167
Fwish—!
Crackle—!
A gale tearing through a red-stained battlefield, and flames scattering in all directions.
Hanbit’s sword, pressing ever forward, was cutting down the minions of the Madness Legion at tremendous speed.
[Experience points increased by 20,000.]
[Experience points increased by 20,000.]
[Experience points increased by 22,000.]
[Experience points increased by 22,000.]
[Experience points increased by 22,000.]
…
The deeper he pushed, the faster the experience accumulated.
The battles were progressing at an equally fierce pace.
Fwish—!
Shhhk—!
Spade cards and red bombs flying in from a distance.
Hanbit’s movements were faster than those threatening attacks.
Whoosh—!
Wind Leap, surging through the air, severed the necks of four monsters in a single arc.
Kya-ga-gak—!
In that moment, another cluster of jesters came leaping in from all sides.
Crackle—!
At the same instant, a burst of flame erupted from the wolf on his shoulder.
Salliste’s spirit flames caught the wind that had scattered from Hanbit’s attack, amplifying the effect.
Kyaaak—!
Eek—!
The monsters that had been rushing in screamed and clutched their faces.
The effect of the title Contractor of the Four Elements.
The spirits exert their power of their own will, with potency proportional to Hanbit’s stats.
The true potential of this ability lies not simply in killing enemies.
It is its extreme autonomy — that is, its capacity to respond to situations.
Boom—!
Just as Hanbit was about to take another step, the terrain around him shook.
That tremor led into a far larger change.
Kwa-kwa-kwa—!
An enormous crack split the ground across a radius of several hundred meters.
From the widening gap between the earth, tremendous heat began rising upward.
Slide—
Structures scattered throughout the area melted, unable to withstand the heat.
Drip—
The position where Hanbit stood was not free from its effects either.
Heat at that level would tear through human skin and inflict damage.
But there was no need to worry.
Splashhh—!
A curtain of water wrapped itself around Hanbit.
The power of the spirit Undine.
Tssss—!
The curtain blocked the heat and evaporated rapidly.
In the moment the layer of water replenished itself, Hanbit kicked off.
Whoosh—!
The combination of Wind Leap and Wind Slash carried him out of the heat zone at speed.
Fwish—!
Shhk—!
He twisted his body without breaking stride and continued Storm Barrage, cutting down every monster in his path.
Once jesters wielding greatswords began appearing among the enemy, Hanbit’s movements shifted as well.
Whoosh—!
As attacks came flying in from every direction, Hanbit leapt high into the air.
Clang—!
Screech—!
The weapons of the monsters below crossed and tangled against each other.
Boom—!
Hanbit came crashing down hard onto their blades and spun his body, cutting through the enemies around him.
Fwish—!
Slash—!
He kicked off again, leaving a spray of blood behind him.
That process continued for roughly seven hours.
Hanbit came to a stop on a raised section of ground and checked his status window.
[Black Dragon — Lv.141]
[Title: None]
Strength: 185
Agility: 185
Intelligence: 185
Stamina: 170
Remaining Stat Points: 10
Ten levels gained purely from killing monsters.
He had hunted a considerable number, and the double experience effect was applied on top of that.
For the experience requirements of this level range, it was an impossibly fast pace.
‘Already at this point.’
The path stretching ahead was a grueling danger zone.
Not only did the elemental properties shift rapidly — a relentless barrage of wildly varied monsters and traps launched ambushes without pause.
If he were to fly using Sylph’s power, he’d be hit with concentrated fire from the air.
Here, too, he had to advance on the ground.
Somewhere beyond lay the enemy’s stronghold.
That was where the boss commanding the Madness Legion resided.
Slide—
Hanbit reached into his inventory and pulled out a black-stained glass goblet.
[Cursed Goblet of Life]
Rank: 6
Grade: Unique
Description: A goblet fashioned from the remnants of curses and life. It drains the life force of all living creatures within its range and gathers it within. When the Goblet of Life is filled and used, it bestows a buff to nearby allies that raises Strength and Agility by 50%. However, damage received is increased by 20% due to the curse.
Something he had prepared specifically to use here.
Because the crafting recipe was unknown, he had been able to acquire the materials cheaply.
