90. Lord is going to a Dungeon
“Kereuk!”
“Keeek! Keeek!”
The King Goblins clung to each other like leeches, stabbing with their swords and swinging their axes. If they didn’t have a weapon, they would have started biting. The boss monster was quickly covered in blood as thirty pointed weapons ripped through his body. Its scream, which sounded like a pig’s squeal, rang throughout the area.
“How dare you!”
He sprang to his feet and emitted a shocking wave of devastation.
“Keeek!”
“Kerreuk!”
The King Goblins couldn’t hold out and fell back. It was like a grenade had gone off, scattering them all over the place, and sending them staggering to their feet. Ko Byeong-gap responded immediately.
“Gather around me.”
The Goblins gathered at his word. Meanwhile, the boss monster’s face was full of embarrassment and anger. He repeated himself as if he had lost his mind:
“Why…why are you there?! Come to me!”
“…”
“You pawns! You belong to me!”
He yelled, but the King Goblins didn’t budge.
“What kind of trick did you use, human?”
“How dare you toy with the Goblins in front of me? You’re so arrogant.”
“What? You’re…who are you?”
“How can a man with no discernment sit there in power?”
Ko Byeong-gap rolled his eyes secretly. The shock wave he gave off earlier also threw away the women he had. It was good news.
“I asked you what you were! How did you get rid of my mental control? I… I’ve become so strong!”
The boss monster huffed and created a pillar of light, ready to fire it off.
Ko Byeong-gap lowered his voice and said, “Listen, I’ll deal with him. In the meantime, save the human women and kill the rest.”
“We’ll do as you say.”
“Alright.”
He summoned an aura around his sword. The golden form took shape by overlapping around the sword.
“How did you get rid of my mental control?”
“Hah!”
Ko Byeong-gap replied with a smirk.
“Well, I guess I have more control.”
He kicked off the ground. Immediately, the boss monster fired the pillar of light. Ko Byeong-gap immediately swung his sword to destroy his enemy’s projectile. Although the light bounced them back slightly, Turka and Orca blocked it beautifully. The Goblins faithfully fulfilled their Lord’s orders.
‘It’s different from what it looks, is it a long-distance type? If we stick together, my side will have the upper hand.’
Its shots were tricky and powerful, but without guards, he was noticeably powerless. Ko Byeong-gap was determined to dig through that opening. The boss monster hastily prepared for his second attack. At that time, however, it was already within Ko Byeong-gap’s range.
‘Starting with the ankle.’
The long bastard sword painted a golden trajectory, cleaving through the boss’s leg and sending blood splattering through the air.
“Khahahak! Agh!”
A fist wrapped in Karma like a gauntlet fell from the sky, swift and heavy as it fell. Ko Byeong-gap quickly performed his footwork to widen the distance, just as the fist struck where he stood less than a second ago.
Boom! Knock! Knock!
The floor shattered. Debris soared into the sky as if gravity had switched off.
“You’re a rat!”
There was no time to rest as the projectile descended. It was too much to avoid each of them, so he used his strength to build a shield and hid underneath. His hawk eyes opened and chased the movement of the boss monster. It turned its hands into a hammer and swung them at his side.
‘I can’t stop that.’
Ko Byeong-gap hurriedly looked for an escape route. His eyes darted around as his mind quickly calculated the optimal route.
‘Quickly dodge his body before his fist hammer falls.’
Boom! Boom!
Once again, the floor shattered.
‘What kind of stupidity is that?’
He thought it was a long-distance type, but it was pretty good at close-range too. The power from its large body was enormous, but he had the upper hand in sharpness. Ko Byeong-gap poured aura into his sword and fired it; the crescent sword aimed at the monster’s head.
“Agh!”
He twisted his four arms to defend himself. He failed to amputate one due to the Karma Barrier layered on its arms, but it didn’t matter since it was bait from the start.
“The secret art of the Mandara Knights. The third form of the eight martial arts.”
He jumped to his feet and stabbed the boss monster.
“Crushing!”
“Hak!”
