The Boss Monster of the Broken Munitions Factory.
The First-Generation Combat Golem MK-II, commonly shortened to Mark Two, was notorious as one of the most troublesome bosses among dungeons accessible to Hunters of C-Rank or lower.
The reason was that it used firearms.
Not an ordinary assault rifle, either. It wielded a heavy machine gun in each hand, ammunition belts wrapped across its entire upper body, and opened fire the instant Hunters entered the boss room.
Without proper defenses, a Hunter’s body would be riddled like a honeycomb in moments.
So, if one insisted on comparing its difficulty to the Corpse Giant?
‘The Corpse Giant wins by a landslide, of course.’
Zombie Burst had a lower dungeon entry limit, but the Corpse Giant was a Boss Monster placed there with the expectation that no one would kill it.
Mark Two, on the other hand, had to be killed to clear the dungeon.
That was why Mark Two had clear weaknesses.
The first was the time it took to reload its heavy machine guns from the magazine pack hanging behind its back after the opening barrage.
It was an obvious opening and the proper moment to attack.
But it had an even greater weakness.
‘After a total of three barrages, the machine guns and the recoil absorbers mounted on its arms need time to cool.’
In the end, the enemy merely held the right to attack first.
As long as the Hunters endured its fire, the battle would become overwhelmingly favorable to them.
And Joo Do-gyeom’s current Party included Manifestationist Kim Han-yul.
After sweeping aside the meaningless broken tin-can golems, they arrived at the entrance to the boss room.
Joo Do-gyeom spoke.
“Do you have an open slot in your Manifestation Stock?”
“No. Why?”
“Delete one. Something you do not need.”
“Hmm…….”
Kim Han-yul nodded without much hesitation and closed her eyes.
She had filled every slot as a precaution, but there were certainly manifested items she never used in practice.
Kim Han-yul opened her eyes again and spoke.
“I cleared one. What do you need?”
“A large steel shield.”
“To block Mark Two’s opening barrage? Will that be enough?”
“It will.”
As always, Joo Do-gyeom was brimming with confidence, and Kim Han-yul followed his instructions despite her doubts.
It felt strange.
‘Why does it already feel like he’s the team leader and I’m his teammate?’
At least, that was not the case yet.
Even as she thought that, her body still obeyed.
Thus, she created two enormous steel shields.
Joo Do-gyeom placed the great hammer in his Inventory, held one shield in each hand, and spoke.
“I will take the lead. Once the cooling period begins, I will subdue it immediately.”
“Do you need any other help?”
“No.”
After that brief reply, Joo Do-gyeom kicked the boss room door open.
Immediately—
RATATATATAT—!
A storm of bullets poured toward the two of them.
Beforehand, Joo Do-gyeom had already circulated internal energy through the steel shields in both hands and wrapped them with it.
Naturally, it was no ordinary internal-energy reinforcement.
『Skill, Wish-Fulfilling Adamantine Qi (1-Star), acquired.』
Wish-Fulfilling Adamantine Qi.
It was a Qi Transformation martial art that altered the properties of qi, and it had two primary abilities.
A massive increase in durability and the partial alteration of an imbued object’s form.
It was easiest to think of Sun Wukong’s wish-fulfilling staff.
It could become harder, longer, or shorter.
But it could not transform into a completely different shape.
Furthermore, at the 1-Star realm, changing an object’s form could not even be attempted.
Wish-Fulfilling Adamantine Qi needed to reach at least 5-Star to display that degree of power.
Its difficulty of entry and operation were both among the worst.
In terms of the sheer difficulty of learning it, it was even a level above Heaven Formula Qigong and Earth Formula Qigong, two of Joo Do-gyeom’s signature martial arts.
Thus, even by the standards of the future, the number of people who could make use of it after Joo Do-gyeom passed on the knowledge could be counted on one hand.
Of course, Joo Do-gyeom had been the one teaching it.
And as the God of War, maintaining Wish-Fulfilling Adamantine Qi was effortless for him.
Even continuing to advance with the shields raised throughout the second barrage was as easy as eating cold porridge.
To be precise—
If his sole objective had been to kill Mark Two, the battle would have ended during the reload after the first barrage.
Joo Do-gyeom would have replaced one shield with his great hammer, rushed forward, and smashed the mark of death revealed by the Sure-Kill Eye.
Mark Two would have ceased functioning completely.
But he held back.
As he had said, the objective of this dungeon was the dramatic advancement of Kim Han-yul’s Manifestation.
For that purpose, he needed to subdue the Boss Monster rather than kill it.
Thus, Joo Do-gyeom calmly closed the distance little by little.
WHIRRR—! CLACK-CLACK-CLACK—!
