HAASAADB 04

Episode 4

“But where did you come out from?”
“Yeah, about that. We were waiting at the exit the whole time.”

At Park Geon-woo and Irina’s words, Han Do-yoon scratched his head.

“I luckily found another exit. As soon as I came out, it closed.”

They didn’t interrogate him further either.

The important thing was that he came out alive.

“Do you know how worried we were?”
“I never expected the ground would suddenly collapse like that…”
“There was no way to get down, so we came out to request rescue.”

Park Geon-woo clicked his tongue and grumbled.

“These damn Hunter Association folks are unreliable. They said it would take several more hours to dispatch a rescue team.”

Quite a few hunters die or go missing every day. It was probably already chaotic because of Kang Hyun-woo’s situation.

Han Do-yoon, an F-rank, would have been an afterthought.

“Do you know how furious our leader was?”
“You were the same.”
“You said you’d help if anything happened, but you came out alone. Really, I’m sorry.”

Irina bowed her head.

In times like these, how many team members would worry this much over one missing mercenary?

A light laugh escaped him.

“It’s okay.”
“You can’t just apologize with words. We should at least double, no, triple your pay.”
“That’s right. If it weren’t for Do-yoon, we would have had nothing.”

Pay.

Honestly, he didn’t need it.

If he slowly sold the items he brought from the dungeon, money wouldn’t be a concern.

The important thing was survival.

“Well, there’s something I’d like to ask more than that, then.”
“Just say it! What is it?”
“You said you’re going raiding again tomorrow, right?”
“There is a D-rank dungeon we booked…”
“Can I join too?”

Park Geon-woo and Irina made puzzled expressions.

“Of course. But that place might be even more dangerous than today’s. Are you sure?”
“That’s right. Maybe later, but taking a day of rest would…”
“It’s fine.”
“Alright, alright. Let’s talk more over dinner later, but first, let’s go settle the payment!”

The next day.

9 AM.

Beside the breakwater with a view of Busan’s Gwangan Bridge.

【10,760,000 Won】

That was the money earned from yesterday’s dungeon run.

As he was looking at the amount deposited in his account, Park Geon-woo came over and spoke.

“Are you really okay with receiving it as originally contracted? I feel like we should give you more.”
“It’s enough.”

Because.

【12,800,000 Won】

He saw the additionally deposited amount. More money than yesterday’s dungeon run.

This was the money from selling just one of the ores he brought from the Dark Divine Palace’s treasury.

He hadn’t expected it to fetch this kind of price…

He was shocked.

Things like this were piled up like trash in the Dark Divine Palace’s treasury.

Of course, he didn’t plan to sell everything at once.

Because even items from dungeons have their distribution channels tracked, like selling gold.

Even selling this one, the Association officials looked at him strangely.

It seemed that for an F-rank hunter, this was a fairly rare ore.

“‘Stick to the formation and follow. You know you can’t let your guard down, right?'”
“‘Do-yoon.. stay behind me.'”

The party, including Han Do-yoon.., totaled six people.

Park Geon-woo, the warrior, and Irina, the C-rank magic type.

“‘Tae-jun will help me catch the ones coming from the front, Min-seok will cover our rear. Serin, stay in the back with Doyoon.

Park Geon-woo gave instructions skillfully.

The other three were a swordsman, an archer, and a healer in order.

A team classified as weak by the Association…

But their teamwork was good and they made few mistakes.

‘D-rank dungeon Goblin Den.’

A dungeon so low you could hit your head on the ceiling if you jumped, and tricky to fight in due to the uneven walls.

The reason this was a D-rank dungeon was—.

“Three goblins ahead!”

Because goblins’ stats were among the weakest of monsters.

An arrow flew past Park Geon-woo’s cheek and swiftly hit a goblin’s heart.

Following that, Park Geon-woo took the lead, thrusting out his shield to block the other goblins’ attacks—.

