Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Ancient Desert (1)

My life had a repetitive routine. I took an hour-long special lecture by the old man daily and occasionally did some light tasks for the mercenary guild Problem Solver. The rest of the time, I reviewed what I had learned.

I didn’t take a single day off. Laziness was a luxury for someone like me, who had shown consistency for three years and was just starting to become strong.

“Donghoon?”

Gi Soyul approached me as I was doing strength exercises in the clearing.

“Huff, huff... Yes. What is it?”

“I have something to tell you.” She had a look that said, “Obviously I called you because I have something to say.”

“Something to tell me?”

“Yes. Remember I promised to protect you from any ambush until you grew stronger?”

“...Right. Though I never thought you’d be watching over me 24/7.”

At my words, Gi Soyul tilted her head. “Hmm? That’s a strange thing to say. How can I protect you if I’m not watching you all the time?”

Oh? That made sense too.

I scratched my head. “But you’re a ranker, right? You have dungeons to clear and guild matters to attend to.”

“And that’s why I’m telling you this.” Gi Soyul nodded affirmatively. “I’ve been watching over you for about two weeks now. Even though I’ve been neglecting my guild activities, there are still things I need to do.”

Indeed, a person like Gi Soyul couldn’t be by my side all the time. I was aware of that. She had her own life too.

“You must be busy too. I understand.”

“So I have a proposal.”

“A proposal?”

“Yes, I need about six hours to handle my piled-up tasks... So I won’t be able to be by your side during that time... You have two options.”

As expected of Gi Soyul, very impressive. A ranker could easily break a promise with a low-rank hunter like me. But she didn’t break her promise; she found a solution. Just as I hadn’t lied to her, she was also keeping my trust in response.

“What are they?”

“First, you follow me around for those six hours.”

“Oh.”

Not a bad option. The safest place for me right now was by her side.

Training was something I did all the time anyway. Honestly, I could use a break.

“And the second?”

“You use the thing while I’m away.”

“The thing?” What was she talking about?

Seeing my puzzled look, Gi Soyul chuckled. “The key. The medium you obtained back then.”

“Ah.” Right, I had forgotten about that.

The B-rank key, Trace of the Ancient Desert, which I obtained as a dungeon reward.

[Item: Trace of the Ancient Desert]

[Rank: B]

[Type: Medium]

[Description: A key to uncover the secrets of a hidden medium.]

[Effect 1: Can unlock the dungeon ‘Ancient Desert.’]

[Effect 2: Bound to the hunter ‘Joo Donghoon.’]

“Mediums are bound items, meaning it’s a solo dungeon. It might be safer to be inside the dungeon than being next to me since it’ll be a place where even rankers can’t interfere.”

True. Assuming a ranker stronger than Gi Soyul appears, it might be safer to be inside the dungeon.

The problem was that my skeletons were still D-rank.

“Hm, but it’s a B-rank dungeon... Isn’t it more dangerous inside?”

“Not really,” Gi Soyul disagreed. “You tend not to realize how much you’ve progressed. It could be a good opportunity to check. From what I can see, you should be able to clear it.”

“Ah...” Her words left me dumbfounded.

What? Did I just get praised by a ranker? Did she just acknowledge my progress?

This is a refreshing feeling.

It was an emotion I was feeling for the first time. No one had acknowledged me as an E-rank mercenary.

I did have low self-esteem.

I admitted it. As a malformed necromancer, I was petty, envying my peer who had become Dark Lord.

“...”

I felt something warm rise in my chest. It was like a bit of compensation for all the pain and effort I had gone through.

Being recognized felt good.

But.

Gi Soyul was not just anyone; she was a ranker—someone who had elevated her position to a professional level through countless experiences and efforts. A person at the pinnacle of monster hunting and dungeon exploration.

Great.

I clenched my fist tightly.

I wanted to fully savor this moment.

Another thought crossed my mind.

If just one person like Gi Soyul acknowledging me feels this good...

How would it feel to stand at the same rank as her?

Even better, what if all other 999 rankers acknowledged me?

Ahhh.

It was then...

—Ring!

[Discovering the connection between the dungeon and Hunter Joo Donghoon’s profession.]

Huh?

I paused for a moment.

A sense of unease washed over me.

[Warning!]

[The dungeon is transforming.]

[You cannot exit the dungeon.]

“Wait, what?”

I realized something was wrong, but it was too late.

—Whoosh!

A huge wind pulled me forcefully into the pyramid. I was sucked in without a chance to react.

And behind me...

—Creeeaak... Thud!

All I could hear was the sound of the door closing.

* * *

The inside of the pyramid was pitch black. With no light, I couldn’t see anything.

“What is this?” I muttered.

I had entered with such confidence, just to be stuck in a situation like this.

A chill ran down my spine, and I felt a constant sense of unease.

But I couldn’t just stand still. This was a dungeon, a place where survival depended on adapting to unexpected situations.

“Boney 3.”

—Click, clack!

Hearing the sound of teeth clacking, I knew the skeletons had been sucked in with me.

“Check the surroundings.”

—Click, clack!

I heard a sound of affirmation.

[‘Bonehead 3’ used the skill ‘Secure Vision’ (Lv.6).]

—Twang! Twang! Twang! Twang!

Boney 3 shot four arrows into the air. The glowing arrows exploded in all directions.

Two arrows shot continuously forward and backward. The other two arrows bounced around, confirming the distance above and below.

I see. This is a long corridor.

I closed my eyes. At the same time, I shared the sight Boney 3 provided through my senses.

A few seconds passed.

What?

I shuddered.

It was startling.

Is this right?

Ahead of me a large, open space was visible. Unlike the dark corridor, it was a spacious area with lights.

That was fine.

But this...

It was unbelievable.

The open space was filled with countless skeleton soldiers. Not just a few, and not even dozens.

About a hundred...?

[You have discovered the stage: ‘Resentment of the Sun Spear.’]

Damn it.

—Ring!

[Stage: Resentment of the Sun Spear]

[Deep within the pyramid lies the warrior and absolute ruler of the ancient desert empire, the ‘Sun Spear.’]

[Break through the obstacles and reach the ‘Sun Spear.’]

Sun Spear? What is this now?

I furrowed my brows in confusion.

—Flash!

The torches in the corridor lit up.

At the same time...

[Warning! Warning! Warning!]

[A hundred D-rank ancient skeleton spearmen are approaching!]

What? A hundred D-ranks?

I only had five.

This was a hopeless situation.