Psssh!
A colorless gas was pouring down from the ceiling.
At the same time, a sweet fragrance tickled the tip of his nose.
It gently poked at the deep laziness in his heart.
Aroma, known to knock out even an elephant in one hit.
The death gas that, once inhaled, ensured you'd never wake up.
It was an assault by sleep gas saturated with Asonia extract.
Psssh!
The sealed space filled up with Asonia aroma gas.
Any ordinary person in here would have collapsed instantly.
It would have been a dire crisis where one moment of sleep led to eternal rest.
But right now, in this place.
The two trapped inside the sealed steel walls were a bit different.
'Well, it's exactly like in the novel.'
Lloyd casually scanned his surroundings.
Even as he did, his nose and mouth were filled with the deadly Asonia aroma.
But no trace of drowsiness showed on his face or in his eyes.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah."
His lips responded to Haviel's question.
Tucked between those lips was a single white leaf.
The one and only awakening herb that neutralized Asonia's sleep effects: the Insomnia leaf.
'I came prepared.'
Steel walls and deadly sleep gas.
It was straight out of the novel *Iron-Blooded Knight*.
That's why he could prepare in advance.
During the few days traveling from the orc village to here, he'd plucked Insomnia leaves every time he spotted the flowers.
He'd carefully collected them and stashed them in his pocket.
He'd had one in his mouth since earlier.
Thanks to that, no matter how much Asonia aroma he inhaled, no sleepiness came.
Of course, it wasn't without its downsides.
'Man, this thing is spicy as hell. No wonder—it's like pure capsaicin blasting you awake.'
That seemed to be the case.
Insomnia was insanely spicy.
Not just spicy—it felt like his lips were on fire. No, more like they were being erased.
'Good thing I'm Korean.'
Fortunately(?), he was Korean.
What were Koreans, if not a people tough enough to dip peppers in gochujang?
Lloyd was no different.
On rainy days, he'd crave spice and order fire noodles.
On hot, sunny days, he'd sweat it out with extra devil's tongue in his doenjang jjigae.
Even after his family went broke and he started his poor goshiwon life, it was the same.
Even when filling up on triangle kimbap, he'd pick the spiciest one.
The racial trait of capsaicin resistance he'd naturally built up over a lifetime was a huge help now.
In short, he could endure the burning pain of the spice and keep the leaf in his mouth.
"And you? You good?"
Lloyd asked, enduring the fiery burn on his lips.
Haviel let out a rare, slight yawn.
"Yes. Though, hmm, I'm a bit sleepy."
"Sleepy? How much?"
"Like that spring drowsiness you haven't felt in ages, I suppose."
"Yeah?"
"Yes."
It really was just that level.
A bit of drowsiness, sure.
But he was, after all, a severe insomniac.
Like all insomniacs, he'd tried everything to achieve deep sleep.
Counting sheep was basic.
Sleep mask? Basic.
Baths and foot soaks? Tried them.
Burned incense said to aid sleep.
Meditated for mental peace.
Even grunted through yoga, which was trending in some far-off land.
Hell, he'd even sniffed this exact Asonia aroma scent.
And yet, how many nights had he spent staring at the ceiling, red veins popping in his eyes, unable to sleep?
He wasn't the type to be taken down by this level of drowsiness.
Though it did bring a wave of pathetic sorrow on one side.
'Hoo... Compared to Lord Lloyd's lullabies, this isn't even sleepy.'
Had he really become the kind of body that couldn't sleep without lullaby service?
The anxiety that he might never escape this man for life bubbled up. Along with a deep, espresso-dark self-loathing that bubbled fiercely.
A heavy sigh escaped him naturally.
And so, Haviel performed valiant reality denial as he drew his sword.
They were safe from the sleep gas, thankfully, but they couldn't stay trapped here forever.
"Shall we breach the steel wall?"
"Nah."
Lloyd shook his head at the question.