The whirlwind power destroyed the boss monster’s left shoulder. Its flesh, muscles, and bones were torn like pieces of paper. It was so finely ground that not even a drop of blood splattered out.
‘It’s shabby compared to the original, but this is enough.’
“Gasp!”
The boss monster stumbled backward. Ko Byeong-gap stabbed his sword into its solar plexus as it fell, splitting its chest.
“You… you…!”
Its fighting spirit was worthy of praise, and its remaining two arms flew toward Ko Byeong-gap. However, they were cut down by his sword.
“Ugh…”
The boss monster struggled to raise its head. Ko Byeong-gap’s arms blurred. Almost at the same time, his blade stabbed into the monster’s eyes.
“Ugh! Argh! Argh! Aaaah!”
He struggled wildly. However, he couldn’t pull the sword out because he had no hands. Ko Byeong-gap glanced back. The Goblins had collected the women and laid them together in one place.
‘I’m gonna have to end it.’
He walked up to the boss monster’s body, stood on its chest, and raised his weapon. Suddenly, the screaming boss monster began begging desperately.
“Spare me! I don’t want to die!”
“Oh, do you want to live like this?”
“I’ll do whatever you ask me to do! Please… please, mercy!”
“Mercy…”
Ko Byeong-gap pulled out the blade stuck in its eyes. He then held the sword upside down and put it over its head, barely touching the monster’s skin.
“Let me ask you a few questions.”
“Well… I’ll answer anything!”
‘Maybe there is some information that I can get from this guy.’
Questions that he was curious about but couldn’t find a place to ask. Hopefully, he could solve all of them this time. Ko Byeong-gap first took off his backpack and threw it at the Goblins.
“Take it!”
“Ah! Yep!”
“There is a potion in it. Treat those women with it. If anyone comes to their senses, tell me immediately.”
“I see!”
He looked down on the boss monster again. It must’ve been scared since it was frozen in place.
“Hmm… what should I ask first? Yeah, you. What kind of monster are you?”
“…Monster? Tell me what a monster is first. If that’s what I know–”
“Oh, don’t mind it. I made a mistake.”
The monster was the name that modern people used to refer to the creatures in the cracks. It wasn’t unusual for it to not understand.
“Forget the word monster. Just what are you?”
“What do you mean? What do you mean, what am I?”
“…It’s a bit vague.”
Somehow, he felt like he was playing twenty questions, so he grew annoyed.
‘I need to ask a specific question.’
Firmly determined, he asked what he had guessed inwardly and never wanted to accept.
“Are you… are you human? Or are you like the others here?”
“Are you asking about my species?”
“I guess you don’t wear your head around as a decoration. So, what’s the answer?”
“H-Human. It’s a word I haven’t heard in a long time.”
Suddenly, he laughed. His eyes were still filled with fear, but his laughter was real.
“What are you saying? Just answer me.”
“I’ll ask you a question the other way around. What comes out when a horse and a donkey crossbreed?”
“What…? A mule.”
“Yes, then the mule and a bull come together and breed. Then what would come out?”
Could mules and cows breed? Ko Byeong-gap, who agonized over such absurd things, suddenly came to his senses.
‘Damn, why am I worrying about this?’
“You don’t understand what’s going on, do you? Who told you to joke with me?”
“It’s not a joke. I can’t find the origin of my species because… there is a myriad of different blood mixed.”
“It’s mixed up?”
“Yes, did you say human? I’ve heard that in the distant past, there were pureblood species, but now that distinction is meaningless. It’s all mixed up.”
Ko Byeong-gap was speechless. In the meantime, it continued.
“Are you looking for pure-blooded humans? Give it up—they don’t exist here anymore.”
“…”
It spoke of pure-blood humans. This creature was unaware of what Ko Byeong-gap was.
“Anyway, if you climb up your roots, are you saying that there is a human being or something there?”
“I guess so.”
‘Are you saying monsters were the products of the five Ains except for Sarahons? Isn’t that strange?’
If everything he said was true, what seeds had to be mixed to create these monsters? The boss monster was still in the form of a person, except it had four arms and a goat’s head. However, many monsters were closer to animals than humans. No, there were many bizarre things that he couldn’t even explain without using the word monster.
