Chapter 14 – Dungeon Break Defense Battle
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Gate.
One of the strange phenomena that began appearing after the Great Cataclysm.
It forms at random locations, with no discernible pattern.
The prevailing academic consensus is that its appearance is essentially random.
Gates are broadly classified into three categories.
Dungeon-type, Eruption-type, and Special-type.
Among these, the most common is the Dungeon-type.
Commonly referred to simply as a dungeon, these gates allow entry to hunt monsters.
The Mana Stones obtained here are the primary source of income for Hunters.
Then, there’s the Eruption-type, which occurs relatively rarely.
Also known as an Eruption Gate or simply an Eruption, this type of gate releases monsters immediately upon formation.
Because the time to prepare is extremely short, it is considered the most dangerous type of gate.
The goblins encountered in the slums had come from such an Eruption Gate.
Fortunately, they were 1-star monsters like goblins, which made them easy to handle. Otherwise, the entire area could have been devastated.
Lastly, there’s the Special-type Gate.
These gates, which do not fall under the other two categories, appear very rarely and are referred to as Special-type Gates.
While grouped under one category, they have almost no common traits among them.
Their interiors are highly unique, and the methods to clear them vary widely.
And now.
Aruuuuu—
The gate in front of me, spilling out dozens of Blade Wolves, was a Dungeon-type Gate.
But if it’s not an Eruption-type Gate, why are monsters pouring out of it?
This was part of the Gate Dissolution Process.
Gates disappear either when all the monsters inside are defeated or after a set amount of time.
If the time limit is reached without clearing the monsters, the remaining creatures spill out.
While similar to an eruption, the cause is different, and this phenomenon is known as a Dungeon Break.
Dungeon Breaks occur when a Dungeon-type Gate is not cleared in time.
‘So, they couldn’t clear this dungeon.’
The Blade Wolves were 3-star monsters.
A dungeon of this level could be cleared without much difficulty by a party of 3-star Hunters.
I glanced around.
Dozens of Ji Hyun-woong Guild Hunters came into view, armed with weapons and shields.
‘Most of them are 2-star.’
The majority were 2-star, with a few 1-stars scattered in, and almost no 3-stars.
As for 4-stars…
“Hold your positions! Don’t overreach—just block!”
The Hyun-woong Guild Master, Ji Hyun-woong.
He was the only one.
‘They’re certainly weaker than the Ironclad Faction.’
Compared to the Ironclad Faction I’d been part of, they were a step below in strength.
But that was all the better for me.
My value would be assessed even higher here.
Krrrr! Bark!
Aruuu—
Boom! Crunch!
“Hold the line!”
“Uwaaah!”
At that moment, the Blade Wolves clashed with the Ji Hyun-woong Guild Hunters.
Most of the guild members were shielded.
The lower-ranked Hunters acted as tanks, desperately blocking the Blade Wolves’ charges.
The damage dealers were the 3-star Hunters and Ji Hyun-woong.
“I… I blocked it…!”
“Well done! Hrah!”
Ji Hyun-woong stabbed a Blade Wolf that had been blocked by a shield with his weapon—a spear.
One-shot kill.
His attacks were as powerful as one would expect from a 4-star Hunter.
The Blade Wolves in his vicinity began to fall rapidly.
However, the situation elsewhere wasn’t as favourable.
Other 3-star Hunters weren’t able to eliminate the Blade Wolves as quickly, putting greater pressure on the 1-star and 2-star Hunters acting as tanks.
“They’re… They’re too strong!”
“Hold on! Just endure somehow!”
“Ugh…!”
Although Ji Hyun-woong rampaged through the battlefield, even the most capable individual couldn’t handle the entire horde alone.
At this rate, the losses would only grow.
“Well, I guess I should help.”
I joined the most precarious part of the battlefield, gripping the Everfrost Sword.
“They’re breaking through!”
“No, stop them—!!”
One Hunter lost his grip on his shield and was sent sprawling from a Blade Wolf’s aggressive charge.
