Chapter 96. At Least For Now

The group, led by Yeon Hong-Ah, entered the dungeon through the roots.

[You have entered the Sky Bridge(A).]

Sky Bridge was an A-rank dungeon with countless floating islands. They were even standing on one.

Below them, there was no sea or solid ground, just an endless expanse of white clouds. The numerous tiny islands were connected by bridges that crisscrossed like a spider’s web.

The alien landscape made the group instinctively tense up.

So they weren’t kidding when they said even the environments of A-rank dungeons are dangerous.

Kim Do-Joon thought as he cautiously scanned their surroundings.

He particularly eyed the clouds below. Out of curiosity, he picked up a rock, threw it down, and watched it pass through the clouds and disappear into the abyss. Falling here meant certain death.

Just then, a deafening, bone-chilling cry tore through the air, and a monster came swooping toward them.

Screech—!

"It's a Sky Beak!" someone shouted.

“A flying type?” another voice followed, panicked.

The Sky Beak lunged toward them, snapping its enormous beak menacingly. Its sharp beak, which could easily slice through steel armor, and swift, agile flight made it a formidable A-rank monster. The mere fact that it could fly made it a deadly threat—one that Hunters had learned to fear.

Despite not having fully grasped the danger, the group intuitively reached for their weapons. As dungeon-raiding veterans, their instincts immediately kicked in.

However, before anyone could even draw a weapon, a massive explosion rang out above their heads.

Boom!

The incoming Sky Beak was blown to pieces, its flesh and feathers scattering in the air. The explosion’s heat lingered, evaporating even the drops of blood that had sprayed out.

The group, momentarily frozen in their tracks, looked toward the source of the blast.

Yeon Hong-Ah, the one responsible for the carnage, calmly broke the silence. “Shall we move on?”

The Rune Mage’s guild members were the first to recover, nodding in agreement.

The other Hunters, however, were still stunned by the display of power from the S-rank Hunter they had only heard about. Seeing Yeon Hong-Ah’s skill firsthand, they realized it was beyond their wildest imagination.

Meanwhile, Kim Do-Joon just observed quietly.

So that’s how powerful an S-rank Hunter is.

Unlike the others, he wasn’t as shocked. Having witnessed Jecheon Seong’s Nine Yang Demon Art and the blazing flames of Vulcanus, he couldn’t be surprised by the power of an S-rank Hunter anymore.

Still, Yeon Hong-Ah’s attack was without a doubt incredibly powerful. Taking down an A-rank monster in a single blow was no small feat.

The Sky Beaks just kept swooping in waves, but not a single one managed to get past Yeon Hong-Ah.

After the first ambush, the monsters could no longer even come close to the group before being blown apart.

“Wow...”

“Do you think we’ll ever become that strong?”

“Keep dreaming, man,” someone replied sarcastically.

Yeon Hong-Ah handled every single monster. The rest of the group had nothing to do but trail behind her like ducklings.

To an outsider, it’d seem as if they were slacking off, but Yeon Hong-Ah didn’t care in the slightest.

I wonder when my Compatibility will increase again...

Yeon Hong-Ah thought idly as she waved her hand, effortlessly obliterating another Sky Beak.

[You have defeated a monster. You have gained Experience Points(EXP).]

Yeon Hong-Ah's eyes flickered. The Sky Beaks had a higher Compatibility than her, so her experience points were rising steadily. However, there was still no sign of her Compatibility increasing.

How long have I been stuck?

It had already been several months since her Compatibility last rose. When she first Awakened, her Compatibility rose quickly. At some point, though, getting even just one percent became a tremendous struggle.

Even when it does go up, I don’t really feel that much stronger.

At this stage, the difference was barely noticeable. This was why most high-ranking Hunters eventually stopped focusing on raising it. The investment wasn’t worth the return.

Instead, they shifted their focus to finding better equipment in dungeons or making money to buy superior gear. Compatibility increases became more of an additional bonus.

Yeon Hong-Ah was a bit of an unusual case. She kept pushing to raise her Compatibility, even going as far as solo hunting. Of course, like everyone else, she was also deeply invested in her gear.

Recently, though, the Spirit Affinity had caught her attention. She had even discussed the effect with the Association President.

Will Spirit Affinity really be effective?

The new effect appeared alongside the advent of the stem. It couldn’t be found in the old dungeons, and it was first spotted on a weapon carried by an elf.

Some of those who had Spirit Affinity skills called the discovery a revolution. Given that few people actually possessed such skills, it didn’t make major waves in the general public. Nevertheless, it was a significant development within that niche group.

Apparently, raising one’s Spirit Affinity improved synergy and amplified the power of summoned elemental spirits. That was what caught Yeon Hong-Ah’s interest.

She had several elemental-summoning skills herself, making her wonder if they’d benefit from this Spirit Affinity too. There was a good chance they wouldn’t, but it was still worth testing. After all, it could be the key to breaking through her growth plateau—a new source of power that had been out of reach until now.

But would he be willing to sell it?

Yeon Hong-Ah had asked the Association President to introduce her to the person who had defeated the elf. She had no idea who they were, let alone if they were willing to part with the equipment. For now, all she could do was wait for a response from the Association President, who had promised to ask the person if they were open to meeting.

Suddenly, a shrill, ear-piercing shriek ripped through the air. Yeon Hong-Ah grimaced and snapped her fingers.

Boom!

***

Meanwhile, the very person Yeon Hong-Ah was eager to meet was walking quietly at the back of her group. With her taking down all the monsters, the rest of the group had nothing to do.

"Hey, look! What a view!" someone exclaimed.

"Where? Let me see."

