Doom Breaker – The Egoist

Jagun stepped into the dungeon’s interior. The damp dungeon air hit his nostrils.

‘This is it.’

The scent of the dungeon felt more familiar than the outside air. Jagun grinned. He looked at the raid members walking ahead.

“Hm?”

The raid leader at the front felt an itch at the back of his neck. He glanced behind briefly. Only the two porters were walking a bit farther back. An inexplicable anxiety filled him.

‘It’s just an E-rank dungeon. No need to worry.’

The raid leader reassured himself. Entering a dungeon always made him nervous. Death in a dungeon meant real death. He had lost and replaced over ten comrades so far. To survive, he needed to get stronger.

‘Big Bo, Shin Jagun. Shin Jagun? That name sounds familiar from somewhere…’

The name wasn’t unfamiliar. Where had he heard it before?

Just as he was about to remember—

“Kiyaaa!”

Monsters appeared. The raid leader threw the thought aside and shouted.

“Prepare for battle!”

The raid members moved swiftly.

“You idiot! That’s too hot! Throw it better!”

“Then duck your head!”

“Damn it, you…”

“Look ahead! They’re coming!”

The battle was chaotic. As a porter, Jagun watched from a distance.

‘Typical of a lower-tier raid team.’

They were a disorganized rabble with mismatched coordination and vague commands.

‘With that level of skill, they won’t advance past C-rank even if they level up.’

Jagun had an exceptional eye for talent. The Seven Dragons of Ragnarf were all talents he had scouted and nurtured.

‘True talent stands out even in lower-tier dungeons. Attributes and skills are merely tools. The real importance lies in the person wielding them.’

The raid team appeared inept in Jagun’s eyes. The battle finally ended. They had wiped out a group of monsters lurking in the corridor. There were no fatalities, but many were injured. The raid team sat down to rest.

Rummage.

Jagun and Big Bo gathered the fallen items. It was the porters’ job.

“Hey! Cigarette.”

The raid leader called to Jagun. Jagun pulled out a cigarette and lighter from his inside pocket. He placed the cigarette between the raid leader’s lips and lit it.

Click.

“Move quickly, you punks. Enjoy watching us fight?”

Whack!

The raid leader smacked the back of Jagun’s head. It was an unreasonable venting of anger.

“Son of a…”

Jagun swallowed the words that rose to his lips. The raid leader glared at him with cold eyes. Even the resting raid members turned their gazes toward him.

“Son of a…? What did you say?”

The raid leader looked ready to draw his sword immediately. Jagun forced a smile, lifting his head.

“… I meant I’ll work like a dog. We’re grateful just to be included.”

The public image of Violent Dragon Shin Jagun is that of someone with no patience, arrogance, and anger management issues. Some of this is true, some of it isn’t. Shin Jagun knows how to fight like the weak.

He knows how to endure and sharpen his internal blade. He had no need for patience because he had rarely needed to endure anything. No one without patience or a reckless raider reaches the top.

Click.

Jagun lit the raid leader’s cigarette. The raid leader smoked leisurely, taking a prolonged break. The raid team continued deeper into the dungeon.

Jagun checked his level. A status window appeared in his retina.

‘My level is 10.’

Jagun managed to level up simply by assisting as a porter. On the other hand, Big Bo was stuck at level 20. He couldn’t progress further without direct combat experience.

‘By the time we reach the bottom, my level might just reach 11.’

Jagun pondered.

“Hahaha! This shield is amazing!”

The raid leader shouted during the battle. Two ogres appeared in succession. The raid leader lifted the Mimic’s Tooth Shield.

Phew!

The raid leader blocked the ogre’s attack with the shield. Teeth from the mimic flew out and hit the ogre. The teeth on the shield continuously grew back, replenishing themselves.

The Mimic’s Tooth Shield was highly effective against large monsters. Their attack patterns were slow and simple, making them easy to block and hit by the flying teeth. The raid leader practically defeated two ogres on his own.

“Boss, that shield was originally ours…”

Big Bo stomped his feet in frustration. Seeing the raid leader wield the shield filled him with rage.

“Shut up. You lost it because you acted like an idiot.”

Jagun replied coldly. Big Bo flinched and distanced himself from Jagun.

