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8.44% Dual levelling: I level up with my clones / Chapter 19: Dungeon (2)

Chapter 19: Dungeon (2)

Part 2: E-Rank Boss {Golden-eyed Chimera}

Outside the dungeon, the two soldiers stood guard, their eyes fixed on the ominous portal that shimmered with an unnatural light. The air was thick with tension, each of them contemplating the fate of the Hunters who had entered earlier.

"Do you think they've ended up like the others?" one of the soldiers asked, his voice heavy with unease.

The other, maintaining his vigilant watch on the portal, replied, "An hour's passed. Hard to believe they're still alive in there."

Inside the dungeon, Lee Seung stood over the massive corpse of the serpent, his breath still ragged from the battle. As he pinned his hand on the dead creature's body, thick tendrils of azure light began to seep out of the serpent's body, winding through the air like living smoke. The light reached his outstretched fingers, and he felt a surge of power rush through him, filling him with a heady sense of exhilaration.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face as the last of the light faded. He could feel the monster's mana now pulsing within him. But there was no time to savor the victory. He turned to his replicas, who were already beginning to fade, their forms losing solidity as they began to dissipate into the air.

'I can't imagine how dangerous this dungeon will become without them,' Seung thought, urgency snapping him back to the moment. He quickly raised his hand towards the fading clones, and just as before, the azure light flowed from him into their forms, solidifying them once more.

A screen flashed before his eyes:

[Clones' Energies]

[200 out of 200]

His eyes widened slightly as he noticed the increase. The clones' energy capacity had doubled, and he realized with a thrill that his own power must have increased by an even greater margin.

"I think my strength is double my replicas'," he murmured to himself, satisfaction lacing his words.

His clones, now fully restored, stood ready by his side. With a nod, the three of them ventured deeper into the dungeon.

The narrow pathway ahead was lined with webs, and soon enough, the source of those webs emerged. Ash-bodied giant spiders, their many eyes glinting with hunger, descended upon the group. One of the spiders lunged at Seung, but he was ready. He leapt high into the air, his body twisting gracefully as he brought his blade down in a swift, clean arc. The spider's body was cleaved in two before it even hit the ground.

These creatures were minor nuisances, their purpose clearly to overwhelm intruders through sheer numbers. But Seung had no intention of being bogged down by such tactics. They had a boss to defeat, and he wasn't going to waste time on lesser threats.

'Activate Shadow Manipulation!' he commanded in his mind.

The Shadow Blade in his hand began to glow with a menacing, lightning-like energy. As it did, dark umbras rose from the ground, coalescing into shadowy forms that lashed out at the spiders. The creatures had no chance, their bodies crumbling into dust as the shadows consumed them.

Seung and his clones moved forward, stepping over the fallen monsters without a backward glance. The further they went, the more creatures they encountered, but each was swiftly dealt with, their presence barely slowing the group's progress.

Step...

Swoosh...

Hiss...

"Stop, guys," Lee Seung ordered, his voice tense. His sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, a growing unease settling in his gut. Something was off. The air had grown thicker, almost oppressive, and there was a metallic scent that stung his nostrils. His heart skipped a beat as he realized what this meant.

'Have we reached the boss chamber?!'

Ahead, the passage opened into a large, glowing entrance, its edges lined with crystalline formations that emitted a faint, eerie light. The sandy floor crunched beneath Seung's boots as he approached, every step echoing in the silence.

'Is this…?'

Bang!

A deafening crash reverberated through the chamber, causing the ground to tremble beneath his feet. Seung's breath hitched as his eyes locked onto the source of the noise. Something massive had dropped inside the chamber.

His heart pounded in his chest as he stared into the brightness beyond the entrance. Unlike the rest of the dungeon, this chamber was bathed in light, a clear indication that something powerful lay within.

'The boss may be the strongest in this dungeon, but it's still an E-ranker,' he reminded himself, forcing his nerves to steady. He straightened his back and walked through the entrance, determination hardening his resolve.

