Chapter 3

Holding the enhanced dagger in her hand, Seong-ha swung it horizontally, aiming for the head of the Rast charging straight at her.

BOOM—!

Flames erupted violently along the trajectory of the blade.

A deafening roar that made her eardrums throb hammered against her entire body.

—Kieeeeeeeek!

But even that was welcome when the Rast’s head, its mouth stretched wide open, instantly burned away right before her eyes.

The explosion that shook the peaceful forest drew the attention of every Rast toward Seong-ha.

Excited by the death of their companion and the scent of blood carried on the wind, the Rasts let out shrill cries and rushed toward Seong-ha in a pack.

Seong-ha adjusted her grip on the dagger and raised the corners of her lips.

“Yeah, come on over here. I’ll blow your heads off—!”

Bang! Boom—!

Blowing off the heads of the Rasts charging toward her in a group was not difficult at all.

Even if the dagger itself missed a Rast as it viciously charged at her, it did not matter.

The Flame Explosion released from the blade as it slashed through empty air took care of the monsters instead.

Even so, Seong-ha only allowed herself to relax after carefully stabbing each one in the neck to make absolutely certain they were dead.

[Looks like it’s really over now.]

[What do you think? Wasn’t that the perfect warm-up?]

“…Phew.”

Unlike the cheerful notification window, Seong-ha remained calm and composed.

She activated her Weapon Appraisal skill on the dagger in her hand.

A blue window containing the weapon’s information appeared before her eyes once again.

Activate Appraisal skill.

[Dagger of Hellfire (A-Rank)

Skill: Flame Explosion (A-Rank)

Owner: Ha Seong-ha

Creator: Ha Seong-ha

Durability: 99/100]

“…It’s an A-rank weapon.”

The ordinary C-rank dagger had been enhanced into an A-rank dagger capable of blowing the head off a B-rank monster like a Rast in a single strike.

B-rank weapons could be found without much difficulty on the exchange, but starting from A-rank, their value and rarity were on an entirely different level.

The small dagger that had been stained with her blood had now become an A-rank weapon that would have people lining up to buy it at any price the moment she left the dungeon.

Seong-ha ran her tongue over her parched lips and brought up the newly activated skill window.

[Weapon Enhancement (S-Rank)

Level: Lv. 1

Description: Uses the caster’s blood to enhance the rank or durability of an existing weapon, as well as the abilities bestowed upon the weapon.]

The Weapon Enhancement skill is Level 1.

That means the skill can grow further from here.

Because of the limitation of the original C-rank dagger, all she could do this time was enhance it to A-rank.

But if the skill level increased, perhaps one day she would be able to enhance a weapon all the way to S-rank.

The method of increasing the level of crafting-type skills was actually quite simple.

All she had to do was make a lot of weapons and build up her proficiency.

And someday, the moment she created an S-rank weapon would be the moment she stood at the pinnacle of this world.

It would also be the moment when she could make the people who had once treated her like a puppet at their fingertips dance at her feet.

“You’re still here with me, aren’t you?”

[If you’re calling me, of course.]

“I have an awful lot of things I want to ask you.”

Seong-ha stared coldly at the blue notification window floating before her.

Whoever—or whatever—existed beyond that window possessed transcendent abilities powerful enough to save her from the brink of death and unlock her skills.

And if it became her enemy, it could also become the greatest obstacle standing in her way.

If it could unlock skills, then it should be able to lock them as well.

That was why Seong-ha chose to approach the situation rationally rather than become consumed by the emotions of the moment and instead decided to extract information from a potential enemy.

“Who are you? What exactly are you? No matter how incredible an S-rank Healer is, they can’t resurrect someone who’s already dead. And then there’s the matter of my skills.”

[What kind of existence do you think I am?]

Seong-ha frowned at the subtle wordplay of answering a question with another question.

But just as she was about to speak, a new window appeared before her.

[First of all, I want to make one thing clear.]

[The reason you couldn’t use your skills until now was absolutely not my fault.]

[The skills you possess are the very reason I brought you here from another dimension.]

“…What? Another dimension?”

Ha Seong-ha immediately questioned the completely unexpected words.

“What does that even—”

[Well. If I tried to explain all of that, even an entire day wouldn’t be enough.]

[I’ll promise to tell you everything once we get out of here.]

[About you, and about me.]

[So let’s get out of here. I’ll help you.]

BOOM!

Just as Seong-ha finished reading the notification window, a tremendous crashing sound came from the forest across from her.

Startled mountain birds flapped their wings and flew away, their cries scattering through the air in response to the thunderous noise.

Only then did Seong-ha realize that she was still inside the dungeon.

The acrid smell of burning things and the metallic scent of blood still stabbed at her nose.

Seong-ha clenched her slippery, blood-covered hand and slowly nodded.

This was not the place to get lost in thought.

Regardless of what had happened, she was alive.

And because she was alive, she had to keep living.

To do that, she first had to get out of here.

Out of this grave-like dungeon that had killed Ha Seong-ha and then brought her back to life.

After moving away from the place where she had slaughtered the Rasts before the others could come running after the smell of blood, Seong-ha lightly stretched her stiff neck.

The area was a relatively open plain with few trees, making it easy to detect approaching enemies quickly.

[You said this is your first time in a dungeon, right? There’s nothing difficult about it.]

[You just kill the monsters you encounter and then kill the dungeon’s boss monster to clear the dungeon.]

[Once you clear the dungeon, a gate appears, and you can return to the original world through it.]

“I know that much.”

Do you really think I don’t even know the basics?

Seong-ha glared at the notification window.

If she gathered together all the dungeon strategy reports and Hunters’ essays she had read so far, she could easily fill an entire bookshelf.

