Chapter 7: A Spark of Hope in Despair

Seon Tae-woong glared at Shin Ji-ho, his eyes demanding if he was insane. Yet, Ji-ho continued speaking with an unnerving composure.

“Instead, if you’re going to give up and kill yourself here, at least hand over your items and potions before you die.”

“If I’m going to die anyway, I’d rather struggle to the very end than tuck my tail and run like a defeated dog.”

Speaking curtly, Ji-ho opened his inventory pocket and checked his possessions.

Fortunately, he had prepared for combat situations before leaving for the field, so his inventory was quite plentiful.

It seemed all the equipment provided by the Hunter Association, far exceeding the recommended basic setup, was finally paying off.

The only issue was the scarcity of food.

However, for a collection-type dungeon designed for only two people, its size couldn’t be extensive.

He reasoned that being torn apart by monsters would be swifter than starving to death, thus eliminating any need to worry about famine.

Seon Tae-woong, who had been staring blankly at Ji-ho inspecting his gear with an unperturbed expression, finally contorted his face.

“Who said anything about giving up and dying…?”

“You were practically digging your own grave, weren’t you? Am I wrong?”

“No, when did I ever—”

“When? You’ve been doing it all along.”

Though Ji-ho wasn’t wrong, Seon Tae-woong’s face flushed crimson, clearly unwilling to concede.

“So, are you going to try?”

“Fine, damn it. If it must be done, then it will be done!”

“Good. I’m relieved you have the will to struggle.”

Though Ji-ho’s words were laced with sarcasm, he secretly felt a surge of relief that Seon Tae-woong was following his provocation.

Frankly, Ji-ho’s chances of escaping this dungeon alone were zero.

Even if he somehow managed to eliminate the regular monsters roaming the dungeon, the boss monster would be far too formidable for a B-rank hunter like him.

Only Seon Tae-woong possessed the potential to defeat an S-rank boss monster.

Proud and straightforward, Seon Tae-woong quickly bounced back with renewed vigor whenever his temper was slightly provoked.

His abilities as a hunter were quite impressive, ensuring ample firepower as their primary combatant.

Rummaging through both their inventory pockets, they found a considerable number of items.

The problem, however, was Seon Tae-woong’s lack of consumable items, such as potions.

While the inventory pocket, a creation of the Awakened, allowed for item storage much like a game, it had a limit on the number of distinct items it could hold.

Seon Tae-woong, it seemed, wasn’t the type to diligently restock his supplies. ‘Well, that was to be expected,’ Ji-ho mused.

Ji-ho handed over two-thirds of his own consumables to Seon Tae-woong.

Seon Tae-woong accepted the items, looking somewhat bewildered.

“If you give almost all of it to me, what will you do?”

“Hunter Seon Tae-woong, you’re the main force here, not me. Just take them.”

“And…”

Ji-ho briefly fiddled with the gloves he had worn ever since Joo Yi-won gifted them to him, then offered them to Seon Tae-woong.

“Take these too.”

“What are these?”

“Use them. They’re good. They’ll significantly enhance your physical abilities.”

“Your skill’s firepower will also increase.”

Seon Tae-woong, having instinctively taken and put on the gloves, tried using a skill as a test.

*Whoosh!

A sizable flame, roughly the size of a human torso, erupted before him and then subsided—quite potent for a mere test.

Instantly, a glimmer of excitement ignited in Seon Tae-woong’s eyes.

“Hey, this is…”

“I’m not giving them to you; I’m lending them.”

Ji-ho scoffed, observing Seon Tae-woong’s eyes glinting with avarice.

In response, Seon Tae-woong grinned mischievously.

“Do you really think I’ll return them?”

“I’m trusting that you will.”

Ji-ho’s unhesitating reply made Seon Tae-woong’s expression turn peculiar.

Typically, high-grade items like these were exchanged with a binding contract.

It was common for borrowed items, especially without a contract, to simply be kept.

Ji-ho hadn’t lent them out of trust for Seon Tae-woong.

He simply had no other choice, but there was no harm in speaking kindly.

Moreover, those gloves were a gift from Joo Yi-won.

If Joo Yi-won ever learned that Seon Tae-woong had pocketed his gift, he would undoubtedly turn the entire Apollo Guild upside down to reclaim them, leaving Ji-ho with no chance of loss.

Ji-ho had even prepared for the scenario of them being stolen, but Seon Tae-woong, unaware of these underlying calculations, seemed genuinely touched by Ji-ho’s willingness to hand over the item.

“Hey. If I die using these, do I still have to return them?”

“If you die wearing them, I’ll be generous enough to bury them with you.”

“Then I guess I have to return them. With these, it actually feels doable.”

Seon Tae-woong, flashing a confident grin, stepped forward.

Yet, his back seemed subtly stiffer than usual.

‘Just bravado,’ Ji-ho thought.

Of course, bravado was preferable to the despair that had rendered him useless moments ago.

Ji-ho understood Seon Tae-woong’s feelings.

He, too, knew that their chances of survival were incredibly slim.

Still, it was better to gamble on a remote possibility than to meekly give up and die.

If the probability wasn’t zero, it meant success was still within reach.

As they emerged from the small pit they had initially fallen into, the dungeon’s interior revealed itself, resembling a natural rock cavern.

Throughout the cave, composed of dark gray rock, faint luminous stones were embedded, making it easy to discern their surroundings.

On the rocky walls and ceiling, which largely retained their natural state, unfamiliar languages or patterns sporadically left artificial traces.

Given the dungeon’s lack of an exit, hardly any wind stirred within.

Alongside the sound of their footsteps on the ground, the unknown roar of a monster echoed from afar.

Each dungeon possessed a unique internal atmosphere.

