[Shadow Extraction has been successful.]
*'Yes!'*
Jin-Woo clenched his fist. The last puzzle piece of the boss raid had fallen into place. The dark knight that burst forth from Kim Cheol's shadow was far larger and thicker than the original. To top it off, he held a massive hammer in one hand and a shield as tall as a grown man in the other, making him incredibly imposing.
*'Kim Cheol was already a hulking muscular guy, but this shadow is really...'*
Even in the midst of the urgency, an exclamation escaped Jin-Woo's lips.
[Please name the soldier.]
*'Ah, right. A name.'*
Jin-Woo glanced sideways. Igrit was being pushed back by the boss, clearly overwhelmed. He was barely buying time using his regeneration ability. *Shk!* Just then, one of Igrit's arms was sliced clean off.
*'I don't have time for this.'*
A name. Should he just go with anything? Just call him Kim Cheol? Jin-Woo shook his head. No—using a dead man's name to command an undead still felt wrong.
*'Right. Kim Cheol. Cheol means iron—so, Iron!'*
He decided on the name. The moment Jin-Woo made his choice, the newly born shadow was bestowed its name.
[Iron Lv.1] Knight grade.
Knight grade! The same rank as Igrit, but there was no time to celebrate.
*'No time to dawdle!'*
Jin-Woo jerked his chin toward the boss.
"Iron!"
Iron lumbered forward, his massive body swaying with each step. *Thoom, thoom, thoom!* His size was certainly impressive, but could he actually catch the agile boss at that speed? That worry lasted only a moment. Iron puffed out his chest and let out a roar. ROOOAAARR—!
*'What?'*
Before Jin-Woo's bewildered eyes, messages popped up in rapid succession. *Ding.*
[Iron uses 'Skill: Taunting Shout'.] [The Dungeon's master has entered a taunted state.]
"A taunt skill!"
Kim Cheol had been an A-rank tank. Naturally, he possessed high-level aggro skills, and his shadow, Iron, reproduced those skills perfectly. The boss's head snapped around. Ignoring Igrit—the one it could finish off right in front of its eyes—it charged toward Iron as if possessed. Iron used his 'Reinforce' skill to withstand the boss's savage dagger strikes that bit deep into him.
*'Good!'*
Jin-Woo nodded. In the meantime, Igrit's severed arm had regenerated. Black smoke began to seep from the cut surface, coiling and gathering until it formed a complete arm once more. The boss was still distracted by Iron. Jin-Woo and Igrit's coordinated assault began.
'...'
Park Hee-Jin was at a loss for words at the sight before her. It was too surreal. She didn't even feel like asking any more questions. From beside her, Han Song-Hee spoke in a small voice.
"Sister..."
Park Hee-Jin reacted belatedly.
"Huh? Yeah?"
"Is... is that what fights between Hunters look like?"
Han Song-Hee's voice was trembling, as if she was scared. Park Hee-Jin answered with a heavy heart.
"...If it were, I would've gotten my license a long time ago."
Go Myung-Hwan spoke with a blank look.
"Are we... are we maybe dreaming right now?"
If this was a dream, it was certainly a nightmare. Park Hee-Jin watched the monstrous creatures and pitch-black 'somethings' locked in combat and let out a groan. At the same time, another worry surfaced in her mind.
*'When we get out of here, we'll definitely...'*
She was certain they'd be interrogated as survivors. What would she say then? Park Hee-Jin couldn't even bring herself to explain what had happened inside the Red Gate, or the man named Sung Jin-Woo. As she thought this—
"Um, but excuse me."
Yoon Ki-Jung, who had been sitting on the floor shivering, struggled to open his mouth.
"Aren't we kind of amazing to be worrying about what happens outside?"
The members all nodded in unison. A high-level dungeon. And not just any dungeon—a Red Gate. A place they'd been certain they'd never return alive from. And now they were worrying about what awaited them outside. It was all thanks to one man. Park Hee-Jin's gaze turned toward Jin-Woo.
*'Sung Jin-Woo, you...'*
Beyond gratitude and astonishment, a feeling close to awe welled up inside her. *Thud!* The 'Kasaka's Venomfang' dug into the boss's shoulder.
['Effect: Paralysis' has been activated.] [The target's resistance is high; the effect has been cancelled.] ['Effect: Bleeding' has been activated.] [The target's resistance is high; the effect has been cancelled.]
