Chapter 29

Chapter 29.

 

Ha-kyung did not think much of it, but the Great Sage’s reputation was extremely high.

High enough that even Kang Woo-jin, the master of one of the Four Great Guilds, was left bewildered.

Now that he thought about it, Ha-kyung had felt it too.

‘Of all the support I have ever received, the Great Sage’s care was the most comfortable.’

It was probably because they possessed abilities that exceptional.

When Ha-kyung looked at them with slight curiosity, the Great Sage cleared their throat.

“Ahem! I showed you a rather unsightly side of myself last time, but despite appearances, I am not someone who falls short wherever I go.”

“I did not say anything.”

“……I merely said it because I felt inferior.”

Contrary to their mysterious image, the Great Sage was rather honest.

Of course, their attitude toward people other than Ha-kyung was somewhat different.

One could say they kept their distance.

Today, too, the Great Sage’s face was unfamiliar.

They probably had a skill that altered their appearance.

Perhaps that was why they gave off an even more mysterious air.

Soon, Kang Woo-jin gathered the team members.

“Now then, I will explain as we go. Everyone, enter the gate!”

“Yes, sir!”

The Death Hound guild members stepped forward first.

A group of more than thirty tanks and melee damage dealers.

It was quite an unfamiliar sight.

Ha-kyung turned to the Great Sage and said,

“It must be difficult to support them all.”

“It is fine. I can handle that much well enough.”

This raid party had remarkably few ranged damage dealers.

That was probably why they had tried to cooperate with the Raiders.

That side had a relatively large number of ranged damage dealers.

In any case, this party also had a rather abnormal composition.

Ha-kyung recalled the Layered Abyss.

‘It is the complete opposite of that time.’

Even so, they had covered the basics to some extent.

After all, it was not as if the Death Hound Guild had no ranged damage dealers.

Of course, there were only five of them, so he had to wonder how useful they would be.

However, Kang Woo-jin was confident.

“There are a lot of tanks and melee damage dealers, but there will be no problem with stability. We have always fought this way, and we will continue to do so.”

There was no real basis for it, but for some reason, Ha-kyung trusted him.

It was probably because of the image Kang Woo-jin gave off.

Even while leading an enormous guild like Death Hound,

He had never once been caught up in scandal.

With the escort team at the lead, the raid party entered the pit of the Abyss.

Soon, a stone gate hidden within the blackish pollutants appeared.

Kang Woo-jin took out the key and suddenly snapped his fingers.

“Ah! There is one explanation I left out. The dungeon we are clearing this time is Extreme grade.”

Not only Ha-kyung,

But everyone in the raid party could not help but be shocked.

Why was he only mentioning something that important now?

However, Kang Woo-jin continued explaining as if it were nothing.

“There is no need to be frightened just because the difficulty is rather high. We have already finished calculating the variables, and we are challenging it because it is doable.”

Ha-kyung could not wipe the dumbfounded expression from his face.

However, he had no intention of backing out.

Was this not a rare opportunity?

Sure enough,

Everyone else seemed to feel the same way as Ha-kyung.

They merely nodded in silence.

Kang Woo-jin looked over the team members for a moment.

He was waiting for objections.

However, no one gave up.

Soon, Kang Woo-jin inserted the key into the stone gate.

“Then I will open it.”

RUMBLE!

[You have entered the dungeon “Abyss of Proliferation”]

[You are in the heart of the Schism Wretches’ habitat]

[Defeat the guardian Crack Swarm and find the path that leads to the final boss, Dual Legion]

[Grade: Extreme]

[Limit: 60 people]

[Reward: Unknown artifact]

Ha-kyung poured out admiration inwardly.

‘It feels unusual from the very beginning. The quality of the abyss energy flowing through this dungeon itself is different.’

It felt as if a prickling energy were scraping against his skin.

The Great Sage’s expression did not look good either.

“An Extreme-grade medium-sized dungeon…… It will be similar to the Abyss of Infestation we experienced, or perhaps even harder.”

No one yet knew how large the gap was between the upper floors and The Void.

The sample size was too small.

However, Ha-kyung could determine the difficulty fairly accurately.

The sharp senses of Soul Brand told him.

Ha-kyung spoke with a stiff expression.

