“Get behind me.”
Normally, these are words a Tanker would say to a healer. But the current situation was the complete opposite. No matter how strong a Tanker is, they cannot withstand the poison of Monsters in a 4-star dungeon.
Iron Arm looked sheepish, but he still moved behind me. I kept my eyes on the creatures and drew out Exa. A brilliant, glowing purple carapace.
It was not just hard, but the poison gathered on its tail was extremely dangerous. Once it penetrates the body, it's impossible to heal even with three or four healers working on it. With about a dozen of them gathered here, I could easily guess the difficulty of this dungeon.
“There are too many of them. Maybe we should go back…”
Iron Arm’s worried voice came from behind me. Indeed, Purple Scorpions were swarming everywhere, whether on the floor, the walls, or the ceiling. In a situation like this, passing through the cave without a single scratch was next to impossible.
But what if I didn't have to use my 'body'?
Zhiing.
I infused Ether into the Exa in my hand. The black blade, once only the size of a finger joint, had now grown to over a handspan long. A longer blade meant an increased killing range.
The more Ether I activated, the more powerful the weapon became.
‘First, the ones on the ceiling…’
Just like when I fought the Harpy, I adjusted my grip on Exa, aimed upwards, and threw it forward with all my might.
Pabababak.
From the very front to the unseen rear. Exa shot forward like an arrow for about ten meters, piercing through the bodies of all the Purple Scorpions in its path.
“What…?!!”
Along with Iron Arm's cry of astonishment, the scorpions clinging to the ceiling fell with a thud. But that was only for a moment. Urgency soon mixed into Iron Arm's voice.
“Look out!!”
Shashashat.
The remaining scorpions were approaching quickly. The cunning scorpions seemed to think I was defenseless now that my weapon was gone. I wondered if creatures with many stars were intelligent by nature.
At a glance, it was a plausible judgment. But in the end, their judgment turned out to be a fatal mistake.
Pabababak.
Because Exa, which had pierced the scorpions' bodies, changed direction and came flying back toward me. It seemed neither the scorpions nor Iron Arm had expected it to be a remotely controlled weapon.
“How?!”
I didn't know the principle behind it either. I could only praise Dr. Jin in my heart. What was certain was that Exa moved freely according to my will.
Sometimes, it even changed its shape. After catching the returning Exa, I cut down the floundering scorpions one by one.
Seogeok.
It didn't matter if I cut off their heads or anywhere nearby. Once they came into contact with Exa's Black Ether, they met their death without even being able to swing their tails once.
“Ooh…!!”
While I was cutting down the scorpions, Iron Arm's exclamations of admiration never ceased. At first, his voice was filled with worry, but now he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. The sight of me using Poison Step to confuse their vision and cut down everything around me must have looked quite impressive.
If you sat him in a special seat at a coliseum, would he have that exact expression? With that thought, I sliced off the last remaining scorpion's tail.
Seogeok.
“Whew.”
My breath came in ragged gasps, so I began to take slow, deep breaths. The scorpions' movements weren't particularly fast. But moving around in a confined space meant there were many things to pay attention to.
“Clan Leader. Shall we begin gathering?”
“Ye-yes, let's!”
To catch our breath, Iron Arm and I began our respective 'gathering' activities. In cave-type dungeons, especially Poison Dungeons, you can secure a significant amount of unique materials.
Magic-stone.
In the real world, it's a substance equivalent to stalactites. Since it's a resource that's not easy to find, it's often sold at quite a high price. As they say, only those who've tasted the meat know its flavor.
Iron Arm knew well which materials were valuable in each type of Poison Dungeon. Using the saw-type device he brought, he began to cut off the beautifully colored Magic-stones.
‘Should I start as well.’
Stab.
I flipped over the Purple Scorpion's carcass and sliced open its belly. Its carapace was a brilliant purple, but its Core was covered in a jet-black color. With about fifteen scorpion carcasses, these Cores would allow for near-immortal recovery within the dungeon.
Around the time I had extracted about half the Cores, Iron Arm, whose bag was already bulging, asked me.
“Um… Hunter Hae-seon.”
“Yes.”
“I've been wanting to ask since last time… Why are you collecting that waste?”
Waste?
This stuff is incredibly precious. A chuckle escaped me, but I maintained a serious expression as I answered.
“Because things that seem useless on the surface can be helpful to someone.”
“Helpful…”
Iron Arm furrowed his brow in thought, then his face filled with admiration as he replied.
“I see…!! You plan to precisely analyze the components of the Black Cores…!! To achieve more efficient healing! For Hunters, and furthermore, for all of humanity!”
“…Yes, something like that.”
This interpretation is better than the dream itself, I suppose. It was a relief that he came to his own understanding. But then, “Hunter!
Look out!!”
Iron Arm suddenly threw his body towards me.
Wudangtangtang. What the.
What's wrong with this guy. He's so heavy.
“Clan Leader?”
“Ugh…”
A groan escaped Iron Arm's lips. His face behind the gas mask turned a sickly blue, and his eyes became bloodshot in an instant. Could this be…
‘He's poisoned…!!’
From where?
I thought I had gotten rid of all the scorpions. I quickly got up to assess the situation. After checking our surroundings, I couldn't help but curse.
“Son of a bitch.”
A Purple Scorpion was clinging to Iron Arm's back. Only half of its body remained.
‘It's the one whose tail I cut off earlier…!’
