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Chapter 13
Kim Se-jeong simply couldn’t understand the current situation.
The opponent was just a guide.
A guide who didn’t even have proper equipment.
And yet, that same person had taken down a boss monster all by himself…?
It felt completely unreal.
But then—
“Those eyes…!”
Kim Se-jeong snapped back to her senses when she saw the gleam in Lee Hyun’s eyes.
She realized that the unease she’d been feeling all along stemmed from this.
Her instincts screamed at her that she needed to act, now.
“Guide-nim, I’m so glad you’re safe!”
Se-jeong stepped forward with a warm smile, then quickly put on a guilty expression.
“Sorry we were so late! Because of the Sammae Divine Wind, we completely lost our way… we ran as fast as we could, but you’d already… You must’ve suffered so much because of us, fighting all alone…”
Lee Hyun said nothing.
As if waiting to hear what excuse they would try to give.
“But how did you manage to take down the boss all by yourself? That’s incredible. Even we struggled badly against it.”
Smirk.
Lee Hyun let out a faint laugh.
“You got lost, you say?”
“Yes. The visibility was so bad we couldn’t pinpoint our location. I really am sorr—”
“But the Sammae Divine Wind was all focused on fighting me. The sand fog should have already dissipated.”
“…”
“Well, never mind.”
Kim Se-jeong felt something unsettling. Lee Hyun’s temperament seemed… different from before.
A strange pressure made her heart pound uncontrollably.
“This area is already cleared. So I’ll be taking all the rewards. You all can head back down now.”
He pointed down the slope with his axe.
A declaration of monopolizing the dungeon.
Kim Se-jeong knew just how deeply Heo Se-woon was interested in this dungeon and tried to speak up, but—
“And what if we refuse?”
Heo Se-woon sneered, stepping forward.
Lee Hyun frowned.
“The boss monster was defeated solely by me—”
“That’s not true. You didn’t take it down alone. We weakened it, and you just landed the finishing blow.”
Se-woon continued, his tone mocking.
“If we hadn’t drained its strength first, do you really think you could’ve handled it?”
“…”
“So of course the dungeon rewards belong to us. What are you even saying? We’re not saying you get nothing—you did work hard, so we’ll give you a fair share.”
In other words: We’ll decide your cut. Step aside.
Lee Hyun remained silent.
Se-woon assumed he was scared.
“No way I’m letting some nobody walk away with all this.”
In truth, Se-woon had noticed the dungeon’s secret from the start, though he hadn’t shared it with his teammates.
‘The Great Sage, Sun Wukong. This dungeon is definitely connected to him…!’
As the guild leader’s younger brother, Se-woon had studied mythology extensively. He knew exactly what the term Sammae Divine Wind implied.
‘Despite his fame, Sun Wukong has never once appeared. Even the Jade Emperor’s apostles and Avalokiteśvara’s apostles roam freely, but not him.’
If they could obtain even a single relic connected to him, the prestige of their guild would skyrocket.
If they could get a sacred artifact…
‘I might even surpass my brother!’
Se-woon never really liked his older brother. He had always lived in his shadow.
But he fully acknowledged his brother’s greatness.
The thought of surpassing him and taking over the guild filled him with thrill.
‘He did solo a Yellow Gale Beast, so he must be skilled. But since he’s just a freelancer with no backing, it’s perfect. We’ll toss him some money and chase him off. He must be exhausted anyway. No way he’ll want conflict with us.’
Indeed, he had noticed Lee Hyun’s fatigue.
The sunken eyes, the faintly sweetened breath, the slight tremble in his fingers.
He was clearly forcing himself to stand.
‘Or maybe we should just silence him for good?’
That thought briefly crossed Se-woon’s mind.
If a mere guide could show such power, it had to be because of excellent items.
He wasn’t wearing defensive gear, so perhaps his weapon was…
‘Wait. Isn’t that… Docheol?’
With sharp eyes, Se-woon spotted the faint Docheol engravings on the teeth of Hyun’s axe—ghastly patterns resembling a demon mask.
It was unmistakably the work of the blacksmith Docheol, whose weapons were coveted by high-rankers.
‘So that’s it. Mystery solved.’
Everything made sense now.
‘No wonder. He’s not actually skilled—his strength comes from Docheol’s weapons.’
Se-woon thought things were going far too smoothly.
Sun Wukong’s traces and a Docheol weapon.
What was supposed to be a casual dungeon run was turning into a goldmine.
“…”
Se-woon signaled with his eyes.
His teammates, who had long fought alongside him, understood at once and began surrounding Lee Hyun.
“Oh, and before that—let’s settle something.”
“Settle?”
“Yes. Because you stole the boss kill, our share of the loot is reduced. You’ll have to compensate us somehow.”
The teammates grinned, closing in tighter, some even drawing weapons.
Unlike the fatigued Hyun, they had all rested and were full of energy.
Se-woon smirked coldly.
“Your weapon will do nicely. What do you think?”
“…”
Hyun quietly scanned Se-woon and the others.
Then his gaze fixed on Kim Se-jeong, who was fidgeting anxiously at the edge of the encirclement.
“This is your idea of a reward for helping you?”
“…I’m sorry. But I promise I’ll explain everything to the guild master and vouch for you.”
“Forget it. Doesn’t seem like you mean it anyway.”
Hyun turned back to Se-woon.
“And if I refuse your offer?”
Se-woon chuckled, convinced Hyun was bluffing.
“Then things will get rough for you…”
Slice!
Splurt!