‘There are more than enough.’
Hanbit returned the goblet to his inventory and looked down below.
A writhing swarm of monsters running amok.
At least a hundred, by the look of it.
Rustle—
A chill emanated from the blade in Hanbit’s hand.
It was as though he could feel the pulse of the living creatures churning below.
Whoosh—!
Sylph’s wind surged naturally, blending with the cold and swirling together.
Preparations complete, Hanbit immediately kicked off.
Tat—!
His body dropped vertically and reached the ground at tremendous speed.
And the moment the madness-possessed monsters’ attacks came flying in—
Fwish—!
The pale blue blade carved a circular arc.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa—!
The launched ice storm spread widely in all directions.
Whether it was due to his grown stats, the range of effect had expanded considerably.
Krrrrunch—
The cold that swept in at once froze both monsters and terrain in a single instant.
The screams fell silent, and stillness settled over everything.
Hanbit walked a few paces and crouched low among the frozen monsters.
Then he took out the black goblet once again and set it on the ground.
‘It’ll be ready by tomorrow evening.’
Draining the life force from the monsters would take quite some time.
If he returned after finishing the move and the unpacking, the timing would line up well enough.
Taking one final look around, Hanbit closed the game immediately.
* * *
“You’ve worked so hard. Please, take this and at least have lunch.”
“Oh, thank you so much!”
His mother handed ten thousand won to the moving crew.
The move that had started at seven-thirty and wrapped up around eleven.
It wasn’t far away, so it finished sooner than expected.
“It’s so wonderful. Don’t you think?”
His mother walked through the larger bedroom and living room, murmuring quietly.
A house she had only dared to dream of, passing in front of the real estate office time and again.
Now that she had actually arrived here, joy and complicated feelings mingled together.
Hanbit, standing beside her, slipped in a casual remark.
“If you like it, should we just buy the place?”
“Oh my, dear. This is already more than enough.”
His mother patted his back in response to the words he said from where he stood in the living room.
His income had been growing rapidly over just the past few days.
Even accounting for taxes and necessary expenses, it was more than sufficient to purchase the unit.
The view count on his recorder channel videos alone was increasing faster and faster.
It would probably be best to talk to the landlord about buying once the lease was nearing its end.
“Lunch? Should we go out?”
“On moving day, you have to order Chinese food. Wait — I’ll call a place I know.”
His mother immediately looked up the number and placed the order.
The wait was filled with small bits of tidying up.
Whether because of the early lunch hour, the delivery arrived quickly.
“This looks delicious. Let’s eat quickly. You like to dip, don’t you?”
“Where did you even learn the word ‘dip’?”
“It’s all over TV these days.”
Mother and son sat across from each other at the table and ate, talking about everyday things.
The conversation naturally drifted to the topic of Hanbit’s work.
“How long are you going to stay this busy? I hate to pry into your affairs, but you really need to sleep.”
“It should ease up in about three more days. Oh — I’ll introduce you to some of my coworkers next time.”
“I’d love that. But what about that young woman, Luna? Did you see her recently? Did you thank her properly?”
“Well, we help each other out a lot, so we’ve been saying thanks back and forth constantly… Actually, why are you so interested in Luna?”
“Because she seems like a good person.”
His mother had taken a particular shine to Luna.
Something occurred to Hanbit, and he passed along a piece of information.
“Oh, by the way — Luna’s the daughter of the Yeonhwa Group chairman.”
“What?”
His mother froze at the identity suddenly revealed.
Then she let her chopsticks drop into her bowl and asked:
“…Yeonhwa? The Yeonhwa I’m thinking of?”
“Yeonhwa Electronics, Yeonhwa Pharmaceuticals, Yeonhwa Construction. There are quite a few.”
“That’s…”
She was so shocked she could barely string words together.
Hanbit watched with amusement and picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork.
“I don’t let it affect things, though. Luna isn’t the type to make it a big deal either.”
“That’s… well done of you. It’d be uncomfortable and presumptuous to make it an issue.”
His mother slowly regained her composure and nodded with an adult’s measured expression.
Though as a devoted drama fan, her curiosity naturally surfaced.
“But do bodyguards and attendants really follow her around everywhere?”
