Hyunseok had maxed all his stats to 100 during the Tutorial Mode.
On top of that, he still had 9 unallocated stat points remaining.
Of course, he was aware that came with penalties.
What he hadn't expected, however, was that those penalties would continue to apply even inside a dungeon.
"It seems… there are still survivors left."
A system notification had appeared:
[Safe Zone withdrawn. Recovery Zone withdrawn.]
From the looks of it, there really had been areas inside the dungeon that functioned like safe zones in a game, places immune to monster attacks.
Hyunseok and Jongwon immediately broke into a run.
Up ahead, three men were stumbling toward them. Their appearances were a mess, clothes torn to shreds, hair disheveled, and covered in filth as though they hadn't washed in weeks.
"Damn it, this is the entrance again!"
Still, with no other choice, the three men continued running straight toward Hyunseok's group.
Jongwon raised his voice:
"Hey! Are you survivors?"
One of the men spat back bitterly:
"Damn it, another so-called rescue squad?"
It was understandable. Plenty of Slayers had entered before, claiming to be rescuers. Every single one of them had been useless.
Most died right away fighting orcs. And worse, rather than dying quietly, they often caused a commotion that drew in more orcs from other areas.
To these survivors, the so-called "rescue squads" were nothing more than a nuisance.
After a long absence, there had been a sudden surge of Slayers entering the dungeon again. Rumor had it that I'UET had successfully cleared a dungeon, and the raid information had been made public.
But none of that mattered anymore.
The safe zones had vanished.
The healing crystals that restored their stamina had disappeared.
Until now, they had been barely managing to recover and conserve energy thanks to those resources. But now, those lifelines were gone.
All that remained was certain death.
One of the men collapsed to the ground.
"It's over. We're already dead."
"You idiot! Don't say that!" another barked at him. He then pointed his sword, a plain, battered weapon, at Hyunseok's group.
"You! Hand over your food if you've got any!"
Jongwon shrugged casually.
"Pretty bold for someone begging for scraps, huh?"
"Shut up!" the man growled.
Whether food existed or not, the reality was the same: death was waiting. Orcs hadn't noticed this corner yet, but once they did, there would be no escape.
Having seen too many failures, they no longer had hope in any "rescue." If they were going to die anyway, they might as well take a chance now.
Hyunseok stepped forward.
"We didn't exactly come stocked with food. But, what we can do is help you survive.
This here is Ha Jongwon, a combat Slayer from I'UET.
I am Hyunseok.
This is my younger sister Yoo Minseo, a supporting Slayer.
We've come to clear this dungeon."
"…I… I'UET?"
"Ha… Ha Jongwon?"
"The… Solo Orc Slayer?"
The survivors froze in shock.
I'UET was famous nationwide now as the guild that had successfully cleared a dungeon.
Among them, Ha Jongwon was especially renowned, not only for running his own Eradication Squad, but also for being one of the very few top-tier Slayers capable of slaying an orc solo.
In Korea, there was hardly a Slayer more famous than him.
The moment Jongwon revealed his identity, the situation flipped.
The three survivors quickly began spilling everything they knew.
Inside the dungeon, there was a clearing area. Following a winding passage led to three separate rooms. The place had a 7-person entry limit, any more could not pass through.
Each section used to have a safe zone and a healing zone, blocking monsters and restoring stamina. But now, they were all gone. (Of course, that was because of Hyunseok's entry, though he didn't mention it.)
One survivor explained nervously:
"In the clearing, seven orcs respawn every seven minutes. Their respawn rate is very fast, so…"
"That's enough, thank you," Jongwon cut him off.
"That information will do. We'll handle the orcs."
(Though, in truth, it would be Hyunseok handling them…)
Hyunseok stepped ahead confidently.
The men hesitated.
"W-we'll follow you."
"It's… safer than staying here."
"P-please, take us with you."
Hyunseok's younger sister, Minseo, suddenly stepped forward.
"Then, please sign this contract."
Both Hyunseok and Jongwon turned to her, confused.
"…What's that?"
"Ah, remember how Jongwon oppa made a fuss about profit distribution last time? I figured we might meet survivors, so I prepared this contract with our school's social studies teacher. If they help, we'll still claim all dungeon rewards."
Jongwon sighed, shaking his head. Hyunseok smiled proudly at his clever little sister.
The survivors had no reason to hesitate. They signed immediately.
And so, the dungeon raid began.
As they moved forward, the survivors grew more anxious.
"Even if you're from I'UET, you're moving recklessly."
"Yes, orcs have very keen hearing. If all seven rush at once—!"
They recalled the last seven rescue squads that had entered. Four had gotten themselves killed by causing noise that drew mobs of orcs.
"You have to be careful. Over thirty rescuers have already died here!" one warned desperately.
Still, Hyunseok's group didn't slow down.
Jongwon smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry. Orcs aren't much of a threat."
But the survivors clenched their teeth.
"That's what every rescuer said before they died…"
Still, because Jongwon was here, because the "Solo Orc Slayer" himself was leading them, they couldn't help but feel a fragile sliver of hope.
Please, just don't ruin it.
Then Minseo raised her voice playfully.
"If they're so sensitive to sound… should I just call them here?"
"Good idea," Jongwon replied without hesitation.
The survivors' faces turned pale.
"Wh-what?!"
"Are you crazy?!"
Orcs were typically hunted by 5–6 Slayers working together. Any fewer, and the danger was enormous.
But here was this group, planning to pull seven at once, not even separately, but all together.
It was madness.
Minseo cupped her hands to her mouth and screamed into the dungeon:
"Orcs! Come out! Come out! Come out!"
"D-damn it!"
Her shouts echoed through the cavern.
The survivors collapsed in despair.
Then it came,
KROOOAR!
The ground shook. Heavy footsteps thundered toward them.
The men trembled in horror. But Hyunseok merely smiled and stepped forward.
He had no intention of hiding his power this time.
"Minseo, stay back."
❋ ❋ ❋
"Suicidal fools…"
The survivors muttered, shaking their heads.
But then,
CRACK!
A bone-shattering impact rang out.
"…No way!"
"What the hell?!"
Their eyes widened.
Hyunseok calmly clenched and unclenched his fist.
"Perfect."
He turned to Jongwon.
"Hold the perimeter. If more orcs appear, warn me."
"Got it. I can hold two on my own."
Hyunseok rolled his shoulders, loosening up.
"Why suddenly, oppa?" Minseo asked.
"Orcs are strong monsters, but it's rare to find this many gathered. Thought I'd use the chance to practice controlling my strength."
What followed was a one-sided massacre.
At first, the orcs managed a few blows. But Hyunseok's sheer durability and counter-force caused them to drop their weapons, their wrists trembling uncontrollably.
The survivors could hardly believe their eyes.
These monsters that had driven them to despair, this man was toying with them.
Instead of one-hit kills, he was deliberately testing his power through repeated beatings.
"…Even without a support field… no buffs… he's just beating them senseless."
Finally, all seven orcs lay dead.
The survivors' jaws hung open.
Hyunseok glanced back.
"They respawn every seven minutes, right? Let's wait one more round."
"What?! Again?"
"Last time."
Jongwon nodded.
"Alright. One last time."
Hyunseok politely turned to the survivors.
"If it's alright, would you mind?"
The men swallowed nervously.
"P-please, by all means! We'll wait as long as you need…"
Their stomachs growled, but none dared to object.
(End of Chapter 13)
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