“This place is probably more dangerous.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I feel a stronger sense of danger than I did back then.”

“It is only a guess, yet for some reason, I trust it. I should be careful not to let my guard down.”

The Great Sage nodded.

It was a weak line of reasoning, but they did not seem to have any intention of arguing.

It was probably because of the overwhelming performance Ha-kyung had shown in the Abyss of Infestation.

Perhaps that was why an unexpected trust had formed.

Ha-kyung could only make an awkward expression.

‘This feels a little strange.’

Was it because he had spent so long moving alone?

Or was it because he had experienced the worst in the form of the Raiders?

Suspicion rose in him first.

Strictly speaking, Ha-kyung and the Great Sage had only met three times.

Of course, they had shared life-and-death struggles within a short period.

Then someone suddenly approached and spoke to him.

“Well now, should I say it is good to see you? In any case, I look forward to working with you.”

It was a large man around Kang Woo-jin’s age.

There was a long scar on his face,

And the hand axes he held in both hands gleamed ominously.

Ha-kyung recognized him at once.

How could he not?

Just a few days ago,

They had beaten each other bloody.

The Iron Wall Butcher, Kim Tae-gwang.

That man had joined the raid party.

Ha-kyung immediately bowed his head.

“Hello. Are you feeling all right?”

“Ha ha! Every joint in my body aches. You have quite a fierce fist.”

“I am sorry. You were so strong, Senior, that I had no other choice.”

“Your skill and character are both excellent. As expected of that friend the pioneer’s son.”

“Did you know my father?”

“We often worked together in the early days after the Abyss Gates appeared. I received an offer to join the guild, but I did not go. I was more comfortable alone.”

Kim Tae-gwang was more deeply connected to Axis Prime than Ha-kyung had expected.

Perhaps that was why the title “Senior” came naturally to him.

Unlike Choi Hyun-ki, Kim Tae-gwang was an adult who behaved like one.

Since the thought had occurred to him, Ha-kyung asked Kim Tae-gwang a question.

“By the way, why did you stand as the Raiders’ champion?”

“I have a fairly long history with that man too. He has grown narrow-minded with age, but in the past, he was a decent person.”

“Then why…….”

“After being stabbed in the back a few times, it seems his thinking changed. Something along the lines of, if he was going to suffer anyway, he should strike first.”

“Ah, I see.”

Ha-kyung could roughly understand.

The Abyss was a place filled with betrayal, ambushes, and plunder.

Choi Hyun-ki seemed to be a case of someone who had turned dark after being unable to endure such wickedness.

That did not mean Ha-kyung had any intention of understanding him.

‘There are more people who do not become like that.’

Kang Woo-jin and Kim Tae-gwang must also have suffered countless betrayals.

Yet they did not act like Choi Hyun-ki.

Soon, Kim Tae-gwang offered a greeting.

“Then I will be off.”

“Ah, yes. I wish you luck.”

“You as well, Junior.”

After Kim Tae-gwang left, the Great Sage tilted their head.

It seemed strange to them that Ha-kyung was walking in the rear line.

“Mr. Ha-kyung, are you not going?”

“There are already too many people over there.”

“Well, it is a rather abnormal ratio of personnel.”

“An order will probably come separately. I plan to move then.”

A veteran Awakened like Kang Woo-jin would command them on his own.

The raid party began exploring the dungeon in earnest.

The Abyss of Proliferation was a maze that seemed woven together from jagged stones.

It was almost like an asteroid drifting through outer space.

Black particles floated throughout the dungeon in wisps.

Soon, grotesque lumps of flesh abruptly emerged.

“Kyaaaak!”

The strange life-forms swallowed the black particles and writhed.

Those were probably the Schism Wretches.

They seemed to be the monsters that inhabited the Abyss of Proliferation.

When the enemy appeared, Ha-kyung’s eyes gleamed.

He was curious how Kang Woo-jin would command the raid party.

But right then,

An absurd order spread through Whisperer.

―Monsters discovered. I command you to set the hearts of warriors ablaze.

“Uwooooooh!”

The guild members roared in response to Kang Woo-jin’s voice.

Soon, nearly forty people began rushing forward all at once.

“This is a fight between men, you freakish bastards!”

“Come at me! I said come at me!”

The Death Hound guild members each grabbed hold of a monster.