As enemy levels grew higher, the additional effects of 'Kasaka's Venomfang' had become nearly useless. But leaving a wound at all was still significant.
*'Good!'*
As the wounds accumulated, the boss's swift movements began to slow little by little.
"Graaah!"
The smile had long since been wiped from the boss's face. The boss, which had been freely dodging attacks from Jin-Woo, Igrit, and Iron, was now gasping for breath.
*'Just a little more pressure!'*
Iron wrapped his arms around the boss.
"Now!"
At Jin-Woo's signal, Igrit pulled back. Jin-Woo retreated as well. The boss's eyes widened.
"What...?"
The finishing explosion spell from the magic soldier—completed earlier—poured down onto Iron. *KRA-BOOM!* *FWAAASH!*
"Cough!"
The boss let out a groan for the first time. As the creature twisted its body, one of Iron's arms was torn away. *Crunch!* The boss's venomous gaze locked onto Jin-Woo.
"Graaaah—!"
Jin-Woo marveled once more.
*'Even with wounds like that, it still has that much power!'*
As expected of a high-level dungeon boss. But the tide of battle had already turned.
*'Dagger Throw!'*
Just like he'd thrown it at the white ghost earlier, he launched 'Night Killer' with a dagger throw and added propulsion with the Ruler's Hand. *Whoosh—!* The dagger hurtled through the air in the blink of an eye.
*'Tch!'*
Sensing he couldn't dodge, the boss slapped the incoming dagger away with his short sword. *Krack!* 'Night Killer' had been flying so fast that a crack appeared in the short sword used to block it. At the same time, Jin-Woo—who had closed the distance using 'Stealth' and 'Sprint'—drove 'Kasaka's Venomfang' into the boss's side. *Thud!* The boss's eyes went wide.
"Cough!"
But even in that moment, the creature grabbed Jin-Woo's wrist. There was an unmistakable will to not go down quietly.
"Graaah!"
The instant the boss raised the short sword overhead with its other hand—Jin-Woo grinned. A massive hammer smashed down onto the boss's skull. *CRASH!* The boss's face drove straight into the ground. Behind the boss, Iron stood with both arms regenerated, holding the hammer aloft. The hammer swung down once more. *Whoosh— CRACK!* Preparing for the next attack, Igrit sheathed his sword. Jin-Woo returned his daggers to storage as well. Just as expected, a message appeared. *Ding.*
[You have slain the Dungeon's master.] [You have leveled up!] [You have leveled up!]
*'Phew, it's finally over.'*
Jin-Woo let out a sigh of relief. It had been a hard-won victory. Just as he was about to catch his breath, Jin-Woo's eyes went wide at the sight of Iron.
"Hey, hey, stop already!"
Jin-Woo hurriedly intervened. Iron, who had been about to bring the hammer down yet again, finally stopped. Maybe it was because he resembled the original, but he was a brute through and through. The boss's corpse had already been badly mangled.
*'But shadows don't mind.'*
Jin-Woo smirked. A precious reward at the end of a difficult battle. What he wanted lay right at his feet. Jin-Woo spoke in a low voice.
"Rise."
***
It was already 3 AM. The expressions of the four people standing guard near the Red Gate were grim. Unable to stand it any longer, Hyun Ki-Cheol spoke up.
"Why don't we hold down the fort here while you head home first, sir?" "My guild members are trapped in there. You think I can rest at home?"
Baek Yoon-Ho was firm. As the head of a guild and an active S-rank Hunter, that was out of the question. Just then, Ahn Sang-Min's eyes went wide.
"Huh? The Red Gate!"
Hyun Ki-Cheol and Joo Sung-Chan also noticed the change in the Red Gate.
"The Red Gate is opening!" "The dungeon has been cleared!" "People... people are coming out!"
Baek Yoon-Ho clenched his fist.
*'Kim Cheol! Did Kim Cheol pull it off!'*
*Rumble—* Everyone rushed toward the gate. Baek Yoon-Ho's gaze, unable to contain his excitement, searched for the leader, Kim Cheol. But Kim Cheol was nowhere to be seen until every last person had exited.
'Huh? Huh? That's strange?'
Even Joo Sung-Chan, who had told them to trust Kim Cheol, lost his confident demeanor, and his expression grew increasingly uneasy.
"Hunter Park Hee-Jin! Hunters Go Myung-Hwan, Yoon Ki-Jung!" "Hunter Sung Jin-Woo!"