'Why should I be scared of a relatively weak monster? Bring it on. I can't wait for more fun.'

But the moment he stepped into the chamber, his confidence faltered. The air was stifling, as if an invisible force had gripped him, rooting him to the spot.

"What the hell…?" he whispered, eyes wide with shock.

Wham!

A powerful force slammed into his side, and before he could react, he was sent flying across the chamber. His body collided with the crystalline wall with a sickening thud, the impact forcing the air from his lungs in a painful gasp.

* * *

In the Dongwon Guild, Kang Wonsik stood before the guildmaster's desk, his posture rigid with respect. The guildmaster, a man with chubby cheeks and an air of authority, glanced up at him, his expression unreadable.

"Has Choi Minho given you a call since that day?" the guildmaster asked, his tone laced with frustration.

"Not at all, Guildmaster," Wonsik replied, his hands clasped behind his back. The tension in the room was palpable, and when the guildmaster sighed heavily, Wonsik knew what was coming.

"Are you really going to sue him if he fails to pay by the end of this week?" Wonsik ventured, carefully neutral in his tone.

The guildmaster leaned back in his chair, a contemplative look on his face. "I believe he doesn't want to rejoin the guild, so he's most likely to pay back his loan. Just wait for him to turn up, and then the suspense will be over."

"Noted, sir," Wonsik said with a respectful bow.

* * *

Back in the dungeon, Lee Seung's clones quickly helped him to his feet. He winced, feeling the lingering pain from the impact, but his eyes were already scanning the chamber.

What he saw stole the breath from his lungs. The floor was littered with corpses—dozens, no, hundreds of them. They were Hunters, just like him, their bodies twisted and broken, a grim testament to the monster's power.

At the center of the carnage stood the creature responsible. It was a nightmare made flesh, a twisted amalgamation of a lion, a dragon, and a serpent. The beast's body was a chaotic blend of scales, fur, and sinew, its presence exuding a malevolent aura. Above its head, a screen displayed its name: Golden-eyed Chimera.

Seung's gaze shifted to the chamber walls, which were lined with massive crystals that seemed to pulse with a soft, ethereal light.

'Aren't these mana crystals? Being the boss is something, huh?'

The Chimera's roar shook the very air, a sound so powerful it made Seung's bones vibrate. A strong breeze whipped through the chamber, but he and his clones stood their ground, their eyes burning with fierce determination.

"You have to be stronger than this to defeat the three of us!" Seung shouted, stepping forward, his voice echoing in the vast chamber. "I mean… I am gonna kick your BUTT!"

His clones surged forward, engaging the monster with ruthless efficiency. But as Seung watched, he couldn't shake the unease gnawing at his gut. The Chimera was strong, far stronger than he'd anticipated. It was absurd to call it a mere E-rank boss when it was proving to be anything but weak.

'The points added to my stats when my clones leveled up is actually something…'

He rolled his dagger in his hand, watching as the blade spun faster and faster, until it was little more than a blur. With a practiced flick of his wrist, he sent the weapon flying towards the Chimera's head—the one spot where even the strongest monsters were vulnerable.

But instead of piercing flesh, the dagger bounced off with a metallic clang, clattering to the ground at Seung's feet.

His heart skipped a beat, his eyes widening in disbelief. "The dagger… bounced off?"

He stared at the weapon, then back at the Chimera's head, which was as unscathed as if nothing had happened.

Sigh…

Meanwhile, the Chimera was still locked in combat with the clones, who attacked it with relentless fury. But despite their best efforts, the monster was barely slowing down.

"I'm going to create a blind spot on the monster," Seung muttered, picking up his dagger with renewed determination. "Then I'll make a sneaky attack."

He leapt into the air, landing nimbly on the Chimera's massive, scaly leg. He dashed upward, using the creature's body as a springboard to gain height. As the Chimera roared again, sending another gust of wind through the chamber,

Seung gritted his teeth and pressed on, determined to strike at the beast's eye.

