Levelling Up In An Exclusive Dungeon

Lingering too long could allow him to play tricks with Han-dan, so his judgment was sound in that regard.

If there was a fault, it was in the misunderstanding of his strength and speed, believing he had the upper hand over Kang Jin-hyuk.

The edge of Jo Won-cheol’s hand, swung at nearly supersonic speed, undeniably struck its target.

However, he could not sever his opponent’s neck as he had desired.

Jo Won-cheol’s hand had stopped just a mere millimeter from Kang Jin-hyuk’s throat.

“No way…”

Jo Won-cheol failed to notice the thin aura Kang Jin-hyuk had laid against his neck.

Of course, even if he had realized it, the outcome would have remained unchanged.

Kang Jin-hyuk simply clenched his fist and extended his arm toward the dazed Jo Won-cheol.

Caught off guard, Jo Won-cheol allowed a strike that he usually would avoid with ease.

“Cough!”

The nonchalant punch—akin to a playful jab between friends—created a jarring impact within Jo Won-cheol’s body.

The body of an S-rank Hunter, enhanced by stats that made bullets ineffective, was now succumbing to a single blow from Kang Jin-hyuk, resulting in disorientation.

“Guh…”

Holding his side as he collapsed, Jo Won-cheol struggled to rise.

Kang Jun-tae, witnessing the scene, thought perhaps it was a dream.

“How could someone who hasn’t consumed Han-dan…!”

Kang Jin-hyuk had returned, substantially powered up along with his strange skills that unleashed beams of light.

Such rapid growth was impossible unless born as a mutated vegetable-adult with a monkey’s tail.

Yet, denying the unbelievable scenario unfolding before him did nothing to erase its reality.

“Damn it!”

Having so easily floored Jo Won-cheol, charging head-on would be reckless.

They needed to exploit their advantage of two against one.

Kang Jun-tae picked up his mace and charged at Kang Jin-hyuk to save Jo Won-cheol.

“Smash!”

Shooting a skill that shattered roads, Kang Jun-tae aimed for Kang Jin-hyuk’s head.

Although targeting a vital spot, he hadn’t expected Kang Jin-hyuk to allow the hit to land as is.

His intention was to force Kang Jin-hyuk to retreat, distancing him from Jo Won-cheol.

However, Kang Jin-hyuk did not oblige.

Kang Jin-hyuk swung a baseball bat upward to meet the falling mace.

The bat was enveloped in a brilliant golden aura.

It wasn’t merely a color change from red to gold; the aura’s characteristics had shifted from flickering tendrils around the bat to a well-defined form, as if newly coated.

In that moment, Kang Jun-tae realized the significance of the difference.

“Shit.”

As the mace collided with the bat, it shattered like a sugar sculpture against concrete.

For Kang Jun-tae, the trademark weapon that had wounded countless monsters crumbled in an instant, leaving him flabbergasted.

Kang Jin-hyuk was likewise astonished.

What he anticipated was a gripping exchange of strength; it never crossed his mind Kang Jun-tae’s mace would break so easily.

“Wow.”

Admiring his own strength, Kang Jin-hyuk aimed a kick directly at the center of Kang Jun-tae’s abdomen.

“Ugh!”

Kang Jun-tae shrieked, staggering backward.

Desperately trying to endure, he found it impossible to ignore the crushing pain that overwhelmed him.

Ultimately, he fell to one knee, gasping for breath.

“What the hell is happening?”

It felt as if he were trapped in some nightmare.

It was incomprehensible to be so powerless against none other than Jo Won-cheol, an S-rank Hunter.

Sure, if it were another S-rank Hunter, it could at least be understood.

But being beaten by someone with only a C-rank Hunter license was a reality he desperately wished to deny.

“Why that expression?”

Kang Jin-hyuk faced the contorted visage of Kang Jun-tae.

Although unspoken, his face mirrored a maelstrom of emotions.

“Are you upset that for once you’re the one getting punched after always delivering the blows?”

Kang Jin-hyuk chuckled derisively.

“Don’t act pitiful when it’s you who doused houses in poison gas trying to take lives.”

Kang Jin-hyuk loathed how Kang Jun-tae tried to act victimized during this conflict.

It was him who had suffered a random outburst while simply going about his life, not Kang Jun-tae.

Kang Jin-hyuk had never once forgotten how they had barged in, exploiting their S-rank status to bully the weak.

“Get up. You’re not done yet.”

Kang Jin-hyuk walked towards Kang Jun-tae, baseball bat in hand.

While suffering from pain, Kang Jun-tae rose to his feet, having absorbed the agony.

“What a cocky little brat…”

“Does being strong make you look down on everybody?”

“That sounds more like you, doesn’t it? I just want to smack you dumb.”

Kang Jun-tae wanted to repay the humiliation he’d felt.

The reason for pursuing this chase lay solely there.

If Kang Jun-tae was just a stranger, he would have waited quietly until a resolution unfolded with Jo Won-cheol.

“Surely you didn’t think you could pull off those stunts and get away unscathed?”

Kang Jin-hyuk swung the bat, wearing a bright smile on his face.

Kang Jun-tae watched the scene uninterrupted; he could not move to dodge.

As the bat swung into view, reality dawned just a heartbeat too late.

Kang Jin-hyuk’s bat crashed into Kang Jun-tae’s left forearm, breaking the bone—crunching into dust.

