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 [Chapter 144]

[Phoenix's Flame (5)]

It was a close call.

Eunha breathed heavily.

"Huff huff... Damn... I almost died..."

He had nearly been defeated by the gift's backlash.

Platinum Cross.

No, he had essentially bet everything on Blast Cross.

The reason Eunha hadn't used Invisible Tracker until now was to induce the creature's carelessness.

The strategy worked.

Groan...

The result was before his eyes.

4th tier monster Kakgunbong.

The master of the Red Dungeon had fallen.

"Ugh...!"

The gift's backlash hit him.

As much as his physical abilities had increased, severe exhaustion and fatigue rushed in.

Thud

His body trembled.

Eunha barely supported his body that was about to collapse forward.

He leaned on Winter That Blooms Coldly stabbed into the ground.

This damn dungeon, really...

This is why I hate dungeons.

Eunha painfully lifted his foot.

The world is flashing red.

It's not just because of the flames.

The Red Dungeon is trying to send power to save its master.

Flare

But the flames burn.

Kakgunbong, diagonally cut from left shoulder to right thigh.

It was amazing that it was even still alive.

The dungeon was sending power to restore its condition, but

Unlike the sword strike that cut it and disappeared, flames were smoldering at the cut.

As a result, the dungeon's blessing and the flames conflict.

Groan...

Unless the flames are removed,

It cannot recover.

Eunha finally approached Kakgunbong and raised his sword.

"─If you've lost, you should die. Right?"

With all his might,

Eunha stabbed its chest where the mana stone was presumed to be.

Piercing its armor with lowered defense was all too easy.

Rip!

It seemed to have lost even the strength to struggle.

Kakgunbong accepted its death without any resistance.

He tore out the mana stone embedded in its chest.

Though the dungeon tried to hold onto the mana stone to prevent it from being taken,

Kakgunbong had already finished its life activities, and the mana stone was destined to fall from a monster that had finished its life activities.

Plop

Finally, Eunha tore out the mana stone.

The mana stone of the 4th tier monster, no, the master of the Red Dungeon, shining with a color close to green.

With the mana stone in his hand, the 4th tier monster Kakgunbong disappeared.

"Phew... How can such a thing happen."

The creature that disappeared, turning into mana particles.

Only then did Eunha sigh in relief and plop down on the ground.

He closely examined Kakgunbong's mana stone in his hand.

There's no doubt.

It's the mana stone symbolizing the dungeon's master.

I know that a dungeon that has lost its boss monster once can't create a boss monster again, but...

To think such a thing could happen.

While a dungeon's transformation was a rare phenomenon, the birth of a new boss monster was an even rarer phenomenon.

As far as Eunha knew, there were no confirmed cases.

However, just because there were no confirmed cases didn't mean it couldn't happen.

Because dungeons are living worlds.

So we can't arbitrarily conclude.

Dungeons are alive.

The Academy Dungeon that had to face decline from Players over several decades.

But the dungeon must have stored up the mana they had shed in the dungeon during that time.

It wouldn't be strange if the Academy Dungeon had been watching for an opportunity to escape decline.

It must be the dungeon's ecology that cannot be grasped from a human perspective.

But now there won't be any more dungeon transformations or such things.

Eventually, this dungeon will disappear.

To escape decline,

The dungeon must have bet everything.

But it lost.

Now the core stone containing the dungeon's concentrated power was in his hand.

Having lost the core stone twice, it probably didn't have the strength to recover.

Just maintaining the current scale would be tight.

Though we don't know how long it will take,

Someday the dungeon's influence will completely disappear from this land.

And the land dyed red will be covered in blue.

Perhaps it will be covered in concrete.

It's none of my business.

Eunha gave a wry smile.

He put the mana stone in his holster and retrieved Winter That Creeps Like Snow that he had dropped nearby.

"By the way, is this all that came from Kakgunbong? That's disappointing..."

Noh Eunha, who had secretly hoped for a skill stone.

He smacked his lips looking at where Kakgunbong had disappeared.

Though the mana stone was a great trophy, it would become medicine to neutralize the students' condition.

In the end, he hadn't gained anything despite working so hard.

Just as he thought that,

"Pipipi!!" "Huh?"

As if its role was done,

Fire Chicken, which had separated from Eunha as soon as Kakgunbong disappeared,

Was making pleasant sounds at what was presumed to be the throne.

It seemed to be telling him to come look.

Eunha moved his heavy body.

Eventually─

"─This is..."

Near the throne, several orbs emitting a brilliant light were rolling around.

Orbs shining golden.

Fire Chicken was continuously pecking at one of them with its beak.

Eunha picked up one of the orbs rolling on the floor.

An orb about the size of his palm.

"...I did gain something."