But just as he was about to deliver the final blow, something went terribly wrong. His body froze mid-air, as if an invisible hand had seized him, locking his muscles in place.

'Hum… yish… what's happening?! I can't… I can't move!'

Panic surged through him as he struggled against the unseen force. It felt as though his very breath was being squeezed out of him, his chest tightening painfully.

Before he could react, a powerful force sent him hurtling backward, slamming him into the crystalline wall with bone-rattling force.

"Argh…" he gasped, pain lancing through his body.

The Chimera, now free from the clones' assault, turned its attention back to Seung. It roared once more, and the sheer force of it sent the clones crashing into the walls as well.

"D*mn it! How's this monster so strong?" Seung growled, wiping the blood from his face, his mind racing to find a strategy.

Suddenly, the bodies of the fallen Hunters began to glow with an eerie blue light. Seung's heart raced as he realized what was happening. The Chimera was absorbing their mana, drawing strength from the very souls of its victims.

'It has absorbed their mana! Screw this, I am not gonna die in this kind of place! A monster can't decide my fate!'

Gritting his teeth, Seung clenched his fists, determination burning in his chest. But before he could act, a reddish energy erupted from the Chimera, snaking through the air like living tendrils. The energy wrapped around Seung's neck, lifting him off the ground, its grip tightening like a noose.

"What… do… I do?!" Seung choked out, his vision blurring as the energy began to siphon the mana from his body. He could feel his strength fading, his life force being drained away.

His heart pounded in his chest as the blue light from his clones began to fade as well, their mana being sucked into the Chimera's insatiable maw. The realization hit him like a physical blow: he was going to die here if he didn't do something—anything—to stop it.


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Kutley Kutley

please use your stones to show that you are following this novel.

Chapter 20: Jiwon makes a request

Seung's heart pounded in his chest, the rhythm quickening with each second as anxiety constricted his throat. He could feel the raw power surging around him, suffocating him, rendering him frozen as if his limbs had been shackled by fear itself. The monster before him, a hulking mass of fury and claws, was draining their mana with a relentless force.

Panic clawed at his thoughts.

'It's absorbing our mana! Am I going to die here?' The question screamed through his mind, but he found no answer, only the numbing coldness of dread.

Suddenly, the screen flickered to life with a message that brought a spark of hope. His eyes widened as he read:

[Blocking external attack...]

[Completed. You can continue the fight now.]

Seung stared at the monster, and a slow smirk crept across his face. "What an idiot," he muttered, a new confidence settling over him.

The azure light that had encased them flickered out, along with the dungeon boss's menacing reddish aura. Without its power, the monster seemed to deflate, and Seung, along with his clones, crashed to the floor with a bone-jarring thud.

"Yagrhh!" The monster roared in fury, lashing out with a massive blow that sent tremors through the ground. Seung barely had time to roll out of the way, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His clones, echoing his movements, scrambled to their feet, their faces pale but determined.

'We're on the same page,' Seung thought, a fleeting smile tugging at his lips. This was no time for second thoughts. He gripped his dagger tighter, feeling the weapon thrumming with elemental energy, a crackling promise of the power within. With a sharp intake of breath, he propelled himself toward the monster's eyes, his target clear.

The air whistled around him as he closed in on the beast's face, his dagger poised for the killing blow. The weapon gleamed with a deadly light as he brought it down with a cry,

"Go to HELL!" The blade sank into the creature's bulging eye with a sickening squelch, causing the Chimera to thrash wildly, its pained roar reverberating through the dungeon.

Despite the violent shaking, Seung clung to the creature's head, his knuckles white as he fought to maintain his balance. The beast's screech echoed off the dungeon walls, but Seung's resolve hardened. His gaze flicked to his clones, who were already on the move.

"If you guys aren't tired, let's finish this hunt already!" Seung's voice rang out, his determination cutting through the chaos.

