by Park Saenal
‘There is something mysterious…’
Was it because they were both Asians? Grid compared Sua to Yura, not Jishuka and Irene. Due to her overwhelming beauty, Yura made the surrounding scenery black and white. If she was a blooming flower, Sua was the moonlight. She gave off a cool feeling that made him feel a strange lust. Was it the curves of her white neck?
He couldn’t deny it, but there was something irritating him. There was a sense of disturbance despite her elegance.
‘Maybe…’
Grid realized something. Sua was a similar age to Grid. She was more mature than Yura, who was a few years younger.
‘Won’t Yura change once she matures over the next few years?’
Although her chest was unknown.
‘It will be sad if she gets medical help.’
Grid was interrupted while thinking useless thoughts.
“Is the expedition prepared?”
“Yes, we do this every day.”
“I was told by Captain Horang that the speed that the monsters are expanding their area is becoming faster… I am very worried about how long the Red Phoenix Group can endure.”
“We all know that it’s over for Pangea if we fall. Don’t worry. We’re managing the schedule and taking care of our physical state.”
Han Seokbong and Sua were talking about a heavy matter. Based on the contents of the conversation, the monsters in the dungeon were constantly expanding their area and becoming a threat to Pangea.
‘They can’t ask for help because of the monster community in the north.’
Then he had a question.
‘What are the yangbans doing?’
They were people were powers that he estimated to be equivalent to legends. In addition, the Hwan Kingdom they belonged to were affiliated with the Cho Kingdom. It was said that Pangea’s Red Phoenix Bow was given to them by the Hwan Kingdom. Based on this, it was interpreted that the yangbans of the Hwan Kingdom would help out Pangea.
‘It would be easy for the yangbans to solve the monster community in the north or the problem of the castle’s dungeon.’
Then why did the yangbans leave Pangea alone?
‘Well, it’s good for me.’
He could obtain this excellent hunting ground. A huge grin emerged on Grid’s face. He avoided Sua’s eyes. It was because his face would redden whenever he met her eyes. After the disappointment of his first love, Grid became very conscious of the opposite sex.
“Hmm hmm, I want to enter the castle’s dungeon.”
Rather than Han Seokbong, Sua was the one who responded to Grid’s words.
“Can I ask why you would like to enter the castle’s dungeon?”
Sua gave an oddly bewitching smile. Grid blushed the moment he met her eyes and tried to calmly reply.
“I want to get the silver thread.”
“Do you know how to obtain the silver thread? Oh, I was impolite. I’m Han Sua, and I’m the captain of the Red Phoenix Group that is in charge of the dungeon exploration. Please forgive me for the late introduction.”
Sua bowed slightly and reached out to shake Grid’s hand. But Grid couldn’t hold her hand. His ears were red and he avoided looking at her. At this moment, Sua’s black eyes shone strangely.
‘This man…’
It was obvious that he was someone who didn’t have experience with women. Sua thought he was funny. But that was it. She had no private interest.
“I’ve already heard that you have succeeded in restoring the Red Phoenix Bow. Congratulations. I represent the people of Pangea and will pay back this grace. For example, giving you the silver thread as a gift.”
“…!”
Grid’s eyes shone as he heard he would be given the silver thread as a gift. It was a gift with tremendous value. But the two men had made up their minds.
“No, I will get the silver thread directly.”
Grid wanted to experience a new dungeon that would give him experience and raise his level. In addition, he wanted to help White get revenge for his father’s death by killing the armored needles. The two men were burning with fighting spirit.
“The only way to get the silver thread is to hunt down the armored needles. But the armored needles are very strong. There are countless people who have lost their lives to this monster. One of them was Dawhite.”
“…”
“It is impossible for you to hunt an armored needle when you aren’t a warrior. It’s dangerous even if you go with our expedition. Unfortunately, I can’t allow you access to the dungeon.”
“Didn’t the lord say I can enter if I resist one attack from the gatekeeper?”
Sua’s expression changed at Grid’s words.
“The gatekeeper isn’t an ordinary person, but a member of the Ung clan. He hasn’t learned martial arts, but his natural abilities surpass the imagination. Do you think you can endure the attack of the gatekeeper that is as powerful as the armored needle? Don’t hurt yourself and give up.”
‘Ung clan?’
The gatekeeper standing by the well. He was over 2 meters tall and had a large belly. However, he wasn’t obese. It was just that his species was larger than others.
‘Let’s do it.’
Grid shrugged.
“Don’t worry. I can withstand it.”
Grid tried to be as calm as possible. However, he was still uncomfortable and couldn’t meet Sua’s eyes. He was extremely conscious of Sua.
Sua scoffed at Grid. ‘The pride of an immature man is useless.’
This futile pride could drive a person to their limits.
‘He can’t imagine it.’
Han Seokbong sighed and whispered to Sua.
“This is Pangea’s savior. Can’t you do it this once since your father is asking?”
“I am refusing because he’s our savior. What if his body gets hurt?”
“But look at the armor that he’s wearing. Doesn’t it seem durable? He might not be able to use the armor properly, but at least survival is guaranteed. In addition, tell Ung to use only 30% of his power.”
