Chapter 15
“I’m going in.”
Yohan stepped into the dungeon. At the same time, an alarm rang on his phone.
Ding-
– 10 million won has been deposited. –
“Indeed, this person is the best.”
Gaining motivation from the notification, Yohan began his thorough search of the surroundings.
He was already familiar with the Absolute’s Tomb.
Despite the grandiose name, the difficulty here is E-grade.
The dungeon is a labyrinthine cave with endless twists and turns, devoid of any special treasures or monsters.
In fact, the dark, gloomy color made it aesthetically unremarkable.
“How could six people die here? The monsters are just skeletons.”
It’s hard to die from the slow-moving skeletons unless one tries deliberately.
Unless it’s the boss, the Skeleton King, this place can be cleared without issues unless one encounters a blind attack.
But questions would come later.
After checking the body cam, Yohan slowly started to search for signs in the vicinity.
The traces he found led toward the boss room.
“There are signs of a fight. But no one seems to have sustained fatal injuries.”
The traces on the floor were mostly human.
The fact that skeletons could not manage a proper attack meant they were easily defeated.
Following the footprints further in, the traces increased and, near the boss room, skeleton bones that had not yet decomposed were scattered around.
“Oh, what’s this…?”
At that moment, Yohan noticed something unusual.
Bones that were different from the regular skeleton bones, about 1.5 times larger.
“These are Skeleton King’s bones.”
The boss room and the room in front of it are distinctly separate areas. Finding King’s bones in an area where they shouldn’t be was unusual.
“The King shouldn’t have left the room.”
The boss monster, Skeleton King, has a mechanism where it receives the strength to move from an altar within its room, so it cannot leave the room.
This is a strict rule.
“There are not just one but at least ten. Did the dungeon go berserk?”
If the dungeon had indeed gone berserk, causing ten Skeleton Kings to appear, it would explain the current situation.
Even a D-grade hunter would have had no chance.
In fact, it was fortunate that even one person managed to survive.
The traces of these unseen entities led into the room.
It seemed everyone had fled into the room in a desperate attempt and met their end there.
Kieeek-
Yohan opened the closed iron door. An unwelcome sound echoed, but it wasn’t difficult to push it open.
Unlike the narrow cave-like paths, the boss room was spacious.
The familiar place was in disarray due to the battle.
The numerous scratches and dented marks indicated that a fierce battle had taken place before the deaths.
“Hmm!”
As Yohan expanded his field of vision, things that were previously invisible began to appear.
Blood scattered everywhere, dismembered corpses spread around.
“May the souls of the deceased rest in peace.”
Seeing the bodies severely mutilated more than expected, Yohan bowed his head.
He approached the bodies to examine them more closely.
“Wait a minute, these aren’t marks that undead would make. It looks more like it was done by a beast.”
Something was off.
The walls were pitted in various places. Moreover, the corpses’ cross-sections seemed shredded as if by something sharp.
“A Skeleton King wielding a rusty weapon couldn’t leave such marks.”
A rusty weapon that causes tetanus would only leave faint lines at most.
This suggested that other monsters were present in the area.
“This is… something beyond my scope.”
His instincts were alert.
The appearance of ten Kings and traces of unknown creatures were not ordinary. Trying to handle this alone could put him in danger.
[You can use Emotion.]
At that moment, a notification echoed in his ears.
The grotesque sight of the dismembered bodies with slowly rising light made Yohan’s brow furrow.
“Using Emotion on dismembered bodies, huh?”
It seemed that the form of the corpse didn’t matter.
Of course, this was a welcome development.
Using Emotion could reveal why they had died.
It could provide answers that would normally require extensive searching.
Just as he approached the bodies,
*Squeak* – *Bang!*
The iron door suddenly closed. This was a cave; no wind could blow here.
“Who’s there!”
Yohan urgently knocked on the iron door. The heavy door was difficult to open even with his strength.
“Hahaha!”
Laughter came from outside the door. It was a laughter full of malice.
“Who’s there! How did you get into the dungeon?”
Through the narrow gap in the iron door, a face of the culprit was visible.
It was not the hunter who had previously threatened revenge.
The man with slitted eyes looked cunning and wore expensive equipment.
The equipment, worth tens of billions, could only be worn by at least a D-grade or higher.
“Could it be…?”
Instinctively, the request form came to mind. Despite the lack of specific features, Yohan could sense it.
