Chapter 99:
While my other initial novels have their share, none has contributed as much as this; I'm very grateful for you loyal readers. I haven't updated the adv chapters for some time, and I'm sure everyone's itching to know what other madness Seora will take part in. I'm now focusing on finishing shorter novels I'd been delaying since 2020 so I can focus better on finishing the longer ones when I'm free, and I promise you: I will finish Seora's adventures before the end of 2024. Once again thank you so much, and I'd hope you continue to enjoy our administrator's pettiness~!
If it weren’t for the sporadically embedded glowing stones, the space would have been incredibly confined and difficult to see ahead. It was an unfavorable battlefield.
“Will the path continue like this?”
“No. The dungeon’s name isn’t randomly given. If it’s called a ‘castle,’ there must be a real castle or something equivalent,” confidently claimed Kang Sejun, who had been here before.
As they ventured further, the narrow road soon came to an end. Those who stepped outside the path couldn’t help but exclaim in awe. Under the darkened sky loomed a massive white castle.
“A Level 1 Dungeon is much larger in scale compared to others. It’s unbelievable. A castle.”
“I heard the Cheorwon Dungeon even has an active volcano inside. It seems the scale increases with the grade,” said Jeong Hoyeong, shocking Seora. An active volcano? How did her mother, who wasn’t even a fire-specialized Mage like Kang Sejun, manage to fight there twelve years ago?
“…!”
Suddenly, they sensed the presence of monsters. Everyone fell silent, holding their breath. Jeong Hoyeong, leading the exploration at the front, raised two fingers.
Two monsters.
‘Should we take care of them?’ Seora signaled with her hand, holding her gun, seeking consensus. Jeong Hoyeong shook her head, indicating that they should observe a little longer since the monsters hadn’t noticed them.
Lu Yanwei, who was also watching the situation, clicked her tongue. Seeing the signal to retreat, everyone returned to the narrow path. Only after putting some distance between them did Lu Yanwei grumble irritably. “Of all the luck. It’s Phantom.”
Among the ghost-type creatures, Phantoms were top-level monsters that even posed a challenge to Hunters specializing in hunting ethereal beings. These sinister creatures, known for tormenting nightmares, were far more dangerous than the White Ghosts Seora had encountered before.
“In battles against ghost-type creatures, conventional tactics don’t work. And if it’s a Phantom, it’s even worse. One wrong move, and we could be haunted for life.” Moreover, if the Boss Monster was the mastermind, even the L-class individuals couldn’t guarantee victory.
“All three of the L-classes may have to engage the boss. Obviously, we won’t even have time to pay attention to the other monsters. Can five S-classes handle it?” Lu Yanwei looked disdainfully at the S-classes, grumbling about coming to a place like this for no reason.
In this situation, belittling the S-classes was utterly unhelpful. Seora found it pathetic that Lu Yanwei was acting that way.
“The boss will be in the castle, so let’s start by destroying it. It will be faster to handle the other monsters once they have nowhere to hide.”
“I agree. With Kang Sejun’s firepower, breaking the castle should be simple.”
“And when the Boss Monster appears, we’ll deal with it. In the meantime, the other five can handle the other monsters.”
It was a rough plan, but there was no choice when it came to fighting ghost-type creatures. Unlike other monsters, they could pass through objects, making surprise attacks their specialty. Therefore, the first priority was to block their movement.
“Any objections?” asked Lu Yanwei, scanning the Hunters one by one. Amidst the silence, Seora raised her hand. “Do you have any objections?”
“Yes. It’s inefficient to have three L-classes focus solely on the boss.”
“Well, then, what should we do? It takes three just to deal with a ghost-type boss barely.”
“It’s fine. I’ll take care of it alone.”
“What did you say?” Lu Yanwei widened her eyes, incredulous at such audacity.
However, it’s not audacity when you have the ability. Seora tapped her finger, and a small cube appeared in the air. “I’m a spatial ability user. With my ability, I can separate the Boss Monster from the other monsters.” With the red cube, she could eliminate the ghost-type creature. Furthermore, since her skill had been upgraded, all attacks would work within the cube. “While I block it, all of you can deal with the other monsters. That’s the most efficient way.”