“…”
Certainly, the armor looked really durable. It was armor made by stacking many iron plates sculpted to look like dragon scales. It was a beautiful masterpiece.
“10% is enough. Otherwise he might be unconscious for a few days.”
“Yes, you thought well. We will let him know not to be too greedy.”
Nod.
Sua led Grid and White towards the gatekeeper. Gatekeeper Ung. He didn’t care about the lord coming with precious guests. He was yawning while looking at the distant mountain.
“What?”
Sua whispered to Ung, who was scratching his head and looking confused.
“Hit one of them. Use 10% of your strength.”
“I understand.”
Ung snorted like a bull and moved his huge arms. At that moment.
“Prepare to move them to the infirmary.”
Sua commanded the members of the Red Phoenix Group.
Peeeeeong!
Ung’s fist slammed into Grid’s belly. There was a sound wave as the sound of something hitting metal was heard.
“This…!”
Sua was stunned. Ung seemed to have used at least 50% of his strength.
“No!”
Han Seokbong paled. The person who restored the Red Phoenix Bow was going to be killed in front of him because he made a mistake.
“What’s the fuss?”
It happened when the Red Phoenix members were making troubled expressions.
Shake shake.
The fist stuck in Grid’s belly started shaking.
“…Huh?”
Han Seokbong, Sua, and the Red Phoenix members were shocked.
‘Why…’
‘Ung is making a pained expression?’
That’s right. The big face of Ung was distorting. It turned red and sweat dripped down. On the other hand, Grid was fine. His expression was calm.
‘This is imposs
ible!’
‘This can’t be.’
Han Seokbong and Sua were amazed. They were expecting his intestines to be ruptured and his bones smashed, but Grid was fine? How solid was his armor? Someone muttered while Han Seokbong and Sua were speechless.
“If he has this much defense, he will be able to save his life when attacked by an armored needle.”
Grid was permitted access to the castle’s dungeon. But Grid looked troubled. Why?
[You have suffered severe damage.]
[Triple Layers has reduced the physical damage by 30%.]
[You have suffered 2,303 damage.]
Ung’s swinging fist was judged not to be a cut or a stab. It was considerable damage when taking into account that Triple Layers’ 50% damage reduction wasn’t activated. But this was only 10% of Ung’s power. The attack of the armored needle would be several times more painful.
‘Armored needle… They are much stronger than I expected.’
They seemed more like boss monsters than ordinary monsters. If they appeared in large quantities, he would have to stop their attacks as much as possible.
‘It’s hard to operate the God Hands in the narrow dungeon.’
This was a battlefield where extreme control was needed. Grid became tense. But White was even more nervous. He was extremely shocked when he saw the wound on the man’s hand that struck Grid.
“That… I’ll give up today.”
White thought that he could pay back his father’s enemies in another way. He was a wise man.
Chapter 538
Chapter 538
“It’s a good idea.”
Based on Ung’s fist, the monsters were a lot more powerful than Grid expected. He had no confidence that White could survive. White’s declaration that he would step down was very much in line with Grid’s thoughts.
‘At least he isn’t a disruptive character.’
White was a middle-aged black man. Grid seriously liked him. He was looking at White with satisfaction when Sua approached.
“It’s great that you are fine after being hit by Ung. Did you make this armor yourself?”
Grid was able to withstand the attack for a reason. It was thanks to his stamina stat, not just Triple Layers. Grid had a huge 1,500 points in stamina. Grid’s minimum defense was equivalent to tankers in the mid-200s. But Sua wasn’t aware of this fact.
From a common sense perspective, it was impossible for Grid to have high stamina when he was a blacksmith. Sua thought that Grid’s high defense was only due to his armor.
“I made the armor.”
Chwaruruk!
Grid puffed up his chest, highlighting the beautiful appearance of Triple Layers even further. The hundreds of black scales shone as they moved with Grid’s body, showing a superb art form created by a craftsman.
“Okay. I won’t stop you any longer. You’re someone who can access the dungeon. However, if you want to preserve your body, be prepared to act according to our instructions.”
“Yes.”
Grid didn’t pay much attention to the instructions. Sua had been consistently polite from the beginning and her intentions were purely for Grid’s sake. There was no reason for Grid to think badly of Sua.
‘Well, I’ll end up doing what I want anyway.’
Sua and the Red Phoenix members might be the elite troops, but they would have to concentrate on the armored needles instead of Grid after entering the dungeon. They wouldn’t have the capacity to control Grid.
‘Still, I won’t cross the line.’
Considering the background of the East Continent and the strength of the armored needles, the skills of the Red Phoenix Group were probably above the Red Knights that he had met. It wasn’t unusual for them to be fourth advancement classes and to be stronger than Grid. They weren’t good people to become enemies with.
‘It would be fun to observe them one by one with the Great Lord’s Sword. I will take any talented people to Reidan.’
As Grid was feeling greedy, the Red Phoenix team finished their preparations and started to enter the well one by one. They fell down the deep well without any hesitation.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Sua and Grid were left at the end.