Lee Tae-jun and Irina finished them off with a sword and magic respectively.

Watching the scenes of goblins being beheaded and exploding, he was quite impressed.

You could really feel they were a team that had been together for a long time.

Despite the uncomfortable location, each person’s abilities were deployed appropriately.

That’s when it happened.

A voice, as if ringing in his ear, was heard.

“‘Making such a fuss over mere goblins. If my Lord were here, he could easily handle a thousand goblins with just his little finger…'”

It was a voice and way of speaking he had heard before.

“‘Still, it’s best for my Lord to stay in the back. The vulgar blood of goblins might stain you.'”
“Wait a moment.”
“Did you call me?”

At his reflexive words, the healer Jung Se-rin answered.

“Ah, no.”
“Is something wrong?”

Han Do-yoo faintly curled the corner of his mouth and nodded.

Then he opened his mouth in a very small voice.

“What’s going on?”

“‘Through the Blood Pact, I can now speak to you, my Lord.'”

As expected.

This voice was Ellis.

“‘So, can you see what I’m seeing right now too?'”
“‘That is correct.'”
‘What did I do last night after drinking?’

He didn’t think he did anything weird.

It was a relief he just passed out.

“‘So, can you see all day long?'”
“‘That’s not the case. It consumes magical power, so I get tired quickly.'”
“To do something like this without my permission…”
“‘I apologize. But you asked me to show you, and I was also worried.'”

Ellis added in a voice that sounded like she had just woken up, a bit husky.

“‘I wondered if perhaps, after the battle with the Constellation, you had decided to settle down. You did return rather late, after all. Thankfully, it seems that wasn’t the case. Though I never imagined you would be playing human outside.'”
“…What would you have done if I had settled down?”

Silence flowed for a moment at the question.

“‘I have a way to come outside too, you know.'”

After that, she let out a chilling laugh.

‘…Scary!’

As expected,

She’s not normal either.

While he was having that secret conversation with Ellis, the other team members were diligently moving.

“‘How do the humans beside you seem?'”

Right on cue, Park Geon-woo got a scratch from a goblin and spat out a curse.

“Damn it!”
“Stay still. I’ll cast a healing spell on you.”
“Those disgusting bastards keep coming endlessly!”

“‘It seems they’re still acting like victims even though they’re the ones who came to attack.'”

Han Do-yoo answered.

“Humans feel threatened just by the existence of dungeons. Occasionally, dungeons collapse too.”

In fact, in China, there was an incident where a dungeon collapsed, monsters inside escaped, and casualties occurred.

‘With cases like that, coexistence between monsters and humans is impossible.’

And the various items that come from dungeons are often so special they shatter common sense.

Having good hunters and good items.

That is also linked to national power.

“‘My Lord is also capable of human-like thinking, it seems.'”
“Strange, isn’t it?”
“‘Not at all. But there were voices worrying that you might have become dull.'”
“Don’t worry.”

He had no intention of being an easy target.

The last one he spared was Kang Hyun-woo.

And that was also to save my own skin.

“‘From now on, the price will be severe.'”

If they come to kill, they must also stake their lives.

‘I’m at the edge of a cliff too.’

He had finished sorting out his thoughts long ago.

While steeling his resolve, the party had unknowingly reached the boss room.

“‘Let’s see the face of that boss bastard!'”

Park Geon-woo shouted boldly, exchanged a glance with his teammates, and opened the door.

A cave slightly larger than the path they had walked so far.

Right in the center stood a goblin holding a large two-handed axe, boasting rugged muscles.

It looked about 2 meters tall.

“‘It’s a Goblin Warlord. Judging by its dark green skin, it seems to be an individual that has survived for quite a long time.'”
“Woooooo!”

The Goblin Warlord let out a roar upon seeing the humans who entered the room.

Just the battle cry was enough to intimidate everyone.

“‘Everyone, focus and maintain formation!'”