‘I’m disappointed. I didn’t think the boss was that kind of person… I thought he was tough and cool, even if he was harsh…’

Big Bo trudged along at the rear, head lowered.

‘Sucking up to someone like that. How pathetic.’

Big Bo had been captivated by Jagun’s boldness. He was drawn to the spirit and momentum Jagun had shown in the dungeon. Big Bo had secretly admired Jagun. So his disappointment in Jagun’s change was all the greater.

“Good, good. I can’t believe I got this for just one regeneration potion. I’m really lucky. Big Bo, get me a glass of water.”

The raid leader said after finishing the battle. Big Bo stepped forward with a water bottle.

“You shouldn’t say you bought it. You basically stole it.”

Big Bo said. Where had this courage come from?

He had believed that meeting Jagun would change something. But reality stayed the same. He was still a pathetic porter, and no change occurred. Big Bo’s brief complaint was a rebellion against himself and the world.

“What did you just say, you pig?”

“I said you stole it. How can you call that buying it for a regeneration potion?”

The raid leader had been in a good mood up until then. His mood plummeted to the bottom. A steel-gloved fist moved.

Crunch!

Big Bo was punched in the face. He slid to the ground, dropping the water bottle.

“Ugh.”

Blood dripped from Big Bo’s face. The raid leader grabbed Big Bo by the collar. Big Bo’s feet lifted off the ground.

“If you’re a porter, act like one and just run errands. Got it, Big Bo?”

“Ptooey! Feeling guilty because I said you stole it?”

Big Bo spat blood on the ground and gave a faint smile with his swollen lips.

‘I made him angry because of me! I made that guy mad!’

Big Bo felt a strange sense of satisfaction. He had lived passively until now. He always did what others told him to do. His first act of rebellion meant a lot to Big Bo.

“You must really… have a death wish.”

Smack! Smack!

The raid leader stomped on Big Bo. He punched and kicked him multiple times. Big Bo curled up and only groaned. Barely opening his eyes, Big Bo glanced at Jagun.

While Big Bo was being beaten, Jagun was chatting with other raid members.

“Hah, that idiot. I’ve got him tagging along too, but he’s really pathetic. I hope this beating knocks some sense into him.”

Jagun said with a laugh. A raid member looked at Jagun with a blank stare.

“Hah, you’re really a bastard. Still, he’s your comrade.”

“Comrades, my foot. Just because we’re comrades, I should get beaten too? No thanks. I’d rather get hired here as a permanent porter and ditch him altogether.”

The raid member shrugged at Jagun’s shameless words.

“Man, you’re a real piece of work. It’s up to the leader to decide on personnel. Try talking to him after we clear the dungeon. He seems to like you.”

Jagun grinned slyly as he gulped down water. The cool liquid cooled his heated chest.

“Well, if I’m still alive after the clear, that is.”

Jagun turned away and wiped his mouth, muttering to himself. Big Bo’s face was swollen and bruised. If he weren’t an awakener, he would have been killed by such injuries. His limping gait as he followed the raid team evoked pity.

“Hey, Big Bo. Did you finally grow a spine? Acting out doesn’t suit you.”

Jagun tapped Big Bo’s shoulder. Big Bo, his eyes wild, swatted Jagun’s hand away.

“Boss, no, you’re just like the rest of them!”

Jagun halted his raised hand and quietly studied Big Bo.

“You bastard…”

“You insulted me while I was getting beaten! You’re a terrible person!”

Jagun covered his face with his hand, chuckling.

“Can’t I laugh and curse? It’s only natural to find it funny when a pig struggles against the inevitable. Isn’t it comical? Know your place, Big Bo. You’re just a weak porter. Revenge? That’s only possible when you’re stronger than others.”

Jagun sneered. He looked down at Big Bo, laughing derisively.

“I misjudged you. Once this is over, disappear from my sight.”

Their argument grew louder. An annoyed front-line raid member yelled back.

“Hey, you bastards! Shut up! We’re nearing the boss room. Useless jerks keep yapping.”

Jagun shoved Big Bo as he walked forward.

“Sorry, sorry. This pig suddenly decided to take it out on me.”

Jagun distanced himself from Big Bo. Left alone at the rear, Big Bo felt like crying.

‘This is too hard. Why is life so difficult… What did I do wrong…’

Big Bo hated everyone. Even more than the raid members, he despised Jagun.