It was too much to simply say that the seeds were mixed and deformed. If a cow and a mule were mixed, something like a cow should come out, not a dinosaur. It answered the question like this.
“We… had to change to survive. What we are now is a series of changes… yeah, it’s the result of evolution. Cough! Cough! Cough!”
It spat up blood. Its complexion had deteriorated noticeably.
‘We don’t have much time.’
Ko Byeong-gap put aside his thoughts and poured out his remaining questions.
“Answer briefly from now on. What was after you guys? What are you trying to survive from?”
“From a nightmare.”
“Nightmare? Are you talking about the devil?”
“It’s called that name too.”
“Where are they? Is it here too?”
“No.”
The boss monster took a moment and then spoke.
“We hid in this cave to escape the nightmares. One day… Cough! Gasp, gasp. One day, the road outside was blocked. After that, the nightmares stopped appearing.”
‘You mean the exit of this cave is blocked.’
“How did you live here? I don’t think there’s anything to eat. Did you guys eat each other?”
“After that day, we could live without eating or drinking. Also… just breathing gave us a lot of strength.”
“Then why did you attack us?”
Ko Byeong-gap asked without thinking about much. The boss monster burst out laughing.
“Because you’re an intruder, and… didn’t you attack us, too? Things that look like you have always attacked us.”
“I see.”
“Lord! One of the women is coming to her senses!”
“Time is up.”
Ko Byeong-gap retracted the sword. The boss monster’s face glowed.
“I answered everything I was asked. I’m safe. You’re saving me, right?”
“No.”
“What, what?! Hey… are you going to break your promise?”
“What? I never said I’d let you live. Anyway, it was good to get some answers.”
“What a coward!”
The boss monster’s head split apart. It flinched for a moment before it slumped over. When its breathing stopped, the dungeon collapsed, and escape portals opened everywhere. Ko Byeong-gap jumped off the body and approached the Goblins.
“Ugh…”
Kim Ha-sun groaned with a big frown. It was a sign that she would come to her senses soon. There was nothing good about being caught with the Goblins, so he opened the door to Ashvilam first.
“Dorma, take the kids and move on.”
“Alright. Everyone, follow me!”
“You did a great job today. See you later.”
“Yes! We’ll see you later.”
All the Goblins went over to Ashvilam. Ko Byeong-gap crossed the escape portal after carrying Kim Ha-sun and three mysterious women. When he came outside, the hunters were there, Jeong Seon-kyung at the front.
“He’s out! They’re out!”
“Hunter Ko Byeong-gap is here! Ha-sun is here too!”
“Well, what about the rest?”
The people who found him made a fuss.
“Byeong-gap, are you okay? Were you hurt?”
“No problem. You look fine too, unnie.”
“Of course, those bastards… no, that’s not a problem. Did you kill the boss?”
“It just happened.”
“By the way, what the hell are these women?”
Ko Byeong-gap carried the four women and put them down on the floor, except for Kim Ha-sun. She was embarrassed since she was wearing nothing.
“I recovered them from inside. I think they’re hunters who went into the dungeon before us.”
“Oh my God…”
“More than that, this dungeon isn’t B-class, is it? It’s more of an S-class.”
“Phew! It’s a
“That’s weird. The dungeon was created less than a day ago.”
“Less than a day!”
Jeong Seon-kyung almost breathed out their life.
“It was strange, so I checked it right away. One day? You’re fucking crazy! It’s been three days since it happened!”
“Update time… it’s two minutes before. Damn it.”
“Association, you son of a bitch! This is how you deal with things? I’ll kill them all when I get back.”
She was a force to be reckoned with, and Ko Byeong-gap had no intention of stopping her.
“Whoo, let’s go home for now. I’m tired.”
“…Yes, we should. Everyone, come here! We’ll go back to Seoul after checking their condition and help them get in the car!”
“Oh, yes!”
The subjugation squad survived their near-death experience. After a brief maintenance period, they returned to Seoul.
Their long but short day ended like that.
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