Se-woon’s words died as his left arm was severed, pain flooding in.
“You know what your kind’s problem is?”
Hyun was suddenly right in front of him.
“Your tongues are too long.”
“A-aaagh! My arm! My aaarm!”
“Why do you assume I’d let you strike first?”
Without warning, Hyun shoved Se-woon aside, breaking the encirclement instantly.
Crash!
His axe swung again, lightning crackling blue-white, aimed at Se-woon’s neck.
“Leader!”
“This bastard’s insane!”
“Die!”
The teammates scrambled, activating skills to block Hyun’s attack and protect Se-woon.
But—
Flick!
It was only a feint.
His second swing wasn’t aimed at Se-woon.
Instead—
At Kim Se-jeong.
“…!”
Thunk!
The axe buried itself in her skull.
Her head shattered, and she collapsed lifelessly.
Hyun had anticipated her stealth skills, capable of fooling even [Combat Sense], and eliminated her before she could interfere.
“Se-jeong!”
“Deputy Kim!”
And then—
Flash!
Hyun darted past the stunned teammates, reaching her corpse.
He retrieved his axe and, in one motion, severed her left hand—taking the ring [Step of the Shadow Goblin].
“Stop him! Don’t let him get that ring!”
Se-woon shouted desperately, realizing too late.
But Hyun was already sliding it onto his finger.
[You have obtained ‘Step of the Shadow Goblin.’
You may now use the bound skill: Shadow Step.]
[Step of the Shadow Goblin]
The shy goblin hides in shadows so well that even its passing leaves no trace.
-
Item Type: Ring
-
Origin: Folktale “Stepping on Shadows”
Shhh—!
Hyun’s body melted into shadow and vanished.
“…!”
“…!”
“Find him! Now!”
The teammates panicked—they knew how dangerous the item was.
But it was already too late.
Slash!
The rearmost teammate’s neck split open, blood gushing.
A strike slipped through the gap of his helmet—an instant kill to the carotid.
“Hye-jung!”
“Damn it!”
“You coward! Show yourself—!”
But shadows danced, and from them came lightning-fast strikes at their throats.
Zap!
Thunk! Crack!
“Uwaagh!”
“Ghhk!”
“N-no…!”
None of them could read Hyun’s movements.
Some were stronger on paper, but their strikes cut only air—before their necks were torn apart.
“This is impossible! Even with [Step of the Shadow Goblin], no one could master it instantly to this level…!”
Se-woon felt as though he was bewitched by a goblin.
Hyun’s presence was ethereal, impossible to track.
Here one moment, gone the next, reappearing elsewhere to take another life.
Even Se-jeong, the ring’s long-time user, hadn’t wielded it with such skill.
How was he surpassing the original owner’s mastery?
Was he truly a goblin himself?
‘Then at least this!’
Se-woon frantically pulled out an emergency item.
[Oath of Bound Grass]
The grateful dead may return as spirits to repay kindness.
But the wicked exploit this, binding the dead to serve even in death.
-
Origin: Spring and Autumn Annals
Whoosh!
Grass shot from the sand, trying to bind Hyun’s invisible ankles.
Slash!
But Hyun’s axe cleaved through them like nothing.
‘No… impossible…!’
Se-woon turned pale, his last hope shattered.
One by one, the rest of his teammates fell, skulls and helmets crushed.
Finally, Hyun emerged, half-wrapped in shadow, lightning crackling blue-white over his shoulders.
Crackle! Zap!
Se-woon trembled.
“You… how…?”
Hyun gave no answer.
He only smiled.
If they hadn’t tried to play dirty, he never would’ve obtained such a perfect item.
They didn’t know it, but he’d given them several chances.
Because of his creed—
Civilians are to be protected.
The pride of the Thunder Corps, and its lesson.
But once they crossed the line, they became enemies.
Enemies were to be exterminated with maximum efficiency.
That’s why he prioritized claiming the ring first.
[Fatigue: 89]
A head-on fight at this state would be dangerous.
So he eliminated the most troublesome target first, securing her weapon, and turned it to his advantage.
A basic principle of warfare.
‘Step of the Shadow Goblin… it resonates perfectly with Condensed Thunder. We’re a perfect match.’
Thanks to it, even his thunder strikes could now be silent.
What once boomed with deafening thunder now struck without sound.
An incredibly efficient weapon.
Crackle! Zap!
Lightning sparked violently, as if echoing his thoughts.
Step.
Hyun advanced.
Se-woon stumbled backward involuntarily.
“You… you mean to kill me…?”
Step.
Hyun stepped again.
Se-woon retreated again.
“Do you even know who I am!? I’m Heo Se-woon! The younger brother of Heo Se-hwi, guild master of Myeongga! If you kill me, my brother will never forgive you!”
His face flushed red—shame burning him.
He was on the verge of A-rank, the highest beneath rankers, yet here he was, groveling.
But survival came first. If he escaped, he could always avenge himself later.
“If you don’t want your life ruined by crossing Myeongga, kneel right now and beg for—”
Thunk!
An axe buried itself in his forehead.
As his pupils shook and dimmed, they seemed to ask:
Why aren’t you afraid?
Every other hunter, even the top rankers, had backed down when faced with Myeongga’s name.
But not this man.
What was he?
Hyun’s answer was simple.
“Myeongga?”
Snort.
A faint chuckle, almost a sneer.
“So what?”
“…!”
No fear. No hesitation.
Only then did Se-woon realize—
This man was not someone such threats would ever work on.
But that realization came far too late.
Splatter!
Darkness closed in.
