The Hero Returns

The creation of this replica of the Dragon Slaying Spear was Kim Dae-ho's doing. The spear was the most powerful and highly utilized assistant weapon that Su-hyeun could use. Throwing it increased the power, which helped to compensate for the short-range of the sword.

The ordinary spears were not powerful enough. Additionally, it was difficult to collect them back after throwing them. It was usually for a one-shot weapon. Therefore, Su-hyeun preferred to use the Dragon Slaying Spear the most. It was powerful and could cover a wide-range. It was also a one-time use weapon anyway, so he did not have to worry about getting it back.

However, it was a pain to purchase one-shot items every time only with achievement points. Thus, Su-hyeun had brought the Dragon Slaying Spear to Kim Dae-ho and asked him to make a similar item.

"He used to make exactly the same…," Su-hyeun thought.

Tightly gripping the spear, he looked down the monsters from the sky and bent his body like a bow.

"I wonder how he did this time."

Whirl!

The Dragon Slaying Spear began to absorb Su-hyeun's magic and reacted to it as if it were alive, gaining more power. It was perfect so far. Now, all that was left was to confirm it. He did not have to count to three as usual. There were too many targets. He could just throw his spear anywhere among the monsters.

Bam!

He threw the spear like a bow. The spear flew out and made an explosion sound. The spear could not handle the speed and started to split into thousands and tens of thousands of shards.

Boom!

The spear spat out the magic it had consumed. The split Dragon Slaying Spear bombed a bunch of monsters.

Kiyaaa—!

Screams were everywhere. It was chaos. Su-hyeun came back down to the ground. He realized once again about the power of the Dragon Slaying Spear. Consuming too much magic was a disadvantage, but the power itself was astonishing.

Grrr, Grrrk!

Narr, narr!

The monsters that had been swept away by the spear stood up back, limping on one or two legs. Half of them were still alive. It looked like it did not have enough power.

"He is not as good as his heyday," Su-hyeun thought and looked down at his hand, "…well, I'm the same way."

Both Kim Dae-ho's crafting skill and Su-hyeun's skill were far short of his heyday. His Magic Power and Factor were much lower than in his previous life. It was natural that the power would vary depending on who used the same weapon.

"Miru."

Purr?

Su-hyeun called Miru. The monsters suddenly flinched as they rose.

Su-hyeun looked at such monsters and said to Miru, "Can you do it one more time?"

Purr!

It answered with spirit as if telling to leave it to him. Su-hyeun felt a little sorry to ask because Miru was able to use the Breath skill only once or twice. When he used his breath twice, he sank into exhaustion. It was very powerful, but Miru had to use up all of his remaining power.

"Well, then…"

Tramp, tramp!

Su-hyeun stared at Druid, who began to walk out among the monsters.

"Let's fight between boss to boss," Su-hyeun said.

"You…go…back…"

"You said earlier that I am just a quarry."

Whiz!

Su-hyeun rushed to the front. His physical abilities were strengthened by the characteristics of the Imoogi and the buff effects of Miru. Now, he could jump at least ten meters in one step.

Boom!

The giant Druid pushed back. It lifted its arms and guarded, but there was a deep scar left on its arms.

"Now you want me to go back?"

Su-hyuen's voice came from the right side. Druid strained its eyes in surprise. When it turned its head to the right, the sword emerged from the opposite direction.

Slash!

The sword deeply cut through the leather. Su-hyeun could not cut all the way because Druid was too big. Regardless, he made numerous scars on its side.

"You…"

Whirl!

The bright red magic rose around Druid.

"Die…"

Ka-boom!!

Druid's red magic exploded and turned the grass into ash. Su-hyeun quickly jumped back and recalled Druid's ability.

"It usually uses magic to fight. Its defensive ability is coming from the leather that it is wearing. Its physical ability is better than other green dungeon bosses, but it doesn't use it. And…"

Boom, boom, boom!

The dead monster behind Su-hyeun exploded. Su-hyeun warily looked at the bodies around him.

"If I can't dodge all this, then I should instead…," he thought.

The plan was drawn in his head. It was not difficult to practice.

Wham!

Su-hyeun began to rush back to Druid. As the distance between them decreases, Druid stretched its arm again. For Druid, this battlefield was the best stage.

Boom, boom, boom!

Bam!

The bodies of monsters everywhere exploded one by one. Flesh and blood splattered all over the scene as heat filled the air. The debris flew, but it was not regular debris. Each one of them was filled with magic. It attacked Su-hyeun, but Su-hyeun did not avoid it. Druid saw Su-hyeun with its own eyes.

"Why…didn't…you…dodge…?" Druid said.

"Because there is no reason to do it."

Whiz!

Su-hyeun's body emerged from the fog emitted from the monsters' corpses.

[Indomitable body.]

