The moment Sung Daeho stepped into the dungeon, a suffocating heaviness settled on his chest. The air was thick with mana, like pressure at the bottom of the ocean. The walls were of jagged stone, glowing faintly with blue moss. A deep, echoing hum reverberated through the corridors, as though the dungeon itself was alive and watching them.
The group adjusted quickly. Jaehyun, the C-rank leader, signaled the front line to take formation.
A slim hunter with round glasses stepped forward confidently. "Trap detection's up," he said, waving a faint green aura over the ground. "Three paces forward, left edge—floor spike."
The team nodded and moved cautiously behind him. For the next twenty minutes, they crept through winding hallways, avoiding traps with the precision of a well-practiced party.
Every now and then, Daeho glanced at Kali, walking beside him in his smaller form, silent and alert. This was the first time he'd been part of a real raid—not as a bag carrier, but as a hunter. And he wasn't afraid.
He felt ready.
---
Finally, the team reached the boss chamber.
A large stone door loomed in front of them, carved with ancient, faded runes. A strange energy pulsed beyond it. Jaehyun raised a hand.
"Combat formation," he barked. "Tanks up front. DPS behind. Magicians, Summoners—rear guard."
Daeho joined the rear line where the summoners were gathering.
One had a 4-meter tall stone golem walking beside him, while the other controlled a slick, black lizard with sharp spikes on its tail. Compared to them, Kali looked modest in size—until you saw the fire in his eyes.
Jaehyun took one final look at the team. "Ready?"
Everyone nodded.
The stone door opened on its own with a grinding roar, revealing a vast chamber.
Inside, on a raised stone platform, sat the boss—a twelve-meter-tall stone statue, humanoid but grotesque, with four arms and a cracked crown on its featureless head. Dust billowed as it slowly turned its head toward them.
The door slammed shut behind them. No turning back now.
---
"Engage!" Jaehyun roared.
The formation snapped into motion.
Two tanks rushed forward, planting their shields deep into the ground. The stone statue's punch came crashing down—so powerful it shook the entire chamber. But the tanks held, bracing with reinforced mana barriers.
"Go!" Jaehyun commanded.
Four sword warriors burst past the tanks and slashed at the statue's legs and hips with glowing blades, carving thin lines into the hard stone. On either side, the two assassins sprinted along the walls and leapt onto the statue's extended arm. One ran up its limb, the other darted around to strike from behind.
At the rear, the summoners activated their contracts.
With a shout, Daeho summoned Kali, who grew to full form in a flash of light. At the same moment, the golem stomped forward, each step shaking the floor, and the black lizard slithered onto the wall, climbing rapidly toward the statue's back.
Daeho narrowed his eyes.
"Kali. Use 70 m/s—aim for the face."
Kali vanished with a burst of air. A black blur zipped through the battlefield, leaping up and slamming into the statue's face with a crunch, claws tearing across its cracked chin.
Below, the golem punched the statue's left leg with both arms, sending vibrations up its body. The lizard bit and clawed at the nape of its neck.
The statue roared—a deep, echoing sound that wasn't made by any living creature. Its hands swept through the air, smashing against walls and floor, trying to swat the agile attackers.
"Two minutes!" one of the mages yelled, magic circles glowing behind them.
They needed to hold it off until the finishing spells were ready.
Daeho focused. "Kali, retreat—side assault pattern!"
Kali ducked under a swing, rebounded off a falling stone, and attacked the statue's left eye from the side. The timing was perfect—the statue flinched and turned, exposing its back even more.
"NOW!" shouted Jaehyun.
The mages had finished preparing.
Four massive circles spun above them, glowing with deadly light. One burned with lightning, one with pure mana, another with blue flame, and the last with freezing wind.
"CAST!"
The spells launched in unison.
A thunderstorm of destruction descended on the boss.
The front lines scattered. The summoners called their beasts back. Daeho whistled, and Kali vanished into shadow.
The four spells struck the boss like a divine judgment.
BOOM!
Stone shattered. Flames erupted. Ice exploded. Mana cracked through the air.
When the dust finally cleared, all that remained of the statue was a collapsed heap of rubble, cracked beyond repair.
Silence.
Then—
"Boss down!"
"Dungeon cleared!"
Everyone erupted in relieved cheers and gasps.
---
After a short collection phase, the team gathered outside the gate. Mana stones, relic fragments, and monster cores were divided according to contribution.
Daeho stood quietly with Kali at his side, watching the interface pop-up:
> Dungeon Raid Complete
Contribution Score: 17%
Reward: ₩2,000,000
Not bad for a first time.
Madhav walked over, holding a bottle of water. "Yo! Two million on your first raid? Not bad, bhai."
"You got eight, right?" Daeho asked, grinning.
"Tank life," Madhav laughed. "We take the hits, we get the cash."
They fist-bumped.
As the sun set over the horizon, Daeho looked up at the sky. He felt alive. Powerful. Respected.
Not a burden anymore.
Just the beginning.
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