"You're not just gonna slash or stab through it, right? We're blasting, aren't we? Do that in here, and my eardrums go pop-pop fresh."
"..."
Haviel quietly lowered his raised sword.
Instead, Lloyd picked up the steel shovel.
"Let's just dig downward. I'll make the tunnel—you follow."
"Understood."
Lloyd started shoveling.
At the same time, he didn't forget to activate the exclusive option of his Asrahan Heart Method skill.
'Energizer.'
*Ding-dong.*
[Asrahan Heart Method option, Energizer, activates.]
[Double Circle efficiency reaches its limit.]
[You will not tire for 10 minutes.]
'Uryaah!'
Stab! Scoop! Thunk!
The steel shovel danced brilliantly.
Each strike scooped out a bucketful of dirt.
A pit formed on the floor in an instant.
First knee-deep.
Then waist-deep.
Soon deeper than his height.
Lloyd, digging straight down, abruptly changed direction.
'Time to open a proper tunnel!'
Energizer lasted 10 minutes.
More than enough to dig under the steel barrier.
Lloyd advanced with dazzling, ferocious shoveling.
Haviel quietly followed behind.
Watching Lloyd's shoveling back, he thought to himself.
'Like a mole.'
He filed it away to use later.
Next time Lord Lloyd teased him verbally, he'd counter with this.
Having noted it in his mental memo, he scanned the surroundings.
Prepared in case the Black Mage attacked from above the tunnel.
A few more minutes passed like that.
"Hey."
Lloyd called out.
"Come up front. Then thrust your sword diagonally upward and blast. Got it?"
"Eardrums okay?"
"Yeah. Not hitting steel."
"Understood."
Haviel nodded.
They'd tunneled under the steel wall, so now it was time to go up.
Of course, they couldn't just shovel their way up obediently.
That would make them prime targets for the Black Mage.
"Step back, please."
Once Lloyd had retreated to a safe distance.
Haviel raised his sword.
Pulled back.
Thrust.
*Shluck!*
At the same time, the three circles around his heart spun at high speed.
The spinning circles twisted their angles.
Two circles slammed together rapidly.
A fierce collision erupted.
...!
The shockwave spread through his heart.
Raced wildly along his blood vessels.
Amplified further as it reached his muscle ends.
It flowed through his elbow, wrist, fingers, into the sword.
Shot straight out along the blade's path.
And exploded.
*Boom-thud-!*
From inside the tunnel, diagonally upward.
A 10-meter stretch was engulfed in mana explosion and vaporized.
A long tunnel formed along that path.
"Go! All at once!"
Lloyd, ears plugged, shouted.
The two burst out of the tunnel.
Like two beasts escaping a zoo, charging outside.
At that sight, the Black Mage's eyes widened like saucers.
"Huh? Wh-what?!"
He'd trusted his dungeon's defenses solidly.
For them to be breached this easily.
He couldn't believe his eyes.
'No way. That silver-haired guy—a few days ago, he couldn't even breach the entrance properly and fled?'
In truth, the Black Mage had been closely monitoring the dungeon's surroundings for days.
Because of the silver-haired knight, Haviel, who'd attempted entry days ago.
The first intruder in ages.
He'd retreated after tripping a magic circle near the entrance, but he didn't seem easy.
He hadn't died even after triggering the circle.
So the Black Mage had thought.
That guy would come back soon.
'And sure enough, my prediction was spot on.'
Of course, he hadn't just twiddled his thumbs in the meantime.
After the silver-hair retreated, he'd reinforced the dungeon defenses for days.
Doubled the number of magic circles.
Only then did he feel somewhat secure.
Thinking the dungeon was safe now.
But then, suddenly, the silver-hair and some scruffy newbie he'd never seen popped up here, in the dungeon's deepest part.
Without triggering a single magic circle from the entrance!
'I was shocked.'
Genuinely shocked.
Since they bypassed the circles, he hadn't even known they'd reached here.
