Temporary fencing stretched across a wide area between the high-rise buildings of Yeouido.
Beyond the fence, a blue Gate radiated dizzyingly intense Mana.
Siul examined the unstable Gate and shook his head.
‘It really is on the verge of a Gate Break. It feels like monsters could come bursting out at any moment.’
While Siul waited in the designated area inside the restricted zone, a middle-aged man wearing a security vest approached from nearby.
“You’re Hunter Kim Siul, correct? I’ll briefly explain the procedures before you enter the Gate.”
“Ah, yes.”
The man took out a tablet, displayed various documents, and began explaining.
“First, we need to confirm your Dungeon clear plan. Since this is a Solo Raid, you’re required to document your expected route, potential hazards, and emergency escape conditions. This section here is where you sign to accept responsibility.”
“…Do I have to do all of this myself?”
“Yes. As a rule, the team leader has to fill it out personally.”
Siul stared at the considerable stack of paperwork in bewilderment.
For the time being, he filled everything out one by one, listened to the explanations, received requests for corrections, and rewrote things over and over again.
‘Raid leaders had to go through this annoying process every single time? I’m suddenly grateful to Min Hyung-sik all over again….’
For a moment, he wondered whether he had made a mistake by insisting on doing everything alone, but he quickly reminded himself that he was in no position to complain.
“Everything has been confirmed. You may enter whenever you’re ready.”
The security worker gathered the documents and turned away.
Only then did Siul collect his equipment and head toward the Gate.
“Is that guy going in alone?”
At that moment, he heard quiet murmuring behind him.
“So it really is a Solo Raid. Is he an S-Rank Hunter?”
“No. The records on the paperwork say he’s D-Rank.”
“What? A D-Rank is doing a Solo Raid?”
“Looking at his career, he’s probably Reawakened. Seems like he hasn’t reported it yet.”
Siul pretended not to hear them and kept walking forward.
Even without looking back, he could feel their piercing gazes boring into the back of his head.
‘I need to level up as quickly as possible and report my Reawakening. At this rate, the Hunter Association is going to contact me before I can report it myself.’
Someone as unusual as him had recently been extremely active, so it would have been stranger if rumors had not begun to spread.
Siul ignored the atmosphere around him and stopped in front of the Gate.
Blue Mana rippled beneath his feet.
After taking one final deep breath, Siul walked into the light.
* * *
『 You have entered the A-Rank Dungeon ‘Ancient Labyrinth Prison.’ 』
〈A-Rank Gate ― Yeouido Sector 9〉
Dungeon Name: Ancient Labyrinth Prison
Monsters: Minotaurs
Estimated Clear Time: Approximately 6 Hours
“Uh….”
The moment Siul saw the Dungeon, a groan escaped his lips.
Just as its name suggested, the entire area was covered by a labyrinth.
Aside from the thick stone-slab floor, all he could see were cold walls.
Gray stone walls three or four times taller than the average man stood everywhere, forming a massive maze.
There were almost no paths that continued in a straight line.
Forks, twisting corridors, and spaces that abruptly narrowed before widening again—it was a structure practically designed to destroy one’s sense of direction.
‘I’m terrible at escape rooms….’
Siul began walking forward while consulting the Dungeon map he had received beforehand.
‘I should be able to reach the boss room within three hours, right?’
Siul was the only human inside the Dungeon.
There was no one to raise a shield in front of him like Min Hyung-sik’s team had, no one behind him to provide support, and no companion to tell him when he had taken the wrong path.
That realization made the space feel even more desolate.
“I’m getting nervous for no reason.”
Muttering to himself, Siul opened his Inventory.
He had not even encountered a monster yet, but he already gripped his weapons tightly in both hands.
RUMBLE….
“…?”
After he had walked for about ten minutes, a faint vibration traveled up through the soles of his feet.
Siul stopped and focused his senses.
THUD— THUD—.
This time, there was no mistaking it.
He could feel vibrations like something was charging through the depths beneath the stone floor.
When he listened carefully, he could also hear heavy footsteps.
CLOP-CLOP!
‘…Hoofbeats?’
The moment Siul realized what the sound was—
BOOM!!
A massive shadow soared up from beyond the labyrinth wall to his left.
The creature appeared by leaping over the stone wall.
The head of a horse, the body of a man, a muscular upper body, and thick legs.
It was a Minotaur.
