Chapter 70: Chapter 70: A-Rank Dungeon

The sound of pickaxes hitting stone echoed through the dungeon, creating a tense atmosphere. Min-seok adjusted the supplies on his back—carrying them was no problem, but the mood was heavy.

"Move it Fuckers! We don't have all day!" Jae-hyun, their harsh leader, shouted, his abrasive tone filling the space. His reputation for being bossy and ruthless made him disliked. Min-seok sighed, thinking he wouldn't be there if it weren't for the money.

"Captain, aren't we going to find the boss room?" the healer asked, her voice trembling. She was beautiful but seemed out of place with someone like Jae-hyun.

Jae-hyun shot her a menacing look. "If you want to die, go find it yourself!" he snapped. The healer flinched in fear, and Min-seok wondered if they were around the same age.

The mage stepped in to protect the healer from Jae-hyun's anger. "Let's get back to work," she said, leading the healer away. Everyone was clearly uncomfortable, especially with Jae-hyun leading.

Min-seok sighed, feeling frustration bubble up inside him. Jae-hyun wasn't just bad at leading—he was a ticking time bomb. The way he treated everyone made it clear that his party was temporary. No one in their right mind would stay with him for long.

As Min-seok set down the supplies and leaned against the cold wall, he took out a photo of his sister. "Just wait, little sis. Brother will get you a cake."

"She's cute," Jin-hyu, the other porter, said, and Min-seok smiled.

"Of course! She got that from me," Min-seok said, smiling.

Jin-hyu raised an eyebrow and Min-seok spoke. "What? Can't you see?"

"Haha, if you say so," Jin-hyu laughed. Min-seok was surprised he couldn't see how cute his sister was.

"That guy is so annoying," Jin-hyu said, looking at Jae-hyun, who was dragging and kicking a miner.

"What an animal," Min-seok agreed, noting Jae-hyun's harshness.

"I hope we can leave soon. It's my grandma's birthday, and I'm planning to get her favorite sweet potatoes," Jin-hyu said.

"Same here! It's my little sister's birthday too. Why don't we go together? I'm getting her a strawberry cake," Min-seok suggested.

"That's cool! My grandma doesn't like cake, so I'll make seaweed soup. Why don't you and your sister join us?"

"Gladly! See you later," Min-seok replied. They laughed but stopped when they heard Jae-hyun shout.

Just then, the ground shook, and Min-seok lost his balance, falling to the floor. His heart raced as he realized what was happening.

N-No...

Ding!

[You have entered the Dungeon Boss Room]

[Status: Dungeon Boss]

Name: Minotaur

A-Rank

Status: Angry (Disturbed from its slumber)

Prepare yourself for a fierce battle. The Minotaur is enraged and ready to fight.

The others stopped mining, their faces pale with shock. Min-seok's eyes widened as he saw the massive doors of the boss room materialize before them. Suddenly, he felt a hand gripping his neck, yanking him off the ground. It was Jae-hyun, his face twisted in fury.

"This was your plan all along, wasn't it? To kill us all?!" he spat, his grip tightening. Min-seok struggled, gasping for air, his thoughts a chaotic mess.

'I don't want to die. Not in his hands. Please, I have a sister to take care of.' Min-seok shook his head, trying to speak, but he couldn't.

"Fucking asshole!" Jae-hyun shouted as his grip tightened.

"Stop, Jae-hyun! He can't breathe!" someone shouted.

Before Min-seok could completely lose consciousness, the room shook again, and a deafening roar filled the air. The boss had awakened. Its massive form emerging from the shadows, its eyes burning with rage. The others started screaming in terror.

"We're gonna die! Run!"

"This is the end!"

"Aaahh!"

Jae-hyun cursed loudly, still holding Min-seok by the neck, his eyes wide with panic. He threw Min-seok to the ground, and he coughed, clutching his throat. He tried to crawl away, desperate to escape.

But something was wrong. Min-seok looked down and saw blood—his blood. Everything is so sudden His legs were gone, severed cleanly from his body. Terror surged through him, and he screamed, his voice echoing off the dungeon walls.

"Ahhhh! My legs! It hurts!"

Jae-hyun's eyes were wild as he looked at him. "Since you planned this, you can be the bait," he said, his voice dripping with malice.