Did it sever its own body before the poison could spread? They say that once it targets its prey, it will chase it to the ends of hell. The rumors were true.
Chwaak.
I quickly drew Exa, sliced the creature, and forcefully pulled it off Iron Arm's body. At the same time, Iron Arm crumpled to the floor.
‘I have to deal with this quickly, or it'll be dangerous.’
Seueuk.
I immediately reached out and activated my Healing Ability. The condition of Iron Arm, who had been trembling violently, began to gradually recover. It was fortunate that it bit him with its mandibles; if it had been the tail, it would have been truly dangerous.
So crustacean-type Monsters can sever their own tails like this. It was a decision and a tenacity that only a truly venomous creature could possess.
‘Thanks to that, I learned something.’
Just because Exa's blade touches something doesn't mean it dies unconditionally. By severing its tail like this, it can take damage but avoid death. It was a valuable lesson learned on the battlefield.
“Umm…”
It seemed Iron Arm was slowly regaining consciousness. Thinking about it, it was absurd. If I had been the one bitten, nothing would have happened.
To think he would throw himself to protect me only to end up like this. With a bitter smile on my lips, I tapped Iron Arm's cheek.
“Clan Leader. Wake up.”
“Ugh… Hunter, danger… use me as a shield…”
Hearing him say such things even while his consciousness was hazy, he was definitely a Tanker through and through. A few minutes later, Iron Arm returned to normal. The bite mark from the scorpion was still there, but considering his rank, it would heal quickly.
“I'm indebted to you once again, Hunter.”
“Don't mention it. It's only natural for a healer to heal.”
Just as you threw your body to save me. I decided not to add that last part. He already had the face of a devout believer; I didn't want to turn him into a fanatic.
“However.”
“Yes…?”
“From now on, don't take the bite for me. At least, not in a Poison Dungeon…”
To the disciple listening with blinking eyes, I drew a clear line.
“I am the king here.”
On our way here, we encountered Monsters twice. A 2-star beast that resembled a mole, and a brutish-looking Gray Bear.
“Leave this one to me!”
Perhaps because he spotted a creature that looked strong, Iron Arm volunteered to fight the Gray Bear. Well, that one wasn't particularly venomous, so it wasn't a big problem.
Kwang! Kwang!
A Tanker is not an offensive Knight like an Attacker or an Assassin. As such, they are often clumsy with their attack skills. Just like me in the past, clumsily swinging Exa.
Kwang! Kwang.
“Uoooooh!”
But that very clumsiness, from the opponent's perspective, induced fear. Look at him, swinging his swollen forearms with wild abandon. The Gray Bear, which had appeared with great momentum, was soon mercilessly beaten by Iron Arm.
Kwang! Kwang. -Kwoong!
Watching it get beaten like a punching bag, I was starting to feel sorry for it. And so, following the toxic scent wafting from deeper inside and the fragrance of Rare herbs, we walked for a couple of hours. Finally, we reached a space that seemed to be the boss's lair.
“A dungeon is a dungeon, after all…”
Iron Arm said, looking around in wonder. Just as he said, the structure here was far from ordinary. After passing through a narrow cave that seemed to go on forever, a large, wide-open hall appeared.
It was large enough to fit a soccer stadium with room to spare. If the boss Monster's lair is this big, wouldn't the creature itself be huge? -Kkuwang!
“Hmm?”
Suddenly, Ppori, who had been quiet, revealed itself. Hey, I told you not to appear when people are around.
“Wha--!!”
See.
You scared him.
“Hunter Hae-seon! Be careful! The boss Monster is on your shoulder…!!”
“…Excuse me?”
Ppori is the boss Monster? There seems to be a big misunderstanding. Iron Arm approached, ready to snatch Ppori at any moment.
“Ah. It's not this one.”
“What?”
“I mean… um… It's my pet.”
He must be wondering what I'm talking about. But I didn't want to explain any further. Just accept it as it is.
“Where did a pet you didn't have suddenly come from…”
Iron Arm was clearly curious, but he didn't ask any more questions.
“You little rascal. Why are you suddenly acting up.” -Kkuwang!!
Ppori usually causes a fuss for two reasons. When it smells a familiar dungeon scent. And the other is when a hidden creature is nearby, just like when we met Bi-soo. …Wait a minute.
“Could it be?”
“What, what's wrong? Hunter.”
As my expression turned serious, Iron Arm also grew tense.
“I think the boss Monster is already here.”
“What??”
Just because I can't see it doesn't mean it's not here. There was definitely something in the direction Ppori was growling at. A sharp energy, like a keen dagger, shot down toward us.
I kicked Iron Arm out of the way and used Poison Step to leap up. Pagagagak- An unpleasant sound of metal scraping against the ground rang out. Its claws were so hard that sparks flew from the ground.
“That thing is…!!”
Wings covered in a dull ash color. Claws that looked as hard as steel and a repulsive face. The creature, often considered a 'symbol of plague,' flapped its wings and rose again.
A bat.
It was definitely a bat. The reason this space was unnecessarily (?) large was not only because the creature's body was big, but crucially, because it was a flying type.
“…This is going to be a real pain.”
A tricky flying type with excellent combat abilities. Not only was it a Poison-type, but it even had a Stealth skill. There was more than one or two things to worry about.
The giant bat guarding the 4-star Poison Dungeon. The ‘Arcanus Bat’ had revealed itself.