Chapter 62

All the hunters stared cautiously at the chimera.

This was no ordinary dungeon—this was a double dungeon.

We can’t even categorize that giant monster as an A-rank monster.

Dungeons are places where anything can happen.

There’s even the possibility that this thing could be the boss of the double dungeon.

Thus, the hunters didn’t let their guard down for a second.

The chimera’s body, including its tail, fully emerged from the gate.

The massive lion torso and the bizarre goat head sticking out of its back.

And swaying gently, the tail shaped like a snake.

Most bizarre of all…

“There are two heads in front?”

“That human-like one gives me the creeps.”

One head resembled a lion, but next to it was something far stranger—a human head attached to an abnormally long neck. Its mouth stretched so wide it seemed its ears might rip apart, revealing sharp teeth that exuded menace.

Even the seasoned hunters who had faced countless monsters instinctively furrowed their brows at such an unsettling sight.

“But… that human face looks kinda familiar…”

“Quit talking nonsense! Where have you seen something like that?”

“That, uh… yeah, you’re right. Haha…”

Several hunters exchanged nervous words while under tension.

Meanwhile…

The goat head began glowing with a violet light in its eyes, preparing a large-scale magic attack, radiating ominous energy.

At the same time, the snake tail started spreading toxic mist around the chimera.

“Is the defensive magic ready?”

“Yes, we’re good to go!”

“Prepared!”

In response to Ye Do-hyeong’s shout, the rear-line hunters confidently answered.

Right then…

“MEEEEH——!”

The chimera’s goat head bellowed toward the sky. Simultaneously, dazzling lightning struck toward the hunters, as if determined to tear everything apart.

KRAAAAAA!

BOOM! BOOM!

But the hunters weren’t ones to fall easily. They deployed their defensive magic at perfect timing. A blue protective barrier formed, weakening the lightning’s power and scattering it into the air.

However, it wasn’t perfect.

CHIIIICK.

PUUUONG!

The last bolt of lightning dispersed just as the barrier shattered.

It was a close call—barely held together.

Do-hyeong frowned. Defensive magic wasn’t his specialty, so he’d been conserving mana. But the barrier had been too precarious.

Besides, Kim Ji-a’s warning proved correct—the chimera’s attacks were far from over.

SHIIIIIIIK—

“Guhk, guhk!”

The snake head continued spewing toxic mist, causing nearby melee hunters to become poisoned.

If this delay continued, all the hunters would be poisoned. The mist was spreading alarmingly fast.

‘At least there’s some relief…’

The lion and human heads were relatively simple. Their sole tactic was biting with those razor-sharp teeth.

Though getting bitten would be dangerous, they were less threatening compared to the goat or snake heads.

After observing the situation, Do-hyeong quickly made his decision.

“We’ll take out the snake head first, then the goat head!”

“Understood!”

“Ga-eul! Focus on cleansing the poison!”

“Yes, got it!”

He clearly instructed the hunters on priorities and delegated tasks to the female supporter from Cheongrim Guild.

Do-hyeong turned his gaze back to the monstrous creature ahead. Despite being a tough opponent, he judged it as something they could handle.

Having assessed countless enemies during his hunter career, he knew he wouldn’t be wrong.

But there was one problem…

‘We haven’t even entered the double dungeon yet.’

If this wasn’t the boss, they’d have to face an even stronger existence. Therefore, excessive resource consumption here must be avoided.

He focused on the battle, hoping the later group would arrive soon.

* * *

Ji-a calmly surveyed the battlefield while steadfastly guarding the rear-line hunters. This wasn’t just any random vanguard team—they were composed of cool-headed professionals concentrating on overcoming the monster.

Still, despite their efforts, they hadn’t managed to sever even the snake tail after so much time.

Ji-a came to a conclusion and approached Do-hyeong.

“Do-hyeong-ssi.”

“Yes?”

“It seems pointless for me to stay here. I’ll assist with the tail.”

“Hmm…”

Do-hyeong glanced briefly at the female supporter behind them. Though her trembling increased with his absence, he didn’t stop Ji-a. She was, after all, a capable elite of Cheongrim Guild, capable of making her own decisions, even if she occasionally acted immaturely.