He grabbed Min-seok by the neck again, dragging him across the floor and throwing him near the Minotaur. Min-seok's vision blurred as he tried to crawl, his hands slipping in his own blood. He looked up, watching in horror as Jae-hyun and the others ran, abandoning him to his fate.

"H-help...D-Don't leave me h-here," Min-seok tried to shout, begging for help, but his voice was gone. The healer looked at him hesitated, her eyes filled with pity, but the mage pulled her away.

As his consciousness began to fade, he thought of the vice-captain they lost on the first attempt. He had been kind, a stark contrast to the monster who now led them. This was it. If only that fucking Jae-hyun was the one who had died, not him!

The dungeon was dark, lit only by faintly glowing crystals. The air was thick with the smell of blood and fear. The ground shook with each heavy step of the approaching Minotaur.

With trembling hands, Min-seok pulled out a worn photo from his pocket. It was creased and smudged, but the smiling face of his little sister, her eyes bright with joy, was still clear. Today was her birthday. He was supposed to be home, making her laugh, not here, lying in a pool of his own blood.

His vision blurred as tears welled up, and he whispered to the photo, "I'm sorry, Lil Sis. I hate this. Why today of all days? Why not tomorrow?"

His voice cracked as the Minotaur's shadow loomed over him. He could hear it snorting, the sound of death approaching. "I won't make it… I'm so sorry, little sis."

The world spun as he lost more blood, and the edges of his vision darkened. The Minotaur was almost upon him. There was no escape. He closed his eyes, ready to accept his fate, when suddenly he felt himself being lifted.

His eyes fluttered open in confusion, and he saw Jin-hyu—the guy he had been talking to earlier. His face was tense, sweat dripping from his brow as he struggled to carry Min-seok.

"W-What are you doing?! Are you an idiot?!"

Min-seok rasped, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jin-hyu chuckled, but it wasn't a sound of amusement. It was shaky, tinged with fear and desperation.

"I guess I am," he said, his voice strained. Min-seok clenched his teeth, anger flaring through the pain. Searᴄh the nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"You fucker! Just leave me here and save yourself!" But Jin-hyu laughed again, the sound hollow and forced, almost as if he was trying to convince himself that everything would be okay.

"You sound just like that animal captain," he said, the words catching in his throat.

"Don't laugh. It sounds fake," Min-seok struggled to say, each word taking more effort than the last. Jin-hyu was panting now, each step a battle as he carried Min-seok.

"We porters are strong," he muttered, "but not when carrying bodies"

Min-seok glanced down at the photo in his hand, his sister's smile piercing through the fog of pain and fear. He couldn't let Jin-hyu die here with him.

Summoning what little strength he had left, Min-seok pushed against him, forcing him to stumble and drop Min-seok. He fell hard, the impact sending a jolt of pain through his body, but he didn't care.

He had to make Jin-hyu leave. "Why did you do that?!" Jin-hyu shouted, panic in his voice. He tried to grab Min-seok again, but Min-seok stopped him, pressing the photo and a handful of gold coins into his hands.

"Buy my sister a strawberry cake," Min-seok said, his voice breaking as tears streamed down his face. Jin-hyu stared at him, his eyes wide with shock and anguish.

"Dumbass! You're the one who should do that, not me! Cooperate, please!" he shouted, desperation thick in his voice as he looked back at the at the Minotaur, its roar reverberating through the dungeon.

"Please," Min-seok whispered, his voice weak, almost lost in the chaos. Jin-hyu paused, and Min-seok leaned closer, his breath shallow, as he whispered in Jin-hyu's ear,

"Tell my sister... how much her brother loves her." Jin-hyu's grip on the photo tightened, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

For a moment, everything was still- the world frozen in the space between life and death. The dungeon shook with each roar of the minotaur. Its massive axe rose high, ready to strike.

The porter saw the giant weapon poised above its head and knew this was the end. With the last of his strength, he pushed the other porter away. He flew backward, barely missing the deadly blow of the axe. But in doing so, the porter felt a sharp pain and realized he had lost his arm.

Blood poured out, and he could barely move. The minotaur's axe came crashing down where Jin-hyu had been, but he was safe, thanks to Min-seok. He fell to the ground, his vision fading. he tried to think of his younger sister, her smile, and how he wouldn't be there for her anymore.

"I'm sorry, Lil Sis," He whispered weakly.

"Brother... Brother won't make it." As everything went dark. He just wish that his sister to grow up strong and beautiful.