Episode 46.
[Gaaaahhh!]
[I hate dying! I’m going to die again!]
“Where do you think you’re going.”
Jung Si-woo thought that a city’s environment was optimal for battle. The battlefield itself was vast, but the alleyways were narrow, making it very difficult to escape or roam freely. There was also a multitude of buildings and structures that could break with the slightest movement…. All of which became Jung Si-woo’s weapons!
“Here! Take this!”
[I, I don’t need…Keck!]
While hordes of zombies were fleeing without hesitation, the ghouls, who were sizable with solid bodies, were instantly killed. The building’s fragments that Jung Si-woo struck with his hammer had dropped onto the ghouls, and their bodies had exploded.
Fortunately, the dungeon’s nature allows one to loot the defeated monsters before their bodies are disassembled. Thus, leaving piles of dollars and mana beads ripe for the taking.
“The volume in this dungeon is straight-up ignorant, and why are they all turning into beads?”
“It’s what I usually do.”
“I see, Hyeongnim. You usually do this…”
Hundreds of beads shined left and right. Among them were also countless beads of the monsters stronger than zombies. It was not the amount and quality of beads one would get in a dungeon at this stage. Just like Soo Ah-rin, Yong Se-ha gradually started to master the virtue of resignation.
[Clear Time – 11:13:42]
“ I haven’t even been in the dungeon for an hour.”
“But it looks like the city has already been destroyed, Sunbaenim…..”
Jung Si-woo’s first calculation was incorrect. Yes, he was right about the seven to ten buildings collapsing at the impact of his hammer, but many other buildings had fallen during his fight with the zombies. It was only natural for fragments of a broken building to collapse through the dozens surrounding it.
[I have located the approximate location of the sealed magic.]
[However, to weaken the sealed monster, there is a need to remove the undead-reinforced magic circle in the other building.]
Suddenly, the city’s largest building, in other words, the most suspicious, collapsed from the debris Jung Si-woo sent flying.
It seemed as though a mighty undead elite monster was hiding, but it died, for it could not withstand the collapse and its impact. Interestingly enough, a notification popped above Jung Si-woo as a black monster bead revealed itself.
“Wait, so there was a way to weaken the Banshee?”
[Uh, this is the first time I’m finding out.]
Just fifty minutes after entering the dungeon, Jung Si-woo discovered information even the previous party trying to clear failed to do.
The female ghost who gave them the Banshee quest didn’t know whether to smile or cry. In the ghost’s eyes, Jung Si-woo was the scariest being in this dungeon.
“Anyways, about weakening…”
Jung Si-woo, who had been annihilating buildings left and right, suddenly stopped swinging the hammer. Despite him doing so, no monster tried to attack.
The zombies bolted away from Jung Si-woo, as did the ghouls. The elite monsters, who rarely appear, and the wraiths all hid early on, witnessing his rampage. If the city collapsed, they would inevitably die, so they couldn’t help but run.
“We can’t just only break this.”
“You’re just now realizing the problem?”
“If wrong building lands on the Banshee and weakens it, don’t you think that the value of its records and beads would be lower?”
“I thought you understood, but you were worried about it from a completely different perspective!”
Jung Si-woo was frustrated that he couldn’t refute what was said. Lifting his hammer in one hand, he let out a sigh as he placed the hammer into the ground.
Swinging the hammer with full force for about an hour was enough to make one tired, but after Jung Si-woo gained mana and leveled up, his stamina increased. Since acquiring the passive skill of heavy weapon battle, he never lost his breath while wielding his hammer and flying around. He recently fought against the Armored Orc Commander but was already missing that kind of intensity.
“I’m hoping the Banshee is stronger… I shouldn’t weaken him now.”
“You are an idiot, Oppa, an idiot!”
[So, so if that’s the case, shall I show you now?]
Initially, the ghost was actively helping with the quest’s progress. If Jung Si-woo, who was now aware of how to proceed, didn’t go around breaking things, they would be carrying out a different kind of stealth mission in this medieval European city filled with the undead.
“Sure then, go ahead and show me.”
[Yes! Due to the half-destroyed city, I think you can find the sealed magic circle easily!]
The ghost shed a tear of joy as she spoke. She probably has no idea why she’s even crying. Everything was a mess.
[It’s this way, secretly follow me!]
Despite what she said, there was no need for him to follow secretly. As Jung Si-woo moved, the undead monsters in hiding flinched as they started to move away from him. Because they were once humans, they were more aware of his presence.
“Let’s pick up beads on the way. Yong Se-ha, I’ve chosen you!”
“Yes, Hyeongnim!”
“Oppa, what exactly do you think a supporter is… . Don’t look at me like that; I’m coming too.”
Usually, cash and bead looting were only possible by delivering another blow to the defeated monster. However, the monsters killed by Jung Si-woo suffered from 200% to 300% overkill; it was a rare case for him not to be able to loot. Thus, his supporters could loot without him having to strike again.
Yong Se-ha and Soo Ah-rin spread their wings and glided, collecting mana beads and dollars one after another. They say once bitten, twice shy. Though the supporters were not Jung Si-woo, the monsters were still frightened and fled in all directions.
[You may have already realized from the records of breaking the buildings, but breaking one magic circle sealing the Banshee does not solve this quest.]
Two pockets…… He left his supporters to the beads. The female ghost began her friendly explanation.
