I Raided the Demon’s Treasury

Chapter 71

“This is no joke.”

The sight of the nest from the seafloor was truly astounding.

Cliffs rose high on all sides, resembling an impenetrable fortress. In the center, a long and slender pillar stood alone, supporting the ceiling.

Slender in comparison to the cliffs, but still several times thicker than the Sea Drake, Drakan, Se-woon had fought at the cliff.

Hundreds of monsters that had guarded the fifth chapter of the tutorial were huddled beneath it.

More than half of them were in poor condition, groaning and licking each other’s wounds.

‘Doesn’t seem related to Leviathan.’

Hiding between the cliffs, Se-woon activated the Eye of the Imperial Eagle, scanning the nest thoroughly, but he couldn’t find what he was looking for.

It truly was just a nest for monsters.

Disappointing, but he would need to find another clue about Leviathan elsewhere.

‘But I can’t just ignore this place and move on.’

A hidden dungeon.

Even though his rank for merit points was already secured, conquering a hidden dungeon would still reward him appropriately.

Of course, it was impossible for Se-woon to single-handedly deal with such a large number of monsters and clear the dungeon perfectly.

Although many monsters were injured, as underwater creatures, their combat effectiveness would be more than double compared to fighting outside of water.

However,

‘There’s no need to adhere to conventional methods.’

Before his regression, as an adventurer who explored numerous dungeons while avoiding combat as much as possible, Se-woon was not the type to rely on conventional methods.

In fact, he was the type to make extensive use of methods that might be deemed ‘unfair,’ such as bombs or traps.

Se-woon before regression wasn’t particularly strong in combat.

Facing monsters head-on in this tutorial was mainly to utilize his powers and grow stronger.

Given his experience, Se-woon knew exactly how to clear the Hidden Dungeon, the Breeding Grounds of the Deep Sea, the moment he laid eyes on it.

Swish.

Se-woon retrieved the longbow he had strapped to his back.

Gripping the bow firmly, he heard a creak, indicating the bow’s durability was wearing thin.

‘Well, even though I haven’t used it directly, I did experience the recoil from Ruin’s spear, infamous as the Bloodthirsty Spear.’

If it hadn’t been a castle lord’s weapon, a regular bow would have likely snapped long ago.

Or perhaps, it might have broken even before firing an arrow, unable to withstand Ruin’s power.

– Through internal energy, the ‘Grad Empire Archery Technique’, is enhanced.

– The elasticity and durability of the ‘Great Hunter’ have temporarily increased significantly.

Just like last time, he infused internal energy to enhance the bow’s durability. It was a bit precarious, but it should hold for at least one shot.

Next, Se-woon pulled out a long rod.

Also stolen from a castle lord’s warehouse during the fourth chapter, it was a heavy but sturdy and flexible weapon.

However, its thickness made it cumbersome to use, so he had set it aside.

As someone proficient in pole weapon techniques, Se-woon was confident in his ability to wield it better than anyone else, but he had no intention of jumping into the fray now.

Creaaak—

He drew the bowstring and placed the rod in the center.

Unlike the last time when he had used a spear, the rod was significantly longer and thicker, making it challenging to fit properly on the bow.

Therefore, Se-woon immediately used one of the treasures he had in mind.

– Opened the Treasury of Greed.

[ Ruyi Jingu Bang, Scale of the Sea ]

– This staff, once wielded by the Great Sage Sun Wukong, can stretch and shrink according to the wielder’s wishes. Originally, it was created to measure the depth of the sea rather than serve as a weapon.

“Shrink.”

Swish.

The staff, which had been 2 meters long and as thick as a fist, shrank.

Both its length and thickness adjusted perfectly to Se-woon’s needs, becoming the ideal size for an arrow suited to the bow.

Creak!

Drawing the bowstring firmly to his lips, the longbow strained, exerting its final presence.

The target was the dungeon’s central pillar supporting the ceiling.

Fixing his aim with the Eye of the Imperial Eagle and accurately targeting with the Grad Empire’s archery technique, Se-woon released his grip.

Whoosh!

The Ruyi Jingu Bang, now in arrow form, cut through the water.

Whether due to the immense power or the nature of water, the arrow flew in a straight line rather than the typical arc of an arrow through the air.

Despite the fierce currents between the cliffs and the pillar that resisted intruders, the Ruyi Jingu Bang easily ignored them.

Shortly thereafter…

Thud.

The Ruyi Jingu Bang embedded itself with precision into the pillar, with not a millimeter of deviation.

It was so deeply lodged that the handle was nearly invisible.

However, the pillar stood firm, as if such an attack was but a minor inconvenience.

At that moment, Se-woon smiled with satisfaction, releasing the broken bowstring from his grip.

Then he murmured to the still-responsive Ruyi Jingu Bang.

“Grow. Ruyi Jingu Bang.”

* * *

“Lord Shax, we’re almost there.”

“And the monsters?”

“They have all returned and are resting in the nest.”

“Good. If about half of them have survived, we need to ensure we kill at least enough to prevent future problems.”

Handling all the monsters was too troublesome. The monsters needed to multiply again over the year to guard the final chapter of the next tutorial.