This wasn’t a situation to waste manpower on escort duties.

“Please do your best. If anything unexpected happens, return immediately.”

“Understood.”

Ji-a nodded firmly.

THWACK!

She immediately propelled herself forward with a powerful kick off the ground.

As she moved at high speed, a trail of icy coldness followed her weapon, leaving a shimmering blue path behind. It was her new weapon crafted from the drake’s magic stone obtained during her previous hunt with Si-hyun.

The chimera’s grotesque human head turned to glare at the incoming threat.

Eager to devour the newcomer in one bite, it flicked its long tongue and opened its enormous mouth.

“CAAAARK!”

SLASH!

Ji-a nimbly twisted her body, dodging the chimera’s fangs. A loud crunch echoed as the teeth snapped through empty air.

Without slowing down, she lunged forward, crouching low and accelerating further.

Her legs tensed, propelling her faster.

The freezing cold emanating from her spear froze the air, drawing a frosty blue trajectory as she swiftly bypassed the chimera’s massive body.

Reaching the tail in one swift motion, Ji-a kicked off the ground, leaping high into the air.

‘Here it is!’

Rotating her spear above her head in mid-air, she aimed precisely at the snake’s head.

The moment the spear tip glowed with frosty energy—

“KYAAAACK—!”

A long gash appeared, spurting blood, as the snake head screamed in agony.

Icicles scattered around Ji-a as she softly landed on the ground. Her spear slowed the snake’s movements, countering its poisonous mist.

THUD!

Ji-a landed smoothly and straightened her posture.

“Whoa! Miss, impressive job!”

“Thank you!”

The master of the Knight Guild smiled approvingly and praised Ji-a. Without hesitation, he sprang lightly off the ground, determined not to be outdone by the young one.

With another mighty leap, he added more wounds to the already suffering snake head before landing gracefully.

Thanks to Ji-a’s intervention, the hunters’ progress against the snake head accelerated.

While the S-rank tank from Cheongrim Guild handled the front two heads and forelegs, most of the team focused on the tail, supported effectively by the rear-line hunters.

As a result…

“KRRRRR!”

“CRAAAH!”

“KIIEEEK—!”

The remaining heads of the chimera let out metallic, horrifying screeches.

Because the master of the Knight Guild had successfully severed the snake head.

At that moment, all the hunters shouted in unison.

“NICEEEE—!”

“Hahaha! That guy’s toast!”

“Amazing work, sir!”

The spreading toxic mist gradually dissipated. Even the hunters responsible for the tail coughed slightly but quickly reorganized themselves.

With the most troublesome head gone, a sense of relief spread among the hunters.

But suddenly…

“MEEEEH—!”

The goat head once again lit up its eyes with violet light. Simultaneously, the chimera scraped its legs against the ground, taking a charging stance.

“Defensive magic! Prepare quickly!”

Melee hunters rushing back to the main group hurriedly adjusted their footing.

Do-hyeong joined in preparing the defensive magic skill, sensing something unusual.

“Can we withstand the charge?”

“Leave it to us!”

An S-rank tank from Cheongrim Guild stepped forward. Positioning himself at the edge of the protective barrier, he raised his massive shield firmly.

‘We need to reduce the impact of the charge as much as possible…!’

Just as the hunters finished their preparations precariously…

KRAAAAAA—!

A deafening roar split the air as—

BOOM! KABOOM!

Intense pillars of lightning hammered against the protective barrier. This was far stronger than before. Even with Do-hyeong reinforcing the barrier, it was barely holding.

The relentless lightning strikes continued, cracking and peeling away the barrier bit by bit.

“I-I can’t hold on any longer!”

“My mana’s running out!”

“I-Is it going to break?!”

Some hunters screamed under the pressure of the large-scale magic attack.

Do-hyeong clenched his teeth, pouring mana into maintaining the barrier. Without him, it would’ve broken already.

The merciless lightning relentlessly battered the barrier. Now, only Do-hyeong’s protection stood between them and destruction.

Fear began creeping among the hunters. Some even lost their balance and fell.

Amidst the chaos, Ji-a gripped her spear tightly.