“Please be careful.”
Sua was worried about Grid getting hurt. Her actions of trying to protect Grid made him smile.
‘Her sense of responsibility is unbelievably strong.’
He had a good feeling. It wasn’t just because her touch on his arm was tender.
***
[You have entered the dungeon of Pangea’s castle.]
[The inner wall of the dungeon sucks out light. Using light tools or magic is meaningless.]
[Your field of view has narrowed.]
[This is a physical phenomenon. It can’t be resisted.]
[You can only see within 5 meters of you.]
‘It’s worse than the vampire’s dungeon.’
A darkness without any light. It was a darkness that seemed hard to adapt to, no matter how much time passed. Grid felt the need to estimate the size and shape of the dungeon. His fingers reached out to touch the wall and ended up stroking someone’s skin.
At that moment.
“Haaack!”
A Red Phoenix member groaned as he was touched by Grid. The bearded man in his 40’s flushed and made a strange sound. It wasn’t good to see. His legs trembled and weakened.
“Hey Ryu! I know that you have a lot of energy, but there is a time and a place!”
“Doing something so wretched on the battlefield…”
“At a time like this, when we’re with Captain Sua…”
The Red Phoenix members seriously misunderstood.
Stagger.
Ryu felt chagrin as his body barely recovered.
“I was just walking along! I didn’t do what you imagined!”
“Making that sound just by walking?”
“No, something suddenly caressed my wrist!”
“…”
Feeling like that just from his wrist being touched? Sua smiled at Ryu’s absurd plea.
“Your body is very sensitive.”
Ryu was ashamed and couldn’t raise his head, while Sua looked at him with interest. Grid thought it was like a cat with fish placed in front of it.
‘That pervert.’
Sua probably wasn’t to his taste after all.
‘The mild Irene turns into a beast in the…’
How much wilder would it be with Sua?
‘I should watch my hands.’
Since he could only do it once a month, Grid hid his hands behind his back and gulped.
Flash!
Grid’s higher insight caught something shining in the darkness before anyone else.
‘Thread?’
The dungeon passage allowed five heavily armed soldiers to walk side by side. The thread spread out like spiderwebs on one of the paths suddenly shone.
‘It can’t be… Is that silver thread?’
The moment Grid felt astonished.
“An armored needle!”
The Red Phoenix Group discovered it one step later than Grid and prepared for battle. They pulled the bow and aimed at all the other passages apart from the one blocked by the silver thread.
Step, step.
The bows aimed at the passage that footsteps were coming from.
“It’s coming!”
Pik!
Pipipipipit!
The Red Phoenix members attacked in unison. It was quick and accurate archery.
Puk!
Puuoooook!
“Kuwaaaah!”
A scream rang out from the dark passage. It was proof that the arrows of the Red Phoenix members had hit their target.
“Isn’t it great?”
Measuring the position of an invisible target using sound and shooting the arrow accurately.
‘What is their Bow Mastery level?’
Grid admired it while Sua handed
him a yellow talisman.
“During the battle, I can’t pay attention to your safety. Please have this talisman.”
[The Protection Talisman has been acquired.]
[It can invalidate an enemy attack when carried. This effect can only be used once.]
[After defeating an enemy’s attack, your defense will increase by 20% for two minutes.]
[The item will disappear after the effect ends.]
‘A one time invincible buff item?’
It was unfortunate that it would be destroyed, but it had a great effect. In particular, it would be godly in PvP or raids. It would sell for a huge price if it could be traded between players.
‘The Red Phoenix Group is giving me such a valuable item…’
Grid felt a great appreciation towards Sua. But he was soon disappointed.
‘It’s an untradable item?’
He couldn’t even move it to his pet inventory. His plan to keep it and sell it later was useless.
‘Maybe it will be consumed in this dungeon.’
Grid clicked his tongue with regret.
“Kuwaaah!”
Four armored needles with arrows piercing their bodies finally showed up. They were zombies wearing bamboo hats. Their silver armor was melting down, embedding in the rotten blood vessels of the zombies. Based on this, Grid deduced one fact.
‘The blood of the armored needles are hot enough to melt silver.’
It was a good idea to avoid their blood when attacking the armored needles.
‘I have to rely on the God Hands for this part.’
Chaaeng!
Chaeeeeeng!
The Red Phoenix members started to deal with the five armored needles. They actively used swordsmanship, which was even better than the archery skills they showed before. But the armored needles were undead monsters. They couldn’t feel pain and weren’t afraid of wounds. They fought fiercely despite being stabbed by the Red Phoenix members’ swords.
Peeeeeong!
The swordsmanship of the armored needles combined power and speed. They were so fast and powerful that the Red Phoenix members couldn’t avoid the blows. They had to defend, forcing them to take a few steps back every time. Some of them fell down.
‘But.’
In Grid’s eyes, the armored needles weren’t a match for the Red Phoenix members.
The Red Phoenix members were really proficient in battle and had high stats. There was surprisingly no fourth advancement class, but the armored needles were thoroughly marked due to the number superiority. It seemed impossible for the armored needles to hurt the group.