Chapter 7

It's not as if all ruins are like a secret treasury of a lost royal family. Just because we break in, it doesn't mean that treasures will definitely be waiting for us. Out of ten undiscovered ruins, five are usually empty, three are filled only with historical and academic value, and only two might contain the treasures people generally think of. A mere 20% or less.

Isn't that too low a probability to risk our lives and enter dangerous places? But that's not the case. If you hit the jackpot once, it can change your life, change a country, and even change history. Compared to that reward, the probability is nothing.

'So, it's not just us who are after the dungeon. It wouldn't be strange if someone else found it and entered before us. But...'

Ivan scratched his chin and examined the floor. No matter how he looked, there were no proper footprints left. All the clear ones were his and his party's. However, upon closer inspection, a few traces that seemed out of place caught his eye. 'They hid their footprints. Why?' Because they were sure someone would follow closely behind.

They didn't want to reveal their presence. How? The structure of a dungeon is usually not a straight line. It's not impossible to hide in a corner or a square. Their goal? To explore the ruins and steal the treasures they find.

Ivan's mind worked quickly. 'They're not targeting the general public. They're clearly after us. The information must have leaked.'

The problem was that they had returned to the village once. Their actions, such as buying holy water and equipment for undead, might have seemed suspicious. A few sharp-eyed individuals might have realized something was up.

While Ivan was lost in thought, Sven, who was crawling on the floor to find traps, asked bluntly, "Damn, what are you so deep in thought about? If you have nothing to do, come over here and help find traps."

"I was thinking about the entity sealed here. Now that it's a dungeon, the one that supposedly died long ago might reappear."

"What? A great demon is going to come out?"

As the party members stared in shock, Emin scratched the back of his head and replied, "If it does appear, it won't be a real great demon. It's a fake created by the dungeon's magic. The dungeon's magic isn't that powerful, so we can handle it."

"Still, having knowledge about the original would make it much easier to deal with. Do you have any information about it?"

"Hmm, yes. What's sealed here is a closely guarded secret of the Arun Sect. However, judging from the magic patterns and the prevalence of undead, it's likely a demon of the necromancy type. Among them, the famous ones are..."

Emin, perhaps because it was his field of expertise, spouted information like a waterfall. Folk tales, historical records, and his own speculations.

Ivan, who already knew what the boss of this dungeon was, wasn't interested but continued the conversation with a serious expression. He decided to keep the fact that someone had entered the dungeon and was hiding a secret.

"Damn. What kind of ignorant traps are there in this monastery?"

Sven grumbled but managed to find all the traps. There were many traps, but none were of a very high level, so with enough time, they could be detected. A few forks in the path appeared, but they weren't a problem. The monastery, even if it had been transformed into a dungeon, wasn't a maze and wasn't that complex.

"Damn, how long are these skeletons going to keep coming?"

Crack! Ralph swore and swung his shield. The white skull was shattered by the sturdy shield, and the moving skeleton turned to dust.

Skeletons, zombies, ghouls. Individually, they weren't very strong, but they would suddenly jump out and attack, which was very annoying. They couldn't rest properly and had to stay on high alert.

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. The evil aura became much stronger, and a cold wind blew.

Rumble! A stone door opened, and someone walked out. A corpse in a very old, dirty priest's robe, a once devout but now fallen being. A monster that had appeared by accepting the dungeon's magic, a cursed monk.

'So, it's time for the mid-boss to appear.'

Ivan, gripping his sword tightly, shouted, "This is no ordinary foe! Everyone, be on guard!"

As Ivan warned, the cursed monk spread his arms wide and shouted, "Who has awakened the Uurilir!"

The cursed monk's voice pierced their minds. The soul-shaking cry made their stomachs feel heavy and their bodies feel weighed down.

"It's a curse! Everyone, drink the holy water!"

The party members took out holy water from their pockets and drank it. The holy power within enveloped their bodies and repelled the cursed monk's magic. But the threat wasn't just that.

Bodies oozing blood and tears rose from the floor, and spirits flew through the walls.

"Damn, how aggrieved are these bastards who used to perform human sacrifices?"

Ivan, muttering a curse, gripped his sword and called upon his god. 'Thor, give me the power to cut through these rotten corpses!'

Hum! A holy power burst from deep within Ivan's body. It was a destructive force sufficient to cut through all the revolting creatures in front of him.

Crackle, crackle! The white lightning power infused his sword, and sparks began to fly.

The sound of burning evil spread, and the spirits that were about to attack recoiled in fear.

