NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7
The monk valued self-belief over faith, embodying meditation imbued with conviction, and virtue through discipline.
What happens when this mindset, thicker than a great tree and tougher than iron wire, is combined with martial arts?
You become a living testament that one can transcend human limits without weapons.
The physically honed bodies of these monks could be called the pinnacle of martial arts, and Balmunk was their elder.
One’s physical strength directly correlates to the strength of their will.
No one could break the mind and body of Elder Balmunk, or so the world claimed.
Balmunk was both an elder and a warrior of faith.
He was one of the four heroes who contributed to the conquest of The Seven Lairs and the dark shadows of Ban-Go.
When all the citizens of the empire raised a toast to celebrate the conquest, Balmunk, unfazed, returned to his roots, immersing himself in training.
On a pilgrimage of sorts, Balmunk spent a night in a certain village.
The entire village buzzed with excitement at the hero’s visit, but he declined their enthusiastic hospitality.
The villagers, initially anxious, soon relaxed and enjoyed their time, charmed by his hearty demeanor.
“If it’s the hero, can’t you smash a Death Knight’s skull like cheese?”
“What are you saying! How dare you disrespect the hero?”
“Well, it’s true, isn’t it? He’s one of the four heroes!”
Why did the talk of the Death Knight suddenly pop up while drinking?
When asked, a man replied immediately as if waiting for the question.
The men at the tavern had only heard rumors about the Death Knight, but nothing about The Seven Lairs.
They finished their conversation with tales of the Death Knight prowling on the back mountain and glanced at Balmunk with eager eyes.
“Everyone must be worried.”
“Oh, don’t get me started, hero! The women in the village are all shivering because of the Death Knight.”
“Hmm! If I lay eyes on that thing, it won’t have a peaceful demise.”
Balmunk didn’t say he would take action.
He didn’t feel it necessary to move on behalf of the village, unless by chance it crossed his path.
…Ten minutes later.
“Trying to run away, are you? Pathetic, Death Knight!”
By chance, he spotted the Death Knight and pursued him relentlessly.
The chase led to a cave halfway up the mountain.
Was it a dungeon monster after all?
“A clear bait trap. How clever.”
Entering the cave could mean facing countless traps and monsters.
Nonetheless, Balmunk was unfazed. What could a warrior who had conquered The Seven Lairs fear?
To him, this small dungeon was merely a trivial diversion.
Following the Death Knight, Balmunk stepped into the cave.
*
If you think it’s a trap, don’t come after me!
Along with his sensed presence, he heard approaching sounds ahead.
From a distance, Charlotte was walking slowly towards him.
How delightful it was to see the face of that crazy girl.
“What the hell? What the heck are they?”
Behind Charlotte were creatures so enormous they stole the spotlight. They looked about seven meters tall by eyeballing it.
[Lv. 61]
[Lv. 62]
[Lv. 68]
Minotaurs and Basilisks. Faces I hadn’t seen while I was away had increased.
It felt like Charlotte had taken some monsters under her wing as her subordinates.
I wanted to protest about what kind of madness she was pulling, but I didn’t have time for explanations.
“Or could it be…?”
Three massive monsters alongside Witch Charlotte.
With this kind of power, facing the lone hero who came here might be feasible.
Is it just me, or does Charlotte suddenly look more beautiful?
She’s already pretty, but at this moment, she was so stunning it overshadowed her personality.
“Welcome, boss. But it seems you’ve brought something along.”
Looks like she figured it out without a word.
In my heart, I was begging for my life, but that was only in my heart.
I feigned nonchalance and opened my mouth like the boss of The Seven Lairs.
“A guest has arrived. Prepare to welcome the Empire’s hero.”
“The hero, you say?”
For the first time, Charlotte’s expression, which had been blank up until now, finally broke.
Just the slightest widening of her pupils revealed her shock. Simultaneously, an unspoken question was conveyed.
Why on earth did you bring the hero like a leech? But I kept my mouth shut.
“I see. So repelling the hero is the first test. No prior notice, just a spur-of-the-moment situation. …I suppose I need to handle this to qualify as a deputy.”
I appreciated her making assumptions for me.
It’s fine as long as you somehow save me—feel free to kill me!
Thud!
I casually tilted my chin towards the source of the booming footsteps.