If things continued like this, not only would his life be in danger, but the front line would collapse, leading to a chain reaction of casualties.
When combat descends into chaos, it’s the humans who suffer the most.
Dash!
I pushed off the ground hard, leaping over the fallen Hunter.
Krrrr!
I thrust the Everfrost Sword at the Blade Wolf lunging with its jaws wide open.
The sword pierced through the roof of its mouth, skewering its head.
“You okay?”
“Huh? Y-yes…!”
“If you’re clear-headed, pick up your shield again.”
After helping the fallen tank back to his feet, I pressed forward beyond the defensive line.
The Blade Wolves were relentlessly trying to break the human formation.
I wove my way into their midst.
‘I need to buy time for the front line to recover.’
It was risky, but this was the best way to minimize damage.
Naturally, the Blade Wolves’ attention focused entirely on me.
Unlike the others, who hid behind shields, I had thrown myself into the fray unprotected.
“Well… Let’s do this.”
Kraaang!
A Blade Wolf lunged at me from the right, swiping with its claws.
Shing!
I swung the Everfrost Sword, slicing off its front paw entirely.
The unique-grade weapon was proving its worth.
Another Blade Wolf charged at me from the left, attempting to bite me.
I pivoted and countered with a kick to its snout.
Yelp!
The sword was good, but I was still more accustomed to using my body.
Then, I sensed a shadow closing in from behind.
【Yujin! Duck!】
Prill’s warning reached me just as I ducked.
A Blade Wolf’s head barely grazed past me.
It had aimed for my exposed back, thinking I was vulnerable after the kick.
But it underestimated me.
“Prill.”
【Hehe. Did I do well? Ice cream—】
“Next time, warn me a bit earlier.”
【W-why?!】
“You were a bit late.”
On the way here, I thought about how to actively use Prill in combat.
One of the methods I came up with was a combat warning sensor.
It utilized Prill’s ability to see areas outside of my field of vision.
Although it was still incomplete, if Prill could warn me just a bit faster, it would surely be helpful.
Puk!
I finished off a blade wolf blocked by the newly re-established shield wall.
The fallen Hunter had already picked up his shield and returned to position.
I gave him a thumbs-up when our eyes met.
He nodded slightly, and I turned around again.
Toward the still substantial number of blade wolves.
Grrr….
Unlike their mindless charge from before, the blade wolves were now hesitating.
If they had broken through here, it might have been a different story, but we had held them off.
In the end, humanity had gained the upper hand.
“If you had broken through here, maybe you could’ve done something, but now it’s all blocked, huh?”
I threw out a comment toward the hesitant blade wolves.
Of course, it wasn’t like they could understand what I was saying.
【Yujin.】
“Yes?”
【They’re scared of you.】
“…You can understand what monsters say?”
【Not everything, just some parts.】
“Interesting.”
Come to think of it, Prill mentioned that she could read ‘intent.’
Apparently, it wasn’t limited to higher-level intelligent beings like humans.
As I was marveling at Prill’s new ability, she added another comment.
【So, they decided you need to die first.】
“…Huh?”
【Yujin, looks like you’re in trouble.】
“……”
Prill was right.
The blade wolves were gradually closing in on me.
“Why me? Ji Hyun-woong is right there, isn’t he?”
To be fair, Ji Hyun-woong had killed several times more blade wolves than I did.
So why was it me?
Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to figure that out.
Arurururu!
Growl! Bark!
With peculiar howls, the wolves began to charge at me.
“Prill, back me up!”
【Got it! Ice Arrow!】
I entrusted one side to Prill while I swung the Everfrost Sword at the incoming wolves.
Swoosh!
Instead of trying to kill them in one hit, I focused on wounding and slowing them down.
It was impossible to kill them all one by one given their numbers.
Crunch!
Fortunately, the Everfrost Sword’s ‘Frostbite’ effect helped restrict their movements even with minor wounds.
Simultaneously, I moved into their ranks.
‘I can’t stay in one place.’