“Have you lost your mind? Efficiency? You can’t take on a Level 1 monster alone. Are you boasting just because you managed to kill one in Cheorwon?”
“Hunter Lu Yanwei, your words are becoming harsh. Please refrain from rude behavior. If you continue like this, the Korea Association will issue a warning to China,” warned Do Junyeong. Lu Yanwei angrily narrowed her eyes at the warning. Korea had been much weaker compared to China, but now they could stand shoulder to shoulder. Her frustration was evident on her face.
“If you think I’m boasting, then in the end, it will be my own death. Hunter Lu Yanwei, you don’t need to worry,” Seora intervened to cool down the tense situation. “Anyway, I can do it, and that’s why I’m saying it. You may not know, but I have a very unfavorable compatibility with ghost-type creatures.”
“Unfavorable compatibility? And yet, you want to take it on alone? You must be completely out of your mind.” Lu Yanwei snorted and dismissively waved her hand, while Do Junyeong sent her a fierce gaze. It was an attitude that showed she didn’t care whether Seora lived or died.
Seora was starting to get annoyed by Lu Yanwei’s attitude, but she chose not to say anything more.
Yeah, it’s not great to have unfavorable compatibility. But those words are meant for those bastards.
【Administrator: *(*´∀`*)☆】
Seora, carrying the strongest guardian on her back, grinned mischievously, her mind composed. Of all things, it had to be ghost-type creatures. Unpleasant memories were associated with them.
Those damn White Ghosts!
‘I have nothing against Phantoms, but just being the same ghost-type is enough to piss me off. Haha. It awakens that anger from back then.’
With a firm grip on her gun, she adopted a determined expression. It was a fearsome face that even silenced Lu Yanwei, who had been complaining incessantly, making her involuntarily close her mouth.
***
“The 9th-Level Spell, Meteor.”
With a solemn incantation, the darkened sky ignited. The Phantoms, sensing the extraordinary manipulation of magic, all looked up simultaneously.
Amidst the resonating incantations, flaming meteors descended. These meteors were summoned through refined manipulation of magical power.
Kiaaah! Kiiiieek!
The Phantoms recoiled, emitting mournful sounds. Even though they were rare ghost-type creatures with physical resistance, they couldn’t withstand the torrential downpour of meteors.
Crash! Bang! The castle, exuding a gloomy aura, collapsed with a tumultuous noise. Two towering towers crumbled, causing a rumbling sound accompanied by the movement of massive iron chains.
【The Demonic Boss of the Level 1 Dungeon ‘Castle of Nightmare’ appears!】
Broken pieces of the castle revealed the boss, adorned with chains around its body and wielding a massive scythe. Red sparks emanated from beneath its black robe.
“Phantom Overlord, huh? It takes at least three L-class Hunters to take down that thing. Can you really handle it alone?” Lu Yanwei’s voice resonated with skepticism as she stood behind Seora. Having witnessed Seora being kidnapped without resistance in the United States, it was understandable that Lu Yanwei would have doubts.
“Yes, I can. Please, everyone, follow the plan and act accordingly.”
Except for Seora, the seven members had already surrounded the area. While they dealt with the emerging Phantoms, Seora would face the boss alone. Despite its reputation as a formidable Phantom Overlord, nothing would change.
“Activate skill.”
【Activating skill “Spatial Domination”!】
【A field has been generated in the designated area.】
【Current Domination Power: 100%】
As the Phantom Overlord swung its scythe toward Kang Sejun, who was showering the sky with meteors, a red cube enveloped it. The end of the scythe was blocked by a crimson barrier, just moments away from reaching Kang Sejun.
In the severed space, only the Phantom and Seora remained.
“Hey there. Sorry for wrecking your house while you were away. So, why did you appear on Earth?” Facing the Phantom Overlord, towering like a skyscraper, Seora calmly smiled. In one hand, she held a shotgun revolver, the transformed Hit, emitting a resonating sound. “The cube won’t break until you kill me. So, if you want to save your subordinates, it’s better to deal with me first.”
<Arrogant. Do you think you can kill me alone?>
Communicating flawlessly, as befitting a high-ranking Demonic Boss.
