NOVEL NEXT Ch. 7
Chapter 7: D-Class Dungeon ‘Withered Garden’ (1)
All eyes were fixed on Yohan’s lips.
Greedy gazes dripped from their faces.
That kind of reaction was proof enough—they had just confirmed in the Mystery Room how powerful the item he possessed truly was.
However—
Before their curiosity could even be resolved, a new variable intruded.
Grgrgk….
A blade scraped against the ground.
Something was approaching.
And it was surrounding the church.
“Monsters!”
Park Yeri shouted sharply.
As she said, about a hundred meters away, Skeleton Warriors wearing helmets were slowly approaching.
“Grarrr….”
Beside them stood a massive Corpse Wolf with black fur.
Each one was of 2-star and 3-star rank respectively.
They were the representative monsters of this dungeon, ‘Withered Garden,’ where undead types mainly appeared.
Normally, Goblins were 1-star, and D-rank Hunters could handle up to 3-star enemies without much trouble—so they weren’t particularly strong.
The problem was the number approaching.
“Tch. They followed us all the way here, huh.”
Yoo Youngho clicked his tongue and drew his sword.
“We’ve fought them before. Don’t panic—just take it slow.”
“Easy for you to say. Damn it, 2-stars are fine, but 3-stars are a hassle.”
The other members also drew their weapons, preparing for battle.
Corpse Wolves could be tricky, but as long as one paid attention to a few attack patterns, they were manageable.
And thus, the battle began.
Kaaang!
Pupupupung!
“Don’t let them surround you—keep your back to the wall!”
“Watch out for the Corpse Wolf’s leap!”
Having fought together a few times, they formed a roughly coordinated formation.
Naturally, they treated Yohan as an outsider and fought on their own.
One by one,
As the number of corpses piled up, the Hunters’ confidence rose.
Just a bit more, and they could clear things up.
Or so they thought.
Grgrgk.
Kakak.
The number of Skeleton Warriors advancing toward the church was unusual.
Not a dozen—but nearly a hundred monsters were swarming in.
[Stronghold ‘Sealed Church’ draws the lingering thoughts of the dead.]
[A 4-star ‘Skeleton Mage’ has taken notice of the stronghold!]
The inherent disadvantage of the location.
And now, something troublesome had caught the scent from afar.
“M-Mage?”
“Four-star? That’s our first time facing one, right?”
An opponent that only an experienced D-rank Hunter could handle. For safety, they’d need at least a C-rank Hunter.
In the end—
“Damn it. I didn’t want to use this unless I had to.”
[Yoo Youngho uses A-rank item ‘Prophet’s Kindergarten Summer Vacation Bug Collection Box’!]
Yoo Youngho was the first to use his item.
The collection box slung over his shoulder burst open.
Kiieeeek!
A stag beetle nearly two meters tall leapt out.
Its thick black carapace and glimmering red eyes were striking.
Tuquaang!
Charging with its massive horn lowered, it skewered three Skeleton Warriors in a single strike.
It possessed incredible destructive power, combining its speed with sheer mass.
There was nothing to criticize.
Above, dragonflies snatched Skeleton Warriors into the air, then dropped them.
Thud! Crack!
Skeletons falling from twenty meters high had no chance of maintaining form.
Impressive—truly worthy of an A-rank item.
However—
Despite its overwhelming might, Yoo Youngho’s face remained grim.
“Summon more! We can’t hold them all off with just these!”
“No! Controlling four of them is already pushing it!”
The insects inside that collection box weren’t good at distinguishing friend from foe.
A single mistake in control could lead to their master being devoured.
Indeed, the stag beetle licked its lips at the Hunters, and one of the three dragonflies had already been eaten by its own kind.
“Stay back! I said stay back, damn it—!”
Kim Yunyeol swung his Golf Club for Screens.
When the same spot was struck three times in a row, it would knock the target back three meters.
Its downside—extremely poor durability.
Jeon Mincheol and Cho Yongbae, apparently lacking combat-type items, fought with whatever gear they had brought.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa!
A fierce battle where no one could predict the outcome.
But gradually, the balance of power began to crumble.
Unlike undead, who could fight endlessly as long as their bodies weren’t destroyed, humans had finite stamina.
“Get inside! Into the church, now!”
Yoo Youngho’s voice grew urgent.
The entrance was narrow, with stairs and cover—perfect for defense.
“What about that guy?”
“Now’s not the time to worry about him! Get in, now!”
“Damn it. We haven’t even checked what item he’s got yet….”
Before anyone could say another word, they all rushed into the church.
＊＊＊
“‘Together,’ huh… what light camaraderie.”
Yohan clicked his tongue as he watched his companions vanish like the wind.
He hadn’t expected much, but the way they cut and ran— even a lizard would weep.
Grgrgk!
“Huu…man.”
“Kill… hu…man.”
Skeleton Warriors approached, wielding swords and axes.