"Ignore the spirits! We need to take down that guy!"

At Ivan's shout, Yulia charged at the cursed monk. Swish, swoosh! Lowering her stance and bending her knees, she sprang forward, ignoring the bodies blocking her path. She soared up, her hands filled with energy, and swung.

The Thunderwolf Sect's ultimate lightning fist technique seemed about to pierce the enemy. However, Yulia's expression hardened. The sensation she felt in her hands was not what she expected.

Boom! Screech! With a loud noise, a protective barrier surrounding the cursed monk was revealed.

Sadness, despair, fear, anger. The spirits with terrifying expressions moved densely, blocking the attack. The screams of the spirits that were scattered by the attack made Yulia's body stiffen. The powerful mental attack had turned into a curse, binding her body.

The corpses aimed for Yulia's neck, which was now immobilized. Just before the undead's hands touched her, a lightning-quick hand axe pierced through them and embedded itself in the floor.

Boom! Crack, crack!

"Snap out of it! Circulate magic through your body and keep moving!"

After shouting, Ivan confirmed that Yulia had pulled back and then turned his head. 'This is tough. Even if we can handle the physical aspects, curses and mental attacks are difficult to deal with.'

The problem was the cursed monk's magic and the spirits' screams. The curses and mental attacks contained within them were gradually eroding the party's physical and mental strength. The curses made their bodies heavy and disrupted their senses, while the mental attacks made them see illusions and disturbed their emotions.

They kept drinking holy water to endure, but it wasn't easy. The holy power in the holy water wasn't enough to block all the attacks.

'If we had a proper priest, the situation would be much better!'

Ivan wasn't a proper priest or paladin; he had just learned various skills to survive. He didn't have enough skill points to fully develop area-of-effect skills. He could handle himself, but he didn't have the power to protect others from curses and mental attacks.

'This is the sorrow of a secondary character, damn it.' A prolonged battle would be disadvantageous.

He wanted to conserve his strength, but it seemed he would have to pour it all out here.

"Ralph! Try to draw their attention! We need to break through and strike his neck!"

"What about the barrier he's surrounded by?"

"I'll handle it, just open the path!"

Ralph, biting his lip, took a stance to cut the enemy's neck. He stepped forward with one foot and pushed his shield forward. He shouted and took a step forward.

"Haah!"

A shout that captured everyone's attention on the battlefield.

Sharp magic power burst from Ralph's body, shaking the enemies in front of him and destabilizing their stance. The shockwave that followed pushed them back.

[Warrior's Shout!] [Taunt!] [Shield Charge!]

The fluid skill combo created an opening, and Emin's magic poured in.

Swoosh! Boom! Three ice spheres flew and hit. The bodies blocking the path froze and shattered into powder.

[Ice Strike!] The enemies in front were instantly eliminated.

Of course, more bodies would rise from the floor, but Ivan only needed that brief moment. Crack, crack! Sparks began to fly from Ivan's body.

With each step, blue lightning shot out, striking the surrounding enemies.

Low stance, large steps.

Moving as if leaping through space, swiftly. Swoosh, boom! Yulia, watching Ivan's movement, widened her eyes in surprise and shouted, "That's—!"

Before her words could finish, Ivan had already closed the distance and stood in front of the cursed monk.

Truly lightning-fast movement, thunderous steps. Ivan, shouting at the top of his lungs, swung his sword.

"Odin!"

Whoosh! Ivan's sword swung. Wrapped in lightning and sword energy, it cut through the spirit barrier.

Burning the evil and revolting souls, it cleared the hidden curtain.

Boom! Screech! An enormous scream.

A dense mental attack spread in all directions, making even the party members, who were far away, stiffen for a moment.

"Uurilir, you are cursed!" The cursed monk extended his hand.

Although the spirits were scattered by the attack, they would return in time. The attack by the frozen warrior was meaningless.

If the cursed monk had any proper sanity, he might have thought so. Pfft! – K, kkkkk! A spear appeared behind the cursed monk and pierced through him.

Without the spirit barrier, his physical capabilities were nothing, and he couldn't block it. "Uurilir, you are cursed!" The spear that pierced through his insignificant body was filled with holy power. The attack itself was a mimicry of the great god Odin of Asgard.

To a transcendent being, it was a very insignificant and trivial skill, but because their warrior had called upon his name, the great god personally bestowed his blessing. The weight of it was far too heavy for the insignificant monk who had betrayed his god to bear.