Then they began fighting one-on-one battles.

Still, it was not a completely mindless charge.

From a distance, their formation was roughly in order.

However, there was no doubt that it was ultimately an inefficient fight.

While Ha-kyung stood with his mouth agape,

The Great Sage hurriedly deployed their skills.

“No, if they do this, the back line will be worked to death, will it not?”

There were only fourteen healers.

Supporting forty front-liners with that number was nearly impossible.

But right then,

Kang Woo-jin’s voice rang out once more. ―Healers, stop providing care. I did not raise my disciples to be that weak.

It was truly an absurd request.

He was telling them to heal only those who genuinely seemed about to die.

Ha-kyung wondered what kind of ridiculous strategy this was.

However, he soon had no choice but to acknowledge Kang Woo-jin.

‘Forty headbutting dinosaurs are overwhelming a horde of monsters.’

The sight of ferocious monsters actually recoiling in horror was truly enough to overturn common sense.

That did not mean he could simply stand by and watch.

Ha-kyung also drew his karambit.

‘I should earn my keep.’

He moved around the front line.

The Schism Wretches pushed their way in, swarming stubbornly.

Each was an abomination with a lump of flesh like two people fused together, four legs,

And eight sharp, spiked arms.

The creature kept letting out shrieks through the round maw opened in the center of its body.

“Kreeek? Kiyaaaah!”

The Schism Wretch’s method of attack was just as grotesque as its appearance.

It stretched out its arms and unleashed countless thrusts.

SH-SH-SH-SH-SH! SH-SH-SH!

Its legs scuttled rapidly as it moved its body.

Ha-kyung frowned and stepped back.

‘One mistake, and I am finished.’

Even getting close was not easy.

It was the moment when the Death Hound guild members felt incredible to him.

How were they engaging in close-quarters combat against creatures like these?

It was the kind of attempt only tanks with outstanding defense could make.

Of course, Ha-kyung had no intention of simply avoiding them either.

‘I will fight my own way.’

He extended Abyss Refinement to its maximum length.

[Abyss Challenger’s “Compression” authority increases the density of abyss energy]

TZ-KYUNG!

With this, the length of Abyss Refinement would reach up to seven meters.

In exchange, its width had narrowed, but its power remained the same.

No, it would be more accurate to say that its power had risen instead.

Ha-kyung struck away the Schism Wretch’s spiked arms in an instant.

Then he split its central body apart.

CLAAAAANG! SLASH!

The Schism Wretch was cleaved apart at once.

The time it took to deal with one was roughly fifteen seconds.

Ha-kyung tilted his head.

‘It is easy for an Extreme-grade monster.’

It was at a level similar to the Brood Eater he had seen in the Unfathomable-grade dungeon of The Void with the Great Sage.

The Abyss of Infestation.

Of course, Ha-kyung had grown somewhat stronger than before.

Even taking that into account, it was not a very difficult opponent.

Ha-kyung quickly analyzed the reason.

‘The matchup is good. These things are far weaker in defense than Brood Eaters.’

No, it seemed they did not even think of blocking at all.

That was why Ha-kyung could easily attack the Schism Wretches’ weaknesses.

He was like a wolf leaping into a flock of sheep.

As he cut them down like a madman, he soon reached the raid party’s front line.

SPLAT!

“Huh?”

“Uh?”

By coincidence, Ha-kyung came face-to-face with Kang Woo-jin.

A questioning gaze turned toward the rear.

The number of Schism Wretches Ha-kyung had dealt with was already in the dozens.

Unable to hide his surprise, Kang Woo-jin shouted,

“When did you deal with all those?”

“I got lucky. They panicked when I came in from behind.”

“They do not seem like the kind of creatures that would kindly die just because of that.”

Instead of answering, Ha-kyung merely smiled.

In any case, was it not enough that he had won?

But right then,

A scene unfolded that made everyone doubt their eyes.

CRACK! CRUNCH?!

There was a sound like bone and flesh separating.

Then an absurd system message appeared.

[The Schism Wretch splits after receiving damage beyond its limit]

Soon, the dungeon’s wide corridor was filled with monsters.

So many that several were pushed out into the outer space-like area beyond.

Suddenly, Kang Woo-jin muttered with a blank expression,

“We are done for.”