RE: Player again

257

[Chapter 086] [There's a Dungeon Under the Lamp (3)]

"You're a devil..."

"What are you saying. This is all for your own good. Where else do you think you could get this kind of experience?" "You son of a bitch..."

Min-ji who had no strength left to get up slumped to the floor as soon as she finished off the monster.

Jin Parang who got hurt after rampaging vigorously at the vanguard growled baring his fangs.

The expressions of the others weren't good either.

It made sense.

After barely defeating the Extreme Disgust Rats, Eun-ha had thrown his friends into another yellow dungeon he found nearby.

He was truly nothing short of a devil.

Moreover, he had prepared plenty of potions in advance and even kindly shared them when his friends got hurt.

His friends had to forcibly drink the potions Eun-ha handed out even if they didn't like it.

"Alright, short break. Everyone recover mana with potions."

"...Can't we stop now? Please?"

"That's right. We can all kill monsters well now."

There would be another battle after the break.

Ha-yang who sensed that desperately pleaded with a dirty face.

Seo-na stepped up too. She put her hands together and begged earnestly.

The kids are tired.

Eun-ha looked at the two pleading and begging, Eun-hyeok who had no strength left to move his mouth, exhausted Min-ji, and Parang who was dozing off.

He certainly pushed them too hard.

Although it was a low-risk yellow dungeon, conquering three dungeons in a row was an extremely difficult task for his middle school academy student friends.

Nevertheless, the reason he pushed his friends was surprisingly because they complemented each other well in party play.

So Eun-ha wanted to see the limits of their potential.

To the point of unintentionally overworking them.

"...Alright. Let's end it here."

"""""Yay─!!!!!"""""

He thought his eardrums would burst.

Eun-ha sighed at his friends who suddenly spread their arms and shouted joyfully.

He wondered if perhaps they had deliberately acted tired to avoid dungeon conquering.

In any case, the decision had already been made.

If he took it back, his friends would collectively go berserk.

I gathered some decent mana stones, so it's not bad.

Eun-ha checked the mana stones contained in the bundle in his hand.

Among the mana stones dropped by 9th and 8th tier monsters, there were a few good quality ones.

They would be somewhat helpful in crafting artifacts that could contain gifts.

Of course, since he wasn't the one who defeated the monsters, he had to give his friends proper compensation.

"Guys, these mana stones..."

"Ah, I don't care! You handle it!"

"I just want to go home and wash up!"

"If I go back looking like this, the nun will surely say I've gone crazy..."

"Your distribution of mana stones..." "Food! I'm going to eat as soon as I get home! Stop talking nonsense and let's get out of here already!"

"Captain, I'm hungry too..."

His friends didn't listen to him.

Eun-ha gave up trying to discuss how to distribute the mana stones with his friends.

He decided to sell useless mana stones to the Dangun Player Association through Bruno, and use the remaining mana stones to make artifacts.

Then I should give them Stars of Purification.

A Star of Purification had bloomed recently in the red dungeon he was using as a hideout.

One flower would be enough to make an amount for his friends to eat.

It would be a profitable deal for them.

"It's late, so let's go home and eat dinner... Huh?"

"What. Why are you like that? As if you're about to change your mind now..."

Eun-ha who was about to leave the sewer stopped in his tracks when he saw a yellow part caught in the corner of his vision.

He didn't even hear Min-ji grumbling in an anxious tone.

His gaze was fixed only on the yellow place.

...There's one more dungeon?

It wasn't a simple yellow dungeon.

The yellow dungeon partially generated throughout the sewer was just a dungeon in the process of becoming a dungeon.

There were two ways dungeons formed.

Suddenly, or slowly.

When dungeons occurred suddenly, there was usually a boss monster containing the dungeon's core stone.

Conversely, when dungeons formed slowly, monsters born inside the dungeon competed for the position of boss monster over the core stone.

The dungeons his friends had conquered so far were dungeons where boss monsters didn't exist yet.

But when he deployed detection nets, the yellow dungeon at the edge of his vision had a wide range that couldn't be grasped by detection nets.

His intuition was telling him.

There's a boss there.

"Let's just do the boss fight and go." "No! Absolutely not! Are you crazy!?"

