Episode 28

“Is this a whole colony?”

“It seems that an entire portion of the Socheon Battlefield has been moved here intact. This Ant Cave really is an unknown space.”

The deeper they went into the dungeon, the more they started feeling like they were on a plateau rather passages, and the boundary lines between the different “rooms” were obvious, but otherwise, the dungeon was pretty much wide open.

“I like this place much better.”

However large the space was, the number of orcs they faced in a single area was usually around two or three, and no more than five at a time.

[Human!]

[Why the hell didn’t you give the signal if you knew there was an intruder?!]

“What are these guys doing? We haven’t exactly been fighting quietly!”

Armored orcs had scouts and a signaling system like any army, but a single intruder didn’t seem to warrant a high alert. Also, in many cases, Jung Si-woo dominated the battles so easily that every orc was dead before they could even think about sounding the alarm.

“Let’s go!”

[It’s coming from that tree!]

Jung Si-woo used his surroundings strategically throughout the dungeon. The trees and rocks provided good cover for him to ambush and confuse the orcs without exposing himself to much risk of injury.

[Kuhak!]

[No, now it’s coming from behind!]

When there were a lot of orcs to fight at once, he’d make sure to finish a couple of them quickly with mana-infused attacks. After rushing headfirst into the early battles, Jung Si-woo and Soo Ah-rin started to slow things down a bit. To make it through this dungeon, Jung Si-woo knew he couldn’t do it alone and started to realize that those who resisted the urge to rush wildly into battle were the smart ones. There was no coming back from death.

“Ha!”

[Gaagh!]

[Simon, oh no!]

Tactics and skills were two different things, and it really did come down to a combination of desire, effort, and wits to make it through dungeons with minimal injury.

[How dare you kill Simon?!]

“You’ll be seeing Simon again soon!”

“That line makes you sound like a villain!”

Jung Si-woo enjoyed trash-talking like a gangster while he easily dispatched the orcs one after another. His sledgehammer spun easily in his hand as it smashed through orc skulls, the hammer almost seeming to move on its own as its speed increased.

[That’s enough of this!]

“Ok then, let’s finish it!”

As Jung Si-woo caved-in the fourth orc’s rib cage, the fifth and last orc launched off his falling comrade’s body and up into a nearby tree. He raised his ax and jumped down to attack. Before the blow could land, Jung Si-woo quickly grabbed the handle of his hammer, which was lodged in the orc’s skull, and flung it.

[Huh?]

“Go away!”

The hammer stunned the orc as it hit him and knocked his weapon out of his hand. Jung Si-woo immediately followed up the attack, landing a massive uppercut to his jaw. At the moment of impact, he used mana and activated Stone Skin to amplify the attack.

“Next! Well?”

[Ah…]

Jung Si-woo was about to slam the orc to the ground when he noticed strange green energy spreading over its face, starting from the chin. Reflexively, he kicked the orc away as it fell to the ground, shaking and muttering.

[Poison…now using poison!]

“What?”

Jung Si-woo felt stupid for asking, but the orc sputtered, shook, and died without giving an answer. He was about to canvas the room and loot…wait, poison?

“Your gloves…the gloves.”

“Oh, I see.”

Jung Si-woo looked down at the gloves he wore. Good for both defense and offense, they had sharp thorns on the knuckles. He liked using them, and now it seemed like he had activated some new option.

[Bangworm’s Poison]

[Rank-D++]

[Attack power-250-500]

[Defense-250-450]

[Proficiency level-101/200]

[Option – Applies poison in proportion to weapon rank with a certain probability when attacking.]

[A pair of leather gloves completed by gathering the essence of poisonous centipedes. The leather is tough and hard, suitable for defending the hand, and the small, hard thorns in the knuckles are an added threat when attacking.]

“I have just over half my proficiency.”

“Options can unlock early or late, depending on the power they have. Actually, the sledgehammer hasn’t even unlocked its first option yet, am I right?”

His main weapon, the sledgehammer, had two options. There was an option to poison the enemy like the gloves, but that hadn’t been activated yet. The first option wasn’t yet known, even though this skill level was over half.

“So, what happens if you fill all your proficiency levels?”

“Weapon skills can increase, and you can also use the altar of synthesis.”

“Man, there are so many kinds of altars…”

There was still time to max out the skill level, so he decided to listen to the explanation of the altar of synthesis. It was rather fun getting stronger and learning how to wield poison.

“How long has it been since we entered the dungeon?”

“It’s been a little over a day. In the original Socheon Battlefield, you’d be over halfway through the dungeon by the time you’re facing five orcs at a time. Your pace is too fast right now.”