Having no prior experience within a dungeon, Ji-ho had only seen them in videos; this was his first real encounter.

Suppressing the urge to look around in wonder, Ji-ho cautiously followed behind Seon Tae-woong.

The passage, wide enough for three or four people to walk abreast, wound its way forward, occasionally presenting branching paths.

At the first fork, Seon Tae-woong marked their path and then spoke.

“It looks like this isn’t a dungeon with a huge number of monsters. If it were, we’d have encountered two or three by now.”

This was a good sign.

If the monster population were dense, two people would be at a significant defensive disadvantage.

The relatively narrow passage also worked to their benefit.

After walking a short distance, Seon Tae-woong halted.

Ji-ho, stopping a step later, only sensed the presence after he concentrated.

Down the right-hand fork, a monster lay in wait, holding its breath for them to approach.

Instead of advancing further, Seon Tae-woong immediately activated a skill.

[Ignition.]

Though a simple incantation, its effect was potent.

From the walls of the branching path, a fierce blaze erupted, as if kindling had been thrown onto an oil-soaked surface.

“Screeeech!”

From the passage, a rat-like monster, engulfed in flames and shrieking as if tearing apart, stumbled out.

Towards the monster, which charged as if making a final, desperate struggle with its burning body, Seon Tae-woong used Ignition once more.

The instant Seon Tae-woong used his skill on the flaming monster, another creature silently darted out from behind the fork.

Resembling the burning creature but with a shorter tail and a more agile physique, this monster moved with a speed that matched its appearance.

Seon Tae-woong immediately cast Ignition, but the monster was quicker, dodging and lunging forward.

Just as Seon Tae-woong gritted his teeth, bracing himself for injury…

*Thwack!

With a heavy thud, like a drum being struck, Ji-ho’s fist slammed into the body of the newly arrived monster.

It wasn’t a fatal blow, but the monster recoiled several meters, which was enough for Seon Tae-woong to deliver the finishing strike.

[Ignition.]

*Boom!

The power was slightly more intense than the Ignition he had used initially.

The monster instantly burst into flames, collapsing motionless.

Soon after, both monsters were completely incinerated.

While it was good to defeat them in one go, using too much magic power so lavishly would inevitably lead to exhaustion later.

Ji-ho, feeling a pang of anxiety, offered a suggestion.

“Wouldn’t it be better to conserve some magic power?”

“No. I was just testing it out lightly at first.”

Seon Tae-woong replied, looking down at his hands with a dazed expression.

“It looks like these things have absolutely no fire resistance, does it? No, it’s beyond that—fire seems to be their outright weakness…”

Typically, each dungeon possessed its own unique characteristics.

If two monsters with a weakness to fire had appeared, it was highly probable that most monsters in this dungeon shared that vulnerability.

And Seon Tae-woong’s skill attribute was fire.

Slowly, a smile spread across Seon Tae-woong’s face.

“Hey, this…”

“If we play this right, it might actually work.”

Seon Tae-woong nodded.

With a favorable attribute, they could disregard a rank or two and still stand a fighting chance.

This was the moment a spark of hope was ignited in what had previously been a desperate struggle to clear the dungeon.

****

The dungeon clear progressed smoothly.

As both had hoped and anticipated, most monsters in this dungeon either lacked fire resistance or were vulnerable to flames.

Thanks to his attribute, Seon Tae-woong, who found it easy to defeat monsters, primarily attacked, while Ji-ho kept watch, preventing surprise attacks from reaching him.

Considering how they used to fight every time their eyes met outside, their coordination was surprisingly excellent.

This was likely due to their involuntary observations of each other’s fighting styles, having guilds in similar territories and constantly clashing.

They had worried about getting lost due to numerous forks, but fortunately, the path was relatively straightforward.

They marked each branching route, and Ji-ho memorized the entire path, ensuring they didn’t wander off course.

As expected for a dungeon accommodating only two people, its size was not vast.

Half a day later, they smoothly arrived before the door where the boss monster resided.

Unlike the natural, rugged passages they had traversed so far, the final room was blocked by a sleek, unblemished door, as if crafted by intelligent hands.

The firmly sealed door showed no sign of opening unless they initiated it.

‘Beyond this lies the dungeon boss…’

Though they had no idea what lay beyond the door, a considerable aura of intimidation surged from it.

Even with the thick door separating them, Ji-ho’s skin prickled, sensing the intense power.

The enemy ahead would undoubtedly be several times stronger than any they had faced so far.

“Hey.”

Seon Tae-woong lightly tapped Ji-ho’s shoulder, who had been tensing up and steeling his resolve.

“Let’s rest a bit here before we go in.”

Ji-ho relaxed his taut shoulders.

It was a wise decision.

Even if potions could heal injuries and restore depleted magic, they couldn’t alleviate accumulated fatigue.

Ji-ho nodded readily.

“I’ll keep watch, Hunter Seon Tae-woong. You should get some rest.”

“Forget it. If you’re tired, just sleep. At your level, keeping watch or me sensing things while dozing off is pretty much the same.”

Though he didn’t exhibit the same hostile edge as before, Seon Tae-woong, still annoyingly blunt, closed his eyes.

And, astonishingly, less than thirty seconds later, he began to snore, fast asleep.

Once he confirmed Seon Tae-woong was sound asleep, Ji-ho pulled a handkerchief from his pocket.

Muffling his mouth with the cloth, he suppressed his breath and finally let out the cough he had been holding back for a long time.

“Cough, ugh…”

The familiar metallic taste rose in his throat, and the handkerchief became stained with blood.

‘Damn this weak body,’ he thought.

It was a familiar situation, but today, it felt particularly irritating.