"Min-ji's right. We barely managed to take down 8th tier monsters by ourselves earlier, how could we defeat a boss monster?" "...You mean that dungeon over there? I have a feeling it might be a bit dangerous. Eun-ha, that seems difficult..."

"I don't know! I won't do it! I'm about to die from exhaustion!"

His friends each objected.

As Eun-ha had predicted just earlier, they showed intense reactions.

Certainly, as his friends said, they didn't have the foundation to take down a yellow dungeon's boss monster.

Not skill, but foundation.

If they filled in a little more experience, his friends would be able to easily kill low-tier boss monsters.

But did I tell you guys to fight?

Meanwhile, Eun-ha clicked his tongue in disbelief.

He intended to train his friends so they could kill boss monsters someday, but not now.

Telling mentally exhausted friends to conquer a boss monster was tantamount to telling them to die.

"I'll do it alone. You guys just watch from afar."

Eun-ha dismissed his friends' protests.

They who quickly shut their mouths asked with their expressions if it was okay.

It was needless worry.

There was no way he couldn't defeat it.

He just intended to bring his friends along to show them what kind of being a boss monster was.

But─

"─Captain, I want to try too."

Eun-hyeok expressed his intention to participate.

☆

He never imagined Eun-hyeok would speak up.

But for Eun-ha, there was no need to refuse.

The sensation of defeating a boss monster would surely be a good experience for him.

"Ha-yang and Seo-na, stand with your feet on the dungeon's boundary line. We need to prepare for any contingencies."

"Okay, got it."

The principles of this world do not affect the principles of dungeons.

So Eun-ha asked Ha-yang and Seo-na to stand with their feet on the boundary line.

To prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.

Ha-yang would objectively observe the situation and relay information to Seo-na.

Or deploy protective magic.

And Seo-na would relay information learned from Ha-yang to Eun-ha and Eun-hyeok.

"Why me... I'm tired too you know?"

"Hyung just needs to provide cover from nearby. Just provide cover and relay the situation to Seo-na via telepathy."

It was different from the plan.

So Eun-ha decided to draw Parang into the battle as well to prepare for contingencies.

"Shall we go in then?" "Alright, Captain."

"Tch."

Jin Parang taking out Blue Claw.

Choi Eun-hyeok answering with a hardened face.

Eun-ha stepped into the small yellow dungeon taking the two with him.

There were no subordinate monsters.

It was a yellow dungeon that was overwhelmed just maintaining one boss monster.

It could be said to be a perfect dungeon for his friends to experience.

...Grrr, urrrgh

A giant rat-bear with deformed arms and legs.

Sharp angled teeth containing mana were under triangular protruding lips.

""..."

"Don't be scared." "I-I'm not scared!" "...Okay."

7th tier monster Grotesque Rat.

Parang and Eun-hyeok felt an indescribable sensation the moment they faced it.

A sensation as if something was grabbing their ankles.

At the same time, a sensation of their hands and feet going numb.

The two who were momentarily paralyzed with fear could only come to their senses after Eun-ha spoke to them.

"Bosses containing a dungeon's core stone are different from ordinary monsters."

The two were intimidated by the aura the boss emitted.

So Eun-ha released mana towards the creature drooling like it was sick.

Grrrrrgh

It was no match in killing intent.

He who showed what true killing intent was to the half-baked rat bastard glanced back at the two.

As intended, unnecessary tension had left the two's postures.

"─Parang hyung."

"Jin Parang is going in!"

Eun-ha who gripped Black Thorn called Jin Parang's name.

Parang didn't make the mistake of rushing out ahead of the dealer like when they first formed a party.

He followed behind Eun-ha who deliberately lowered his speed while running and injected internal mana into Blue Claw.

Parang's role was solely to distract it.

While Eun-ha blocked its bent arm, Parang swung Blue Claw in one breath after quickly circling to the side.

"...What? It's no big deal!"

The blue claws filled with mana cut through its skin and fur like paper.

It couldn't be helped.

Parang had been holding back to distribute mana until now.

But there was no need to conserve strength as long as Eun-ha was facing it.

Mana Crasher

Meanwhile, the wounded creature reacted.

Eun-ha swung his sword aiming for the opening it revealed.

