Chapter 72

EP.72 The Forest Covered in Snakes (6)

- There are more dungeons than there are stars in the sky.

This is a famous quote left by Holder, a once-famous dungeon excavator.

From the time of the conflict between the monsters and Holder to the present.

Countless dungeons have been discovered and cleared, but...

There are still many dungeons that have not been found, and at this very moment, someone is registering a new dungeon with the association.

This is why explorers like Holder, who seek to find undiscovered dungeons and claim their rewards, are still prevalent.

'The more there are, the more diverse they are.'

Dungeons come in a wide variety of types.

While there are many cave-shaped dungeons like the one I first cleared at the academy, there are also those shaped like thickets, mountains, seas, deserts, and even villages...

Just as Holder said, there are truly a wide variety of dungeons in the world.

Moreover, in the later part of the original, there were instances where non-human races that could communicate with humans appeared in dungeons.

...Whether to consider them as monsters is a secondary issue.

"Anyway, a forest covered in snakes should be on the shorter side for clearing time."

Choi Dong-wook, leaning against a tree, checked his equipment and said.

In response to my request to speak more casually.

He was having a light conversation with me.

"Even though it's a thicket-shaped dungeon?"

"If you don't get lost, you'll reach the boss room quickly. Thicket-shaped dungeons are shorter in length than you might think. Well, even considering that, we cleared it pretty fast."

The B-class dispatched party of Hunting Team 5.

Perhaps because the party was composed of such elite members, excluding Shin Yuna and me.

We completed the hunt at a speed that could be described as 'ultra-fast'.

The Inwang Mountain field took about an hour.

The forest covered in snakes took about three hours.

A total of four hours.

Starting the dispatch mission at 2 PM, we reached the boss room right around 6 PM.

Even considering that it's a dungeon with a short clearing time, the average clearing time is 8 hours, so it was indeed an astonishingly fast clearing speed.

Therefore, the party leader Kwon Oh-jun declared a break.

It was a short maintenance time before entering the boss room.

"Last time, where was it? Royal? There was a desert-shaped dungeon we cleared there, and it took over a week."

"Does it take that long?"

"The dungeon area is too vast, and it's hard to find the boss room. When you go to such places, you have to prepare for camping. You either divide the period and clear it in shifts or something."

Actually, I already know all of this.

I probably know more about the types and forms of dungeons than Choi Dong-wook.

However, I just wanted to see if I could learn a bit about how to use the assassin-type runes by joining in on pointless conversations.

I was disappointed that I could only use throwing techniques with my assassin-type rune.

Thanks to the conversation on a topic I already knew, I was also able to receive a brief lesson on dagger techniques.

"Using a short sword is better than a dagger."

"Short sword?"

"Yeah. The biggest drawback of dagger techniques is the short weapon range, but using a short sword can cover that to some extent. You maintain the speed advantage of dagger techniques while reducing the drawback."

"Ah... I see."

"That's why some people call it short sword technique. Of course, in the system, it's still a weapon skill corresponding to the dagger rune."

At the academy, they taught us to use daggers.

As Choi Dong-wook said, the short range was a drawback, and for that reason, I had shifted my focus to two-handed or one-handed swords for close-range physical attacks.

'That professor didn't even mention short swords back then...'

Even among B-class Holders, there was a significant difference in skill.

The professor at the time and Choi Dong-wook were a perfect example.

The reality of the Korean assassin-type, which is considered particularly weak.

If someone like Choi Dong-wook had been a lecturer at the academy, it would have been perfect.

"Then, is there a sword technique rune for short swords?"

"Of course. There's no standard normal rune like the Three Elements Sword Technique, but there are some good derivative runes in the rare category. I have one myself."

My eyes widened at that.

In other words, if I win a duel against Choi Dong-wook, I can obtain that rune.

Since rune information is tacitly kept secret among Holders, I don't know the details, but imagining his appearance in battle, it's definitely a very useful rune.

'Honestly, I don't have much confidence in winning...'

A B-class Holder in the assassin category.

Choi Dong-wook, who seems to be quite skilled among them.

Even though I'm much stronger than other C-class Holders, I can't be sure of victory against him.

Still, if the ultimate skill restriction is lifted and I can somehow hold out, I might be able to secure a win.

This was the moment when I had a tangible goal for the first time since joining <Judgment of Fire>.

"Everyone seems to have had enough rest. Let's go. We need to get rid of those annoying snakes."

Kwon Oh-jun got up from his seat and said.

The other party members also got up after finishing their maintenance.

It was time to really enter the boss room.

* * *

"...Trees?"

The first thing I felt upon entering the cave.

This boss room was not at all cave-like.

The dry earth that had been consistently trodden in the dungeon dominated the floor, and inside, various trees stretched towards the ceiling.

It felt like a forest underground?

Moreover, the shape of the trees was somewhat peculiar.

The trunks were much thicker than ordinary trees, and there were almost no branches.

Especially, there were no leaves at all where they should be, and no green could be seen even if you searched with your eyes.

It was a desolate scene of trees.

"Hmm- It feels like a brown forest."

Lee Su-mi's apt description.