[The transfiguration skill: Imoogi.]

All Su-hyeun could do was endure it. He didn't have much time, so he could not afford to avoid all the dead bodies. Also, he was sure that he could endure it enough. It was a judgment that could be made because he knew both his ability objectively and the monster, Druid.

Slash, slash!

Su-hyeun closed the distance and started to cut into Druid's body. Although it was specialized in long-range magic, Druid was still the boss of a blue-colored dungeon. The physical ability was pretty high as well, so Druid could avoid Su-hyeun's sword without causing fatal wounds by a whisker.

"Stop…him…"

At Druid's command, monsters flew again from all sides. It looked like Druid chose to gather more monsters rather than to directly fight Su-hyeun.

"Miru."

Swoosh!

At that moment, Druid lifted its head. The small dragon, who had been silent for a while, was preparing for a second breath.

"Sweep them all."

Whoosh!

At that moment, a white fire flashed and swept everywhere.

Whiz!

Crack!

Druid hurriedly pulled its head back. At the same time, Su-hyeun swung his sword to the mask of Druid. The mask cracked and Druid's face was revealed; it was a handsome man's face with golden eyes.

"Whose face is this now?"

"Don't…kill…me…," Druid said.

"You are too loud."

Slash!

Su-hyeun's sword pierced Druid's head.

"I can't talk long. People are waiting for me."

***

"Huh… Ha…"

"Phew…"

"Damn it… How many are there?"

There were numerous bodies of monsters around the raid team. They had been killing many monsters, but there were still many of them left. It was their first time fighting with this many monsters for all of them. Jordan looked back at the team. Everyone looked tired.

"We won't last long…," Jordan thought.

They had been fighting for a while. Both stamina and magic wore out. Jordan and other above A-Rank awakeners could still fight more, but the others could not. Most of them were exhausted.

"Should we run away?" he thought.

This would be the last chance to make that decision. If he would order to retreat, half of the team might survive.

"Damn it."

That meant half of them might die. It was a dilemma, a moment when Jordan could not decide with a conflicted mind.

"L-look…"

Hak-Joon, who had been leading the team with Jordan, raised his hand and pointed to the front. Jordan could not understand what Hak-Joon said, but he looked where he pointed.

"The monsters…"

Grrr!

Screech! Screech!

The monsters that had been attacking them systematically suddenly looked distracted. They looked around and soon scattered away.

"Did he…?"

Jordan's eyes widened, and Hak-Joon's face brightened.

"It must have been Su-hyeun…"

They thought that Su-hyeun finally caught Druid, the boss controlling all the monsters.

"Thank God."

Jordan sighed with relief. Then, he glared in his eyes and shouted, "It's not over yet! Get a grip!"

"Yes, sir!"

Now was their chance. Druid's spell was broken, and the monsters fell into disorder.

"Let's go!"

They started a counterattack.

***

Su-hyeun looked at the face of Druid who fell on the ground. Druid's face, which had been pierced through his head, was no different from an ordinary man. But this face was not Druid's.

"It is a different face from last time I saw it," Su-hyeun thought.

Originally, this blue dungeon had failed to attack during his previous life. Druid had brought out several monsters and massacred several people. Druid could absorb some of the others' power while taking their faces. When Druid had got out of the dungeon last time, it had killed numerous people and taken their faces. Therefore, it wasn't the same face Su-hyeun saw on TV.

"But it doesn't look like this is Druid's first face. Is it from another victim?"

It was possible that somebody might have entered the dungeon before the raid team, but Su-hyeun doubted it. When this blue-colored dungeon had opened, the surroundings were thoroughly isolated. Moreover, he could not imagine anyone would've been crazy enough to come into the blue dungeon unless they were suicidal.

Grr, Grrr!

As Druid fell, Miru who had been flying around above sky came down on Su-hyeun's head. Tired, he breathed out.

"You did a good job, Miru."

Purr…

Miru had used his breath twice, which made him exhausted. Su-hyeun stroked Miru's back a couple of times before picking up Druid's club.

Purr?

Miru tilted his head to one side as if he was wondering what that was. Although he was tired, he did not fall asleep right away. Miru's strength was getting better as it grew bigger.

"Are you asking what this is?"

Purr!

Miru nodded vigorously. Su-hyeun smiled at that and smash the club on the floor.

Crack!

The wooden club broke. As debris flew everywhere, a shining blue stone rolled down and stopped at Su-hyeun's feet.

"This is the main thing," Su-hyeun said.

He picked up the blue stone and showed it to Miru. Other people would not even imagine that this club was the most important thing in this dungeon.

"With this, I can…," Su-hyeun thought.

Purr!

At that moment, Miru opened his mouth to reveal the stone in it.

"…Huh?"

Gulp!

Then Miru swallowed it. Su-hyuen didn't expect that to happen.