[There are several identical magic circles, so we need to find them and destroy them all. Worst case scenario, you’ll be strengthening the Banshee’s power by eliminating them.]
It was only natural. All of the sealed magic circles in the city were created to conceal the Banshee’s identity. It divided its energy into each magic circle to deceive those who visited the city. To add, breaking the seal with its power rather than the body will boost the Banshee’s power rather than weaken it.
“So this whole city is a mini-game structure,” Jung Si-woo said in acceptance.
The game had a plain and simple structure. It had a sealed object, a magic circle that weakens its power, a magic circle that strengthens its power, and a magic circle bound to its body.
“It would be nice to make the Banshee stronger and fight it, but I need to finish it fast to raise my clear rank…. Ugh, more than anything, I hate that it’s based on fate.”
[Yes, yes it is.]
This was not something the culprit could imagine. The ghost nervously guided Jung Si-woo. Soon, they arrived at the first building with a sealed magic circle.
[You have to be careful because there are powerful elite monsters in buildings with sealed magic circles!]
But there was no such monster now. There may have been an undead elite monster with extreme physical and magic power before, but it knew there was no way to beat Jung Si-woo. It had already determined and left the building.
“Why are the monsters in this dungeon so clever?”
[It’s strange… they’re usually not like this.]
The ghost was confused. Jung Si-woo boldly lifted his hammer and struck the magic circle hidden on the building’s wall.
[New information about Banshee has been obtained. The magic circle is sealing an intermediate undead monster by the name of Banshee. It is a monster that performs strong, magical attacks using cries filled with curses.]
[Part of the magic circle that sealed the power of Banshee has been dismantled. Banshee’s magic power increases.]
Jung Si-woo stopped himself from cheering. Instead, he casually asked the ghost.
“Okay, so how many magic circles are left?”
[Um… There are about eight more.]
“All right, let’s hurry and move on to the next building!”
Soo Ah-rin and Yong Se-ha finished harvesting the beads and dollar and joined them again. The first building that had collapsed, the increase of the undead’s magic throughout the city, Jung Si-woo’s smile brighter than that of the sun!
“Ugh, a stronger, more reinforced Banshee… scary…..”
“Sunbaenim, I’ll be counting on your spells.”
Their covert behavior continued. Wherever they moved, zombies and ghouls withdrew like a receding tide. They didn’t encounter a single undead. This was way different from what the ghost envisioned, but she had given up fighting the situation.
[Another record of the Banshee is obtained. It is a monster with the blessings of the fairy, not from an undead nor dead. He was once a fairy who predicted human death, but after being corrupted by evil black magic, he turned into a demon that caused human death himself.]
[Part of the magic circle that sealed the power of Banshee is dismantled. Banshee’s magic power increases.]
“The second circle is also a failure….”
“I’m sensing that instead of strengthening Banshee’s power, it absorbs parts of its records. Whether a novel or a game, dark magic is always said to be the bad guy. If he were to be corrupted by dark magic malice, he was destined to become evil anyway. There are always these people who blame others. Pathetic. Tsk. Tsk.”
“It seems oddly persuasive, but no. It’s not!”
[Additional record of the Banshee is obtained. Banshee is an undead, capable of changing its appearance at will.]
[Part of the magic circle that sealed the power of Banshee is dismantled. Banshee’s magic power increases.]
It seemed like the ghost had no luck. How was it that Jung Si-woo smashed the magic circle every time the Banshee’s power kept increasing?
“Um, Oppa.”
“Banshee’s power… It seems to be covering the whole city. At this point, it might be stronger than the Armored Orc Commander. Not that you haven’t experienced the hidden boss monster in a dungeon, but this monster seems to be the worst of all!”
“I haven’t faced too many monsters with strong magic yet. It’s a good opportunity.”
[This is it.]
The ghost was still calm, maybe from Jung Si-woo’s firm reassurance. He puts on a smile and follows behind.
[There aren’t many left if we just destroy this!]
“This is good.”
There still are no monsters protecting the magic circle. Jung Si-woo blew the whole building with such vigor.
[All the magic circles that were sealing the power of Banshee have been lifted. The Banshee regains full power!]
[Additional record of the Banshee is obtained. Having lived in the city for hundreds of years and gained immense strength and record, Banshee pretends to be an ally, plunging countless adventurers into the swamp of death!]
[Wuhahahahaha!]
The female ghost let out the darkest, evil laugh. An enormous amount of magic started gathering into her body. The priest’s gentle face was no longer, and her uniform had changed to a bloody dress. All of the city’s undead, who had been silent so far, synchronized with her magical power and started screaming wildly.
[Silly and arrogant human! A retard who can’t even read what’s in front of him!]
The female ghost, no, a Banshee, had concealed her identity and approached Jung Si-woo. She mocked him with her sharp voice. Now that she had fully recovered the power that was sealed in the dungeon, she had nothing to fear.
“Yeah, yeah.”
While Soo Ah-rin and Yong Se-ha bit their lips in anger, Jung Si-woo was already holding the Thunder God’s Rifle and pointed it to the Banshee.
“Since we all know the truth know, shall we skip the intro and start?”
[Well, what is that….]
The moment he’d been looking forward to since he entered the dungeon. Jung Si-woo grinned as he pulled the trigger.
As the golden, magic bullet from the Thunder God’s Rifle engulfed the entire city, half of the banshee’s torso flew.
