TOP 55

Chapter 55

The Third Authority

“Ugh! It’s scorching!”

“It’s hot.”

The party members expressed their initial impressions upon entering the dungeon.

Before them lay a vast land radiating heat.

A terrain of black rocks interspersed with rivers of flowing lava.

From a distance, fire-element monsters could also be seen.

“Alright, everyone! Put on the equipment you received.”

Choi Hyuk-soo, claiming the role of leader, put on his vest first.

A vest-type gear that boosts fire resistance.

Equipment meant to help somewhat adapt to such a high-temperature environment.

“I didn’t think the Administration Bureau would give us anything, but at least they provided this, huh?”

“Of course! The environment is what it is.”

Listening to Han Jun-pyeong and Choi Hyuk-soo, I also donned the vest, letting out heavy sighs inwardly.

‘Damn Administration Bureau. They should properly investigate the dungeon.’

Unlike the other party members, who were filled with tension or excitement about the dungeon raid, my mind was very complicated.

Once again, I recalled the dungeon information I had checked before entering.

[Burning Land]

• High-temperature land with flowing lava.

• Inhabited by magma golems, lava worms, and flame trees.

• Recommended entry level: 6

• The difficulty is high compared to the user’s level. Entry requires caution.

• A hidden boss monster, Hellfire Maw, may appear.

• Extremely strong monster relative to the user’s level! Retreat is recommended!

The information confirmed through the dragon’s authority, the Tenauges System.

The dungeon’s features or the monsters appearing weren’t the main issue.

What mattered was:

“Recommended level 6? And a hidden boss may appear?”

The dungeon’s difficulty was higher than known.

‘Wait, this is supposed to be a 5-star dungeon!’

The “star rating” system, which humanity uses to measure the strength of awakened beings, and the Tenauges System’s “level” system are nearly identical.

Based on experience, they could be considered equivalent.

So, if this dungeon’s recommended level is 6, it meant that the party should be composed of 6-star hunters to clear it.

At least five people.

But currently, we were…

‘A shaky 6-star and three 5-stars. One is a mage, I guess that’s a small positive? Hah.’

This was far from a party capable of tackling a 6-star dungeon.

I glanced back.

The supposedly 6-star hunter, an older man with greying hair, was here to evaluate our dungeon raid.

“…Choi Hyuk-soo restrainer.”

If we included him in our force in an emergency, it would improve slightly, but the party’s strength was still lacking.

Then:

“If everyone’s ready, let’s move.”

Choi Hyuk-soo tried to start the dungeon.

Huh? I haven’t finished thinking yet!

“Wa—”

“Wait a moment.”

Yu Seol-ah spoke faster than I did.

“Seol-ah? Is there a problem…?”

“Let’s start after a bit. It’s better to adapt to the environment since it changed suddenly.”

“Oh! If Seol-ah says so, I, a 6-star, didn’t even think of that. Ha ha ha!”

What a load of nonsense.

Listening to Choi Hyuk-soo’s arrogant boasting, I wondered if proceeding with this dungeon raid as is really the right move.

‘At least the monsters in the early stage are 5-star.’

The monsters in sight were magma golems.

They were indeed 5-star monsters.

The lava worms and flame trees in the dungeon info were also 5-star monsters.

The Administration Bureau had enough reason to rate this dungeon as 5-star.

But the Tenauges System considered it a 6-star dungeon.

‘Obviously, the latter is more credible…’

A dragon’s authority analyzing the dungeon systemically is far more accurate than humans’ superficial judgment.

This meant that the hidden boss, Hellfire Maw, was incredibly dangerous.

The warning to retreat was even written explicitly!

Of course, it was possible we wouldn’t encounter Hellfire Maw.

‘But that would be way too careless.’

Even if the chance was low, preparation for the worst-case scenario was essential.

‘Alright, let’s sort this out.’

If we force the dungeon raid, we could face an extremely powerful hidden boss and be doomed.

Plus, there was the unpredictable Choi Hyuk-soo ticking like a time bomb.

But what if we abandoned the dungeon now?

‘We might not get the 5-star certificate.’

Because this wasn’t a normal dungeon raid but a rating evaluation, there was risk.

Hunters who panic and retreat immediately upon entering wouldn’t receive proper ranking.

‘Waiting for the next opportunity isn’t an option either.’

Even if we were re-evaluated later, this record would remain, possibly compromising our position as a promising hunter despite potentially obtaining a 5-star certificate.

“Ha, this is maddening.”

I muttered out of frustration.

“Why?”

“…Nothing.”

Han Jun-pyeong, checking his shield, looked puzzled, but I brushed it off.

After all, it was a worry only I could have.

Only I could see the dungeon info window.