The Boss Monster, Mark Two, finished reloading and prepared to unleash its third barrage.
No, the very moment he thought so—
RATATATATATAT—!
The barrage erupted.
Joo Do-gyeom remained completely unmoved and continued doing what he had to do.
Kim Han-yul.
Hidden behind Joo Do-gyeom and the shields, she could only click her tongue in amazement once more.
‘I thought only his attack power was monstrous, but he’s top-class as a tank too?’
An all-purpose melee Hunter capable of both offense and defense.
Such Hunters did exist.
But none of them were truly skilled.
There was a saying that often appeared in Hunter communities.
I’ve never seen a bastard who poked around everywhere instead of digging one well and didn’t end up shitting the bed.
Kim Han-yul strongly agreed with it.
Every Hunter she had met who failed to focus on one specialty had been a complete mess.
Yet Joo Do-gyeom possessed enough attack power to reduce the Corpse Giant to pulp in one blow.
And he also possessed enough defensive power to stand firm against a deluge of bullets with only two shields.
There was not the slightest tremor or agitation in the way he advanced.
Only certainty existed.
Was that why?
Simply watching his back made Kim Han-yul’s heart pound.
It was probably because this was the first time anyone had protected her so thoroughly.
‘Even so…….’
She was certain.
‘This man must be incredibly popular.’
Assuming he could actually get along with people.
The Boss Monster battle was relaxed enough for such idle thoughts.
Then the third barrage suddenly fell silent.
At the same moment—
Joo Do-gyeom hurled one of the shields in his hands.
It happened in an instant.
The shield shot forward like a javelin and partially destroyed the Boss Monster’s left arm, which held one of the heavy machine guns.
No, the martial art Joo Do-gyeom had actually used was a spear-throwing technique.
『Skill, Gale-Flash Spear Throw (1-Star), acquired.』
He had simply used a shield in place of a spear.
The second shield flew through the air.
This time, the Boss Monster’s right arm was partially destroyed.
WHIRRR—!
The Boss Monster’s single eye began blazing red.
Joo Do-gyeom kicked off the floor and shot forward, slicing through the wind.
Before anyone knew it, the great hammer was in his hands, and he knocked the Boss Monster’s head clean off.
Its partially destroyed arms were completely demolished a moment later.
『Skill, Heavenly Strength Axe Art, advanced to 3-Star.』
“Hup……!”
Joo Do-gyeom drew in a deep breath and raised his internal energy.
His great hammer swept in a wide arc from the opposite direction and blasted away Mark Two’s waist.
KABOOM—!
With the explosion, Mark Two’s tracked locomotion unit, linked like the treads of a tank, rolled across the floor several times before slamming into the wall and stopping.
BZZZT—!
Electricity continued spilling from the broken circuits.
Joo Do-gyeom glanced at it from the corner of his eye, then kicked Mark Two’s remaining body and knocked it to the floor.
Having lost both arms and its locomotion unit, the Boss Monster could offer no resistance and merely produced strange noises.
WHIRRR—! WHIRRR—!
Joo Do-gyeom ignored it, placed the great hammer in his Inventory, and turned toward the stunned woman.
“Manifest it, Kim Han-yul.”
“…….”
Unable even to answer, Kim Han-yul swallowed, nodded vigorously, and hurried over.
She crouched directly before the mangled Boss Monster and stared at it.
Joo Do-gyeom spoke.
“Believe. You can do it.”
“……Yeah.”
Kim Han-yul nodded once more.
***
The boss room inside the dungeon.
Had she ever spent such a long time inside one before?
In truth, Kim Han-yul did not even notice the passage of time.
As though bewitched, she examined every part of the mangled Boss Monster, the First-Generation Combat Golem MK-II.
She began with its torso.
Then its head.
Afterward came both arms, the core of its combat functions, and its legs, which served as both its means of movement and its primary anchors.
She was not a roboticist.
Nor was she a mage.
She had merely been a regular employee at an ordinary chemical company before choosing the path of a Hunter and becoming a Manifestationist.
Looking at it did not mean she understood its principles.
She could only imagine that perhaps it operated in one way or another.
As though entranced, Kim Han-yul repeated the process for a long time before abruptly rising to her feet.
Joo Do-gyeom had been right.
‘I really feel like I can do it.’
Manifesting a Boss Monster.
If she succeeded, every aspect of her ability would advance dramatically.
Not only would her practical combat ability increase, but she would also gain a clear vision of the path ahead.
Kim Han-yul swallowed and turned her head in search of Joo Do-gyeom.
Along one wall—
She saw him sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed.
Kim Han-yul let out a disbelieving laugh without realizing it.
“Hah…… You really are completely at ease, aren’t you?”