“Not necessarily — last time I saw them, Luna’s older sister was driving herself.”
“Really? I suppose dramas exaggerate things.”
His mother looked satisfied now that her curiosity had been settled.
Hanbit suddenly remembered something Luna had told him.
“Oh, try to guess this. Do you think the Yeonhwa Group chairman licks the yogurt lid?”
“Yogurt? Wouldn’t they just throw it away?”
“Apparently he licks every single one. I heard he even scolded Luna’s sister about it once…”
That kind of conversation continued even after the meal was over.
It was well past sunset by the time all the moving boxes were sorted and put away.
* * *
Ding—
An alert rang in Hanbit’s ears as he logged into RP.
[Experience points increased by 24,000.]
[Experience points increased by 24,000.]
[Experience points increased by 25,000.]
…
“Done already.”
Hanbit picked up the black goblet from the floor.
The empty interior was now filled with a dark crimson liquid.
In other words, it was ready to bestow its buff and its curse.
(Black Dragon! I made it to Floor 28!)
Just then, Haneul’s voice came through.
She had apparently arrived first, as expected.
Hanbit thought for a moment, then sent her a message.
「Head to the eastern pillar where the light is rising. I’ll have it transfer you to where I am.」
The transfer magic circle on Floor 28 wasn’t simply connected to the entrance of the underground.
Because as progress was made underground, both the magic circle and the environment on that floor changed accordingly.
Once the Madness Legion boss was defeated and the underground was cleared, Floor 28 would transform into an entirely different place.
「Now put your hand on the pillar.」
The simple instructions were completed before long.
Shortly after the message was sent—
Slide—
A short distance away, the sky-blue-haired girl appeared.
“Wow, the atmosphere here is incredible!”
Haneul looked around with curious eyes as she approached.
The grip of the sword at her hip was worn down quite visibly.
“What level are you now?”
“Umm… 115 right now.”
The girl’s level was higher than he had expected.
The twins had been progressing through the story alongside Hanbit and picking up skills along the way.
The third episode had been left aside as well.
Come to think of it, they had mentioned creating their accounts on the day RP launched.
“Here.”
Hanbit handed over a spare sword of the same kind as before, a scroll with a level 100 restriction, armor, consumables, and the like.
The sword and scroll were stopgaps, but with enhancement effects applied, they would serve reasonably well.
Even with the weapon’s durability wearing down quickly, it would last a full week without trouble.
“Thank you!”
Haneul accepted the items with both hands.
As she applied the scroll, she looked straight ahead and said:
“That’s where we’re going, right?”
Groowl—
Not far off, the monsters were beginning to stir.
They were a different variety from the ones at the entrance.
Accounting for attacks that could come flying in from blind spots, it was dangerous in the extreme.
“It’ll be incredibly dangerous — are you sure you can handle it? Die once and you’re done.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t die, and I won’t let a single one get away.”
Haneul was already in her stance, ready to charge forward.
With the buff effect active and her abilities, she’d be fine.
Slide—
Hanbit gripped both swords and sharpened his focus.
Whorl—
The three swords in front spun in wide circles as if showing off their power.
Their weak points were the circular gems set into their hilts.
“Let’s go.”
The two fixed their gaze on the enemies and immediately kicked off.
It was an instant before Hanbit crashed into the central sword.
Clang—!
A sharp ringing sound rang out with the impact.
At the same time, the other two swords scattered and came flying in from all sides.
Tat—!
Hanbit leapt upward and immediately drove the grey sword in his left hand downward.
Screech—!
The blades crossed with an unpleasant grinding sound.
Crumble—
In that moment, Hanbit’s grey sword rapidly lost its form and collapsed.
At the same time, the enemy blades it had struck became tinged with grey.
Corrosion had begun.
Boom—!
Hanbit landed, stepping on the crossed swords.
Then he reached toward the red gems embedded in their hilts.
“Fire Lance.”
Ka-boom—!
The spell released at close range produced a tremendous explosion.
Thud—
A crack formed in the corroded, weakened gems on the hilts.
Whorl—!
Hanbit pulled back and immediately surged forward, swinging his pure white sword in a sharp arc.
Fwish—!
The horizontal blade cut through both gems with precision.