And it seemed I was the only one who had figured out Choi Hyuk-soo’s true nature.

‘Alright. Let’s proceed for now and make an excuse later.’

I decided after some thought.

We wouldn’t meet the hidden boss immediately, so we’d progress through the dungeon.

During the raid, we could claim a minor injury as a reason to retreat.

That way, even if we didn’t get the desired rank, we’d still get a safe 5-star certificate.

‘Better.’

Of course, we needed a reason to retreat, and we had to stay alert for when the hidden boss might appear.

Still, having a plan in mind brought some peace.

【Yujin, are you okay?】

Frill suddenly gave me a worried look.

‘I’m fine now.’

【You’ll be fine. That guy won’t show his true colors easily either, right?】

‘Right. My concern just now was mostly about the hidden boss.’

【True, that’s a problem too.】

Total chaos.

It felt like a warning from the start: “I’m definitely going to screw you over!”

It took some time to sort out my thoughts, but this was good enough.

“Let’s move out!”

“Alright.”

It was finally time to begin the dungeon raid in earnest.

“Let’s follow standard positions.”

Choi Hyuk-soo organized the formation.

Tank Han Jun-pyeong at the front, Choi Hyuk-soo himself as the second-line main DPS.

Mage Yu Seol-ah at the back as ranged DPS, and me…

“Yujin, protect the ranged DPS.”

Assigned as the mage’s bodyguard.

It looked plausible but was actually inefficient.

‘The mage doesn’t need that much protection.’

There wasn’t much chance of monsters ambushing from the rear, and even if they did, the mage could handle it.

In other words, I basically had nothing to do.

‘He deliberately made the formation inefficient?’

The implication was clear.

‘Damn. He’s planning an accident.’

“Understood.”

I accepted without complaint.

It was actually beneficial for me too.

‘I need an excuse to halt the raid anyway.’

From that perspective, a moderate accident was welcome.

Before Choi Hyuk-soo could reveal his true colors with a major incident, we’d stop the raid.

And so we encountered the first group of magma golems.

There were three of them.

Thud! Thud!

“Haah!”

Bang!

Han Jun-pyeong stepped forward, blocking them with his shield.

“Well done, Jun-pyeong!”

Choi Hyuk-soo gave a brief compliment and charged forward.

His sword generated an aura blade.

Swoosh—! Slash!

The aura blade easily cut the magma golems into pieces.

“Is that okay?”

Yu Seol-ah asked me with concern, wondering if using that much magic so early was necessary.

“Well, he must have a plan.”

It worked perfectly for my need to create a reason to retreat.

“Seol-ah, did you see that? Heh heh. Just trust me in this dungeon today!”

Choi Hyuk-soo proudly straightened his chest after swiftly slicing the magma golems.

“Oh, yes.”

“I’ll gather the mana stones.”

“Oh! Yujin, you can disassemble them too?”

“Well, I’ve done it before.”

I was responsible for disassembling corpses.

None of the three had experience as pack mules.

‘Another plus point.’

Many worries aside, getting a good rating now was important.

Even if pack mules were undervalued, a hunter who can disassemble doesn’t lose out.

It was obvious.

“It’s nice we don’t have to process byproducts.”

These monsters generally had no valuable byproducts.

The only meaningful item was the mana stone.

As I extracted mana stones from the cooled magma golems, Yu Seol-ah approached quietly.

“How do you do it?”

“Want me to show you? It won’t be fun.”

Disassembly wasn’t a job for a mage.

It was considered tedious, and strength was required.

Using magic wouldn’t make it impossible, but using a mage’s mana for this was wasteful.

“Hmm.”

“Better for you to rest—”

“Seol-ah! Don’t do that. Rest and talk with us instead! Haha!”

I heard Choi Hyuk-soo shout from over there.

Yu Seol-ah’s brow furrowed slightly, her irritation clear.

“Show me, then.”

“Alright.”

No need to insist on resting further.

Honestly, I wouldn’t want to go rest there either.

The disassembly didn’t take long.

We continued through the dungeon, encountering more monsters, but no major crises.

Even 5-star monsters were handled effortlessly by Choi Hyuk-soo, proving his 6-star hunter power.

Han Jun-pyeong showed competent tanking, and Yu Seol-ah’s magic was applied appropriately.

“Ice Spear.”

Yu Seol-ah specialized in ice magic.

Seeing her use it myself, rather than watching Frill, felt strange.

【Are you comparing me to that now?】

‘It’s the same technique, isn’t it?’

【No! The execution is sloppy. The spear tip is dull.】

‘Hmm. Really?’

【Yes!!!】

Anyway.

“Ahem. Let’s proceed a bit slower. We rushed too much at the start.”