There stood the hero of faith, Balmunk, watching us attentively.
“Hmm…”
He clearly looked hesitant.
Well, that’s understandable. Even a hero was by himself and unarmed right now.
Facing Witch Charlotte, a Minotaur, a Basilisk, and a vampire horde in that state would surely cost any hero their life.
In a situation where it’s one against many, countless variables arise.
Of course, Balmunk knew this, yet somehow he chose to stay.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Balmunk’s body sprang up like a spring.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, the earth shook with a thunderous sound.
I was left speechless by his superhuman force, enough to evoke awe. What kind of mindset do you need to call me a monster while such beings exist?
“I am Balmunk. As a hero of faith, I will never turn my back on evil.”
Can’t you just leave already?
How do I get him out of here?
“Are you not afraid of death? If you leave now, you can at least save your life.”
“Hah! So, Death Knight, I’ve seen your wicked tactics. I’ll make sure to kill you in the most painful way possible while taking responsibility!”
I was worried for his life, and I got a murder threat in response.
I did lose at this deal, but I couldn’t let my poker face crack. After all, being a skeleton meant I had no expression anyway.
“Charlotte. Take care of this.”
“Yes.”
Charlotte’s ominous magic, which had been contained until now, erupted like a mirage.
The ground began to tremble with her power, and white hands suddenly shot out from the earth.
Balmunk, witnessing this, gritted his teeth.
“So, you weren’t just a black mage…!”
What appeared were dozens of skeletal soldiers and ghouls.
Upon reaching the next level of necromancer, one can command corpses like subordinates.
The number of undead one can control depends on the sorcerer’s abilities. A witch like Charlotte could handle dozens of undead as if they were extensions of herself.
Balmunk glared at Charlotte with a killing intent.
Knowing his backstory, I anticipated this reaction.
“My sister was killed by a witch. Do you understand what this means?”
“Well then, it’s great. That woman won’t be lonely anymore. She will soon reunite with her brother.”
“No! It’s you who will die!”
At Charlotte’s gesture, the horde of undead rushed at Balmunk. In response, he leaped forward.
Balmunk leaped in defiance.
Instantly, vampires joined in, and giant monsters crashed through the ground with thunderous footsteps.
I merely watched the situation unfold from a distance.
When they focus on fighting each other, gaps inevitably appear. If I can sneak away during that moment, I might as well make a run for it.
“Nice to meet you, new boss of The Seven Lairs.”
I turned reflexively at the unfamiliar voice.
A devil in a tailcoat bowed gracefully, hand to his chest.
“Who are you?”
“My apologies for the late introduction. I’m just a humble Demon Merchant from the dungeon. It is an immense honor to meet the new master of The Seven Lairs.”
This character even mentions The Seven Lairs. Clearly, Charlotte must have called him here to fulfill her duties as an aide.
“Will Boss Road not join the fray?”
Just as I was wondering how to mumble my way out, I blurted, “If I step in, it won’t be a test.”
“I see you intend to verify your qualifications through your abilities. Indeed, you are filled with the qualities of a lord.”
Dungeon bosses usually don’t step in; if the boss dies, the dungeon disappears.
That’s when black portals appeared on either side of the demon.
I’d seen those portals too many times in the game. When they show up during an exploration, it usually means reinforcements are arriving.
As expected, beastmen and demons wielding weapons jumped out of the portal.
“From now on, we won’t charge for monster hiring fees. This is a unilateral decision by the merchant guild. We had our eyes on the hero as well, of course, wanting to impress you, Lord. I hope this is appealing enough.”
The extent of wanting to impress me is…
The reality of being mistaken for the boss of The Seven Lairs sent shivers down my spine.
I never even mentioned it, yet somehow, I had become the boss of The Seven Lairs.
The crime of impersonating the master of The Seven Lairs isn’t resolved by execution alone. What happens if I deny it now?
‘It would be asking for trouble.’
The monsters called in by the guild were clashing with the hero.
The water had already spilled.
Even if it was accidental spillage, it would help if I could put out the urgent fire.
First, let’s deal with Balmunk.
Boom!
A cacophony of sound and explosions erupted all around.
The ground and ceiling caved in, and chunks of rock rained down like dust.
Under the onslaught, Balmunk was pushed onto the defensive.