"Yes, sir!" The first clone's voice was strained, but his resolve was unyielding. With a fierce yell, he drove his dagger into the monster's body. The sound of the blade tearing through flesh was followed by a spray of green blood, the sickly fluid splattering across the ground as the Chimera snarled in agony.

The second clone didn't hesitate, his own blade carving deep, jagged lines into the dungeon boss's hide. The monster's roars grew weaker, its body trembling as the trio reassembled in front of it, their breathing heavy but synchronized.

The Chimera, now a cornered beast, snarled in defiance. The air around them thickened once more, the pressure building as if the dungeon itself was holding its breath.

'I will finish this immediately!' Seung's resolve crystallized. His grip tightened around the hilt of his dagger as the screen blinked, displaying the activation of his skill: 'Light Speed.'

In an instant, Seung was gone, a blur of motion. The next moment, an azure light slashed through the air, slicing clean through the Chimera's neck. The severed head tumbled to the ground with a resounding thud, followed by the colossal body collapsing lifelessly behind it.

Silence descended on the chamber, broken only by Seung's labored breathing. He stood there, back turned to the monster, dagger clutched against his chest.

"I have... wheh, I have done it... right?" His voice was a whisper, disbelief and exhaustion mingling in his tone.

He turned, eyes fixed on the massive corpse. As the reality of his victory sank in, his lips curled into a wide grin.

"I knew an E-ranker is just a punching bag for me," he chuckled, though the weariness in his voice was undeniable.

"Aigoo," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "but I was pushed to my limit to defeat it. I should train and hunt more frequently from now on; besides, it may not be long before I find a C-rank dungeon."

Outside the dungeon, Mr. Choi paced nervously, his hands gripping his waist as he stared at the portal, worry etched on his face. He couldn't shake the ominous words the soldiers had shared earlier.

"Even though this is a weak dungeon, no Hunter has been able to defeat it."

"It means no adventurer has ever stepped out of the portal."

"I don't want to believe anything," Mr. Choi muttered to himself, swallowing hard as he kept his gaze fixed on the portal. His thoughts were interrupted by the presence of a soldier standing behind him.

"Excuse me, sir," the soldier began, his tone casual, "Do you mind if we go inside to clean up? It's been over an hour since..."

"Please wait a bit longer," Mr. Choi cut him off, his voice firm, his eyes never leaving the portal.

A sharp sound pierced the air—Twish! —and suddenly, there was movement.

"The Hunters are coming out!" someone shouted.

Mr. Choi's heart leaped in his chest as he spotted figures emerging from the portal. He grinned widely, relief washing over him as he recognized Seung and two other men, their faces obscured by masks.

"There's so many people here," Seung remarked, a hint of surprise in his voice as they approached Mr. Choi.

"What took you so long?" Mr. Choi asked, his voice tinged with concern. "I was worried about your safety..."

"You need not worry, Mr. Choi," Seung replied softly, "I will always be safe because my clones are with me."

With that, the four of them climbed into the red Range Rover and drove away, leaving the soldiers and the maintenance team to their work.

* * *

As the car rumbled down the road, Seung leaned forward, asking Mr. Choi to drop him off at his previous apartment instead.

"Is there something you forgot to take when leaving?" Mr. Choi asked, curiosity lacing his words.

"Nothing specific. Besides, it's already been demolished."

In no time, they arrived at his former neighborhood. Seung's eyes were drawn to the spot where his apartment once stood, now reduced to a heap of rubble. He sighed, shrugging off the weight of the past as he entered Mister Song's shop.

The old man was just about to leave when Seung greeted him. "Good afternoon, Mr. Song."

"Ah, Seung," the old man smiled warmly, "How are you doing?"

"Fine," Seung replied, his gaze sweeping across the shop. "Ahjussi, are you locking up because you're going out?"

The old man nodded, explaining that his granddaughter would take care of the shop in his absence. Seung murmured a quiet "Thank goodness," though the reason for his relief remained unspoken.

