Chapter 20

Chapter 20

A Dungeon Break wasn’t an accident.

It was a catastrophe.

The wall between a Dungeon and reality collapsed, allowing monsters to pour out.

And if the monsters setting foot on Korean soil were Red Goblins, infamous for their strength and speed?

‘Even if this is a remote area, they’d have to mobilize the military.’

At least a five-kilometer radius would probably be sealed off for months.

The Hunting City would stop functioning too.

And the houses Haejin had painstakingly secured were inside the operational zone, so they would be placed under surveillance.

‘A Break absolutely cannot happen.’

Radiance, one of the highest-ranked Hunters, was on the way, but the timing was far too tight.

An 88% chance the Dungeon would rupture within four hours.

Meaning only a 12% chance it wouldn’t.

Far too low to simply trust and pray.

There was only one answer.

They had to act.

‘Does that mean I have to kill the boss?’

Haejin seriously began thinking.

The pager beeped again.

Another message arrived from the Hunter Association.

“H-Hunter. The Association says... if possible, they’d like to request that you subjugate the boss.”

“Haah.”

“O-of course, I know. It’s sudden and unreasonable. That’s why they said if you just agree, they’ll pay any compensation you ask. Anything.”

“Hmm. Compensation? Anything? No limit?”

“That’s right. A Dungeon Break is such a massive incident, after all.”

Haejin’s ears perked up.

Honestly, that was tempting.

‘The Hunter Association has a lot of money. And a lot of power. Since preventing a Break is this big a deal, they probably won’t suddenly change their story or refuse to pay.’

Even with solid compensation, though, subjugating the boss was another matter entirely.

A few Goblins were one thing. Killing a boss was completely different.

‘If I actually succeed, though, it’ll be a ridiculous jackpot.’

He could practically demand an apartment in Seoul as payment, couldn’t he?

He looked over the Hunters who had joined him again.

Kim Sangjin, the Warrior-class team leader, was relatively fine.

Guardian Oh Hyeongtae, their Tank, and Mage Lee Sua weren’t fully recovered yet, but both could move.

‘Hmm, this is tough.’

High risk, high return.

Failure meant a Dungeon Break. Success meant squeezing the Hunter Association dry.

He needed more information before deciding.

“Do you know anything else about the boss, Team Leader?”

“This was originally classified information, but given the circumstances...”

“Tell me.”

“The truth is, we saw the boss. That’s why we were almost wiped out.”

“Oh?”

That was more important than expected.

Knowing the boss’s identity made a huge difference.

He could formulate a strategy immediately.

‘Wait, this bastard knew what the boss was and hid it until now?’

All that talk about Haejin being their savior, but the man was actually pretty calculating.

Though considering he was a government employee, it was somewhat reasonable.

‘Can’t trust anyone in this world after all.’

Haejin decided not to let his guard down.

Sangjin continued.

“The boss is a Red Goblin Lord. Its location is about eight hundred meters north inside the cavern.”

“A Goblin Lord.”

It was a monster Haejin knew.

Unlike the usual image of Goblins as stupid brutes, Goblin Lords were Shamans.

They were on a completely different level from the Goblin Shaman Haejin had just fried with lightning.

A powerful enemy capable of spamming potent magic and debuffs.

“One spell tore through our Tank’s shield and everything behind it. I heard it can temporarily use magic equivalent to the 5th Circle.”

“The 5th Circle?”

“Yes. It’s internal Association intelligence, so it should be accurate.”

“Ah...”

For reference, the Chain Lightning Haejin had used earlier was 2nd Circle.

‘Isn’t that way too strong?!’

Honestly, he was scared.

Am I scared? Yes. Very.

‘Of course, I do have an answer.’

Didn’t the camper van provide unlimited electrical energy?

Little by little, a solution seemed to be forming.

‘Haah. Of all things, a Goblin Lord.’

The boss was more terrifying than he had expected.

If the Break happened and the Lord escaped, the military would definitely be mobilized.

They would wipe out the surrounding region.

And if that happened.

‘My house in the Hunting City, and even all those hunting grounds I worked my ass off to claim, could all get wiped out.’

Forget compensation, he’d end up like a beaver that lost its dam.

Absolutely unacceptable.

“Guess we don’t have a choice.”

“Hunter, then you mean...”

“Let’s do it. We have to stop the Dungeon Break.”

“Th-thank you! We’ll help however we can. The Association will definitely compensate you!”

“Right, yes.”

They were about to risk their lives again, yet the team leader looked surprisingly pleased.

Haejin could see right through him.

‘He thinks I’m strong enough to rival an A-rank. He probably figures he can help me casually kill the Goblin Lord and stack some achievements for himself.’

Stopping a Dungeon Break would guarantee at least a promotion.

In one way or another, everyone was being moved by capitalism.

“But before that, let’s make one thing clear, Team Leader.”

“Yes, Hunter!”

“For this job. The Association will compensate me properly.”

“Of course. I’ll make sure...”