“To be honest, I’m not sure either. It’s my first time facing a Level 1 monster alone.”
The situation was different from the Cheorwon monster. Back then, it was an upgrade from Level 2 to Level 1, which made it weaker than a creature originally at Level 1. In other words, the current Phantom Overlord was stronger than the Cheorwon monster.
“If it were any other day, I wouldn’t be showing off. But it just so happens that you’re a ghost species.”
<Do not be arrogant, human. It will lead to your death.>
The chains that wrapped around the Phantom Overlord flew toward Seora. Swiftly avoiding them, she fired her gun, causing the chains to break with a loud noise.
As expected, within the cube, she had the freedom to attack the ghost-type at will.
<You’re using clever tricks.>
“You’re not too shabby yourself.”
Taking out the Crimson Mace from her inventory and letting her blood drip on it, it instantly transformed into a whip. She shot down the incoming chains with her gun and fiercely swung the whip, which had become significantly longer than when she was an S-class.
As the scythe and whip collided, a resounding noise echoed.
“Oh. The destructive power has grown along with my rank, hasn’t it?”
However, since this weapon was only S-class, it was insufficient to inflict damage on a Level 1 monster. Therefore, instead of attacking the Phantom Overlord again, Seora decided to collapse the space beneath it to distract it. Then, she immediately slid straight down and pulled the trigger right in its face.
The devastating power of the shotgun revolver poured out, but the bullets futilely passed through the empty air. There was a red light that looked like eyes, so she had naturally assumed it had a face. Well, it was probably just trying to confuse people.
“Oops.”
The chains flew at her again. Seora leaped into the air to evade the attack, and this time the scythe swooped in. She blocked it with Hit, resulting in a resounding clash. The unpleasant sound reverberated in her ears.
<How come it doesn’t break!?>
“If you want to break it, you’ll need an EX-class weapon just like this one.” After all, this is the weapon bestowed upon me by the esteemed administrator.
【Administrator: (((o(*゚▽゚*)o)))】
“Hit, convert.”
The shotgun revolver changed its form.
Panzerfaust. The overwhelming presence of an anti-tank weapon pressed against her shoulder, bringing a smile to her face.
“If you can’t destroy my weapon, then you’ll die, you know?”
She created a rocket using processed L-class magic power. If the Phantom Overlord couldn’t properly defend against it, even its body would be torn apart.
With a wide grin, Seora distanced herself from the enemy and happily launched the rocket.
Bang! With a tremendous roar, flames burst forth..
***
Lu Yanwei swung her spear roughly, sending the infuriated Phantom lackeys flying. She managed to survive by dodging their attacks.
A massive red box stood in the center of the ruined castle. The figure that China was currently most concerned about was inside it.
‘I was wondering why the assassination failed.’
The security officer personnel attending the WDO on behalf of Wei Hu, who was protecting the Supreme Leader, led the assassination of Headbang’s representative as a warning.
To ensure a clean finish if successful, they deliberately requested the assistance of Blackjack, who the American Guardians were currently pursuing.
The plan was flawless, but it failed. To make matters worse, Song Hanna stormed Blackjack’s headquarters, turned them upside down, and sent all the guild members to the America Association.
It was an absurd situation. How could they fail at the simple task of kidnapping and assassinating a mere F-class individual? Something was definitely hidden behind all this.
Therefore, upon receiving orders from the president, Lu Yanwei personally headed to the Japan Dungeon where Headbang would be participating, and there she discovered a shocking truth.
That F-class representative was none other than Headbang herself.
‘I must report this.’
The power and aura she felt from Headbang on the ship were far from negligible, especially considering her background as a soldier. She needed to assess her capabilities and report them in detail thoroughly.
Omniscient Mage Kang Sejun? He wasn’t the immediate problem. Headbang, who had the ability to deceive all the L-classes who attended WDO with a calm face, was a greater threat to the nation.
‘It’s better to just get rid of her here, whether we assess her abilities or not.’
No matter how talented she was, she couldn’t defeat the Phantom Overlord alone.
Therefore, she needed to buy as much time as possible, either until Headbang’s demise or until she suffered injuries equivalent to that. If left untreated, it would pose a significant danger.
“To do that, first I need to…”