After letting out a deep sigh, Seong-ha laid out the old weapons she had collected after fighting the Rasts.

They were all old and damaged, but that did not matter.

To get out of this dungeon, I have to kill the boss monster of an A-rank dungeon by myself.

One A-rank dagger won’t be enough.

Fortunately, thanks to dying and coming back to life, she had an abundance of the material needed to enhance weapons.

Blood.

Just as Seong-ha picked up an arrow with a broken shaft, a blue notification window popped up, as though it had been watching her.

[What are you doing? Aren’t you preparing to fight the boss monster?]

“I am. I’m preparing to fight the boss monster right now.”

[Do you even know where the boss monster is?]

“Of course. It must be the dragon that killed me, so I just need to follow its tracks.”

[Do you really think something that insignificant is the boss monster?]

“What? Are you saying it’s something else?”

Ha Seong-ha’s eyes widened at the unexpected statement.

Then that damn dragon wasn’t the boss monster?

[That’s right. It’s something much stronger and far more terrifying than that.]

[Don’t worry. If you’re with me, we’ll find it in no time.]

Ha Seong-ha clicked her tongue in disbelief.

Was the dungeon boss monster some stray cat that could simply pop up out of nowhere like this?

Even a team led by someone as capable as Ha Seong-dan had needed more than a day to clear an A-rank dungeon.

There were probably many reasons for that, but she had heard that it usually took a long time simply to find the boss monster inside such enormous dungeons.

If that thing says it knows where the boss is, then I should be able to figure it out too.

Seong-ha stopped handling the weapons and looked around.

This dungeon consisted of a vast tropical rainforest.

According to dungeon records concerning tropical rainforests, the places most likely to contain a boss monster were…

“…A cave, a river, or a lake.”

[Huh?]

“Rasts are B-rank monsters, but they’re not particularly strong in an A-rank dungeon like this.”

“The fact that they came running all the way toward the entrance of the dungeon means they must have come from deeper inside.”

Seong-ha looked in the direction from which the Rasts had appeared.

There were no mountains, only endless stretches of densely packed trees.

“But there’s no high mountain in that direction, so it can’t be a cave.”

“Then the boss monster must be in either the river or the lake over there.”

[Oh. How did you figure that out?]

“This much is basic.”

“But I suppose you already knew where the boss was?”

[Of course. I’m the god of this area.]

“…I want to call that nonsense, but there’s some logic to it.”

If that thing really was a god, then it made sense that it had been able to revive her when she was dying.

A god could probably save a person’s life or grant them skills.

But something like that is a god?

I guess the world really is about to end.

This world is hopeless.

It’s completely doomed.

Seong-ha let out a short sigh.

[Come on. I’ll help you, so let’s go hunt the boss together.]

“…All right. Let’s go.”

What’s the worst that can happen? I die?

I’m going to die if I stay here anyway.

Whether I die sooner or later doesn’t make much difference.

[Don’t worry. As long as I’m by your side, you’ll never die.]

“You sure know how to talk.”

[I won’t let that happen ever again.]

[As long as I’m beside you, never.]

“…Huh.”

Even as Ha Seong-ha let out a hollow laugh, she stored the new information revealed by the notification window in the back of her mind.

Ha Seong-ha must not die.

And that thing could never allow Ha Seong-ha to die.

It must mean my life is precious to that thing if it was willing to resurrect me when I was dying.

If that’s the case…

As Seong-ha continued thinking, she temporarily put her suspicions aside.

For now, simply surviving and getting out of the dungeon was difficult enough.

There would be plenty of time to think about everything else after she escaped.

“Then let’s go.”

With the enhanced dagger and various old weapons tucked under her arm, Seong-ha began walking in the direction from which the Rasts had come.

The notification window led her onward, demonstrating firsthand that even a window made entirely of text could be incredibly noisy.

[Turn left here.]

[Go a little farther, then turn right.]

[Yes, keep going straight until you reach that tree up ahead.]

“…Can’t you stay quiet for even a moment?”

The farther she pushed through the trees, the stronger the briny scent of water became.

Far ahead, through gaps between the dense trees, she caught a glimpse of a huge lake with murky, dark-colored water.

The closer she got to the lake, the more noticeably the number of monsters in sight decreased.

It was almost as though the presence of something within that lake could be felt with her entire body.

“As expected, there really is a lake.”

“So I have to kill the boss in there all by myself…”

[You can do it by yourself.]

[Well, if you really need help, should I help you?]

“You’re seriously annoying, so shut up and disappear.”

The notification window’s irritatingly smug attitude was enough to make her blood boil.

After shooting it an annoyed glance, Seong-ha looked around the lake.

She was not fully prepared yet and could not approach it too closely.

But even from several hundred meters away, the lake looked roughly the size of the field at an ordinary middle or high school.

So I have to kill the boss of an A-rank dungeon by myself.

A boss that would require at least six A-rank Hunters to defeat.

And I don’t even know what kind of boss it is.

Seong-ha surveyed the lake with cold eyes.

There were broadly two types of monsters that inhabited a lake of that enormous size.

Reptiles or fish.

Judging from the lake’s size, however, the chances were higher that it was a fish-type monster.

…In other words, she had to catch a fish.

Do I need a fishing rod?

Or a net?

“That won’t be enough.”

“I need something powerful enough to make up for my lack of strength and physical power…”

[What are you thinking about?]

“What kind of weapon would I need to kill the boss hiding beneath the lake?”

Perhaps curious about the question Seong-ha had muttered to herself, the notification window asked.

Seong-ha’s mind raced.

She stared intently at the calm surface of the lake.

Then she smiled.

She had found it.

A way to kill the creature.