“I was going to tell you what I picked, but since you’re so eager for evening prayer, I guess you won’t get the chance.”
Maybe there was a pretty church sister inside.
Or maybe they were promised hamburgers instead of Choco Pies afterward.
Amused by his own thought, Yohan smirked and pulled out a book from his coat.
The item he had chosen from the Mystery Room.
[Yohan uses S-rank item ‘Isofoth’s Animal Encyclopedia’!]
If he had to pick the item with the best efficiency for this dungeon, it was undoubtedly this one.
Chwararara…
Without him touching it, the pages began to flip rapidly.
The page stopped on an illustration of a mystical stag.
[‘Stag of the Blue-and-White Forest’ activates ‘Bone Shield’!]
The stag’s enormous antlers manifested before Yohan.
Puhk!
Kwa-du-duk!
Broken swords and axes were flung into the air.
With all their weapons shattered—
The next page stopped, depicting a snow leopard that exuded overwhelming ferocity even in illustration.
[‘Snow Leopard of the Frozen Mountain’ activates ‘Predator’s Strike’!]
Kuaaaang!
White claw marks tore through the air.
The Skeleton Warriors had clumsily tried to block with their shields, but the second claw that followed shattered armor and shields all at once.
Kwa-du-duk!
Fragments of the smashed skulls scattered in all directions.
There was still a claw-mark lingering in the air.
‘S-rank items really were on another level.’
Yohan swallowed an exclamation inwardly.
He intellectually knew it was broken, but using it himself was an entirely different matter.
[‘Stag of the Reed Hill in Winter’ gathered ‘Winter-Ration’.]
A magic-gathering squirrel scurried over among the shattered undead.
“Chik!”
A blue acorn-shaped lump of mana.
It reached out its tiny paw adorably and handed over the gathered piece.
“Thanks.”
Ssooook.
Yohan popped it into his mouth.
Then—
Wuuuung!
He felt a faint flow of mana running through his body.
Not comparable to Dragon’s Blood, but a reasonably pure mana had condensed.
‘Killing small fry all day won’t do a thing.’
Yohan’s gaze flicked upward.
Far away.
To appeal to whoever couldn’t be seen with the eye, he needed to put on a flashy performance.
[Bloodline Ability ‘Shared Vision’ activated!]
Through the eyes of the bat hovering in the sky, it searched for the strongest mana-bearing presence nearby.
If it was too far, it would be problematic.
For now the visible range was limited.
Just then—
“Kuut!”
With the bat’s roar, a skeleton wielding a staff was spotted a short distance away.
A Skeleton Mage.
A 4-star specimen, an upper-rank for this dungeon.
Having secured minimal mana through the ‘Winter-Ration,’ Yohan stamped the ground.
Hwarrruk!
A fireball the size of a human head formed at the Skeleton Mage’s staff.
“Great immortal being! Become a sacrifice for Master Vampire!”
Still, it was an upper-rank in name at least.
It could form sentences without sputtering.
“Sorry, but if you offer me as a sacrifice your master will puke and die. A low-ranking vampire is much better suited to garden upkeep, you know.”
The blood tiers were different.
Naturally, the power implemented through them differed as well.
A ‘Blood Spear’ formed in Yohan’s right hand.
Bwoong!
The blood-tinted spear emitted a terrifying piercing force.
Kwaaaang!
The incoming fireball was split cleanly in two.
“……What—!”
The Mage’s gaze widened rapidly.
It wasn’t just that he had blocked a fireball capable of incinerating an ordinary human whole. He had sliced it apart.
“P-protect me!”
He needed time to prepare a larger, stronger spell.
Skeleton Warriors and Corpse Wolves swarmed like hornets.
Most of the forces inside the church, apparently unconcerned about the humans there, directed themselves toward Yohan.
Wuuuung!
Yohan drew in mana.
To achieve maximum efficiency, he had to use every drop of mana seeping into each cell.
Pook!
Pupupuk!
Dodging spear and blade by a hair’s breadth, Yohan closed the distance.
Blood droplets trembled and created a terrible shockwave.
‘Bloodline Spear Art.’
Red mana overlaid the spear.
An indescribable light shimmered on the sharply honed tip.
It was the result of combining the spear technique he had mastered in the 312th iteration with his bloodline ability.
“Stop him. I said stop that human!”
The Skeleton Mage shouted.
It possessed enough intelligence that its fear of annihilation differed from ordinary undead.
But no matter how many clung to him, they could not stop Yohan’s slippery movements.
‘First Form’
“Uaaah!”
The Skeleton Mage tried to fire a just-formed ‘Lightning.’
And at almost the same instant—
‘Blood Spear’s Destructive Break’
Kagagagak!
The rapidly spinning spear, together with lightning, pierced through the Skeleton Mage’s head.
Pachijik!
Pachik!
Red sparks flew from the blade that had popped out on the opposite side.