When dealing with a group, keeping your feet nimble is essential.
Constantly changing my position would disrupt their movements and make things harder for them.
【Argh! So frustrating! My attacks aren’t working well on them!】
‘Just focus on slowing them down.’
【Fine… Ugh.】
Prill let out a groan.
Weakened by the contract, she could no longer kill 3-star monsters like the blade wolves effectively.
Still, even her current state was a big help.
Together, we continued to freeze and slow down the blade wolves.
Despite being surrounded, I managed to fend off and evade their attacks.
In fact, I even began to think—
‘This is easier than I expected.’
I had some leeway.
After all, I was the same person who had managed to keep up with Yong Tae-soo, a 4-star Hunter.
Handling 3-star monsters was well within my capabilities.
The blade wolves weren’t particularly good at coordinating either, which allowed me to exploit their gaps.
Moreover, all I needed to do was buy time, which eased the pressure significantly.
“Surround the monsters and annihilate them!”
Having finished off the monsters around him, Ji Hyun-woong arrived with his Hunters in tow.
They easily took care of the blade wolves I had frozen and approached my position.
‘It’s over.’
I felt the certainty of a smooth victory.
With the blade wolves surrounded and wiped out, the battle would be over.
The dungeon break had been successfully stopped.
“Hey, you over there! Are you alright?”
“No problem! Just finish things off first!”
Ji Hyun-woong shouted at me, and I replied.
“Why are there so many monster corpses here?”
“Don’t tell me… that Hunter killed them all by himself?”
“…That’s impossible!”
The Hunters muttered one by one.
The atmosphere grew a bit noisy.
Although the battle wasn’t over yet, the Hunters, sensing victory, began to relax.
Ji Hyun-woong, too, called out to me with a bright expression.
“You’re more impressive than I thought. I should thank—”
“Beside you! Watch out!”
“—!!”
But as expected, the battle wasn’t over until it was truly over.
A small Blade Wolf suddenly lunged at Ji Hyun-woong, who, caught off guard, extended his left forearm to block it.
“Ugh. A mere monster!”
He gripped his spear tightly and tried to kill the Blade Wolf, but the creature had already retreated after biting his forearm.
I swallowed a bitter sigh and muttered.
“…Boss monster.”
Its smaller size and position in the back made it seem like just another outlier monster, but it wasn’t.
It had been biding its time, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Thanks to that, the creature managed to incapacitate one of the humans’ strongest combatants.
Ji Hyun-woong could no longer use his left arm, effectively halving his combat capability.
Arooooooo—
Arooo—
The Blade Wolf boss let out a long howl.
Its eyes locked onto mine.
Thud, thud, thud!
Immediately, the boss Blade Wolf darted toward me with movements twice as agile as those of the regular Blade Wolves.
“Well then. I guess I have no choice.”
I sighed quietly and released my grip on the Everfrost Sword.
“Wh-what are you doing! Dropping your weapon?!”
Ji Hyun-woong shouted in alarm.
He seemed to think I had given up.
But of course, that wasn’t the case.
I was simply making a quick decision.
‘A sloppy swing won’t work.’
Rather than relying on an unfamiliar weapon, I needed to bring out the strongest weapon I had.
Grrr—!
The boss Blade Wolf let out a short growl and leaped toward me.
Its movements were undeniably swift.
If I had tried to counter it with a sword, I would have missed the timing and inevitably taken a hit.
However.
‘If it’s just my fist…’
For that, there was no need to match its speed.
The boss Blade Wolf lunged straight at my outstretched fist, jaws wide open.
It clearly intended to bite my arm off.
Seeing this, I smiled.
“Goodbye.”
This wasn’t an ordinary punch.
[Activating the skill ‘Authority: One Punch.’]
[A small amount of mana is consumed.]
“Stop itttttt!!!”
Ji Hyun-woong’s scream rang out in the background.
BOOOOOMMMMM—!
The destructive power of ‘One Punch’ tore the boss Blade Wolf’s body apart.
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