As if darkness had swallowed the path, the inside of the tunnel was deep and stifling.
I infused mana into my eyes to enhance my vision, but I could see only about 4m ahead.
Everything beyond that was dully obscured.
“This place hasn’t changed.”
Tak—
Putting strength into my toes, I threw my body straight forward.
‘It’s around here—’
SHWOOK—!
Along with the sound of wind rushing in from afar, a volley of arrows came flying.
Twisting my waist back, I dodged by practically lying flat.
The arrowheads that grazed past overhead lodged in the wall behind me with a ting, ting.
WHIP—
The moment I straightened up, a spear suddenly shot out of the right wall.
The glint of its tip flashed before my eyes, but.
THUP—
I grabbed the shaft with one hand, twisted it, and snapped it off.
The broken spear slid back into the wall, creaking.
‘Three steps from here, the floor—’
THUD—!
As expected, as soon as I took three steps, the ground beneath my feet dropped away.
Tak—
I leapt forward, kicked off the wall in midair, and jumped across.
The pit where the floor had vanished was submerged in black, so its bottom couldn’t be seen.
‘Back in the day, I even went down in there looking for hidden pieces.’
Of course, it was empty inside.
TAP-TAP-TAP—!
I ran swiftly forward.
The next trap was daggers fired from the left wall.
They were fired at the exact moment your foot landed, but when I angled my toes slightly to the left as I ran, the daggers only cut through empty air as they passed.
The moment I landed, the floor resonated subtly.
Kriiik—
‘A lure pressure plate.’
I rolled sideways just like that, dodging the hail of arrows pouring from the ceiling.
Along with the sound of them raining down behind me, iron arrowheads stuck into the floor like rain.
I got back up and pushed my speed.
Walls, ceiling, floor—things flew and shot up from everywhere, but.
‘I know all of it.’
The trap layout I had mapped out in my head guided my steps.
The last trap was a crushing trap in which both walls closed inward at the same time.
TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP—!
Timing it just right, I charged in, spun my body just before the walls closed, and slipped out through the gap.
Behind me, with a CRASH!, the stone walls slammed together.
When I reached the end, my darkened vision brightened again.
“Honestly, those goblin bastards were more fun.”
This isn’t a game.
That’s why monsters’ behavior gains variables because of me.
But the positions and structures of things like traps don’t change.
Hundreds of clears.
Who would find any fun in a place where they had already memorized everything?
“Definitely a boring stretch.”
[You have completed the mission.]
[The reward will be granted.]
There were no variables whatsoever.
***
The 4th floor’s mission was Cargo Escort.
As a randomly assigned team of three players, you simply had to transport a carriage loaded with valuables to the destination.
And the floor I was climbing was the 4th.
It seemed like things were already a bust.
“Damn it! Of all the people to get stuck with, we got that guy.”
“Still, it might just be how he looks. Let’s do our best.”
“Damn it, looks like we’ll have to take the long way around again this time.”
The 4th floor had three paths.
The left path led quickly to the destination, but monsters appeared on it, making it dangerous.
On the center path, bandits appeared, but they weren’t very strong, and it reached the destination in about 30 minutes.
“Rather than gamble with a guy like that in tow, let’s take the safest path.”
“Ugh. Guess we’ll be pulling a carriage for an hour.”
The last path, on the right, had no dangers, but it was all uphill.
It took a full hour to reach the destination.
“No, wait….”
The man who had been raving thought for a moment, then immediately spoke up.
“Let’s take the center path after all. If we go right, all they give you as a reward is junk like a worn copper dagger.”
“Won’t it be dangerous?”
“You guard the cargo with that hanger-on. I’ll handle the monsters myself.”
The 4th floor’s difficulty varied markedly depending on the capability of the strong member.
If the strong member was a player at just the right level to climb the 4th floor, bandits appeared by default.
If someone harboring overwhelming skill was designated as the strong member, there was no telling what would pop out.
“Anyway, we’re going center, so let’s divide up the roles. Hey, dimwit. Don’t go sticking your neck out for no reason. Just stay in the back and make sure nothing falls off!”
“I’ll lead the horse. Mr. Kim Hyeong-taek, please keep watch on our surroundings as we move.”
“You look like a mage at a glance. Can you even cast while riding a horse?”
“I can manage light detection magic, at least.”