“The hunter who survived here alone?”
“You have good instincts.”
The man replied with a laugh to Yohan’s question. He continued speaking while gazing not at Yohan, but at the back.
“Do you understand why this dungeon is named the Tomb of the Absolute?”
“Because it’s my tomb?”
“You must be insane. I guess you don’t have any pangs of conscience.”
“That’s the truth.”
“I’ve always wondered. The dungeon is called the Tomb of the Absolute, but why did we leave without finding anything? Did the Absolute, the master of this place, never hide any treasure in his tomb?”
“It seems like you’re the crazy one, not me.”
“During that time, I realized. The Tomb of the Absolute, this E-grade pathetic dungeon, is just a deception.”
*Boom*
A sound came from behind Yohan. It was the sound of machinery moving.
“… What did you do to the dungeon? No, what did you do to the people here!”
Even after entering this place dozens of times, he had never found any machinery.
He had no idea where the machinery could be hiding.
“You don’t need to look at me like that. It’s only natural that you can’t find hidden machinery if you’re not the engineer.”
*Boom boom*
Behind Yohan, the altar moved violently.
A small pillar appeared where the altar had been, and something unknown was emanating a gigantic aura from it.
It was an aura that shouldn’t exist in an E-grade dungeon.
“I’ve succeeded in finding the true boss of this place, which no one has ever encountered. So, I had the others leave first.”
“…… You crazy bastard.”
“Hehe. They all died without defeating the boss. They died so easily that they couldn’t even figure out the boss’s pattern. What a pity.”
The man, with crescent-shaped eyes, seemed to be planning to sacrifice Yohan in the same way.
“You should try it yourself. After you die to it, I’ll open this door and defeat the boss.”
The man’s smirk, hanging at the corners of his mouth, was truly disgusting.
“Ah, I see now, you’re that lone wolf, the tracer named Yohan, right? The unfortunate genius who was eliminated due to an F-grade.”
“I’ve felt it before, but I guess I’m really famous. Even trash who won’t associate with me know who I am.”
*Boom*
Finally, the door was completely shut. The man’s laughter flowed through the door.
“Well, it doesn’t matter who you are. What’s important is that you have the skills to last a long time. Kekeke.”
*Growl*
From behind, the roar of a beast was heard.
Sensing the massive killing intent, Yohan realized it was not the time to engage in conversation with the man.
“Hang in there! If possible, make sure to leave me in a dying state!”
“Son of a bitch.”
Realizing that escape was no longer possible, Yohan slowly turned around. The door wouldn’t open until the boss was defeated.
“This is insane.”
He finally faced the beast that had appeared.
It was a creature so vaguely defined that it was hard to classify as a beast.
“Why is it so big?”
With a body length of at least 5 meters, it towered over Yohan, who was 180 cm tall.
Its claws were longer than Yohan’s upper body, and the mole-like beast sniffed with its long nose.
“Moul?”
The creature in front of him had a similar appearance to a mole-like monster, Moul.
“But Moul is a cute little thing that’s less than 1 meter tall.”
This one was excessively large. If Moul is a Pomeranian, then this one is a wolf.
‘It looks like a C-grade monster. Why is such a monster here?’
The creature outside seemed to be severely mistaken.
Does it really think it can defeat such a beast?
“Greed has clouded its brain.”
With every step, the ground is hardened as if it were filed down, and the sharp claws would slice through even the toughest armor.
The scattered pieces of armor were evidence of this.
‘It seems to have similar characteristics to Moul, but evolved?’
Even among monsters, there are differences depending on the dungeon. The creature in front of him was an extreme example of this.
“Fortunately, I know Moul well.”
If the creature in front had the same characteristics and behavioral patterns, then there was a chance of victory.
Yohan had already killed over a thousand Moul monsters.
‘The monster probably can’t see me.’
Firstly, vision.
The creature’s eyes were cloudy, as if covered in mist, with no focus.
Moul only has enough vision to distinguish light.
It was likely that the creature relied on its sense of smell.
As if proving this, the creature slowly sniffed the area where Yohan had been, trying to locate him.
Fortunately, due to the strong smell of corpses, it could only detect nearby scents.
If he moved slowly and cautiously, there was a chance of victory.
‘But there’s no reason for me to get close.’
It can sense even the slightest vibrations. Moving would be detrimental.