In the darkness, relentless magic projectiles tormented Balmunk.
Charlotte kept a distance, raining down black magic.
In close combat, Balmunk might have had an advantage, but Charlotte’s magic from afar was troublesome.
Moreover, her skillful spells avoided our allies while striking only Balmunk; each one was a substantial threat.
-Uwaaaah!
“You idiot!”
As I aimed for Charlotte, a Minotaur, harder than steel, blocked my way.
Whether it was part of the plan or not, the corridor was narrow enough for the Minotaur to fill it completely. Getting through that narrow gap would be a struggle.
‘Perfect, isn’t it?’
Due to the Basilisk’s poison, there was no room for Balmunk to even stand.
Of course, as the so-called hero, Balmunk was holding his own. The blood of monsters pooled all around, proving that.
However, that very blood strengthened our forces.
Wooww-!
The blood splattered everywhere contributed to the vampire’s blood magic, turning back into blades aimed at Balmunk.
Among the high-level fighters, Isabella was standing out quite a bit. It seemed evolving into a progenitor vampire really paid off.
With their flanking and the advantage of space, and even reinforcements coming through the portal, Balmunk’s defeat was becoming increasingly evident.
With the reinforcements joining in, Balmunk’s defeat became painfully evident.
At this rate, it seemed catchable.
“Do you really think I’m gonna lose?!”
But then, at some point, Balmunk flipped the tide.
With a single punch, three opponents went down, and sensing the shift, the monsters hesitated to step forward.
The once cornered Balmunk now rampaged like a tornado of death.
Wherever he passed, corpses were left strewn about. It seemed Charlotte’s magic was running low as well.
“This… won’t change with just a follow-up.”
The demon’s words carried a mix of nervous tension.
That was true. At this rate, a massacre was just a matter of time.
‘What the heck did he do?’
Could it be that, after holding back, he’s finally showing his true power?
No, that can’t be. He couldn’t afford such luxury at level 82.
[Lv. 90]
The level spiked without any warning.
In shock, I stared daggers at Balmunk.
[Heavenly Elixir (S)]
[Enhancement Success Rate: 3%]
[Warning! If enhancement fails, it will be destroyed automatically!]
[If enhancement fails, cooldown will reset.]
[Do you want to enhance Heavenly Elixir (S)?]
[YES/NO]
A notification message popped up from Balmunk.
Had he popped a potion or something?
That explained the jump in levels, but new questions arose.
‘Isn’t Heavenly Elixir a potion?’
It’s an item that exponentially boosts all stats the moment it’s taken.
No matter how I thought about it, it didn’t make sense. How could a consumed potion be enhanced?
Balmunk had definitely consumed something to become stronger. He couldn’t possibly have two S-rank items.
Yet the notification clearly stated it was the Heavenly Elixir.
‘Could it be?’
If it didn’t digest after consumption, could that be possible?
Assuming that’s true, what would happen if it failed?
‘…Right. That’s it.’
Suddenly, I remembered a bug from a game I played. It had become a reality.
There was a bug where a character could enhance after taking an elixir, and if successful, the effects multiplied.
On the other hand, if it failed…
“You filthy beasts of the demon realm! Keep struggling! This Balmunk will kill every last one of you!”
“Creeeak!”
Any further thoughts were a waste of time.
I strode towards Balmunk.
As if he had been watching me from the corner of his eye, our gazes locked.
“Ha! Right! I forgot about you!”
With a sound like an explosion, Balmunk’s new form rushed towards me. His fist filled my line of sight like a calloused rock.
If just 0.1 seconds passed, my skull would separate from my body.
[Enhancing Heavenly Elixir (S).]
[Enhancement failed. Heavenly Elixir (S) is destroyed.]
Boom─!
Balmunk vanished. No, “blew up” would be the more accurate term, with blood splatter and chunks remaining.
In an instant, all sound ceased. Before the chaos could settle down, everyone fell silent as if in a fairy tale.
Dozens of eyes turned toward me.
Time felt frozen, and no one could move.
All gazes solidified my status as the new boss of The Seven Lairs.
In the stillness of the moment,
I glanced at the splattered blood on my body and turned away.
“Splattering blood after dying, huh?”
Thank goodness I was undead.
Otherwise, my expression would’ve been ruined already.