Ahn Sang-Min's face lit up when he spotted Han Song-Hee and Jin-Woo emerging behind her.
*'Of course!'*
His smile stood in stark contrast to Joo Sung-Chan's hardened face. But the smile faded quickly—because the gate quietly vanished once the five people, including Sung Jin-Woo, had come out.
"Could it be... these are all the people who made it?"
Jin-Woo, looking exhausted, nodded. Hyun Ki-Cheol's face, who had asked the question, grew rigid.
*'No way...'*
With tears welling in his eyes, Hyun Ki-Cheol drew lines through the names of the dead on the roster he was holding. It was painful, but it had to be done. Watching this, Baek Yoon-Ho let out a sharp breath.
*'Only low-rank Hunters came back? Not a single A-rank, and only one B-rank?'*
It was unthinkable. What on earth had happened in there?
"Let's go. I'll give you a ride."
As Jin-Woo took Han Song-Hee's hand and tried to leave the scene, Baek Yoon-Ho grabbed his wrist.
"Hey, hold on a second."
*Tak!* Jin-Woo shook off his hand. At that, Baek Yoon-Ho's gaze turned sharp.
"Let's talk for a moment."
Jin-Woo turned around.
"I'm tired right now. If you have questions, ask your own guild members."
Unable to hold back any longer, Baek Yoon-Ho revealed his identity.
"I am Baek Yoon-Ho, master of the Baek Guild and a Hunter."
But Jin-Woo's expression remained ice-cold.
"And?"
At Jin-Woo's indifferent response, Baek Yoon-Ho's pupils transformed into those of a beast. They were the eyes of a creature, pure and simple.
"We lost nine guild members because of this. As the master, I have every right to ask a few questions, don't I?"
This wasn't a request. It was an order. Or a threat. By any name, he had no intention of letting Jin-Woo walk away quietly. But Jin-Woo glared right back, showing not an ounce of intimidation despite Baek Yoon-Ho's genuine S-rank hostility.
"I saved the remaining three. If you're the master, shouldn't you be thanking me first?"
Under the suffocating pressure, Baek Yoon-Ho withdrew his hostility. Every word was spot-on. There was nothing to counter.
"...I'm sorry."
As Baek Yoon-Ho lowered his head, Jin-Woo turned away again.
"Han Song-Hee, let's go." "Yes."
Han Song-Hee, cautiously glancing around, followed Jin-Woo. Before long, the two of them climbed into a van and calmly left the scene.
*'Unbelievable...'*
His mind in a tangle, Baek Yoon-Ho ran toward Park Hee-Jin—the only higher-ranked Hunter among the survivors.
"Excuse me, Park Hee-Jin."
Park Hee-Jin, warming herself with the hot tea Hyun Ki-Cheol had offered, looked up.
"What is with that guy? Why is he acting so hostile?"
They'd barely escaped the Red Gate alive, yet the atmosphere was practically lethal. Park Hee-Jin shook her head as if she was just as puzzled.
"I don't know. After we took down the boss, he shouted something three times in front of it, and after that he just kept... He was fine before that, though?"
Park Hee-Jin looked at Go Myung-Hwan and Yoon Ki-Jung. Both of them nodded in agreement.
"What a strange guy..."
Baek Yoon-Ho muttered, staring down the alley where Jin-Woo had disappeared. At that, Ahn Sang-Min looked as though he'd done something wrong, flustered beyond measure.
"I'm sorry, sir. He's probably just exhausted today. From what I can tell, he's not a bad person." "No, that's not the issue." "Excuse me?"
Baek Yoon-Ho turned to Ahn Sang-Min.
"Why haven't you recruited that man yet?" "Huh?"
Ahn Sang-Min couldn't hide his bewilderment. But it couldn't have been as great as the bewilderment Baek Yoon-Ho had just felt.
*'Against me...'*
Recalling the gaze he'd exchanged with Jin-Woo just moments ago, Baek Yoon-Ho swallowed hard. *Gulp.* In that instant, he realized that if he were to fight the man standing before him, he'd need to be prepared to lose an arm.
*'Maybe even more than that...'*
Sensing Baek Yoon-Ho's intentions, Ahn Sang-Min quickly answered.
"I'm doing everything I can." "That's not enough."
Baek Yoon-Ho's eyes gleamed. Sung Jin-Woo. Ahn Sang-Min's eye for talent had been spot-on after all.
"We'll support you with everything going forward. Bring that man into our guild no matter what it takes."