It was an overwhelming might that crushed even the advantage of numbers.
Yet the Skeleton Mage did not die despite half its head being gone.
Unless the life-stone near its ribs was destroyed, it would not perish.
“How dare you… harm the great servants of darkness. You will regret this. You will—!”
What was it even saying?
Puhk!
The Skeleton Mage’s left leg bone flew off.
Staggering, the unbalanced Skeleton Mage teetered sideways.
Huh.
It kept its balance better than expected.
Yohan approached the swaying Skeleton Mage and crouched down.
Then he removed the right leg bone as well.
Ppo-ok!
With a crisp sound, both legs were gone.
“What, what are you doing?”
“Ah, I didn’t really know how to kill it. I’d never seen a creature that could live even with its head blown off.”
Yohan scratched his head with an innocent expression.
Well, if you pulled off various bits and pieces, it would probably die eventually.
Or not.
“…That…creep is insane. He’s a madman.”
Slither, slither….
Fear made the Skeleton Mage wave its arms frantically as it tried to escape that spot.
Yohan chased after it with a waddling gait.
Ppong!
He removed the left arm too.
Ppyoo-ok!
And then the right arm as well.
Indeed, undead were something else.
Even with 50% of their body gone, they remained lively.
“You— I know you’re doing that on purpose! Don’t mess around and destroy the life-stone. Destroy the life-stone!”
The Skeleton Mage chattered its jaw and spread its ribs wide.
A gem of lustrous color was visible.
However.
Yohan openly denied reality.
“No. There’s no way such a great and powerful servant of darkness could be killed by destroying just that.”
Of course not.
Ppong. Ppyook!
There were a lot of bones in the human body.
It surprisingly stuck well even when attached elsewhere.
He tried putting a finger bone on the nose, and even stuck a toe bone to the shoulder.
Wriggle, wriggle!
This was unexpectedly addictive.
“Kraaaargh!”
At last, unable to contain its rage, the Skeleton Mage bit down on its own Life-Stone.
Kwa-duk!
When the Life-Stone shattered, the mana within its body dispersed.
What a shame.
Just a little longer, and he could have earned the title of “Undead Defiler.”
To think a self-proclaimed servant of darkness had so little patience—tsk.
Dding!
[You have obtained ‘Old Magic Staff’.]
[You have obtained 50mg of Skeleton Bone Extract.]
Items dropped among the scattered broken bones.
“The first harvest, huh.”
The old staff wasn’t of much use, but bone extract would certainly come in handy.
Yohan carefully collected the bone extract.
With the commander’s fall, the fierce assault of the undead came to an end.
Soon, those who had been desperately defending inside the church cautiously stepped outside.
“You’re… alive?”
Yoo Youngho looked genuinely astonished.
“How did you… survive out there?”
“And not a single scratch on you. You don’t even look tired.”
The other members added remarks of disbelief one by one.
Of course, they had been sure that Yohan, who had been left behind, was dead.
“Thanks to you. Most of the aggro was drawn inside, so there weren’t that many monsters outside. I hid up in that tree over there, and fortunately, I made it out fine.”
Yohan pointed toward a large tree.
It was indeed far too high and thick for Skeleton Warriors or Corpse Wolves to climb.
“I… see. Anyway, it’s good you’re safe.”
Yoo Youngho nodded, seemingly convinced.
After that, they lightly cleaned the battlefield, ate some simple food, and prepared to sleep.
“I caught some mushrooms and sparrows.”
“I gathered firewood. Maybe because it’s a church, there’s plenty of wood around.”
Rest was necessary if they were to move forward again.
Everyone moved in perfect order.
“Heh! Finally, it’s time to use the item I picked! You should all be grateful—thanks to me, you’ll sleep soundly tonight.”
[Jeon Mincheol sets up ‘Alarm Clock (made in South Africa)’!]
If an enemy entered within a 100-meter radius, it would blow a vuvuzela loud enough to wake the entire world.
Its advantage: no matter how exhausted you were, you’d wake instantly.
Its drawback: it could attract every other enemy in the vicinity as well.
It definitely sounded like the drawback outweighed the benefit… but still—
Given how drained everyone was, having something like that was better than nothing.
‘If I’m going to take their items, it’ll probably have to be tonight.’
Yohan took position on the outermost edge.
Then he created an additional blood-based security measure—a 3-meter-radius circle made of blood.
If anyone entered this space, he would know instantly.
＊＊＊
The night passed, and dawn broke.
Surprisingly, there had been no movement targeting Yohan.
However—
“Kyaaaaah!”
A sharp scream rang out.
Park Yeri, pale as snow, trembled uncontrollably.
“What’s wrong?”
“Did another undead appear… huh?”
Those who ran toward the scream froze in place.
Inside a sleeping bag lay the corpse of the man who had been chatting with them just hours before.
And his heart—was gone.