“It seems fine. The speed now is sufficient—”

“It’s my judgment as the leader. Let’s go slower.”

Choi Hyuk-soo began to reduce speed.

He stopped using the aura blade, relying only on aura threads.

‘He still has energy left, right?’

Was the early energy use intentional?

Perhaps, to create an excuse to conserve strength.

During the battle:

“Ah! Lost aggro!”

“Damn!”

Two magma golems bypassed Han Jun-pyeong and Choi Hyuk-soo and charged at the rear.

I drew the Eternal Frost Sword and stepped forward.

Thud! Thud!

The two magma golems charged, radiating heat.

I moved quickly, adjusting my steps.

Scrape—

I drew aggro from the right one, guiding it to collide with the left one.

Bang!

Their collision slowed them naturally.

I then struck behind the left one.

‘The magma golem’s core is in the lower abdomen.’

I stabbed it with the Eternal Frost Sword, wrapping aura threads at the final moment.

Poke—!

One down.

Thud! Whoosh—

The other swung a lava fist.

I dodged and aimed for its core…

“Ice Spear.”

Crack!

Yu Seol-ah’s ice spear obliterated its lower abdomen.

Good. Both were defeated.

“I was going to use a shield, but you fight well.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

And the situation seemed resolved.

“Ugh.”

Or so I thought.

“What happened?”

“…Got grazed by an attack earlier.”

Han Jun-pyeong was injured.

“Tch. Be careful.”

Choi Hyuk-soo clicked his tongue.

【That despicable guy!】

Frill was furious, and rightly so, since Han Jun-pyeong’s injury was caused by Choi Hyuk-soo.

I saw him deliberately guide the magma golem’s attack toward Han Jun-pyeong.

“How bad is it?”

“…A little, fairly bad.”

“Let’s see.”

Upon inspection, the injury was serious.

His thigh was half-crushed, and burns from fire-element attacks worsened it.

Left untreated, it would worsen significantly.

But if we treated it…

“We need to use a potion.”

Choi Hyuk-soo was right.

Potions would heal it completely.

Expensive, but not a real problem.

Han Jun-pyeong, a 5-star hunter from a large corporation, surely had money.

“….”

“You don’t have a potion?”

“….”

“Really none?”

Hmm. That changes things.

“…Sorry.”

Han Jun-pyeong bowed deeply, his voice trembling.

“I-I didn’t have money… so I couldn’t buy a potion…”

Small voice, but no one could miss it.

“A Royal Guard member can’t even buy a potion?”

“Well, that’s…”

“Geez. Awkward.”

Choi Hyuk-soo exclaimed, Yu Seol-ah kept her poker face.

And I…

‘Is this an opportunity?’

A potion?

Yes, expensive.

But no hunter here would be seriously troubled.

Even if Han Jun-pyeong had none, someone else would.

Naturally, I had one.

If I requested it with a promise of repayment, a deal could be struck.

But:

“C-could I borrow a potion? I’ll definitely repay you afterward…”

“Sorry. I only need it myself.”

Choi Hyuk-soo flatly refused.

After all, he caused the injury; no reason to heal him.

Originally, the goal was more to force potion use than to injure.

“I—”

“Sorry.”

Yu Seol-ah also refused before speaking.

Harsh, but reasonable.

In a dungeon, a potion wasn’t just money—it was extra life.

Would anyone lend it just for a few coins?

‘Fair enough.’

If extra potions weren’t sufficient, refusing the deal was rational.

Finally, Han Jun-pyeong looked at me.

“Please…”

Desperate eyes.

I pretended to hesitate, then opened my mouth.

“Then…”

My goal was to find a reasonable excuse to leave the dungeon.

With such a perfect excuse, why waste it?

The first two refused, so me refusing wouldn’t cause a problem.

“I have no choice but to….”

And then:

【What!? Yujin, Yujin!】

‘Why?’

【Here! Dragon’s authority! Now I’m sure!】

‘…? Why tell me now?’

【I just realized!】

‘Ugh.’

Frill’s bombshell forced me to change my plan reluctantly.

“I’ll give you the potion! How could I abandon a teammate!”

“Th-thank you…!”

“We’ll stay together till the end!”

We had to complete the dungeon together.

Until I obtained the dragon’s authority.

“Ahhh! Yujin hyung! I’ll serve you as my elder!”

Han Jun-pyeong’s excited voice rang in my ears.

And Frill’s curious voice:

【But Yujin. Are you sure it’s okay to raid this dungeon?】

‘Not okay.’

【Then why…?】

‘Authority.’

【Yeah.】

‘Exactly.’

【…….】

The damn dragon’s authority held power.

It made even a huge risk feel bearable to obtain.