As he ventured further into the shop, Seung noticed that no one was around.

"I thought he said she was inside..." he whispered to himself, puzzled.

A soft, feminine voice broke the silence. "By any chance, are you here to ask for forgiveness?"

Seung turned, finding himself face-to-face with a slender figure—Mister Song's granddaughter. Her posture was graceful, her presence commanding, yet her voice carried a gentle warmth.

"Ahh, you... I didn't know you were inside," Seung fumbled, forcing a smile. But his eyes were drawn to hers, her gaze so expressive that it held him captive for a moment.

She said nothing, simply taking a seat nearby. Seung hesitated before joining her, maintaining a respectful distance.

"Uhm, something important came up that day I left you at the restaurant. You don't find it insulting, do you?" Seung asked, though he already knew the answer he feared.

Jiwon pressed down on the chair, her eyes drifting into the distance as if searching for something unseen. After a long pause, she spoke, "Normally, it would be. But you said you had to attend to something quickly, so we are good..."

Seung raised an eyebrow. 'Why is she speaking as though we have known each other for a long time?' he wondered.

Silence settled between them, heavy and awkward. Jiwon seemed lost in her thoughts, staring at nothing in particular, while Seung stared at his feet, cursing the silence that stretched on.

'D*mn, is no one going to sp...?'

His thoughts were cut off as Jiwon finally spoke. "That I told you it doesn't matter doesn't mean I have forgiven you. I had to pay for your noodles when you didn't even eat them."

Seung winced internally, realizing she was asking for something in return. But what did he have to offer?

"You're the top student at school..." Jiwon began, a grin tugging at her lips as she leaned slightly closer, causing Seung to shift back instinctively. "...so could you please be my personal tutor?"

"A-a personal tutor?" Seung stammered, straightening up and clearing his throat. He hesitated, "Why would you ask your mate to be your personal tutor?"

"That may be true, but you're more knowledgeable than anyone else in school," she replied softly, her voice laced with sincerity.

Seung could see she was genuinely in need, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of responsibility.

"Just be my tutor till the final exams are over. Please..." Jiwon pleaded, her hands clasped together in a gesture of earnestness.

Seung's mind wandered back to when she called him the most knowledgeable student.

'So she knows me as the top student, not the one always being bullied? What a relief!'

Eventually, he agreed to her request, promising to get back to her after he rescheduled his plans. As he left the shop, the weight of the day's events settled over him, his body aching with exhaustion.

When he finally returned home, he gave his clones their orders—one to work out, the other to clean the house. "They can't just be eating my money away," he muttered to himself.

Collapsing onto his bed, Seung was about to drift off when his phone vibrated, pulling him back to reality.

Ding...ding...ding...

He picked it up, his eyes widening at the notification.

[Account balance: seven hundred million one]

[About $623,000]

"Yahoo! Whoa!" he shouted, leaping off the bed. He threw his fists into the air, a grin spreading across his face. With that kind of money, he could finally have a proper meal, maybe even buy a few things he'd been eyeing for a while.

Seung sat back down, still smiling, when a thought crossed his mind. After killing the E-rank boss, he remembered the mana crystals scattered across the chamber. He knew he couldn't absorb them into himself, nor could his clones, so he had drained the mana to enhance his weapon instead.

'Switch to Residue section,' he commanded mentally, and the screen displayed the mana in its solid form—a pure white crystal, different from the red one he had seen before. He had no idea why the mana was different, but he felt certain it would improve his weapon.

[External mana absorbed: 5000]

"Now, let's upgrade Shadow Blade," Seung murmured, excitement bubbling in his chest. "I can't wait to see what new skills I can unlock."


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Kutley Kutley

Thanks for the support, guys. You guys are the best.

Our hero tonight is Training _I_am, thumbs up for he/she. This person marks the beginning of a new title.

[Training_I_Am — F-rank Hunter]

-----

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