“…!”
Siul immediately retreated.
And there was not just one Minotaur that had suddenly appeared by jumping over the stone wall.
Massive figures began leaping down one after another from walls in other directions as well.
“NEIGH!”
The herd of Minotaurs roared viciously.
Their bloodshot red eyes all turned toward Siul at once.
【Danger Level: 7】
Transparent Danger Level indicators appeared above their heads.
‘B+-Rank Minotaurs are Danger Level 7…. That confirms that the Danger Level is definitely determined on a relative scale.’
Siul tightened his grip on his weapons.
Minotaurs were among the weaker monsters in this Dungeon, yet they were stronger than the bosses he had faced in the previous B-Rank Dungeons.
They were certainly not opponents he could afford to underestimate.
“NEIGH!”
At the same moment, the leading Minotaur suddenly charged.
Siul released his Mana and took a step backward.
【Skill ‘Earth Split’ has been activated.】
The Mana-infused ground shattered, causing the Minotaurs to stagger as they lost their balance.
‘Now.’
Siul did not miss the opening and threw Tracker’s Blade.
SLASH!
Tracker’s Blade buried itself in the nape of the leading Minotaur.
At that moment, the others roared and leaped out of the sunken ground.
Rather than meeting them head-on, Siul deliberately moved in a wide arc.
Pretending to flee, he left footprints across the ground.
【Skill ‘Footprint Mine’ has been activated.】
BOOM!!
An unseen explosive device detonated beneath the ground.
The Minotaur that stepped on the mine was blasted sideways by the impact.
The shock disrupted the movements of the nearby Minotaurs as well.
“NEIGH!”
The creatures grew even more enraged.
Their movements triggered Footprint Mines in succession, but the explosions failed to inflict fatal wounds.
‘What the hell are these things’ hides made of? Steel…?’
As troublesome as it was, this was a necessary process for Siul.
This battle was a test of sorts.
He needed to determine just how strong the monsters of an A-Rank Dungeon were and whether he would truly be capable of eliminating them alone from now on.
‘They’re clearly different from the regular monsters I fought in B-Rank Dungeons.’
Like the Golems, Orcs, and Skeletons he had fought before, the Minotaurs were monsters half a rank above Siul’s current level.
Unlike before, however, Siul could not easily wipe out the Minotaur herd.
BANG! BANG!
The creatures attacked from both sides once again.
Siul twisted his waist to evade them, but an axe eventually slashed through his shoulder.
“Ugh…!”
The wound healed almost immediately.
But the real problem was on top of the walls.
“NEIGH!”
More Minotaurs, drawn by the sounds of battle, began appearing.
Five.
Seven.
Ten.
Their numbers continued to increase without end.
‘At this rate, I won’t be able to clear the Dungeon in time…!’
Driven into a difficult situation, Siul quickly made a decision.
“Inventory.”
A subspace opened at Siul’s call.
The item he pulled from it was none other than a transparent potion.
『 Speed Booster 』 ― A-Rank
Increases speed by 50% for 20 minutes.
‘It feels a little early, but I’ll use it now.’
Siul removed the cap and downed the potion in one gulp.
GULP.
His legs suddenly felt lighter.
His heartbeat accelerated, and he even had the illusion that the world around him had begun moving slightly slower.
‘This feels good.’
Siul ignored the Minotaurs surrounding him and charged straight toward them.
Then—
WHOOSH!
He abruptly changed direction and shot into the passageway.
【Skill ‘Dungeon Dash’ has been activated.】
The Minotaur herd belatedly realized what had happened and roared as they gave chase.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Their footsteps were powerful enough to shake the entire labyrinth.
But Siul was faster.
He kicked off walls and raced across the labyrinth as though gliding over the stone slabs.
Even when he reached a fork in the path, he did not hesitate.
When the Minotaurs had first appeared, he had learned how to find the boss room regardless of his terrible sense of direction.
WHOOSH!
Siul’s body soared high above the walls.
“Oh.”
His field of vision suddenly opened up.
The labyrinth looked completely different from above.
The tangled paths were visible at a glance, and he could clearly see a massive circular structure positioned at the center of the labyrinth.
“So that’s the boss room?”
The herd of Minotaurs was still chasing him below, but Siul gave them a faint sneer and continued running.
He had only one destination.
The boss room.
* * *
The boss room took the form of a massive circular prison.