Preparing to jump in at any moment, she looked upward. Ready to intercept the lightning directly if the barrier broke.

‘Using my skill, I should be able to deflect some of it.’

Ji-a steeled herself.

Then, someone placed a hand on her shoulder.

“…?”

Turning her head, she saw the master of the Knight Guild.

“I’ll take care of that role.”

“Hmm…”

Ji-a hesitated briefly.

This person was undoubtedly the strongest in the vanguard team, but also a retired hunter due to age. He had only joined this expedition because the management bureau requested his help in emergencies.

Looking back up, Ji-a reassessed the situation. The lightning was still striking fiercely, blindingly bright.

Would it break through within a few seconds?

Given her role as protector and her relatively better condition, stepping forward felt like the right choice.

Quickly analyzing the situation in her mind, Ji-a reached a decision.

The lightning continued to strike ferociously, pressuring Do-hyeong’s barrier.

Just then…

KUUGUUUUUNG—!

The ground began to tremble unexpectedly.

The earth shook, echoing loudly.

Everyone’s attention shifted momentarily downward.

Outside the barrier, the soil churned violently.

And then…

DRRRRRRRRR!

Massive clumps of dirt surged upward at incredible speed!

The rising dirt completely covered the top of the barrier, forming a sturdy earthen wall. Each lightning strike left marks on the wall, but it held firm.

“Woah, insane.”

“What… what is this…?”

Faced with this sudden earthen wall appearing in a crisis, the hunters could only stare in awe.

This was on a whole different level compared to their previous defenses.

What’s more, the earthen wall’s performance didn’t stop there.

As soon as the lightning ceased, the chimera launched a body slam with its massive bulk.

KAANG—!

A tremendous crash resounded, shaking the very ground.

But the massive earthen wall stood tall, effortlessly blocking the attack. The S-rank tank from Cheongrim Guild didn’t even need to step in.

‘Could it be…?’

Ji-a turned around, her heart pounding.

There was only one person she knew capable of such feats.

“Hohoho! Everyone, now that Steel-min has arrived, worry no more!”

A towering figure boomed confidently.

This signaled the arrival of the later group, allowing the hunters to advance into the boss room en masse.

Among them was a familiar silhouette.

A figure clad in pitch-black nun robes.

Their veiled gaze met Ji-a’s.

Ji-a smiled brightly like sunshine.

* * *

With the reinforcements’ help, dispatching the chimera went smoothly.

While part of the fresh team monitored the double dungeon portal,

the rest of the hunters began resting.

“Take your supplies everyone!”

“Grab your potions!”

The later group distributed items prepared by the management bureau to the vanguard team. Meanwhile, the S-rank hunters gathered to share information.

“So, the original boss wasn’t from the portal?”

“Ah, the original boss was a lich.”

When Steel-min asked, the master of the Knight Guild replied. The S-rank tank from Cheongrim Guild sighed deeply.

“Phew… I prayed that guy was the final boss, but there’s still more, huh?”

“Well, four of us should suffice. Leave it to me, Steel-min, to stand strong upfront! Hahaha!”

Steel-min placed his hands on his hips and laughed boisterously.

The other hunters, including Do-hyeong, exchanged wry smiles. To those familiar with Steel-min, this was a common scene.

“By the way, whose skill created that earthen wall earlier?”

“Hmm? Not sure. No one in our group specializes in that. Was it someone from the vanguard team?”

“…Is that so? Hmm.”

To Do-hyeong’s inquiry, Steel-min shrugged nonchalantly, as if it were insignificant.

The most important thing now was his arrival. With the monster already defeated spectacularly, the earthen wall didn’t matter anymore. All that remained was to perform impressively and restore his guild’s honor.

Understanding Steel-min’s mindset, Do-hyeong sighed inwardly and instead inspected the newcomers from the later group.

Suddenly,

Sensing hostility, Do-hyeong instinctively looked in that direction.

Someone cloaked in nun robes and veil was glaring at him. Though their face was hidden, it was clear they were staring intensely.

‘Why are they looking at me like that?’

Do-hyeong tilted his head briefly but refocused on the meeting as Steel-min loudly declared,

“From now on, I’ll take command! Hahaha!”

[!– Slider main container –]