After examining the orb this way and that,

Eunha lightly touched it with his tongue.

The concentrated sweetness was thrilling.

A sensation that swept through his whole body for a moment.

Eunha shuddered.

It's certain. It was certain.

"...It's Royal Beads."

Royal Beads.

A concentrated elixir made by high-tier wasp-type monsters that promotes the growth of subordinate monsters.

It was an extremely difficult item to obtain.

Above all, it was an elixir with extremely high value.

Though humans wouldn't see as amazing effects as wasp-type monsters when ingesting it,

It's still good for the body.

It's extremely good for the body.

Eunha felt like his internal mana was rapidly recovering just from tasting it briefly.

Eunha smiled with satisfaction.

"How many of these are there... I could share them with people around me. And just sell the leftovers..."

"Pipipi!"

Fire Chicken had discovered treasure.

He hurriedly gathered the Royal Beads while patting Fire Chicken's head.

Then he focused on eating one to finish recovering his strength.

Strength returned to his body.

"..."

Royal Beads are good for the body.

Especially good for men.

Even Kakgunbong showed reproduction ability that transcended species, didn't it?

Though whether that should be called reproduction may differ for each person.

"What's good for the body is good, yeah..."

There are many Royal Beads.

His body still seemed to hurt.

He felt strangely low on energy.

Eunha stared at the Royal Beads for a while before bringing another to his mouth.

"I worked this hard, so it should be okay to eat one more, right?"

You never know.

I should eat one more.

Eunha says he took meticulous care of his health.

☆

This final evaluation was meant to make students become accustomed to situations that could occur in dungeons autonomously.

So the instructors tried to intervene as little as possible.

As long as no serious crimes occurred,

The Academy was willing to overlook anything that happened in the dungeon.

That's the kind of place dungeons were.

A world of survival of the fittest, winner takes all.

And an environment where betrayal runs rampant, and people reach the point of not trusting each other.

I should have strongly opposed it back then...!

<Empress > Shin Seo-young.

In fact, she had been questioning the Academy's educational policy for a while.

This final evaluation was the same.

Why educate on the premise that people will betray each other, she wondered.

She had such thoughts to that extent.

What is the Academy thinking? Competition does hone talent, but this is too extreme.

The Academy is inducing division.

She felt it clearly through this final evaluation.

But even though she had been working as an Academy instructor for several years now, she couldn't do anything about the educational environment that pursued competition, where ability ruled, and that induced division between people.

In a way, it was no different from trying to change the educational policy that had been passed down for a long time since the Academy's founding.

It goes against the Academy's purpose.

But a problem occurred because of that situation.

The kids shouldn't have gotten hurt...! Damn it, isn't this why people curse the Academy whenever they get the chance!?

By the Academy creating an environment in the dungeon not different from reality,

It ended up creating an opportunity for monsters to become active.

Shin Seo-young, who had been roaming the 2nd underground floor, let out curses at Jin Seo-na's explanation, who had urgently come to report the situation occurring in the dungeon's deepest part.

The students are about to die.

And become livestock for monsters forming groups at that.

I need to go quickly and somehow save the kids!

Finally, Shin Seo-young relayed the situation to other instructors and headed to the dungeon's deepest part alone.

Though she had lost power compared to the past,

She had the power to freely control wind, fire, water, and lightning.

She had already memorized the entire structure of the Academy Dungeon.

The number of monsters decreased rapidly as she headed towards the deepest part.

Therefore, she was able to instantly reach the dungeon's deepest part riding the wind.

"...So Eunha went to rescue the captured kids?" "Yes..."

"I see. Thank you. Can you guys guard this place until the other instructors arrive?" "What are you going to do, unni?" "Of course I have to go save the kids."

Arriving at the main hall on the 5th underground floor,

Shin Seo-young was able to hear the situation in more detail from Jung Ha-yang.

Then she was surprised once to hear that a 6th underground floor existed.

And surprised that Eunha had formed a rescue team and gone down to the 6th underground floor.

Shin Seo-young jumped into the well without any hesitation.

"─So you've rescued all the people?"

"Yes... We've rescued all the kids we found at least."

At the entrance of the 6th underground floor,

Shin Seo-young was able to meet Mok Min-ho's group retreating after rescuing the captured students.

After hearing the situation explained from him, Shin Seo-young was able to feel relieved.

"But what about Eunha?" "Eunha is..."

"...Crazy."

It was only for a very brief moment.

Her heart sank.

Noh Eunha is facing a 4th tier monster alone, he says.

The moment she heard those words, Shin Seo-young hurriedly moved riding the wind.

This kid

Has really gone crazy...!

A barrage of curses came out.

Crazy, really crazy, and crazy again.

