Chapter 264: Sanctuary of Corruption (3)

Even the most hot-headed player had to suppress their temper when inside a dungeon, especially if the dungeon was structured like an ant nest. A single mistake could lead to commotion, and commotion could attract the dungeon’s monsters. Avoid making noise in the dungeon—that was one of the unspoken rules that every player entering a dungeon had to follow.

“This dungeon’s such a jackpot, isn’t it?”

That was the reason why the party’s dungeon progress was slower than expected.

Of course, it only felt slow in Kai’s perspective. To an average player, their speed was more than fast enough.

As Kai watched the fallen mutated ghoul, he glanced around the rather spacious clearing and said, “This spot looks good. Let’s take a short break here.”

It had been three hours since they entered the dungeon. In that time, they had defeated thirty monsters. The XP from the kills were enough to make both Michael and Balter smile from ear to ear. The monsters already gave plenty of XP, but with the First Discoverer Buff applied, it was even better.

Yoo Ha-Rin and Seol Eun-Yeong both leveled up once too.

Kai was the only one who hadn’t leveled up, but there wasn’t a trace of dissatisfaction on his face. In fact, he nodded with a satisfied smile as he looked around at the resting party members.

It’s about time we start tackling this properly.

In truth, Kai’s greatest concern wasn’t Michael but his friend, Balter.

If the tank doesn’t do their job properly, clearing a dungeon becomes difficult.

If this were a solo dungeon and not part of a broadcast, Kai could have handled everything himself. However, the footage being recorded right now would eventually be used for broadcast material. While he was willing to reveal some of his strategies, he wasn’t about to show all his cards.

But now that Balter has gained a few levels, he should be able to handle his role just fine.

Balter’s skills, which had seemed iffy when they first entered the dungeon, were rapidly improving, and it wasn’t just because he was fighting high-level monsters.

Seol Eun-Yeong. As expected of the Master of Cheonhwa.

She was Queen of the Battlefield who understood better than anyone that if the party’s tank collapsed, there was no way forward. Perhaps because of that, she took a moment to offer Balter some advice after each battle. That was the main reason behind Balter’s rapid improvement.

When someone pulled from above and pushed from behind, climbing an uphill path became much easier.

Michael approached Kai, who was resting, with a grin and asked, “Hey, bro. Got any pro tips for resting—straight from the rank-one player?”

Michael had been going around interviewing the party members briefly during each break. Since the broadcast was focused more on entertainment than dungeon strategy, these segments were meant to fill screen time.

“Tips for resting...

Hmm

, let’s see.”

Kai never spoke informally during interviews. He knew viewers watching later could find it displeasing.

After a moment of thought, he continued, “Just replenish your Stamina and Health by eating food, repair any gear damaged during battle, and reflect on past fights to plan how to improve for the next ones.”

“Wow, thanks for the super obvious advice, bro!”

Michael teased, and Kai responded with a bitter smile.

Catching even small details like this, Michael grinned internally.

This’ll make for some good footage.

The name

Unknown

had long been revered as a figure of awe. This man who had suddenly appeared one day, steadily built his career and made his name known. Now, he had risen to the position of an unrivaled global star.

What needs to be shown in this show is the human side of Bro.

Michael’s goal for this filming was to make him more familiar and approachable to the public. To be honest, Michael had contributed significantly to Unknown’s rise from being a nobody to this position. Because of that, he couldn’t help but wonder how far Unknown could go, and he wanted to see the end of that journey with him.

“

Huh?

A mushroom,” Balter mumbled to himself, sitting on the ground munching on jerky, and plucked a strangely colored mushroom. “Can we eat this?”

“Put it down,” Seol Eun-Yeong said firmly.

She had taught Balter multiple times, firmly establishing herself as his mentor, and she was also older than him. Naturally, Balter treated her with great respect, which was why she could speak informally to him.

“Any food you collect in a dungeon needs to be verified by an alchemist first.”

“Well, you’re right, noonim, but...” Balter nodded reluctantly, disappointment evident on his face.

Mushrooms and flowers found in dungeons could sometimes increase stats. These items, called elixirs, had to be consumed immediately after being picked to maximize their effects. That was why large guilds often brought alchemists with them during dungeon expeditions.

“So, the twenty-first ranked player says confirmation is important first, but what does the second ranked player think?” Michael asked, wearing a mischievous expression.

Yoo Ha-Rin, who had been tending to her sword, flinched at the sudden question. She was clad in jet-black armor with a helmet, but it was clear she was flustered. Her wandering gaze, unsure of where to settle, eventually fixed on Kai.

Then Michael chuckled. “

Oh

, she’s looking at Bro. What do you think? Could it be that eating random things like this is the secret to your strength?”

Michael’s comment was meant as a joke, but Kai interpreted it differently.

“Well, this isn’t why I’m strong, but...” Kai reached out for the mushroom Balter had put down. “If you’re curious, you just try it.”

Muttering this, he unhesitatingly brought the mushroom to his mouth.

“W-wait! What are you doing...?”

“Hey!”

Seol Eun-Yeong and Balter both shouted, startled, but Kai’s expression remained calm. He chewed on the mushroom for a moment before spitting it out.

“

Ptooey

. This isn’t edible.”

“

H-huh

...?”

As Michael was taken aback by the sudden turn of events, Kai stared at him and explained, “It’s inedible. It’s poisonous—highly toxic. It has five stars.”

“A-a five-star poisonous mushroom!”

The party was terrified. Their reaction was understandable. After all, Akasha’s Judgement, created by the Church of Muldine to poison the World Tree Luteria, was a seven-star poison.

Among ordinary players, even a three-star poison was considered quite dangerous.

