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Chapter 21
It was Jin Bo-mi.
Was the ‘see you later’ from the morning call actually meant to meet in front of a dungeon?
Moreover, in front of the dungeon, not only was Jin Bo-mi present, but she had also brought several guild porters with her.
“This is your first dungeon raid as an Awakener, right? I’m here to celebrate and provide support!”
“I’m pretty sure I said I was going solo.”
“I know. Please understand it’s just a pure heart wanting to repay my lifesaver. Whether as an attendant or anything else, just use me as you wish!”
The feeling was strange.
Seeing the CEO and his daughter being so polite and courteous to me felt even more unusual.
Perhaps it was naturally overlapping with my own self from my previous life at this age.
Back then, Jin Bo-mi and Jin Seong-tae were people from an entirely different world, with their own separate existence.
“It’s okay. I’ve already planned how to clear it. There’s no need to worry about safety.”
I spoke flatly.
The loot from inside would be resolved by obtaining a spatial artifact.
Since I can exit through the dimensional gate, I’ll collect the loot while retracing my steps.
If it turns out to be an unreasonable dungeon raid, I’ll reluctantly accept her goodwill.
I was confident about the C- rank dungeon.
My physical condition now was incomparably better than when I hunted Magos.
I had already transformed and purchased high-end equipment.
“Do you really not need help? No matter how I think about it, a D- rank Awakener conquering a C-rank dungeon solo…”
Jin Bo-mi tilted her head.
She wasn’t being extraordinary.
It was a completely natural concern based on rational data.
‘The strange one is me. It’s surprising even to me. Who would have thought I’d attempt a C- rank dungeon solo just three days after regression?’
In my previous life, it took me five years after meeting Nicholas to raid a C- rank dungeon alone.
That would be the year 2030.
Simply calculating, I was well ahead by over 10 years. Thinking about my current progress made me feel good.
Honestly, I wanted to brag to someone.
That I’ve returned. And that I’m growing at an incomparably faster speed than they could imagine!
“I appreciate your concern. But it’s okay. I won’t forget the consideration you’ve shown.”
I politely expressed my refusal.
“Am I making you uncomfortable?”
“No, not at all. Why would I find a guild colleague burdensome?”
I shook my head with a smile.
Although I’ve made a mercenary contract, I’m still a member of the Yanghwa Guild. In other words, we’re colleagues.
“Ah! I was hoping to secretly tour the dungeon using Kang Shin-hwa as an excuse, without my father knowing, but that won’t work now.”
“You should return quickly before the chairman finds out. Don’t worry about this place.”
I also bowed to the porters who were looking at me with shocked expressions.
Though not said outright, they seemed to be thinking:
‘Would someone really reject such a beautiful woman, the daughter of the chairman, so decisively?’
‘Shouldn’t he make up an excuse to want to go together?’
Their looks were exactly like that.
Of course, Jin Bo-mi was equivalent to an idol or goddess-like actress in terms of doll-like appearance.
It was certainly true that she was reasonably attractive. Just her gaze could make one’s heart flutter.
But that was it.
How should I describe it?
While my body was twenty-four, my mental state was still that of a middle-aged man from my previous life.
So, desires for romance or anything beyond that didn’t easily arise.
“Still, I’ll wait just in case. I can’t shake the feeling that there are too many risk factors.”
“I won’t stop you from waiting.”
“How long do you think you’ll take?”
“About 2 hours.”
“What?”
Just as Jin Bo-mi was about to look at me with an expression that said this was nonsense—
“I’ll be back!”
Swoosh.
I had already entered the dungeon.
It was a bold decision to prevent the conversation with her from dragging on further.
* * *
“I’ve never seen a man reject a young lady’s goodwill since joining the guild.”
“Can he really come back alive? No matter how I think about it, it seems impossible.”
As soon as Kang Shin-hwa entered the dungeon, the porters began to share their inner thoughts.
Though they were porters, they were veterans who had been eating from the same pot in the Yanghwa guild at least five years. As porters supporting Jin Bo-mi, they were experts who had grown tough in dungeons, with breath that matched perfectly.
Jin Bo-mi nodded and responded to the porters’ comments.
“No matter how confident and courageous one is, no one goes into a dungeon to die.”
“What could it be?”
“I’m sure Kang Shin-hwa has some special talent hidden even from the guild. Certainly, there must be something extraordinary that can’t be compared to his current rank…”
“Are you saying he might be hiding his talents within our guild as well?”
“Yes. I think he has real skills hidden somewhere. After all, he was the one who healed me instantly when no one else could.”
Jin Bo-mi’s dreamy eyes swept over Kang Shin-hwa’s empty space and traces.
“Is it really true that he’ll take 2 hours to clear the dungeon?”
“Let’s all wait and see. I’m curious. What if he really clears it in 2 hours as he said.”
“If he clears it?”
In response to the porter’s question, Jin Bo-mi added with an expression much heavier than before.
“It would be a huge shock to the Master and the chairman. Of course, to me as well. Because Awakeners who can clear a C- rank dungeon in such a short time are rare.”
