Awesome Shut-In Necromancer

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As I stepped into the dungeon, a thick magic enveloped me, something I’d never felt before.

My breath quickened, and the very texture of the air felt different, thick with an unfamiliar density.

However, my body quickly adapted to the sensation, as if I had returned to a familiar place.

The same went for the other two.

“It reminds me of when we entered the ancient ruins before.”

“…Yeah. I thought of that too.”

“Both of you, stay a bit further apart. At least maintain a distance of five meters.”

At first glance, it seemed to be a light-hearted reminiscing, but it revealed that the two were considerably overestimating this dungeon.

After all, we had only discovered two ancient ruins in Thebes, and both boasted immense dangers. If we were feeling a similar sense, it was clear this dungeon was also extraordinary.

‘…Thinking back, the S4 Rank Dungeons weren’t that shabby either.’

The Basilisk I saw in the U.S. or Kelsipheed, the priest of the evil god I encountered in Korea.

Both had been formidable enough to challenge us without necromancy.

‘Of course, if we fought them now, it would be an easy victory…’

This was a dungeon ranked two levels higher than those S4 dungeons.

Honestly, I couldn’t even guess what kind of opponent might appear here.

“I’ve detected an enemy. Two of them. Their momentum is significant.”

The most perceptive among us, Astrid, notified us of the monster’s approach, and thanks to her quick detection, we encountered them about three minutes later.

Kieeeek!

Grrrrr!

A two-headed wolf and a bird-like creature whose entire face was covered in eyes.

Measuring their power, I couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise from behind the two.

“They’re stronger than I expected.”

“Yeah, they look like it. This really might be a dangerous dungeon.”

“I’ll handle it.”

As Astrid took a step forward and got into position, she laid a hand on her sword.

And then—

Boom!

The ground exploded as if it had been torn apart, and Astrid vanished in an instant.

All that remained were the mangled fragments of the monsters before us.

‘…That’s brutal.’

The enemies were certainly strong.

They could probably be slaughtered with ease, like the Red Worm I saw in the Large Dungeon in the U.S.

However, even such monsters couldn’t resist against a more overwhelming force.

“…Henesia. Heal me.”

“Hmm? Where are you hurt?”

“Here. I got scratched from the counterattack.”

Astrid showed me a minuscule wound that was barely perceptible unless you looked closely.

And that wound proved the level of the monsters we faced.

To be countered in a split second like that? Surely, no A Rank or lower hunter could manage it.

I stammered as I spoke to Astrid after she finished healing.

“Next time, just incapacitate them without killing.”

“…Are you planning to control them?”

“No, just want the experience points.”

At my honest response, Astrid stared blankly for a moment before nodding.

“…Okay. I’ll do that.”

After that, our advance was unstoppable.

Whenever a monster appeared, Astrid would swiftly take care of all of them, and I would diligently gather experience points from behind.

We were all skilled enough that there was no need to bother with gaining battle experience or synchronization.

Thanks to that, we reached the Boss Room just an hour and a half after entering the dungeon.

“…That was nothing special.”

Indeed. The monster’s level was undoubtedly high, but my impression of getting this far was that we had simply cleared a traditional dungeon.

I stopped Astrid, who approached the entrance to the Boss Room without hesitation, and called out Henesia, who had been just eating the food we brought.

“What perfect timing, let’s do a test or something.”

“Eh? What kind of test…?”

I had been quite curious about dungeons for a while.

However, I hadn’t had the luxury of pursuing it, and I lacked the capability to respond should something unexpected happen, so I had been giving up.

“…But now is different.”

Coincidentally, we had a great test subject in this S2 Rank dungeon, and I had two powerful bodyguards beside me.

If I wanted to find something out, this was probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Come on.”

I pointed at Henesia with my finger, nodding my head.

When Henesia tilted her head in confusion, I opened my mouth again to give her instructions.

“Investigate a bit.”

“Me?”

“Then should I do it myself?”

Given the situation, I really couldn’t exert my full strength, and that was usually Henesia’s specialty.

She would be far more efficient than if I were to take the initiative myself.

“If you find anything suspicious, feel free to tear it apart. No, it’s better to do so.”

“Well, if you put it that way…”

Henesia immediately fell into thought, summoning her magic power.

She then began to gather information using hundreds of complex incantations while circling the interior of the dungeon from the entrance of the Boss Room.

Time passed, and suddenly, the energy within the dungeon shifted, producing a tremendous vibration.

Kugugung.

Kugugugu!

It was quite the shocking occurrence, leaving Astrid and me turning incredulously toward Henesia.

“…It’s broken.”

“W-What did you touch?”

“Eh? You said it was fine for me to tear things apart…”

Henesia looked bewildered, clearly surprised by the chaos that had erupted.

Fortunately, the tremors, which had seemed like they would collapse the dungeon, gradually calmed down.

What was astonishing was what was revealed afterward.

‘This…’

As if it had been hiding the traces of time until now, a part of the dungeon had been completely eroded.

Moreover, different areas displayed varying degrees, resembling a space forcibly patchworked from different time periods.

I felt a strange sense of dissonance from that.

“I knew something was off; this is what it actually looks like.”

“…Henesia, did you notice something?”

“Hmm? It’s obvious, isn’t it? This isn’t originally one building. It’s just materials brought together from various places.”

It was precisely as she said. When I described the sense of dissonance I’d felt, it was precisely that sensation.

And so, this makeshift space was clad in a fancy exterior.

“It’s not that the technology is particularly difficult, but the quality isn’t very high. Rather, it’s not that they couldn’t do better; it’s more like they only made what was needed… You get the nuance, right?”

“I… I understand.”

This was incredibly valuable information. While I didn’t know where this dungeon originated from, at the very least, I had gained a clue about its creator.

‘It seems like I’m starting to get a clearer estimate…’

In any case, I had gathered everything I could from here. Delaying further would only be unwise.

I nodded, signaling the two to move back towards the Boss Room.

Just then, a suddenly grim-faced Astrid stopped walking.

“…It’s dead.”

“Astrid? What is?”

“The thing that was inside.”

What she pointed out was beyond the thick door now coming into view at the edge of our sight.

In other words, it meant the boss of the dungeon, which had been holding up just moments ago, had been killed.

The implication was obvious.

‘The opponent moved.’

This was a first. It was the first time we received such a clear reaction from someone hiding behind the dungeon incident.

It was reasonable to assume that they had become aware of our presence simply by directly interfering with the dungeon.

With hardened expressions, Astrid shared more information with Henesia and me.

“…There’s a new presence, stronger than before.”

Something that had just killed the dungeon’s original boss was waiting for us.

However, no one here seemed afraid of that.

Exchanging glances, we boldly opened the door to the Boss Room.

Creak.

Kugugugu.

The first thing that caught my eye was a massive creature, covered in blood, its limbs severed and strewn about.

And at the end of the Boss Room, seemingly having dispatched it, a figure was gently stroking their sword.

“……”

The man was silent. Perhaps he was unable to speak.

However, from the chilling aura exuding from him and his stance, I could guess at his intentions.

“…Looks like he wants to give it a shot, right?”

As I stepped forward, the man dragged the tip of his sword on the floor, finally opening his heavy mouth.

Swish.

“Hunyuan Thunder Blade.”

And then, thunder raged before my eyes.