Chapter 126
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A tree where pure magical power has gathered.
To be precise, a small nest located at the top of that tree.
It was a place hidden deep in the entrance we had passed through, and the reason the magic stone of the harpy I had just hunted was in such good condition.
That harpy must have stayed here for a long time, accumulating high-quality magic power.
If that harpy filled with accumulated magic power had not appeared…
It was a place we would have just passed by.
This was an undiscovered dungeon that could only be found by encountering that harpy.
I looked up at the tree and said.
“We should check it out, right?”
Although we discovered the undiscovered dungeon by chance, finding dungeons was the fundamental reason I came to the Sobaeksan Mountain Field.
Clues about the Forgotten Dragon.
I blindly searched for dungeons in order to grasp even a single thread…
With Moon Ga-eun’s sharp intuition and bold actions using [Magic Tracking], we couldn’t have found a better situation.
“Yeah. But….”
Moon Ga-eun started to reply but looked back.
There was the A-grade Holder escorting us.
Seong Na-yeon was slowly approaching.
“Let me say again, do not worry about me. I may intervene if you two are in danger, but that is the full extent of my escort duties. I will not be involved in anything related to dungeon rewards, hunting results, etc.”
Seong Na-yeon also roughly grasped the situation.
That we had accidentally discovered what appeared to be an undiscovered dungeon while ordinarily hunting harpies.
As someone undertaking escort duties, of course she would also follow us into the undiscovered dungeon, but she was emphasizing again that she would give up all related rewards.
‘It’s similar to when I was with Master Yoo Eun-seol.’
It was a similar position to Yoo Eun-seol when we hunted the ‘Stained Rock Pile.’
The difference was that back then I had officially received Yoo Eun-seol’s bus, whereas this time I only had Seong Na-yeon’s escort from behind.
In fact, just that meant we had nothing at all to lose.
“Then shall we go in?”
“Yeah. It’d be stupid to not go into an undiscovered dungeon we found. But…”
This time, Moon Ga-eun’s gaze went towards the top of that tree.
With a slightly perplexed expression.
“That… how do we get up there?”
Ah.
That’s… right.
I silently looked up at the top of the tree.
If it was a suitable height, I could somehow manage to parkour up using magic power through [Magic Control], but honestly this was way too high.
At a glance, it looked over 10 meters…
It seemed difficult to climb without wind-attribute magic that could levitate through the air.
‘Oh? Wind attribute?’
Recalling something that suddenly came to mind, I looked at Moon Ga-eun.
“Don’t your archery runes have the wind attribute? Why can’t you go up?”
However, Moon Ga-eun shook her head.
“That just adds the wind attribute to my attacks and archery, it doesn’t let me use wind-attribute magic.”
“Ah, right….”
Moon Ga-eun’s [Wind Archer] was ultimately just a high-level rune for [Bow] with the wind attribute added, not a rune that allowed her to handle wind-attribute magic.
Moon Ga-eun and I were lost in thought as if we were sorry for that.
And the two of us seem to have come to a conclusion.
At the same time, I thought the same thing and turned my head.
“Holder… Seong Na-yeon?”
“….Yes?”
The wind attribute magic that will lift us.
A Holder who knows how to handle this… There was only one person here.
***
Ippotranslation
***
[You have entered the dungeon.]
[The expansive energy of the dungeon slightly reduces the Holder’s speed.]
We were able to enter the ‘Nest Covered by Clouds’ comfortably.
Seong Na-yeon, a multi-holder who is evaluated as having a high level of swordsmanship as well as wind-attribute magic.
Her [Levitation] skill was perfectly stable.
As a skilled person, it seems that her wind attribute magic rune is quite high level.
There was no sense of incongruity or objection at all when she supported the two of us and carry us on top of the tree.
‘I need to get the relevant runes quickly.’
Even though I thought it was fortunate, I made a promise to myself.
I had to hurry and obtain wind-attribute magic runes.
I hadn’t felt the need until now since I focused so much on physical attacks, but when an important situation came I desperately needed the corresponding runes.
To be blunt, if Seong Na-yeon hadn’t been here, we might not have been able to enter the undiscovered dungeon we finally found, despite everything.
On top of that, wind-attribute magic runes were necessary for [High-speed Flight]… now incorporated into [The Greatest Racehorse Under Heaven] for ‘Air Charge.’
I honestly wondered how often I would use it, but once runes are obtained, they can be used someday.
My experience so far proved this.
“Wow… it’s so spacious.”
“I know.”
Nest Covered by Cloud was a plain-type dungeon.
It was so expansively huge that we couldn’t even determine which direction to go in to reach the boss room.
This was also my first time seeing a dungeon layout like this.
Since it was a dungeon from the original work that was only mentioned…
Exploration, hunting, strategizing…
We had to try everything through repeated failures.
“Let’s explore first.”
“Got it.”
Moon Ga-eun crouched down and placed her hands on the ground.
She was utilizing her main exploration rune.
[Dolphin’s Sonar].
Moon Ga-eun closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment.
And not long after…
Her eyes snapped open.
“They’re coming.”
“Right now?”
“Yeah! Diagonal right! Three of them!”
Kuuaaaah-!!
Kiiik-!!
I quickly turned my head in the direction Moon Ga-eun mentioned.
Along with strange cries, exactly three monsters were charging at us.
“Those are….”
Their creepy appearance entered my eyes at a glance.