“B-Bro, are you okay? You look fine...?”

When Michael asked with a shocked expression, Kai calmly nodded.

“I’m fine. I have the special title Poison Master. I’m immune to all types of poison.”

The party stared blankly at Kai, dumbfounded by how casually he mentioned such an incredible ability.

“Bro, do you want this part edited out?” Michael asked seriously, concerned about revealing Kai’s abilities.

However, Kai simply shrugged in response. “Why? It’s up to you, do whatever you want.”

Revealing his immunity to all poisons posed no real disadvantage to Kai, and the true power of Poison Master wasn’t just immunity.

The important thing is that it allows me to interpret the poison’s information.

Kai stood up and gestured toward the stunned party. “Shall we get going now?”

***

“Balter, how’s the dungeon so far?” Kai asked, as they resumed their progress.

“At first, I was honestly a bit nervous, but now I’m pretty comfortable. I feel confident,” Balter replied with enthusiasm, revealing his confidence.

Hearing the response he was hoping for, Kai revealed a wide smile. “Really? That’s great.”

“G-great? What’s great?” Balter asked in a trembling voice, feeling uneasy at the sight of his friend’s bright expression.

What did he mean by great? What exactly was great?

In response, Kai patted his shoulder and said, “You didn’t seriously think we’d keep clearing at this snail’s pace, did you?”

“W-well, I kind of did...”

“Come on, don’t be like that. Don’t act like an amateur.” Kai turned to the group and made a declaration. “We’re going to pick up the pace. At this rate, we’ll be stuck in this dungeon for weeks.”

“I agree. Managing a guild becomes a headache if it’s delayed even by a few days.”

The rest of the party members nodded.

“Yeah,

uh

... I’m fine with whatever Bro decides.”

With everyone except Balter in agreement, Kai reached his hand toward the ceiling. “Then let’s begin.”

“W-wait! Begin what?” Balter instinctively grabbed Kai’s outstretched hand, his eyes trembling with anxiety.

Kai smirked and replied, “If guests have arrived, the host should at least come out to greet them.”

“You’re not serious...!”

“Don’t worry. You can handle this. I’ll help you.”

After reassuring his friend, four magic circles suddenly began to spin around Kai. “Holy Explosion.”

In an instant, the casting was complete, and four beams of light shot straight toward the ceiling.

Boom!

The dungeon shook violently as rubble fell, making it seem as if the entire dungeon was about to collapse.

“

Oh

, Jesus. What kind of Paladin spell is this...? Puts most Wizards to shame,” Michael muttered, cold sweat running down his face.

But it wasn’t just because of Holy Explosion's mere destructive power.

“

Kiieeek!

”

“Noise... Noise!”

“Intruders!”

As a deafening roar shook the dungeon, the monsters immediately reacted.

“It’s about to start,” Kai said, his eyes fixed on the single entrance at the far end of the clearing.

They had already cleared out every path behind them.

I have no idea how big this dungeon is, but there’s no way I’m going to waste time moving through it slowly.

If they didn’t want to bother tracking the monsters down, all they needed to do was bring them here.

Of course, Balter looked like he was on the verge of tears at Kai’s reckless actions. “This is insane. Absolutely insane!”

“I agree, Tanker Bro. This is insane! Completely nuts!”

In dungeons, the rule was to proceed cautiously, tapping not only unstable bridges but even seemingly solid ground. However, this was a reckless strategy that completely shattered that rule.

This kind of insane approach was something only Unknown, Kai, could pull off.

“H-here they come. A monster wave is incoming!”

Monster Wave. The term, meaning a wave of monsters, was usually used during events.

I miss it. I used to hear it a lot during the Orc Lord raid and Invasion events.

In other words, it was not something that happened outside of events. But Kai had created an artificial monster wave, all because he didn’t feel like wandering through the ant nest-like dungeon.

“

Kiiieeeek!

”

“Humans... humans!”

“Prey!”

“Weaklings!”

With sharp claws scraping the ground, mutated ghouls of varying levels came charging at them with incredible speed.

“Balter, get it together!” Kai grabbed his half-dazed friend by the shoulders and shook him firmly.

“B-but you crazy bastard, look at the number of monsters...”

The number of mutated ghouls in the vanguard alone seemed to be at least a hundred.

The thought of having to hold off that many on his own made Balter’s mind go blank.

“I told you I’d help, didn’t I?” Kai patted his friend on the shoulder reassuringly, flashing a dependable smile as he began to say, “Bless. Haste. Strength.”

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

“

Hm?

Don’t tell me... Did you invest in the Cleric skill tree? I heard the efficiency is terrible...” Balter mumbled.

But when he checked the buffs, his eyes widened in shock.

W-what are these insane stats?

The stats were so high that even the Clerics in the first division of the Rush guild couldn’t compare.

The most shocked person, however, was Seol Eun-Yeong. Even the buffs from the Cleric ranker she had recently recruited didn’t come close to this.

But unfortunately for them, Kai’s buffs didn’t stop there.

“From here on is a hidden-class exclusive skill.”

As Solaris Blessing and Solaris Armor activated, Balter’s equipment began to shine with a golden glow.

And finally, Kai lightly stomped on the ground.

Thud.

“Solar Field.”

The large domain of the sun expanded outward from the party, filling the vast clearing entirely.

“For this fight, my position is...”

Kai, who had previously stayed in the rear to observe and give orders, stepped forward.

Balter was the sturdy shield. Two free damage dealers covered the left and right. Michael, the archer, was positioned at a distance for support. And finally, the party’s sharpest spear naturally took position right behind Balter.

“Striker.”

The wave of monsters surged toward the party.