Beep. Beep beep.
Jin Bo-mi pressed the stopwatch button on an electronic watch that wafted a retro scent.
Interesting and enjoyable.
The countdown had begun.
* * *
Swish!
The first change in his body upon entering the dungeon was transforming his right arm into a long blade.
His right arm, infused with magical power, was sharpened like a master-crafted famous sword, unlike its original form.
‘Magical power maintenance will be about 1% per minute. However, it can be fully covered by the lung’s magical power recovery rate, so it’s practically permanently maintainable.’
The calculation was certain.
Magic has always been the thing that trips up Awakeners when they try to fully display their talents.
Just as a machine can’t run without power, an Awakener’s talent always requires magical power as its driving force.
The problem was that displaying talent always consumes a large amount of magical power, and the recovery rate is significantly low.
This was the background that made the potion business, which forms one axis of the Awakener industry, so prosperous.
Swish. Swish.
He lightly traced a nearby rock at the entrance with the tip of his blade.
A thin crack appeared where he traced, and soon powdery fragments fell.
‘With this level of cutting power, I can definitely handle ordinary C- rank monsters.’
Boom!
He had left the heavy camping equipment at the entrance.
Removing the sandbags he had been wearing for training felt like a liberation; his body felt light and good.
‘Come to think of it, I’m being extravagant by bringing camping equipment when I’m planning to clear this quickly. Was I too excited? Well, it’s a human mistake. It’s okay! It’s okay!’
He stared straight ahead.
“Groooar.”
“Kyaoooo.”
Eventually, the monsters began to reveal themselves one by one from afar, sensing the intruder’s presence.
“These aren’t pleasant fellows.”
The official name of those greeting him head-on is ‘bipedal spider’.
Also called ‘human spider’ because their walking and running movements are similar to humans.
They look like spiders, but they walk on two legs positioned at the very back.
The remaining six legs are equipped with thorns as sharp as rose thorns, making them very threatening weapons.
The height of a human spider is about 2 meters.
Since he was 189cm tall, they could target me from a slightly higher point. This was a point to be cautious about in the strategy.
‘Without their legs, they’re just a nutritious meal.’
Though their appearance was spider-like and creepy, their meat was more delicious than beef.
It was far more tasty than heating up combat rations or 3-minute meals inside the dungeon.
If a long-term raid becomes necessary later, I’m thinking of cooking the monsters directly.
This is because among monster dishes, there’s an enhancement formula that creates meaningful body changes if consumed consistently over a long period.
Whoosh!
While running and kicking off the ground, I quickly scanned the trajectories of the human spiders rushing at me.
Total seven.
Forty-two potentially threatening legs seemed to aim simultaneously, each etching into my eyes.
My transformed eyes precisely identified human spiders with unnatural movements or seemingly minor injuries.
Although quite a distance separated us, my enhanced vision perfectly resolved the physical distance problem.
“Kuwaaaaah!”
Boosted by their numerical superiority, the human spiders threatened me by wildly waving their legs.
‘No matter how much a scarecrow made of straw thrashes, it’ll ultimately be cut down before a sickle.’
Wearing a confident smile, I charged directly at the leading human spider.
“Waaaaak!”
With an indecipherable roar, the human spider extended its six thorn-covered legs simultaneously towards me.
It was quite threatening.
Of course, the spider’s clumsy appearance also contributed to that threat.
“Not a chance.”
Swoosh!
“Guh…?”
The situation was resolved in an instant.
I precisely swept my right hand along a path that could simultaneously strike six legs.
Then,
Thud. Tap. Thud.
The human spider’s legs, sliced by the sharp blade, fell powerlessly, separated from their owner.
It was a loss as effortless as autumn leaves falling in the wind.
Swoosh!
“Kyaaak!”
I directly pierced the heart of the human spider, which was examining its suddenly vanished legs with a bewildered expression.
Though a thick exoskeleton wrapped around its chest inside and out, it was helpless against the blade created by my transformed arm.
‘The current blade’s destructive power is around B+ rank.’
Strength measurement occurred naturally. I stabbed it as a test, but ended up taking the enemy’s life.
This would make combat much easier.
If I can instantly pierce the chest exoskeleton, there’s no need to even cut the legs.
“Come quickly! Have you never seen an Awakener like this before?”
I threw out a question the human spider would have definitely nodded to if it understood speech.
Swoosh! Slash! Swish!
I cheerfully cut down the rushing human spiders’ legs and forcefully stamped a mark of death on the staggering creatures’ chests.
Monsters that someone might need to grit their teeth and fight to the point of risking their life to defeat were nothing more than a scouter testing my transformation abilities before me.
The pleasure of overwhelming and crushing.
Its meaning to me was clear.
“Strength never lies.”
In the world of Awakeners, strength is omnipotent, the source of income, and the origin of honor.
As things seemed to flow easily from the entrance, my movements became lighter too.
“Let’s see what we can do!”
It was showtime.
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