“If the story changes later or there’s a problem, I’ll understand that you’re personally taking responsibility.”

“...”

Responsibility.

The word government employees hated and feared most, regardless of rank.

That single word instantly established discipline.

Vrooom-!

Haejin sat in the driver’s seat, grabbed the wheel, and stepped on the accelerator.

“Wake the other two in back. The more people who can fight, the better.”

“Understood, Hunter!”

Sangjin, suddenly full of energy, immediately moved.

A boss monster.

Honestly, it was scary.

‘But if I can protect all my hunting grounds and squeeze money out of the Hunter Association too, I have to take the shot.’

There was no way he could just throw away such a profitable opportunity.

* * *

The expensive potions proved their worth.

The two unconscious Hunters woke up almost immediately.

Tank Oh Hyeongtae and Mage Lee Sua.

“We’re here. Everyone get out.”

Haejin drove the camper van to where the Lord was located.

An enormous chamber at the deepest part of the cave.

Beyond a vast number of swarming Goblin guards, the boss was visible.

‘That pressure is no joke.’

More than two and a half meters tall.

A massive body with a bulging belly.

An enormous amount of mana radiated from the giant staff in its hand.

‘No wonder the Association Hunters were nearly wiped out.’

It was on a completely different level from the monsters he had fought until now.

Of course, that didn’t really change much.

-Keruk!

-Keruruk! Keruk?!!

The enraged Goblins charged the camper van.

“Eek?!”

“W-what do we do now?”

“Whoa, calm down.”

The Hunters were tense, perhaps traumatized.

But Haejin calmed them with an easy smile.

Ting- Ting-!

The Red Goblins stopped dead in front of the camper van.

Arrows, sword strikes, everything.

Haejin picked up a stick and drew a circle around the camper van.

“As long as you don’t cross this line, you’ll be safe. I’m not crossing it either.”

“A defensive Skill like this... I’ve never even heard of one.”

“This is impossible. It’s practically invincibility?!”

The Hunters’ eyes widened at the unprecedented sight.

They had been somewhat suspicious of Haejin, but after seeing the Skill with their own eyes, trust and respect began replacing doubt.

“I’ll give the orders. Everyone okay with that?”

“O-of course!”

“We’ll follow you!!”

Oh Hyeongtae and Lee Sua nodded vigorously.

“What did I tell you? He’s incredibly strong. The Association didn’t bow its head and commission him for nothing.”

Kim Sangjin, the team leader, chimed in as well.

“First, let’s deal with the guards.”

“Yes, Captain!!”

Somehow, they had naturally started calling him Captain.

Still, having them obey was convenient.

The real battle began.

Sangjin and Hyeongtae drew the Red Goblins’ aggro while Sua and Haejin attacked with magic and gunfire.

The most basic and effective tactic.

Bang-

Keruk!

‘Shooting them up close is nice. No need to worry about missing.’

Haejin’s anti-materiel rifle roared, blasting a hole through a Red Goblin’s head.

The Association Hunters were fighting reasonably well too.

“Come here!”

Guardian Oh Hyeongtae used a Skill to taunt one of the Goblins.

The enraged creature charged forward, only to slam into the invisible wall.

Slash-

Sangjin swung his longsword and severed its neck.

With the various buffs Sua cast on them added in, they barely even grew tired.

A completely one-sided battle from inside an invincible space.

At this point, it was closer to hunting than combat.

“Hunter! The Lord is moving!”

A massive flow of mana.

Sua sensed the anomaly and shouted a warning.

“It realized this won’t get it anywhere.”

The Red Goblin Lord.

It wasn’t stupid enough to simply stand there and watch this continue.

-Keruk, kererek, kerarak!

It raised its staff and began chanting magic.

Crimson mana gathered together, then transformed into blazing spears.

Countless flaming lances floated in the air, aimed at the camper van.

“Th-that Skill is what...”

“It melted through our barrier and shield completely. You can’t block that normally!”

The Association Hunters who had entered on the original subjugation mission had been wiped out by a single use of this spell.

It had even effortlessly torn through a defensive barrier deployed by a high B-rank Mage.

The tense Hunters froze, their bodies trembling.

But Haejin remained perfectly relaxed.

“Ah, it’s fine. Don’t worry. Just stay inside the line.”

-Kerrak!

The Red Goblin Lord completed its chant.

Dozens of blazing spears tore through the air and rained down.

It looked like a storm of fire.

The Association Hunters screamed and squeezed their eyes shut.

But.

“Uh, huh...?”

Nothing happened.

“What did I tell you? As long as you don’t cross the line, it blocks everything.”

The Lord’s magic failed to penetrate even slightly into Haejin’s property.

They couldn’t even feel the heat of the flames.

Perfect defense.

In other words, invincibility!

“If anything, it just burned its own Goblins to death. Works for us, right?”

Only the Red Goblins gathered near the camper van were caught in the attack.

Their charred bodies collapsed where they stood.

“Oh? Looks like somebody’s mad.”

Maybe that spell had been one of its trump cards.

