responded immediately to Yeom Tae-seok’s orders.
Yeom Tae-seok showed no awkwardness in giving instructions, which must come from his experience.
“Aura of Devotion-!”
The area-wide support skill enveloped the surrounding hunters, granting immunity to [Stagnation], [Fear], and [Paralysis].
Immunity to three or more statuses at once… that was an incredible ability.
The looks of admiration shone in the eyes of the hunters gazing at him. Many of them had combat power exceeding Yeom Tae-seok, yet the atmosphere created that moment rendered them as such.
Ham Eun-young sang vigorously, boosting morale and recovering from the mental exhaustion that Yeom Tae-seok’s skill couldn’t cover.
Joo-ah and Ah-rin’s efforts were as consistent as ever, and even the Orc Mage was starting to look more accustomed to earth-type magic. Hmm… still at a playful level with earth magic, though.
But the one showcasing the most overwhelming presence was undoubtedly Noh Ha-yoon.
Swoooosh──
The aura of freezing energy began to swirl around her body like a storm.
‘That’s…’
If my memory serves right, that skill is one of the specialties of the ‘Witch’, but whether she learned it or figured it out on her own, it seemed more likely to be the former.
I had heard that to develop such a skill normally, one would have to be an advanced hunter.
Crash─!
Unlike the [Ice Field] that rises from the ground, the [Ice Storm] is an area-of-effect skill that freezes enemies from above.
Its power and range surpassed imagination, but its mana consumption was also severe, and I understood there must be a limit to how many times it could be used in a day. That’s why she must be using it now, as the situation seemed dire.
Her expression, blooming with bliss, indicated that this was almost a self-satisfying act.
‘What a waste… she should save some.’
I couldn’t help but feel regret. The dungeon wasn’t going to wrap up like this, I could tell.
The Ice Storm instantly turned over a hundred monsters into blocks of ice. It was truly a crazy skill.
In terms of impact, it could rival my [Flame Explosion]. But why was my Fireball not leveling up like that?
Noh Ha-yoon glanced around until she spotted me and flashed a beaming smile, which oddly felt like it carried gratitude, leaving me puzzled.
‘What did I do…?’
Anyway, she was a mystery from the very first meeting.
Thump-!
I had already gathered over a hundred skulls in my inventory from the ones I had smashed with my swings, and the Mana Stones were being greedily absorbed by my trait [Obsession].
My quest points had long surpassed 1200, and judging by the tingling sensation in my body, my experience points were also climbing rapidly.
They say you grow by leaps and bounds.
Looking at Noh Ha-yoon naturally brought back memories of our struggles together in the canyon.
The enemy level back then and the level of this skeleton army were vastly different.
Of course, excluding the Orc High-Rank Warrior, who was above them.
If I were to consider that the two giant skeletons can be more of a nuisance than the Orc High-Rank Warrior, this would be a much tougher battle.
In fact, hunters from other parties were currently falling like flies.
No matter how much Yeon-hee covered with summoned creatures, we were still facing a daunting 1:8 ratio.
Watching the top-tier D rank hunters fall was quite disheartening for me, but there was nothing I could do.
At least our party members weren’t sustaining even minor injuries, so we had to be content with that.
Following a fierce 30 minutes of battle, the enemy count had dropped to a third. By that point, victory or defeat was clear, making it a moment where tensions could finally ease.
“Everyone! Focus─!”
But just then, Yeom Tae-seok’s booming voice resonated, refocusing everyone’s concentration.
When Arin asked him earlier, he mentioned he had only been a D-rank dungeon helper for two years. The experience of a veteran shone through.
However, he also stated that this would be his last month before attempting to rank up.
He was indeed too good to remain stagnant at D rank.
I couldn’t help but wonder why he’d wasted his talent in a place like this for two years. Considering his age, I could make guesses about that.
Nevertheless, Yeom Tae-seok’s current situation appeared to offer no interest to me. Because…
=====
Fireball Lv.3
– Deals 250% damage of Magical Attack Power.
– Has a 25% chance to inflict [Burn].
– Burn: Restores 30% less health, and decreases defense by 25%.
=====
‘Finally! Hah… I’m about to cry.’