With that, it was settled.
In this mission, the strong one was me.
Below that was the mage, Han Ji-won.
The weak one was that guy named Kim Hyeong-taek.
‘The path is uneven, so the ride will be shaky and unstable. If she can use detection magic in a situation like that, she’s at least not a beginner mage.’
My current outfit was as follows.
A black tracksuit and a hoodie.
I didn’t feel the need to gear up to clear the lower floors, so I came like this.
‘Since I showed up without even basic preparations, they’ll assume I’m one of two things.’
A skilled player who doesn’t need gear, or a complete beginner who came up here knowing nothing.
But skilled players almost never climb the 4th floor again.
Joint Mission rewards are sometimes divided according to contribution, and the mission’s difficulty also changes depending on level.
‘They probably see me as a beginner who got carried up here.’
There was no need to kindly explain things to a guy who shot his mouth off based on appearances alone.
“All right, we’re moving out.”
The center path was quieter than expected.
Underfoot was a dirt road packed hard by rain, and dense forest continued along both sides.
Wind brushed through the branches, but it wasn’t cluttered enough to block the view ahead.
I could see far into the distance, but both sides were thick forest terrain, ideal for an ambush.
‘Might as well get some training in on the way.’
From behind, I checked that the luggage loaded on the carriage wasn’t rattling or shaking loose.
“Whew—”
Without relying on mana, I read my surroundings with my five senses—breathing, footsteps, even the smell of the dirt.
Just then, Kim Hyeong-taek opened his mouth again.
“With a mage and warrior combo, we could’ve easily pushed through the left path, but we got stuck with some moron, and it’s pissing me off to death.”
Pfft—
The corners of my mouth rose faintly.
I had heard that kind of talk hundreds of times in the past.
So it didn’t faze me in the least.
In the end, what judged me wasn’t that mouth of his, but results.
Ignoring Kim Hyeong-taek’s grumbling like that, we made it about halfway to the destination.
Sarak—
The bushes on the left shook in a way different from the wind.
I stopped walking and caught the presence at the same time.
Up front, Han Ji-won raised her voice from atop the horse.
“Someone’s been caught in my detection magic!”
“Okay!”
Kim Hyeong-taek immediately took out a one-handed axe and a shield as big as his own torso.
Han Ji-won hurriedly tried to get down from the horse, but.
“L-like this—”
It seemed to be her first time riding a horse.
‘Ah, that’s not how you do it. Is it because she’s a mage? She doesn’t know how to use her body. She’s going to fall like that.’
She barely managed to pull her leg free and stretched it toward the ground, but she was too short to reach it.
“Neiiiigh!”
The horse, perhaps sensing the presences around it, thrashed about.
At the sudden movement, Han Ji-won was flung off the horse.
“Kya—”
Tat—
In that instant, I sprang from behind the carriage and reached out my arms.
THUP—
I lightly caught her body in my arms.
A princess carry.
When I gently set her down, Han Ji-won pulled the hood of her robe down low, her face flushed red.
“Th-thank you….”
Seeing that, Kim Hyeong-taek snorted.
“For a nobody, he’s quick on his feet. He’ll be great at running away.”
It wasn’t even worth a reply.
That was when it happened.
Rustle— Rustle—
Heavy, low breathing spread among the bushes.
Soon, bandits wearing worn leather armor revealed themselves out of the darkness.
They slowly began to approach, radiating killing intent.
“Here they come! You, small fry, stay back!”
Kim Hyeong-taek shouted as if snarling.
The bandits burst out all at once, parting the bushes on the left.
Worn leather armor, rusted weapons.
Going by appearance alone, they were just bandits, but something was off.
‘What’s with those guys? Their eyeballs are totally gone.’
Their pupils were unfocused, and their lips were bone-dry.
They were like dolls whose souls had left them.
The two beside me didn’t seem to notice the difference.
“Raaaaah!!”
Kim Hyeong-taek raised his axe high with a loud shout.
He chopped down onto the shoulder of the bandit charging in front, bringing him down, then blocked the blade that came in next with his shield.
His movements were accurate but slow.
‘He invested in Strength and Vitality and threw Agility away entirely. At that rate, he won’t even make it to the 20th floor.’
WHOOOOSH—
From behind, Han Ji-won began creating and firing magic arrows.