This was the condition under which Shax and their kind could reside in this region outside the tower.

It was part of the contract made with the tower’s administrators.

“They’re in sight.”

“I’ll prepare for combat.”

“This will be tougher than any battle so far. I plan to borrow his power, so prepare thoroughly.”

“Borrowing his power… Are you sure it’s alright?”

“It’s better than having our soldiers get hurt.”

Shax gripped the spear tightly in his hand.

With a large-scale battle imminent, the thought of Se-woon had completely slipped from his mind.

The current grew increasingly turbulent, revealing the nest of the monsters.

A vast cliff covered with a mushroom-shaped ceiling.

The eerie cries of monsters, carried by the current, seemed to confirm their return.

“Everyone, prepare for battle!”

“Prepare for battle!”

The mermen following Shax completed their weapon checks and gripped their spears and shields tightly.

Even without explicit orders, everyone sensed it—this battle would be different from the annual ‘cleansing’ operations they had conducted.

Before long, an immense number of monsters would pour out of the breeding grounds.

As they tensely watched the breeding grounds—

Rumble!!

“What’s happening?”

Something unusual occurred at the breeding grounds.

The ground trembled violently as if struck by an earthquake, causing the currents to stir wildly.

“Lord Shax! The ceiling of the breeding grounds!”

Crash!

The mushroom-shaped pillar—no, the coral hardened over millennia to be tougher than steel—was cracking apart.

The intensified currents accelerated the collapse of the coral, and the debris began to fall into the breeding grounds below, enclosed by the cliffs.

“Shaaa!”

“Grrraa…”

Compared to the surface, the falling debris wasn’t particularly fast.

However, the coral was so enormous and the area was enclosed by cliffs, leaving little room for the monsters to avoid the falling wreckage.

A natural fortress was turning into a tomb of entrapment.

“Why is the coral in the breeding grounds suddenly…?”

“Lord Shax, look at that…!”

Amidst the swirling debris and dust in the breeding grounds, something emerged. A pillar with golden inscriptions on its end.

Whatever its origin, it was likely the cause of the coral’s destruction.

As everyone was momentarily stunned by this shocking event, Shax was the first to regain his composure and urgently directed his soldiers.

“Get a grip! Advance immediately!”

“Understood! Kill any fleeing creatures on sight!”

“Kill them all!”

“That’s not the issue right now!”

“If the broken coral can’t be dealt with right away…”

“The Queen!”

“…Ah!”

“Even if every monster dies, the Queen must be kept alive! Otherwise…”

Shax’s expression turned graver than ever. This was no trivial matter.

It couldn’t happen, but if the Queen in the breeding grounds were to die…

‘We must prevent it!’

The contract with the tower would be broken, and their nest would be lost.

Swish!

Urgently, Shax left his soldiers and moved quickly toward the breeding grounds.

* * *

The terror unleashed with the Ruyi Jingu Bang.

Its power was extraordinarily effective.

Per Se-woon’s command, the Ruyi Jingu Bang grew large enough to pierce through the ceiling of the breeding grounds, causing it to shatter and collapse.

Swish—

The Ruyi Jingu Bang, which had briefly showcased its golden patterns as it pierced the ceiling, quickly vanished.

The longbow used to shoot the rod broke in the process, meaning two weapons were destroyed with this single attack.

Still, Se-woon felt no regret.

‘Even a C-rank item can unleash tremendous power depending on how it’s used.’

Could Se-woon have destroyed that pillar by wielding the rod directly?

The answer was no.

No matter how fast Se-woon had grown, enduring such power was impossible.

By using the bow to shoot the Ruyi Jingu Bang into the pillar and then activating it, he was able to employ a creative strategy to bring down the pillar.

– You have designated the entire ‘Breeding Grounds of the Deep Sea’ with the Power of Gluttony.

– The Fangs of Gluttony descend upon the monsters!

Naturally, even the monsters crushed by the collapsing coral were counted as Se-woon’s kills.

With hundreds of prey simultaneously being absorbed, Beelzebub sent continuous messages of satisfaction.

Though most of the monsters slain were similar to those he had encountered on land and thus didn’t significantly boost his stats…

– A substantial amount of internal energy and mana is being absorbed.

At this rate, he wouldn’t be far from filling a full cycle of internal energy and reaching three circles of mana.

‘That aside…’

To conquer a dungeon requires defeating the boss monster.

While the monsters were busy avoiding the falling debris, Se-woon needed to locate the boss monster.

Observing calmly from above the cliff, Se-woon noticed a few monsters steadfastly holding their ground amidst the collapsing debris.

Thud, thud!

A large monster with a thick exoskeleton used its body to shield itself from the debris.

Another monster, resembling a sea serpent, whipped its tail, deflecting the falling rubble.

Despite being crushed or having their tails broken, these monsters never abandoned their positions.

Watching this, Se-woon’s instincts—honed during his pre-regression days as a notable adventurer—guided him where the lost ‘Guidepost of the Journey’ could not.

‘It’s there.’

Swish!

Leaving a trail of white foam, Se-woon swiftly advanced toward his target.