Crack—!
The hilt bodies, completely destroyed.
The two swords crumbled to dust in moments.
Ding—
[Experience points increased by 200,000.]
[Experience points increased by 210,000.]
Tat—!
Hanbit immediately kicked off toward the remaining enemy.
Flames scattered from the pure white blade.
Fwish—!
The enemy sword came charging forward, radiating a green aura as if to answer the attack.
The blade closed the gap in an instant.
But Hanbit’s movements were faster.
Whoosh—!
Having read the trajectory, Hanbit vaulted upward as though performing a backflip.
The sword gripped in both hands swung downward with powerful force.
Clang—!
The enemy’s body slammed headfirst into the ground from the massive impact.
Hanbit immediately shifted his grip and drove the flame-imbued sword forward.
Crack—!
Crackle—!
The flame-scattering blade smashed through the gem on the hilt and drove deep inside.
The last elite monster met its end in that moment.
Ding—
[Experience points increased by 210,000.]
[Level increased by 1.]
[1 Stat Point granted.]
Kra-krrrr—!
Fwish—!
Within a radius of several dozen meters, Haneul was dispatching the pile of armor at rapid speed.
Catching the enemy from behind and driving strikes precisely into their weak points.
There was still visible room for growth, but her reaction speed alone was leagues beyond ordinary.
Kwa-boom—!
The moment she finished off the last enemy on the ground, one more erupted from below the surface behind her.
The instant she sensed the vibration and sound, Haneul’s stance snapped low.
Whoosh—!
The armor’s outstretched sword drove through empty air.
In the same instant, Haneul closed in and thrust her blade into the gap between the arm and the torso.
Fwish—
The armor crumbled with a burst of black smoke.
Boom—!
Haneul kicked the body away and pulled out her sword, then turned her head.
She jogged over quickly and came close, asking:
“Well? Good job, right?”
Eyes sparkling, seeking praise.
Hanbit smiled faintly.
“Good job. There was a reason you were so confident.”
“Hehe. But I still have a long way to go, so I need to work harder.”
Haneul was happy, but not satisfied with where she was.
It seemed she wanted to build fundamental skill — not just ride on stats and items.
“Let’s head inside now.”
Having cleared all the enemies, the two walked toward the boundary.
A pitch-black terrain that stood in stark contrast to the endlessly red ground they had traversed.
The moment they stepped into it, the scenery around them shifted.
‘So this is the last part.’
Directly ahead, an enormous fortress-like structure came into view.
Above it churned a black vortex, and twisted crimson light bled through the air.
The objective was the commander directing the Madness Legion.
“The air feels kind of rough? Like it’s scraping against you.”
Haneul waved a hand through the air around her.
Mana corrupted by dense madness.
That it could be faintly perceived through the five senses was quite something.
“When do you think your brother will get to Floor 28?”
“Noeul? Give me a second.”
Noeul, ascending the tower with measured caution.
His abilities would be quite effective inside the Madness Legion’s fortress.
By the time they were ready to push into the stronghold, she could probably bring him in.
Of course, if he felt too afraid, there was nothing to be done about that.
“Hey, when do you get to Floor 28?”
Haneul called Noeul and asked directly.
The conversation was very short.
“He says he just arrived.”
“Really? Then explain the situation and ask if he’s willing to come.”
“Yes, just a moment!”
Haneul nodded and turned her head back.
Then she immediately put the question to him.
“Hey, it’s incredibly dangerous here — you want to come? Black Dragon is asking for you!”
Short and blunt, but it was dangerous — that much was accurate.
The simple invitation produced a result in no time.
“He says he definitely wants to come! Should I explain how to get here, the same way you did for me?”
“..Let’s do that.”
Hanbit nodded, and Haneul resumed the call to explain.
Then, a short while later—
Fwoosh—
A reddish-orange-haired boy appeared a short distance away.
“Black Dragon!”
Noeul, who had been looking around quickly, spotted Hanbit and came running over at once.
The light circling around him was as vivid as ever.
“I was trying to come safely and it ended up taking too long!”
“You’re plenty fast. Well done.”
It almost sounded like an apology, but it really was quick.
Particularly given that he was a magic-focused player, he would have faced a fair number of tricky situations.