She cleanly pierced the enemies Kim Hyeong-taek missed or those that slipped into the blind spot of his shield.
‘Her judgment isn’t bad, but she lacks experience.’
Rustle—
The forest behind us shook subtly.
The killing intent was aimed at Han Ji-won.
Taking out the mage first was an obvious tactic.
Her detection magic had cut off because she was focused on attacking.
The two of them had no way of knowing.
‘Focusing on the fight is good, but you always have to be ready for an ambush.’
A shadow leapt out.
Just before the tip of its blade could dig into the nape of Han Ji-won’s neck, my feet moved first.
CLACK—
I grabbed the blade barehanded and twisted it with all my strength.
CLANG—!
With the sound of the blade snapping, metal shards fell away onto the ground.
THWACK—!
With one short punch, the bandit was sent crashing straight into the bushes.
When I returned to my position, Kim Hyeong-taek was still swinging his axe and shield, and Han Ji-won was firing magic arrows one after another.
‘What? They didn’t notice? The ambush aside, the sound of the sword breaking should have been pretty loud.’
Watch out for ambushes.
I had deliberately broken the sword loudly to put them on alert.
‘At this point, it’s like they’re fighting with their five senses shut off—’
Flinch—
In that instant, goosebumps rose all over my body.
Bandits with unfocused pupils.
The two of them, focused solely on fighting and not reacting to anything else.
‘Sense Dulling magic?’
A type of debuff that dulled specific senses.
Those two were clearly under its effect.
“Tch! I had my mana sealed off, so I was late to notice.”
Shaaa—
I released the mana I had sealed off.
But those two didn’t notice even this.
“They’ve got it bad. If a mage can’t even sense mana.”
Step— Step—
I strode over to Kim Hyeong-taek.
Without even noticing my approach, he was swinging his axe like a madman, targeting only the bandit in front of him.
SMACK—!
My palm struck him hard across the cheek.
In that instant, Kim Hyeong-taek’s pupils regained their focus, and he stared blankly at me.
Then, after grasping the situation.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?! You want to go at it?!”
GRAB—
Breathing roughly, he grabbed me by the collar.
But without so much as flinching, I grabbed his shoulder with one hand.
Swish—
As I slowly applied strength, his hand instinctively fell away from my collar, and soon his knee slammed into the ground.
“Ugh!”
THUD—!
His face contorted, as if he were short of breath, crushed under my grip.
“What the hell….”
It seemed the Sense Dulling had worn off.
I let go of his shoulder.
“Please continue transporting the carriage with the mage. I will clean up here and rejoin you.”
“What the hell are you suddenly talking ab—”
Shaaa—
Transix was in my hand.
No other words were needed.
WHIP—
The moment the spear’s tip swung once, every bandit in sight was cut in two, their blood spraying into the air.
SPLAT—
Flesh and weapons lay jumbled together, strewn across the dirt road.
Kim Hyeong-taek froze on the spot, unable to say a word.
“Mr. Kim Hyeong-taek. Listen while I’m still asking nicely.”
Kim Hyeong-taek still wore a look of incomprehension.
But he must know too.
Overwhelming strength.
The strong one wasn’t him.
Then what about the mission’s difficulty?
Unpredictable.
“Damn it! You’d better explain everything later!”
He spat out those last words, quickly hoisted Han Ji-won over his shoulder, and climbed onto the horse.
“Wai—, what are you doing?!”
“Stay still! That bastard’s dangerous!”
Step— Step—
I made my way into the forest from which the bandits had poured out.
In the direction of the left path from the starting point.
A route notorious for being far more dangerous than the center path.
‘Last run, it was a bandit chief around level 20… but it won’t be that simple this time.’
This wasn’t supposed to be a mission of this level.
But it seemed that because of me, the difficulty had spiked, and a monster that should never appear on the 4th floor had shown up.
“Judging by the state of those bandits, it looked like they’d had their very souls sucked out and were being controlled. And it even knew how to cast a Sense Dulling debuff…, so why are you showing up here?”
When I reached a fork in the path, a figure revealed itself.
It looked to be about 3m tall.
Its form was humanoid, but that thing could change its shape at will.
“Did you absorb the bandits and become human-like?”
A thing that absorbs evil souls and turns them into puppets.
“Long time no see. Soul Binder.”