Joo Do-gyeom replied.
“There is no reason not to be. The battle is already over.”
He then opened his eyes and asked.
“It seems you have gained confidence.”
“Yeah. I’m going to try it right now. So…….”
Kim Han-yul had been about to ask him to watch.
But she closed her mouth.
For some reason, she felt embarrassed.
“Never mind. I’m doing it.”
“Kim Han-yul. Your ears are red.”
“Shut up. I’m starting.”
Kim Han-yul closed her eyes and focused her consciousness.
Her embarrassment quickly vanished.
A clear image of the First-Generation Combat Golem MK-II she had completed began forming in her mind.
Mana gathered before her outstretched palms, collided, and scattered in every direction as though spitting electrical currents.
BZZZZZT—!
It was not as easy as she had expected.
Even though she had strengthened her imagination and believed she could do it.
That was not strange.
‘It’s a Boss Monster, after all.’
Of course manifesting something like that would be difficult.
No, at her current level, it would not be strange if she failed altogether.
‘Merely opening up the possibility…….’
That alone held tremendous value.
Just as Kim Han-yul thought so, a voice reached her.
“Kim Han-yul. Cast aside the weak thought that you can simply do it later.”
What? This bastard—does he think this is as easy as it looks?!
She wanted to shout, but she could not even open her mouth.
She feared that the elusive thread she could almost grasp would disappear the moment she did.
“What you possess has already gone far beyond the level of mere potential. Believe in yourself. You can make anything, and beyond that, you may even reach the realm of creation. You are not someone who should struggle against a mere Boss Monster from a C-Rank dungeon. If you cannot believe in yourself, then fine. I will be proud of you in your place. You are already an extraordinary Hunter, Kim Han-yul.”
Seriously…….
“You’re unbelievably noisy!”
Kim Han-yul shouted and snapped her eyes open.
A glittering radiance poured from her.
Her lips were curved into a broad smile.
Before her, lights of mana flashed one after another and began taking shape.
What had been mere mana light became the armored plating of a machine.
A head formed, its single eye shining with a crimson glow, followed by its body.
Its wheeled lower half was completed as well.
The most important components came last—both arms, the recoil absorbers, the ammunition belts, the magazine pack, and the heavy machine guns.
Immediately, Kim Han-yul received a message.
『Skill, Manifestation, advanced to Level 4.』
『Skill, Manifestation, advanced to Level 5.』
Her Skill had advanced by two levels at once!
It was her first time experiencing such a thing.
She had only heard stories in Hunter communities about top-class Hunters undergoing something like this.
She had never imagined she would experience it herself.
Flustered, Kim Han-yul looked toward Joo Do-gyeom.
But Joo Do-gyeom was not looking at her.
His gaze was fixed on the entrance to the boss room.
Joo Do-gyeom spoke.
“Kim Han-yul.”
“Y-Yeah?”
“They are coming.”
What was?
There was no need to ask.
WHOOOOOM—!
The distinctive operating noise of broken golems reached Kim Han-yul’s ears as well.
She turned her gaze.
The lesser golems scattered throughout the dungeon were converging on the boss room entrance.
It seemed the considerable commotion had drawn a great deal of aggro.
Joo Do-gyeom’s voice reached her.
“You can handle them, can you not?”
Kim Han-yul answered with a confident expression.
“Of course.”
Then she pointed toward the approaching tin-can golems and spoke.
“Mark Two, attack.”
Immediately afterward—
WHIRRR—!
Mark Two’s single eye emitted an alarm tone and blazed red.
RATATATATATAT—!
A barrage erupted toward the front.
The charging broken golems were instantly riddled like honeycombs, their cores destroyed along with the rest of them.
Not a single golem crossed the boss room entrance.
It was an overwhelming degree of firepower Kim Han-yul had never possessed before.
Kim Han-yul’s heart began pounding as though it might burst once again.
Then—
CRACK—!
Something broke.
『Objective complete. Boss Monster defeated: 1/1.』
『Return to Earth? Y/N』
A message rang out.
Joo Do-gyeom had finished off the Boss Monster he had reduced to wreckage.
Her heart still pounding—
Kim Han-yul looked at Joo Do-gyeom with trembling eyes.
Joo Do-gyeom spoke.
“We will discuss the details of the contract after returning to Earth.”
His voice was filled with certainty that she would not refuse.
At times, that manner had struck her as somewhat irritating.
Now, it only looked impressive.
Kim Han-yul nodded and answered.
“Sounds good, Team Leader.”
“I will return.”
The moment he finished speaking, Joo Do-gyeom’s body flashed and vanished.
Kim Han-yul followed after him.
“Return.”
Her entire body was still trembling with exhilaration.