In truth, it hadn’t even been two weeks since I class-changed, but it felt like an eternity. That might indicate just how dense my life had been.
And the fact that my Fireball leveled up meant…
– Skill [Flame Explosion] acquisition conditions achieved.
– Acquired unique skill 【Flame Explosion】!
– Achievement [Pioneer] obtained!
‘Awesome! An achievement too!’
=====
【Flame Explosion】
– Detonates all accumulated ‘Flame Marks’ at once.
– Deals 750% damage of Magical Attack Power.
– For each ‘Flame Mark’ exceeding five, attack power increases by +100%.
– Ignores all beneficial effects and armor except [Invincible].
– Each explosion permanently reduces the target’s maximum health by 100.
– Enemies hit five times by Flame Explosion will surely die.
=====
‘……’
Uh… how should I explain this skill…
Just hit once. I’ll kill you. That sort of feeling?
A crazy ability that deals 750% damage with five Flame Marks and adds 100% for every additional mark stacked beyond that.
The descriptions of the skills beneath it transcended common sense to the point where I felt momentarily dizzy.
‘Ignores defenses, destroys maximum health, guaranteed death under conditions…’
Each of these elements could be considered OP individually, yet they were all bundled together.
‘Isn’t this unprecedented? I’ve never heard of a skill like this in my life.’
It’s a pity it doesn’t penetrate [Invincible], but that’s a problem I can solve later.
‘Though it feels a bit distant to obtain an artifact only available in an A-rank dungeon…’
I vividly recalled there was information regarding it in my past life.
A skill known as [Invincible], reputed for its absolute defense.
Because I knew where the spear that could neutralize that absolute shield lay hidden.
Shuddering…
‘My bones are trembling.’
If [Blast of Madness] was a last resort…
Then [Flame Explosion] would become my main ultimate skill.
But to make that work, stacking [Flame Cut] as fast as possible would be crucial.
I’d need to train diligently to hit my attacks using skills like [Reckless Charge] or [High-speed Flight].
*Phew…*
Taking a deep breath inwardly, I resumed combat. There were still plenty of monsters threatening the hunters.
Another ten minutes passed. Now half of the hunters were out of the fight.
Those with low health were tasked with recovering the deceased while acquiring loot.
The hunters still going strong were reinserting themselves into the fray.
It was precisely the moment when roles were split evenly, and as the monsters dwindled, the tension decreased significantly.
‘This… no, this can’t be happening. Really…’
In the sky, ominous dark clouds began to brew—a clearly foreboding sign.
I quickly pulled out a red firework from my inventory and launched it into the sky, signaling my party members to converge at my location.
Boom─!
The cloud, swollen with lightning, expanded its presence and soon enveloped us, blocking out even the sporadic sunlight.
“What’s with this nonsense again?”
“Damn… this feels suspicious! Let’s get out of here! Quick!”
“Let’s wrap this up! I have a bad feeling about this!”
Everyone was seasoned hunters who had worked for over a year, and the moment they sensed air thick with unease, their bodies reacted instinctively.
Some even dashed toward the exit, disregarding their own parties.
‘Damn it, I went through the trouble of helping you guys, at least say thank you you bastards!’
But our group was the first to prepare for a move.
The signal I gave my party members came right after that ominous cloud appeared.
‘This sense… if it’s anything like what I experienced, then even if we leave now, the exit will probably…’
“Let’s charge straight to the exit.”
Although situations could change, I decided to dash towards the exit and hoped my prediction would be off.
Yeom Tae-seok and I took on the task of fending off the monsters that rushed at us while the others prepared by climbing onto the Lizardmen’s shoulders.
Boom─!!
The suspicious aura grew stronger, so there was no reason to delay.
“Ah! Is the dungeon going to close or something?”
‘Correct.’
Hunters know that usually, strange phenomena occur for weeks before a dungeon closes.
But in my memories, there was no information about Nargul’s dungeon closing at this point.
Something was happening that I neither experienced nor remembered.
It wasn’t anything worth reacting to anymore. Just responding.
Although it all unfolded suddenly, we kept our composure as we pressed on.
Especially Yeom Tae-seok, who mentioned he had experienced a dungeon closing before, calmly shared his story as we navigated the path.
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