There was no need to take risks with a servant present.
“Kakakak! How will you defeat the boss if you just stay still! Run with all your strength!”
“You insane bastard!”
The man pounded the iron door forcefully.
Yohan could hear the chillingly evil laughter of the man right behind him.
*Eek!*
The Moul, having pinpointed Yohan’s position, charged forward with great force.
It looked slow at first, but its large size covered the space quickly.
*Whoosh*
Its sharp claws scraped the ground like a saw.
Yohan, who had been knocked away, kept as much distance from the Moul as possible while staying alert to its claws.
‘Think. Find a way to resolve this situation.’
He ran with his back to the wall. The Moul, sensing the vibrations through its paws, relentlessly attacked.
He focused solely on dodging the attacks.
Otherwise,
*Swoosh*
He would be split in two in an instant.
“Ugh, that hurts like hell.”
The finely serrated claws also tore away at the flesh nearby.
A moment of carelessness could result in his insides being ripped apart.
Bang!
The Moul’s claws embedded into the wall. During the brief moment when it was struggling to free its claws, Yohan immediately began preparing for a counterattack.
*Boom—*
A pitch-black space opened its maw and dropped a coffin. The massive vibration momentarily halted the Moul’s movements.
The appearance of something enormous heightened its alertness.
“This is the coffin you’ll enter.”
Yohan, wielding the best shield, confidently opened the lid.
*Boom—*
The King appeared with heavy footsteps. The warrior Ko-Won followed behind.
The King’s sharp jade axe clashed against the Moul’s claws, showing no sign of yielding.
*Growl—*
The Moul heightened its vigilance. It seemed to sense that Ko-Won was emitting a formidable aura.
Ko-Won, having read Yohan’s intentions, charged towards the Moul.
“Run!”
Ko-Won accurately dashed in the direction Yohan desired.
*Eek!*
The Moul, sensing vibrations, let out a monstrous scream and swung its claws.
Ko-Won, who looked like he was about to be split in two, timed his throw and hurled the coffin with all his strength.
*Crash!*
The claws were blocked by the coffin and deflected away.
The Moul, staggered by the recoil, limped back, and in the meantime, Ko-Won’s axe cleaved into its chest.
*Shriek!*
The injured creature retreated. Yohan quickly ran towards the severed corpse.
“Emotion.”
The faint light emanating from the dismembered corpse was drawn into Yohan’s hand. Information then appeared before his eyes.
[Jeon Se-Yong]
Grade: E
Occupation: Shield Bearer
Karma: 5
– A 4-year veteran hunter who discovered his awakening ability while preparing for exams. He lived diligently, sending 1 million won to his mother every month, but was killed by D-grade hunter Lee Kang-Han. He was guilty of secretly picking up fallen magic stones three times.
Yohan briefly bowed his head in respect for someone who had lived an almost innocent life.
“I’ll send one of your friends so you won’t have any regrets.”
Evidence had already been collected via the body cam. The body cam, containing footage of the man and Lee Kang-Han’s confession, would be handed over to the investigation department as soon as he exited the dungeon.
“Now, let’s safely store this body cam.”
The remaining task was to survive in this place. In reality, this was the most complex and challenging part of the task.
“Enter the coffin.”
Yohan gathered the dismembered bodies.
The fragments of the body flowing from all directions were combined into one and then disappeared into the coffin.
Yohan solemnly bowed his head as he looked at the unrecognizable face.
[Storing 1 corpse. Gained 4 stat points.]
He invested all 4 points into agility. With increased agility, Yohan easily dodged the attacks of the Moul, which was charging at him, ignoring Ko-Won.
“There are still 5 corpses left. I can gain 20 more points.”
*Boom*
The King stamped heavily. At that moment, its body turned toward the King, and Yohan ran towards another corpse.
[Storing 1 corpse. Gained 4 stat points.]
This time, he invested all points into senses. Movements felt more delicate.
After discovering a gap, he quickly aimed his bow at the Moul’s forehead.
Of course, the thick hide wasn’t easily pierced. It only caused a minor wound.
However, with his swift feet and refined senses, Yohan managed to block and avoid all attacks.
The Moul wasn’t a monster with extraordinary physical strength from the start.
“It seems doable.”
*Shudder*
The Moul, repeatedly mocked, trembled with anger.
It began to flare up with an unstoppable momentum.