At Soo Ah-rin’s words, Jung Si-woo checked the time. They had less than two days to clear the dungeon. He had been drunk with the joy of battle and growth, always looking ahead and rushing. He had forgotten all sense of time completely. Once he realized it, though, the exhaustion hit him. Jung Si-woo leaned against a nearby tree and closed his eyes.

“Then let’s take an hour off.”

“Are you an iron man?”

“You rest too.”

“Well, unlike you, once I fall asleep, I don’t know if I can wake up in just an hour.”

Soo Ah-rin pouted her lips and gently flew into his arms. Jung Si-woo held the sledgehammer in one hand and leaned against the tree. Pretending to be tired, he tucked Soo Ah-rin into a safe place and closed his eyes.

“When will you come?”

He had felt the presence of an enemy nearby. In fact, right after the battle was over, Jung Si-woo sensed the enemy waiting for him to take a break. This was the intuition that Jung Si-woo was born with. It didn’t come from his game skills or mana. The enemy didn’t even know that Jung Si-woo noticed him, but he couldn’t afford to be careless.

“It’s like a ghost that will visit me just as I let my guard down.”

He first noticed it a while ago when he was clearing the rooms. Something was moving with them, and when Jung Si-woo concentrated, he could almost feel the eyes on the back of his head. If he didn’t have that sharp intuition, they’d be in trouble. Even Soo Ah-rin didn’t have a clue.

“I’m still not sure. Now you’re reading my breathing.”

This enemy was sharp. It was clear he was an elite monster, judging from the strong aura that couldn’t even be compared to the other orcs. And this one was even able to hide it somewhat. But Jung Si-woo didn’t think it could win.

“Come…no, I’d rather you back off. Oh, whatever, it has to happen sometime.”

Jung Si-woo maintained a secret tension throughout his body, but Soo Ah-rin, who was completely unaware, was already asleep. Even though she was regaining her powers, it seemed strange that she was more tired than he was. As a supporter and healer, she moved in after Jung Si-woo did his work. She had been retired from fighting in dungeons, and now she had to pick and choose in which battles she could help.

“But even after we beat this dungeon, there will be more work to do, so you have to do your best.”

No matter how sorry he felt for her, Jung Si-woo had no intention of taking a break after this dungeon. There were so many more dungeons to clear and unknowns to explore! So far, it seemed like there wasn’t anything behind it all, but if there was, he couldn’t throw in the towel now! Jung Si-woo’s breathing gradually matched with Soo Ah-rin’s, but it was only to pretend to sleep. If he really were to fall asleep, it would be an instant game over. He had to do it slowly, like naturally falling into a comfortable sleep.

It moved. It was stealthy and fast and used the trees and bushes as cover. Twenty meters, seventeen, thirteen, five…

As soon as the orc was within three meters, there was an explosive bang.

[What?!]

The frightened orc stopped in its tracks, unable to figure out what happened. However, Jung Si-woo had seen the opportunity and hit the intruder with his mana-infused hammer.

[Ahhhhhh!]

It was about 20-centimeters taller than other orcs, and the emblem on its helmet suggested a higher rank than those they had encountered so far. But more importantly, there was a huge scorched dent in the orc’s chest-plate.

[If you set this trap that I didn’t even notice, then you knew I was going to attack!]

“Well, of course, I already know everything!”

Even though Jung Si-woo hadn’t really set a trap, he was willing to lie if it upset the orc and gave him an advantage! Full of anger, Jung Si-woo struck at the monster’s forearm, just as it was lifting its ax.

[Gaagh!]

“Haha!”

Was this truly an elite?

The orc was tenacious, raising the ax again despite the obvious damage to its arm. Jung Si-woo ducked to one side and deflected the ax, then quickly dropped the hammer and delivered an uppercut to the orc.

[From the delicate fist of a human…?!]

“Surprised you, didn’t I?”

Another uppercut right on the chin made the orc stagger backward, but it didn’t stop there. Still, within arm’s reach, Jung Si-woo activated battle sprint and launched into the orc’s body, infusing mana into his own upper body for maximum impact.

[Kaaagh!]

It was hard to believe that someone who had just learned the skill managed to execute it so well. The elite orc fell to the ground, unable to withstand the damage to its body. It clenched a fist, somehow trying to rise and counterattack, but when it looked up, Jung Si-woo had his sledgehammer ready to greet it.

[This…]

The elite orc met the gaze of a little angel who shimmered in the arms of Jung Si-woo and realized how he’d been defeated.

[How rotten.]

Jung Si-woo’s hammer then broke through his skull.

And so, it was at this point that Jung Si-woo had managed to defeat over twenty elite orcs without dying.