“Ughhh!”

Kang Jun-tae clasped his arm in pain, unleashing a terrible cry.

“First, the left arm.”

From the beginning, Kang Jin-hyuk had no intention of ending things with a single blow.

He aimed to shatter Kang Jun-tae’s limbs one by one so he could feel the powerlessness similar to what Kang Jin-hyuk had experienced.

“Ughhh…”

“Considering I don’t want to prolong this, I suggest you take care of the other one too.”

“Shit, you bastard!”

Kang Jun-tae clenched his teeth, gritting them so fiercely it drew blood.

From the pain swelling in his arm, he reluctantly reached for a potion in his inventory to heal his injuries.

Yet as he grasped the bottle and brought it forth, it shattered before his eyes.

Kang Jin-hyuk had hurled a piece of concrete from the ground, smashing it.

“Hey, didn’t you call me a coward back then for fighting dirty? Have you developed amnesia in the meantime?”

“Damn you!”

Kang Jun-tae had no choice but to draw another mace from his inventory.

The injury in his arm throbbed painfully, and he bit down harshly on his lip until it bled.

“Ahh!”

Casting a buff skill, he temporarily boosted his stats.

Though it wasn’t the right time to dig into a skill with short duration and a long cooldown, there was no option left.

‘Let’s face it. He’s stronger than me right now.’

It was an insane thought.

Yet, acknowledging it was the only way to end his complaining about injustice.

One had to accept the ridiculousness of their situation to win.

‘Huh?’

As Kang Jun-tae contemplated how to tackle Kang Jin-hyuk, he caught sight of Jo Won-cheol slowly repositioning in the background.

Kang Jin-hyuk appeared oblivious, not glancing that way.

When their eyes met, Jo Won-cheol subtly nodded.

‘Right. It’s better to finish him off before dealing with Jo Won-cheol.’

Jo Won-cheol, having lost his Han-dan, and a humiliated Kang Jun-tae had mutually established a temporary alliance of sorts.

‘No matter how strong he has become, he can’t handle both of us at once.’

Both Jo Won-cheol and Kang Jun-tae shared the same thought.

They didn’t require words to decide who would be the first to bait the attack or when the timing would come for a surprise maneuver.

Both veterans from countless battles understood one another without the need for extensive dialogue.

Bringing motivation, Kang Jun-tae sharpened his gaze and began his assault while the buffs in effect lingered.

“Yahhh!”

Kang Jun-tae purposely shouted loudly as he charged in to dull the noise of Jo Won-cheol’s movements.

Kang Jin-hyuk didn’t budge from his position, merely extending his hands to counter Kang Jun-tae’s strike.

At that moment, he swiftly twisted his upper body and evaded Jo Won-cheol’s strike aimed from behind.

Jo Won-cheol, missing his target, unintentionally pierced through Kang Jun-tae’s shoulder.

“Ahhh!”

“Damn it!”

As he abruptly withdrew his hand, it was too late. The wound was deep, and Kang Jun-tae, bleeding profusely, toppled down.

Jo Won-cheol, having grabbed on to Kang Jin-hyuk, had just been lifted by the latter.

“What were you two whispering about?”

Kang Jin-hyuk had already predicted they’d strike in unison.

What a letdown it was to discover that the “great united Front” turned out to be so predictable.

“Let go!?”

Jo Won-cheol aimed for Kang Jin-hyuk’s wrist with his hand, recreated into a sharp blade.

Yet, he merely sliced through empty air.

Withdrawing his hand in advance, Kang Jin-hyuk tightened his fist and threw a punch.

“Gah!”

The fist impacted Jo Won-cheol squarely on his face.

Jo Won-cheol grasped his broken nose, attempting to staunch the flow of blood pouring down.

“How dare you!”

“What? Were you so great just for treating people like fodder?”

People sacrificed to Alraune, including Jo Won-cheol, all held a singular life.

Each carried equal weight despite the life forms’ varying values.

Some lives were precious; others were thrown away without much thought.

Such values weren’t subject to selective judgment.

“Forget about Kang Jun-tae; you’re one who shouldn’t even still be breathing.”

Kang Jin-hyuk tightened his grip on the baseball bat and checked Jo Won-cheol’s karma value.

“‘992’? Just after breaking a four-digit number I suppose.”

“What? What are you rattling on about?!”

“No point in explaining.”

He knew Jo Won-cheol wouldn’t understand it anyway.

Kang Jin-hyuk opted for a full swing filled with weight rather than elaborate explanations.

“Ha! Any simple strike, and I can dodge it blindfolded!”

Jo Won-cheol returned to avoiding the horizontally swinging bat, bending down.

As anticipated, Kang Jin-hyuk’s bat just barely missed his head.

‘Just as I expected.’

While he scoffed at the amateur during the attack, Jo Won-cheol noticed Kang Jin-hyuk’s knee coming too late, knocking his head back.

“!!”

Recognition dawned as he realized the consequences too late.

Jo Won-cheol’s head was crushed upward by Kang Jin-hyuk’s knee.

“Perfect height.”

As Kang Jin-hyuk bent over extensively and swung, the bat crashed into Jo Won-cheol’s skull with an explosive crack, much like a watermelon bursting.

Once the head further detached from his body, Jo Won-cheol collapsed sideways in complete stillness.

“Home run.”