Shin Seo-young tore apart the monsters rushing at her nervously with wind.

It's a 4th tier monster.

A high-tier monster difficult to face with a human vessel.

Practically second only to the virtually non-existent 1st tier and almost non-existent 2nd tier.

Can he really defeat it alone with a human body?

It's not impossible.

It's not impossible, but you have to risk your life to do it...! Even if you do, you can't guarantee you can defeat it...!

Maybe if it was <Yama > Kang Hyeon-cheol.

Maybe if it was <Thunder Emperor> Lee Do-jin.

Players who could guarantee victory against a 4th tier monster alone could be counted on one hand.

But Noh Eunha is a student, not a Player.

Though he's called <Quick-witted > and gaining public attention, his vessel doesn't have skills on par with <Yama > or <Thunder Emperor>.

It's reckless.

It's a reckless act.

Though she knew Eunha was trying to buy time to let the students retreat,

Shin Seo-young still couldn't shake the thought that it was reckless.

Please be alive...!

She knows Noh Eunha's power.

She also knew well the magic he had shown in Japan.

But the situation was different from then.

Because the 4th tier monster was intact.

It would have power equivalent to at least 4th tier overrank, receiving the dungeon's blessing.

Even though 4th tier monster Kakgunbong wasn't particularly strong compared to monsters of the same tier,

It was clear that its danger was equivalent to above 4th tier.

"Huff... huff!"

I don't know how much time has passed.

Because you lose sense of time when you're in a dungeon.

Anyway, Shin Seo-young was finally able to reach the deepest part where Kakgunbong was presumed to be.

"Wh-what is this..."

The problem is that there's nothing.

She could find traces of a fierce battle having occurred.

But the subjects that would have created such traces were nowhere to be seen.

She deployed a detection net.

"..."

She can't sense the reaction of a 4th tier monster.

It's impossible.

Being such a powerful monster, she should be able to sense even a slight presence.

So that means─

─Eunha defeated it?

Just then,

The wind she had spread throughout the area brought good news.

Shin Seo-young moved to another location riding the wind.

"...Oh, noona. You came early?"

"You..."

A place not easily visible.

It was a space where the path was blocked and you could face monsters one by one with your back to the wall.

Shin Seo-young discovered Noh Eunha sitting there.

She was at a loss for words.

"You... you..."

What should she say?

Should she ask if he really defeated the 4th tier monster?

The words wouldn't come out.

Then Noh Eunha casually rummaged through his holster and─

"─I secured Kakgunbong's mana stone. We should be able to make a neutralizing agent with this." "...Crazy. You, you really...?"

"Hm?" "...No. Never mind. I forgot I shouldn't judge you by common sense, Eunha. Yeah, I'm glad you don't seem to be badly hurt."

A mana stone mixed with green light.

Shin Seo-young had no choice but to acknowledge it after seeing the size of the mana stone.

That Noh Eunha had killed a 4th tier monster alone.

The surprise was brief.

Come to think of it, it was Noh Eunha after all.

She felt foolish for making such a fuss unnecessarily.

"Pipipi papapa pupupu!"

"...But what is that bird?" "Oh, this? Its name is..."

"Pipu pi!"

"...Fire Chicken." "Fire Chicken?"

"It's a monster companion." "When on earth..."

Just then, a red bird jumped out from behind Eunha.

Shin Seo-young clicked her tongue.

Thinking about it, she remembered hearing that he had recently bought a monster companion egg for a large sum of money.

It seemed that egg had hatched.

But─

"─Is there something wrong with my eyes? No matter how I look at it, it doesn't resemble a fire mouse at all..." "Right?" "This is..."

The bird called Fire Chicken greets her.

Shin Seo-young doubted her own eyes.

No matter how much she examined it, there was no way a bird could look like a mouse.

Her eyeballs rolled busily.

Soon she made a sound of disbelief as she looked at Eunha.

"...A phoenix?"

"Ha-yang couldn't recognize it but you can, noona? That's right." "What do you mean that's right... Aren't you speaking too calmly right now? No, how... No, no, am I the strange one?"

Cognitive dissonance set in.

Shin Seo-young felt like she was going crazy facing two situations.

One, Noh Eunha had defeated the 4th tier monster Kakgunbong alone.

One, Noh Eunha had contracted with a monster companion based on the 3rd tier monster Phoenix.

"Wow... this crazy bastard. No, no. Lucky bastard..."

The former was one thing.

But the latter was truly a dream-like occurrence for Players.

Monster companions known to be rare beings.

And one based on a 3rd tier monster at that.

Moreover, this monster companion was born from an egg and would loyally follow its master.

"Wow..."

Shin Seo-young could only marvel in pure amazement.

Her reaction was not much different from the public's reaction later, they say.