“And he just gets a compliment outright..”
Haneul watched the exchange with a slight pout.
It was beginning to feel a bit like a teacher-and-disciple dynamic, so Hanbit moved to change the mood.
“The underground you sensed on Floor 1 — this is probably it. And the only remaining objective is the boss in there.”
“The feeling is…. really ominous.”
The black vortex churning overhead and the twisting crimson light exuded an oppressive aura.
Being with a light spirit, Noeul might be feeling it even more keenly.
“There are a lot of other monsters inside too, besides the boss, right?”
Haneul had returned to her usual self, hand resting on her sword hilt as she asked.
Hanbit picked up a twig and sketched a rough diagram on the ground.
The interior of the fortress, made up of six floors.
“The boss area on Floor 6 only opens once every monster has been cleared. But wiping them all out through direct combat is practically impossible.”
The Madness Legion’s fortress had a peculiar structure.
When the monsters on one floor died, all allies on other floors were buffed by the energy of madness.
Working upward from Floor 1 in sequence, the monsters on Floor 5 would end up receiving four separate rounds of reinforcement.
That was something that simply could not be overcome.
“So we need to cut down the clear time as much as possible.”
Noeul, staring at the diagram with a grave expression, fell into thought.
Then he looked up at Hanbit and said:
“You were looking for me — which means you need the light spirit’s power. What do you need me to do?”
“…”
The sixteen-year-old boy read the situation calmly and asked about his role.
A composure and demeanor that occasionally surfaced, out of step with his age.
Setting talent aside, it was a matter of mindset that was simply different.
If a chance for a deeper conversation arose sometime later… he might come to understand why.
Slide—
Hanbit reached into his inventory and pulled out small octahedral cubes.
Thirty of them, yet they fit easily into both cupped hands.
“What are those?”
Haneul leaned in curiously and asked.
Hanbit set them carefully on the ground and picked one up.
“Bombs. Powerful ones.”
“Bombs?”
The base components of elemental bombs that could be obtained from Void Golems.
All the materials needed for crafting were on hand, and the original plan had been to finish them by filling them with Salliste’s fire.
He had also tried the King’s Trace, but it couldn’t withstand even a moment before shattering.
“The true nature of the Madness Legion is demonic. Can you guess what effect light would have?”
“Against demons… it would deal tremendous damage.”
As the widely known principle went, demons were weak to the power of light.
Of course, it was possible to infuse elemental properties using magical tools and consumables — but the innate element of a spirit was in a different class entirely.
“A light spirit is a being that’s incredibly rare to even have the chance to form a contract with. You can take pride in that.”
“I was lucky, and it was Lumia who chose me.”
Noeul credited the name of his lower-tier light spirit rather than his own ability.
Perhaps it was that very character of his that had drawn the spirit’s heart.
Krrr—
The vortex above the fortress and the crimson light churned ominously.
A phenomenon born of the madness festering within.
“Let’s make the bombs first. Help me, you two.”
“Yes!”
“Understood!”
Hanbit began crafting light elemental bombs with the two of them.
It was fortunate he had brought a portable crafting table with plenty of room to spare.
“These are prettier than I expected.”
“Be careful! What if one goes off!”
Haneul spinning a cube around in wonder, and Noeul trying to stop her.
A plan built around a light spirit was a perfect option with no variables whatsoever.
The materials to amplify the lower-tier light spirit’s power were already factored in.
“All you need to do is go to the positions I marked and plant them. It’s a safe route, so as long as you stay quiet you’ll be fine.”
Hanbit marked a detailed path on the diagram and distributed the bombs between them.
Floor 1, with the smallest installation range: Noeul.
Floor 2, which required speed: Haneul.
Floors 3 through 5: Hanbit, entering the fortress from the outside.
“You could give me one more..”
“This way the timing comes out even. You’ll be going straight into the boss fight right after the explosion, so be ready for it.”
Hanbit set Haneul’s mind at ease and passed along all the information about the boss.
With the strategy meeting concluded, the three made their final preparations and stepped forward.
“Let’s go.”
Tat—!
They split apart at once and moved along their respective routes.
The final stretch of the underground.
It was the beginning of that assault.