A face resembling a human like a harpy, an exterior resembling a lion, wings that looked like they would tear any moment, a tail that seemed to be directly taken from a scorpion…
Even from a distance I could identify the monsters.
“Manticores.”
A-grade monsters, manticores.
Going even further than harpies which seemed to combine humans and birds, their appearance mixed humans, lions, bats, scorpions and other ferocious animals.
Their attack tendencies were also physical enhancement types like harpies.
Naturally, their abilities far surpassed those of harpies.
“Ga-eun! Autonomous support fire!”
“Got it!”
At this point, Moon Ga-eun and I had pretty good teamwork in combat.
We had devised a number of plans according to the situation, and talked a lot about responding to variables, so…
We now understood well what the other had to do with just a short conversation.
Moon Ga-eun swiftly drew her bow, and I also took out my weapon.
‘Physical enhancement types are actually easier.’
For our current party composition, the most dangerous monsters were those that primarily used magic.
Magic attacks that could strike the dealer from a distance were difficult to respond to and counterattack.
On the other hand, monsters that utilized physical attacks through physical enhancement had to clash first.
And these types were much easier to deal with.
I could buy time by directly clashing, and there were many ways to handle them before they reached the dealer.
Especially the weakness of melee monsters against magic attacks.
The fact that my magic attacks could be effectively applied was the most appealing point.
‘Quarter knife first.’
I threw four daggers at the leading manticore.
Kwaaaah-!!
Kuuuuh-!!
Having seen its definite effect when hunting harpies, it was foolish now not to use it.
“Hup…!!”
Next, I powerfully kicked off the ground and leapt.
Using [Magic Amplification] and [Magic Control], I could fully close this much distance with a jump.
I went straight for the second manticore.
I left the follow-up attack on the lead manticore to Moon Ga-eun.
Since I had already landed one strike with the [Quarter Knife] imbued with Rainbow Clash, Moon Ga-eun’s follow-up attack should at least buy some time.
‘Staircase Slash.’
I wielded short swords in both hands.
The rune I was utilizing was [Plum Blossom Sword Technique], the swordsmanship exclusive to daggers.
The skill I was using was [Staircase Slash].
Although it is much weaker compared to the original [24 Plum Blossom Sword Technique], there were no runes more suitable for using short swords.
Kuuuuh-!!
Shhk- Kwaaang!!
With short swords, the speed was maximized compared to when using longswords.
On top of that, just like [Quarter Knife], [Staircase Slash] could also add explosive attributes.
If I could imbue magic power into the sword I was using, [Explosive Sword Aura] could be utilized anywhere.
I charged at the manticore with intense speed and unleashed [Staircase Slash].
‘Explosion only on the final strike…!!’
[Staircase Slash] only applied magic power on the first step and last step.
So I didn’t add the explosive attribute on the first attack, only on the final attack.
To connect the rapidly chained skill more smoothly.
And to tie up the conclusion of the skill more effectively.
Kwah, kwaaaah-!!
Kuuuuh-!!
The relentless chain of physical and magic attacks in an instant.
Unable to collect themselves amidst the overwhelming speed, the manticores howled.
Seeing that the movements of the lead manticore I passed were also constrained for a moment, Moon Ga-eun’s support fire seemed to have properly struck.
‘It’s not over yet.’
Although I had landed a big blow with the surprise preemptive attack, I didn’t think this finished the hunt.
They were A-grade monsters, after all.
No matter how easily I got the attacks in, manticores were monsters with the strength to counterattack.
Being careless could be dangerous instead.
Keeping that in mind, I prepared for the next attack.
And at that moment.
“Hup?!”
Kuuuuh-!!
Swish- Gasp!
The third manticore I briefly lost sight of in my vision.
It flew in with tremendous speed and attacked me while I was slightly open.
The form of attack was physical.
Precisely, an attack stabbing with its long scorpion-like tail.
‘Its tail?’
The creepy tail approached and stabbed one of my forearms.
Although its high strength pierced my toughness stat and left a wound, thanks to the lower defense runes of [Descendant of the Barbarian King] and [Physical Defense], it wasn’t too major a blow.
Honestly, biting and tearing me directly would have been more effective, so I didn’t understand why it attacked with its tail.
And….
[Blocked the ‘Venom Sting’ head-on. An unbearable toxic element courses through the body.]
[The level of the ‘Venom’ rune has increased.]
[1 Poison Resistance acquired due to the rune’s affinity.]
[The ‘Venom’ rune’s derived skill, ‘Poison Claw,’ transforms into ‘Poison Attack.’]
Seeing the barrage of messages that appeared, I could understand.
‘Right. This bastard was a poison-using monster.’
The manticore was a special monster form with a scorpion’s tail.
That tail contained an extremely potent toxin.
Naturally, its greatest form of attack was…
A poison attack utilizing its tail.
The skill [Venom Sting] also seemed to be a derived skill of the related rune.
‘…It benefits me?’
However, that attack.
It was a huge misunderstanding to think it would be effective against anyone.
I quickly switched weapons with Art of Weapon Exchange, taking out [Sword of Penitent].
Then I stabbed the temporarily defenseless manticore’s nape with the sword, and tersely stated.
“My poison resistance is over 10, you bastard.”
The toxins of the underground dungeon’s Poisonous Iguanas.
The poisonous monsters of the Forest Covered by Snakes.
The endless, irritating poison of countless monsters…
While growing against that, my special stat, poison resistance, was now recording over 11.
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