It had a similar appearance to the Inwang Mountain field and the forest covered in snakes, but the abundance of leafless old trees gave it a 'brown forest' feel.

We observed this peculiar scene.

And delved deeper, approaching the center of the boss room.

"There seems to be another pit."

Min Chae-hwan, who started exploring from the entrance, said.

The large pit we had descended to enter the boss room.

There was another such pit inside the boss room.

Even without Min Chae-hwan pointing it out, it was faintly visible among the large trees.

Sss-

And at that moment.

The sound we had heard so often came again.

The movement of snake-type monsters in the dungeon.

Especially the sound often heard when they moved slowly.

Sss-

The party members also took a more definite battle stance in response.

The rear support members were already drawing mana for their attacks, and I held a one-handed sword and a shield in my hands.

The small sounds of the monster presumed to be the boss and the footsteps of the party members.

When these sounds completely overlapped...

Min Chae-hwan shouted with wide eyes.

"They're coming!!"

Sss, sss-!!

Kyaoo-!!

A giant snake-like creature revealed itself from within the pit.

Or rather, is it right to call it a snake?

From its large head to its broad face...

To the leather adorning both sides of its neck.

If you only look at the upper body, it could be mistaken for a lizard.

But that wasn't the important part.

'Shit... What is this thing so big?'

The curse came out involuntarily upon seeing it.

Putting aside everything else, its size is truly enormous.

It has a similar shape to the A-class monster Basilisk we encountered in the middle section, but the size difference is so vast that it's almost meaningless to compare.

The term 'lizard' seems like an insult.

Is this thing almost a dragon?

This boss room, which forms a forest...

A snake monster of a size that could cover it all.

It was truly a 'forest covered in snakes.'

"Choi Dong-wook!"

Kwon Oh-jun quickly called out Choi Dong-wook's name.

Asking for information on the monster.

However, Choi Dong-wook's expression was not good.

"It's a monster not in the information!"

A monster unknown even to Choi Dong-wook, who was well-versed in monster information.

The appearance is quite familiar...

But the boss monster's clear name is unknown.

In the original, 'forest covered in snakes' was only briefly mentioned, so I also don't know the detailed information.

We had to learn the information by facing it directly.

"I'll go first! Shin Yuna and Joo Jae-hyun, to the rear!"

"Yes!"

"Understood!"

Kwon Oh-jun's hasty judgment was correct.

In a situation where we don't know if the boss monster is A-class or S-class, placing warriors at the front is suicidal.

Frankly, Shin Yuna, who is weak in defense, could be killed in one hit by the boss monster.

Kyaoo-!!

Sss, sss!!

Kwon Oh-jun immediately swung his spear and charged at the boss monster.

A preemptive attack to buy time for the mages to prepare.

Of course, he's not going in alone.

Along with the quick preparation of the archer class, Min Chae-hwan's covering fire and Choi Dong-wook's flanking attack were also in action.

Swoosh! Thud!!

Crack, crack, crack-

"What?"

But something strange happened.

A minimum A-class monster.

Perhaps even an S-class, the unknown boss monster...

Allowed the attacks far too easily.

Kwon Oh-jun's spear, imbued with mana, easily pierced the monster's open lower jaw, and Choi Dong-wook's two short swords cut into the monster's side with a fierce speed, leaving a large wound.

Min Chae-hwan's barrage of arrows was no different.

The arrow attacks penetrated the monster's tail, dealing a powerful blow.

'What is this...?'

An unnatural phenomenon occurred.

Of course, the attacks of the three were powerful, which cannot be denied.

One A-class Holder and two B-class Holders.

Among them, the attacks of the core party members selected as elites.

They were naturally powerful.

But the fact that the boss monster of unknown rank allowed the attacks so easily was clearly strange.

'And the sound.'

The sound when the attacks were allowed was peculiar.

All three attacks hit, but the sound of the weapons piercing was clearly not the sound of injuring the monster's body.

It was as if...

"...cutting wood."

"Joo Jae-hyun! Behind!!"

Choi Dong-wook, who noticed something, was the first to shout.

An urgent call to us in the rear.

Sss, sss, sss-

Kyaoo-!!

Turning around.

The giant snake-like boss monster we first encountered.

The giant snake that had fallen helplessly to the three physical attacks.

Was occupying our rear.

"A...!!"

And I immediately realized the reason.

The large old tree that was right behind us.

That old tree had disappeared.

The old tree.

Had transformed into the boss monster.

'Shit. It's a gimmick.'

The creature was a gimmick boss.

As expected.

The snake monster that was first attacked had turned into another old tree.

It had changed the part of its body that was first attacked into an old tree and infiltrated another old tree to create a new body.

Our party's preemptive attack, filled with determination, had become meaningless.

And an information window explaining it appeared.

[A mysterious aura lingers in the dungeon, making the Imugi of the wild mountain special.]

[The Imugi of the wild mountain has transformed.]

A gimmick that allows the monster to switch bodies at will during the battle.

Just hearing about it is annoying.

Facing it is even more frustrating.

Moreover, the name 'Imugi of the wild mountain.'

The name, which exudes a distinctly native flavor, somehow makes me even more angry.

It's clearly a very weak-sounding name...