In that time, Parang utilized his quick mobility to distance himself from it.

He who retreated backwards splashing water began attacking its back when it started rushing at Eun-ha.

Kiaaaaaaah

"What, are you mad?"

Jin Parang giggled.

There was no easier battle than this.

Since Eun-ha was leisurely handling the boss, Parang could nimbly move around it with movements he hadn't been able to try until now.

A hunter's role is to assist the dealer while dealing damage to monsters.

In a situation without any interference, Parang could fully perform that role.

And a dealer's role is to deliver death to monsters.

Horizontal Freak

Ominous mana gathered at the tip of Black Thorn.

The drill-like blade pierced the abdomen of the creature that had jumped up from the water's surface.

Ki, kigiiik!!

It denied reality.

Its pupils shook violently as it slowly looked down at its abdomen pierced by the sword.

"─Choi Eun-hyeok."

"Yes, Captain."

"I'll let you have the finishing blow."

"Okay."

Eun-ha had the skill to easily take down something like a Grotesque Rat if he wanted to.

That's why it was troublesome to face it while holding back his strength.

But that was over now.

He pulled out the blade he had stabbed into its abdomen with force.

Then the creature that had been floating in the air started to fall with its head towards the water's surface.

Eun-ha calmly looked up at the creature falling towards his head, shocked at its own death.

There was no need to dodge.

Because Eun-hyeok had been waiting for this moment, injecting mana into his blade.

"─Put all your strength into the sword, in one go.

Mana Crasher."

Magic that shoots out mana contained in the sword.

The sword strike with concentrated destructive power split the creature's head in half.

That was enough.

The Grotesque Rat that was all but dead disappeared turning into particles.

"Now that you've used Mana Crasher in a real battle, you should know well what's lacking? You need to learn to draw out mana a bit more."

Magic was the work of engraving images onto the world's principles.

So when first using magic, it was convenient to chant incantations to firmly grasp the image, or give intuitive names that were easy to remember.

The reason Eun-hyeok recited his thoughts out loud before handling Mana Crasher was for that reason.

By the way, the incantation you recite just before using magic is too long.

To be able to use it in real battles where situations change rapidly, the incantation for grasping the image should be as short as possible.

It was something that would become familiar with use.

Someday he would be able to use magic with the image automatically coming to mind with just a simple action.

"So don't neglect practicing like that from now on... Huh?"

When he was about to advise Eun-hyeok.

Eun-ha who had turned his back blinked seeing him being hugged by Seo-na.

"C-Captain..."

"You i***t, shut up and quickly drink a potion." "Hey, Jin Seo-na. How am I supposed to drink a potion if I shut my... Alright, I'll be quiet."

Eun-hyeok smiling faintly.

Seo-na who was kneeling on the ground where dirty water had pooled was feeding him a mana potion.

Jin Parang who was about to say something to her made a gesture of zipping his mouth after hearing something via telepathy.

I don't know if Choi Eun-hyeok is brave or just stupid...

To not even leave strength to stand.

Eun-ha clicked his tongue in disbelief.

To pour out that much mana and only have that much power.

It was evidence that the image wasn't properly constructed.

Obviously mana must have leaked out in the middle of deploying the magic.

He still lacks training.

As soon as we return to the academy...

Eun-ha soon gave up that thought.

Because he who had drunk the potion closed his eyes as if tension had left him.

Eun-hyeok fell into a peaceful sleep.

"Noh Eun-ha! Are you going to keep leaving him to Seo-na?"

"Alright, alright..."

He was a high-maintenance subordinate.

Eun-ha piggy-backed Eun-hyeok after hearing Min-ji's call.

"Eun-hyeok, become even stronger in the future."

That day, Eun-ha obtained high quality mana stones and a skill stone from the boss monster.

The skill stone didn't react to him. So it went to Eun-hyeok's hands.

Because it emitted an especially intense radiance in his hands.

It's a shame but it can't be helped.

I don't need it anyway.

The Grotesque Rat's characteristic was having excellent intuition.

It was useless to Eun-ha who already had excellent intuition anyway.

Rather, it was something needed by Eun-hyeok whose growth was still expected in the future.

The principle melted into Choi Eun-hyeok's body, granting him intuition superior to before.