It was the heart of the labyrinth, connected to every path within it.
However, Siul did not enter through a door.
He jumped into the room through the open ceiling.
“Hup!”
The boss of the Dungeon, the Minotaur Great Warrior, flinched when it saw Siul.
It possessed a body at least one weight class larger than the other Minotaurs, its entire body was encased in heavy armor, and it held a massive longsword in one hand and a bladed spear in the other.
“That thing looks insanely strong.”
Siul narrowed his eyes after examining the boss.
【Continuous Quest Generated!】
【Eliminate the Threat to Your Life】
Personally eliminate the obstacle threatening your life.
Obstacle Danger Level: 10
Success Reward: 3 Level-Up Points
‘As expected. A-Rank monsters are Danger Level 10 for me now.’
The method of calculation had not changed, but A-Rank monsters were far more troublesome opponents.
The Minotaur herd he had actually fought had proven as much.
“You’re not going to give me a one-on-one fight, are you…?”
As if to make it clear that it had no such intention, subordinate Minotaurs surrounded the boss.
On top of that, the Minotaurs that had chased Siul through the labyrinth were now behind him.
‘Enemies on every side.’
An ordinary Hunter would have panicked in this situation.
Siul, however, spoke calmly.
“Boss rooms are easier. I only have to kill one.”
Siul’s gaze locked onto the Minotaur Great Warrior.
At the same moment, he shot forward like a bullet.
“NEIGH!”
The Minotaurs moved as one.
Intent on protecting their boss, they viciously swung their weapons.
SWISH! THUD! SLASH!
Dozens of blades pierced Siul’s body.
They tore through the flesh of his shoulders, abdomen, thighs, and more, piercing straight through his bones.
Blood erupted like waterfalls from every wound.
“…….”
The Minotaur Great Warrior fell silent.
The human before it had become a pool of blood, his limbs riddled with weapons.
It was a sight more gruesome than any beheading.
“Heh….”
And yet Siul, who had been coughing up blood, curled his lips into a grin.
“I’ll charge you separately for the blood donation.”
“…?!”
The Minotaur Great Warrior stared in horror.
A human who should have died instantly was smiling and cracking a joke.
Just what kind of situation was this?
At that exact moment, the Minotaur Great Warrior’s mane stood on end as its instincts screamed a warning.
WHOOSH!
Something fell vertically from the sky.
Tracker’s Blade descended with gravity, aiming straight for the Minotaur Great Warrior’s neck.
“NEIGH!”
The Minotaur Great Warrior instinctively twisted its body.
The blade grazed past its ear and buried itself in the floor.
Having escaped death by the narrowest possible margin, the Minotaur Great Warrior looked up in alarm.
“You’re fast.”
“…!!”
Before it knew it, Siul had already broken through the subordinate Minotaurs and reached the boss itself.
His torn flesh had knitted back together, and the holes throughout his body had completely vanished.
Feeling something close to terror, the Minotaur Great Warrior swung its longsword with a scream.
SWOOSH!
Siul’s head flew off.
RIP!
But his flesh immediately joined back together, and his head regenerated.
Without even having time to draw another breath, the Minotaur Great Warrior thrust the spear in its other hand.
STAB!
It pierced Siul directly through the heart.
An unmistakably fatal point.
Yet one second later, flesh began pushing its way along the spear blade.
Siul grabbed the boss’s spear with one hand and brought his face close enough for their breaths to touch.
“Sorry, but I won't die. Because I’m even more of a monster than you are.”
The Minotaur Great Warrior’s eyes trembled violently.
At the same moment, Tracker’s Blade swept through a wide arc.
SLASH—!!
The Minotaur Great Warrior’s head was severed and sent flying through the air.
Its massive head rolled across the floor, and its body collapsed a moment later.
THUD!!
Dozens of Minotaurs stared at the scene in disbelief.
【Quest Success!】
【You have splendidly eliminated the enemy threatening your life by beheading it.】
【You have received 3 Level-Up Points as a reward.】
【Current Accumulated Points: 3】
Standing on the blood-soaked floor, Siul stared at the Quest Window.
Then another notification appeared immediately afterward.
【Consecutive Quest Condition Achieved!】
【You have successfully completed 5 consecutive Quests and will receive a Bonus Reward.】
【Please choose one of the following two rewards.】
【2 Level-Up Points or Dragon Egg】