"We're not going to fall, are we?"

The longer they went without encountering danger, the more the atmosphere began to feel like a casual stroll. While they tensed up when crossing the bridges between islands, there was little else to worry about.

Kim Do-Joon didn’t take it easy like the rest. He remained focused, constantly circulating mana through his body and maintaining a deep, meditative state.

After some time, he frowned slightly. His mana-breathing technique was functioning well. Every time he expended mana into the air, his body automatically replenished it. However, there was no sign of his mana stat increasing. In fact, he didn’t even feel any hint of progress in his mana capacity.

This was to be expected, though. Mana breathing was a technique designed to improve mana recovery, not increase its maximum capacity. Somehow, however, at the Frozen Harbor, he’d managed to increase his mana reserves on his own.

He had come to this dungeon hoping to uncover the secret behind that increase.

I still don't get it,

Kim Do-Joon thought, frustrated.

He had yet to understand the necessary conditions. Well, if it were that easy, someone would’ve figured it out long ago.

“Is something wrong?”

A voice interrupted his thoughts. It was one of the Hunters he had seen earlier in the waiting area—a petite woman gripping a staff adorned with jewels. Judging by her equipment, she appeared to be a Mage-class Hunter.

"Are you feeling unwell?" she asked, clearly concerned by his furrowed brow.

Kim Do-Joon relaxed his expression and shook his head.

"No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure...?"

"Really, it's nothing," he insisted, his tone calm but firm.

The woman gave him a puzzled look. Before she could press further, her gaze shifted toward Yeon Hong-Ah, who effortlessly took down multiple Sky Beaks in rapid succession. The woman’s eyes lit up with admiration.

"Isn't she incredible?"

"Incredible?" Kim Do-Joon blinked, slightly surprised by her enthusiasm.

"Of course! Do you know how difficult it is to control explosion magic like that? The sheer power, the precision—it's insanely hard! But look at her! She's hitting every single one of those Sky Beaks with pinpoint accuracy even though they're flying so fast!"

“

Uh

, yeah... I guess,” Kim Do-Joon replied nonchalantly.

The woman continued to gush with starry-eyed admiration, clearly in awe of Yeon Hong-Ah’s abilities. Kim Do-Joon, on the other hand, wasn’t as impressed. He’d acknowledge her strength, sure. But as someone focused on physical combat, he didn’t fully share the amazement over magic control.

The group continued moving from island to island, slaying monsters along the way.

Bababam—!

The explosions lighting up the sky became more frequent as the number of Sky Beaks steadily increased. Yeon Hong-Ah clicked her tongue, her frustration building.

There are just too many of them, and they're all flying.

The sheer quantity of monsters was beginning to overwhelm even her precise control. A few were starting to slip through the cracks, managing to dodge her spells. While she could still use her next skill, the situation was growing riskier by the minute. If their numbers continued to rise, some might slip by and endanger the group.

It didn’t help that they were fighting on narrow, floating bridges in the air, which made large-scale attacks impossible.

After a moment’s contemplation, she made a decision.

I can't handle this on my own.

If she were truly on her own, a few escaping monsters wouldn’t be a big deal. However, with a group to protect, even one stray monster could lead to disaster. Reluctantly, she realized she had to enlist the others.

"Hey, everyone," she called out.

"Yeah?" someone replied mid-laughter as the group took a short break on one of the islands.

Yeon Hong-Ah, casually chewing on a piece of dried meat, continued, "The number of Sky Beaks is getting out of hand. I can handle most of them, but a few might slip through."

The Hunters immediately understood. Her message was clear: handle any that managed to get past her.

“Got it,” one Hunter replied.

“No problem,” another added confidently.

Nobody opposed or complained about Yeon Hong-Ah's request. After all, she still did most of the heavy lifting. The rest of the group only had to deal with the occasional strays, which was nothing too challenging.

"Sorry for not keeping my word," Yeon Hong-Ah apologized.

"No, no, it's fine," one of the Rune Mage guild members replied quickly. "Honestly, we were starting to get a little restless."

Several others chimed in, reassuring her. No one in the group had the guts to criticize their leader, especially someone as powerful as Yeon Hong-Ah.

The Hunters from the external team didn’t speak up, but they quietly checked and readied their weapons. Kim Do-Joon pulled out his Lightning Spear. For flying monsters like the Sky Beaks, it was perfect.

“Shall we get moving, then? Everyone ready?” Yeon Hong-Ah asked briskly.

“Yes! All set!” one of the Hunters called out.

“It's been an easy ride so far,” someone else joked.

Kim Do-Joon silently agreed. They certainly hadn’t really exerted themselves yet. Aside from Yeon Hong-Ah, none of them needed any rest at all, and even she hadn’t broken a sweat.

Just as they prepared to move out, someone softly chimed in from beside him.

“Let’s do our best! Fighting!”

Kim Do-Joon turned, finding the petite female mage from earlier nervously cheering herself on. This was her chance to use her magic in front of Yeon Hong-Ah, her idol. Of course, the latter probably didn’t even notice her, but that didn’t stop the mage from being jittery with excitement.

Sensing eyes on her, the mage turned and realized Kim Do-Joon had been watching. Her face turned bright red.

“D-did you see that?” she asked sheepishly.

Kim Do-Joon simply nodded.

Embarrassed, she quickly looked away, blushing even more. Kim Do-Joon chuckled to himself, then joined the rest of the group as they started moving again.

“W-wait for me!” the mage called out, rushing to catch up.

Despite being inside an A-rank dungeon, the atmosphere remained oddly peaceful—at least for now—thanks to Yeon Hong-Ah’s presence and power.