Panicked, the Black Mage triggered his final defense trap.
One that sealed intruders with steel walls and knocked them out with deadly gas to kill.
'But... even that got breached!'
The two intruders shooting up from the tunnel above.
No ordinary foes.
Let his guard down, and he'd be done.
The Black Mage immediately clasped his hands.
"Graaah!"
His hands formed a special shape in front of his chest.
A mudra made with bent and extended fingers.
Mana flowed according to the mudra.
The flowing mana rearranged into a specific pattern.
A 10cm black magic circle formed in front of his clasped hands.
He thrust his hands forward.
"Taaah!"
*Schwoom-!*
The magic circle surged.
Like a beast vomiting bile, it spewed an unidentified liquid.
*Splash!*
The murky slime shot straight out.
Engulfing Haviel completely.
In that instant, Haviel's sword cleaved the space.
*Slash!*
From below to above.
The vertically rising blade flashed.
Sword wind howled along its path.
The oncoming liquid split vertically in the wind.
Divided into two streams, left and right, blown aside by pressure.
*Sizzle-!*
The rocks drenched in the liquid bubbled and melted.
By then, Haviel was already charging.
*Thud!*
"...!"
The Black Mage's eyes filled with shock.
The magic he'd cast launched poison liquid with extreme acidity.
An attack impossible to block, naturally.
Especially with sword or shield.
Or so he'd believed.
'And he split it? With just the wind pressure from swinging his sword?'
Impossible.
Insane.
That silver-haired knight was utterly mad.
'No way he's a Swordmaster?'
Maybe he was.
This was beyond the Sword Experts he knew.
But he had no intention of going down easily.
Poisonous intent filled the Black Mage's eyes.
"Kahahak!"
With a venomous shout, he dropped to one knee.
Spread his arms wide downward.
Palms slapped the ground on both sides.
His splayed fingers dug into the earth.
*Scraaape!*
The mana array shifted again based on each finger's bend and depth in the soil.
The new array etched a magic circle into the ground.
*Grrrumble!*
The black circle writhed.
Soon shuddered, pounding the earth.
In that moment.
*Grab!*
Gray hands burst through the soil.
They seized the ankle of Haviel, charging at the Black Mage.
"...!"
That wasn't all.
While Haviel faltered briefly.
Dozens of hands erupted from the ground like weeds.
First just hands.
Then wrists below.
Forearms and shoulders next.
Finally, half-rotted faces rose.
"Grraaah! Grooar! Grah!"
Flesh-eating ghouls mad for living meat.
Ghouls.
"Gyaaah!"
Ghouls sprang up wildly around Haviel.
Their number: a full 50.
Haviel, who'd paused his charge, was instantly surrounded.
A triumphant smile bloomed on the Black Mage's face.
'Kyahahaha! These aren't ordinary ghouls! Not the slow, brainless weaklings! These are my masterpieces, refined over a hundred days and nights with countless reagents and enhancement circles! Skin hard as granite! Speed like the wind! Absolute obedience to my commands, with ferocity to slaughter the living! Each one rivals a Death Knight, and could handle dozens of average Sword Experts—living weapons themsel—'
*Slash.*
Before the Black Mage's laugh could fully bloom.
A chill flash swept around Haviel in an instant.
Followed by a wind like eternal glacier gusts.
The 50 enhanced ghouls charging at him all froze in place.
Then, they all made the same sound.
"Ghouls?"
That was it.
*Plop.*
All 50 ghouls' necks were severed.
Heads thudded to the ground.
Then arms and legs.
Waists and torsos.
Sliced in sequence.
The once-enhanced ghoul chunks collapsed like broken Lego pieces.
*Scatter.*
Cold silence flowed.
In the silence, Haviel turned his head.
His frost-laced gaze fixed on the Black Mage.
"Any more friends to call?"
"..."
In that moment, the Black Mage realized.
Ah, I'm dead today.
(End of Chapter 38)
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