When it had no effect, the Red Goblin Lord screamed and rampaged.

Another barrage of flaming spears came flying.

Haejin stood still and watched the spell like fireworks.

Again, zero damage.

More innocent Red Goblins died instead.

‘Got the benefits without lifting a finger. Kyaa! Maybe it’s dumber than I thought?’

For Haejin, this was an everyday sight.

But to the Association Hunters who didn’t know the truth behind his abilities.

‘Impossible. What is this...?’

‘How is this even possible?’

It was a miraculous feat far beyond anything they could comprehend.

Team Leader Sangjin’s heart pounded wildly.

‘Don’t make me laugh. This is A-rank? What a joke. How is this not S-rank?!’

Until moments ago, he had still wondered how far he should trust Haejin.

He knew the man was strong and had saved their lives.

But still.

Could he really kill even the boss, the Red Goblin Lord?

Sangjin had even suspected that if the battle turned against them.

Haejin might abandon them and escape.

‘I was out of my mind.’

Only now did he realize.

The most dangerous thing here wasn’t the Goblin Lord.

It was this unknown Hunter.

At least they could run from the Lord.

But if they irritated this man enough to anger him.

‘Gulp.’

Forget running. They would probably have to beg him to spare their lives.

While all three Hunters thought the same thing.

“Hmm.”

Completely unaware of how terrifying they now found him.

Haejin issued his next order.

“Mage. Your name was Sua, right?”

“Yes, sir! Lee Sua! Did you call me?!”

She stood at attention with almost absurd intensity.

Haejin looked slightly puzzled before asking.

“That spell just now was pretty strong, right? Then it must’ve used a lot of mana?”

“I’m not certain, but it looked around 5th to 6th Circle!”

“Okay. Then its mana should be somewhat depleted. Let’s use this chance to attack.”

The number of Goblin guards swarming around them had already dropped significantly from the Lord’s own attacks.

The Red Goblin Lord itself was breathing heavily, apparently exhausted.

‘To stay safe, we attack from range.’

Lee Sua began chanting Magic Bullet.

Haejin loaded his sniper rifle as well, aimed for the Lord’s head, and pulled the trigger.

Two projectiles tore through the air and struck the Lord’s head.

Kek-!

The Lord screamed in pain.

Bang- Bang- BAAANG-!

They relentlessly fired magic and bullets.

But Haejin could feel it instinctively.

‘Why is this thing so damn tough? Is this durability even real?!’

Their attacks were definitely landing properly.

But they weren’t enough to kill it.

‘We’ve almost cleared out the mobs. Our firepower’s lacking, but if we just keep pouring attacks into it...’

Around twenty minutes remained until the Dungeon Break.

Whether they could kill the Lord before then was uncertain.

Haejin’s abilities specialized in defense, so he had no easy answer to a lack of firepower.

Then.

-Keruk!

The creature raised its staff again.

‘More fire magic? No. This feels different.’

Crimson mana gathered, and the fallen Goblins began twitching.

“Resurrection? Are you serious?!”

The dead Red Goblins began rising again.

Blood resurrection magic.

They were already short on time even while attacking one-sidedly.

If all these monsters came back, clearing the Dungeon before the deadline would be nearly impossible.

Worse, the Goblin Lord began casting healing magic while its revived minions bought time.

At this rate, the Dungeon Break was guaranteed.

‘Damn it! What do I do...’

Even using another lightning scroll like before probably wouldn’t provide enough power.

The opponent was a monster still moving despite having bullet holes riddling its head and abdomen.

To kill the Lord, they needed one overwhelmingly powerful strike.

But that seemed impossible for Haejin.

A Landlord’s Skills were truly invincible when it came to defense.

But offensively, their weakness was obvious.

‘Wait.’

At that exact moment.

A flash of inspiration crossed Haejin’s mind.

‘What do you mean I don’t have firepower? The camper van itself is firepower.’

For now, it was only a hypothesis.

But it might become his ultimate move.

RUMBLE!

The entire cavern began shaking violently.

The walls trembled like an earthquake had struck.

The Dungeon Break was beginning.

Far sooner than expected.

At most, they had around three minutes left.

There was no time to test his hypothesis.

“Everyone, get in.”

Haejin shouted briefly.

“Get inside the camper van. Hurry!”

The Hunters hurried aboard at his command.

Haejin climbed in as well, locked the door, and sat behind the wheel.

VROOOOOOOOM----!

He released the brake and slammed the accelerator to the floor.

The camper van’s wheels began spinning furiously.

Haejin’s ultimate move was actually quite simple.

“This camper van weighs four and a half tons, you know? Add the furniture and all of us, and it’s over five tons.”

Magic, bullets—none of that mattered.

You’re that tough and durable?

Okay.

“I’m going to ram it.”

“W-what?!”

Let’s see if you can survive getting hit by a five-ton camper van.

VROOOOOM---!

Spewing an enormous cloud of dust.

The luxury camper van charged straight toward the Goblin Lord like a runaway beast.