Leader Park Geon-woo and Lee Tae-jun following behind.

Park Geon-woo blocked the axe the Goblin Warlord swung with determination using his shield.

“‘Sacred Shield.'”

A warrior-type defensive skill that gleamed gold.

Simultaneously, Lee Tae-jun, who jumped out from behind Park Geon-woo, swung his sword—.

The Goblin Warlord reflexively stretched out its hand to block, and its little finger was severed.

“Nice!”
“Behind…!”

Seeing Lee Tae-jun expressing joy, Park Geon-woo urgently shouted.

Because goblins, having heard the Goblin Warlord’s roar, were rushing towards Lee Tae-jun.

Thwack!

Just before a goblin’s dagger was plunged into Lee Tae-jun’s neck.

An arrow lodged itself in the goblin’s head.

“Son of a b*tch! That scared me!”
“Focus. It’s far from over!”

While Lee Tae-jun was flustered.

The Goblin Warlord swung its axe with all its might.

Along with the sound of air splitting, Park Geon-woo’s shield crumpled.

He was pushed back.

“Cough!”

Park Geon-woo, who flew back, collided with Choi Min-seok all the way over here.

Due to the armor covering his whole body, the impact was comparable to a traffic accident.

His bow rolled on the floor.

“‘What a ragtag bunch. That man will die soon.'”

What Ellis was referring to was probably Lee Tae-jun, now left alone in front.

The Goblin Warlord raised its arm back to swing its axe.

Lee Tae-jun also reflexively raised his sword, but there’s no way that thin sword could block it.

“‘We came this far easily. I should also earn my keep.'”

Muttering to himself, he picked up the bow that had fallen to the floor.

Thanks to the [Adaptation] skill, he could shoot a bow.

His strength was lacking, but his accuracy was high.

Then.

“‘Target one spot.'”

Twang!

With a clear ringing sound, the arrow flew, cutting through the wind, and accurately lodged itself in the Goblin Warlord’s eye.

“Now! Lina!”
“Fire Bolt!”

Irina unleashed a fire magic that flew like lightning, and upon touching the arrow shaft, it burst into flames.

The Goblin Warlord covered its eye and let out a painful roar.

“Hurry up and get up to help!”
“Ugh.”

Park Geon-woo gritted his teeth and got up.

Battle cry.

Willpower.

Holding on with these two things, he charged towards the Goblin Warlord again.

As he slammed into it with his shield and shook the Goblin Warlord’s center of gravity, Lee Tae-jun cut its Achilles tendon.

Choi Min-seok also staggered to his feet, took the bow Han Do-yoon was holding, and aimed again.

“‘Still, their tenacity is something to watch.'”
“Isn’t it?”

Finally, a sword was plunged into the Goblin Warlord’s heart.

“F*ck yeah! We won!”
“I really thought I was gonna die.”
“That was close.”

Excited voices.

Their admiration was directed at Han Do-yoon.

“No way, you could do that too?”
“Thanks to you, I survived.”

Park Geon-woo and Lee Tae-jun put their hands together in a gesture of thanks.

Beside them, Irina asked.

“That’s amazing. How could you stay so calm in that situation?”
“Well… It just happened that way…”

Perhaps because he saw too many monstrous beings yesterday.

It felt like that guy didn’t even register on his radar.

Just as Han Do-yoon was about to join in and savor the joy of victory.

Ellis uttered a chilling remark.

“‘Humans are quick to make a fuss.'”
‘What does that…’
“‘This dungeon is where the real thing starts from now on.'”
“Wait a moment…!”

Han Do-yoon urgently gestured towards Park Geon-woo.

But it was already too late.

Thud thud thud thud…

The ground rumbled,

And following that, the wall shattered.

Simultaneously, an uncountable number of goblins burst out.

No, should they be called zombies?

Goblins with even more grotesque appearances surged forward like a wave.

“‘Now it might get a little interesting.'”