Chapter 64 – The Next Floor Awaits

The Finishing Blow

The Goblin Chief made one last, desperate swing.

But this time—they were ready.

Joo-hyuk blocked with ease.

Eun-ha moved faster than before.

And Kyung-min?

He didn't need to move.

Because this wasn't his fight anymore.

This was theirs.

And in the next moment—

Eun-ha's blade flashed one final time.

The Goblin Chief's head fell to the floor.

Dungeon Boss Defeated.

—

🔹 [New Title Unlocked!]

🔹 [Loot Acquired!]

The dungeon had been cleared.

And Kyung-min?

He simply turned away.

The Goblin Chief's corpse collapsed, its blood pooling beneath it. The heavy silence that followed was filled with nothing but the sound of ragged breaths.

Kyung-min barely glanced at the notifications.

The others were still catching their breath.

Joo-hyuk had his hands on his knees, his shield arm trembling from exhaustion. Eun-ha was wiping blood from her sword, her expression unreadable. Min-seok looked like he had barely survived.

And Da-jung?

She was still staring at Kyung-min.

Because they all knew.

That fight shouldn't have been won so cleanly.

But it was.

Because of him.

Because he had tilted the balance.

"Next floor."

The Aftermath

Loot materialized near the Goblin Chief's corpse.

Min-seok hesitated before stepping forward, his hands still slightly shaky as he reached for the spoils.

🔹 [Goblin Chief's Cleaver – D-Rank]

(A massive, rusted blade wielded by a powerful goblin leader. High attack power but difficult to handle.)

🔹 [Tribal Goblin Charm – E-Rank]

(An enchanted charm used by goblin shamans. Slightly boosts resistance to debuffs.)

🔹 [2000 Gold Coins]

(Valuable currency found within dungeon corpses.)

🔹 [Goblin Blood Essence]

(A crafting material. Can be used for alchemy or enhancement.)

Min-seok exhaled. "The Chief's cleaver is too heavy for any of us. We'll have to sell it later."

Eun-ha nodded. "The charm should go to Da-jung. It might help if we run into more magic-using monsters."

Da-jung blinked, seemingly surprised but accepted the item without complaint.

Joo-hyuk exhaled through his nose. "That just leaves the gold."

The party turned to look at Kyung-min.

He hadn't moved from where he stood.

Min-seok cleared his throat. "Uh… we're splitting everything evenly, right?"

Kyung-min tilted his head slightly.

Ah.

Right.

That's how normal parties functioned.

His lips curled under his mask.

"…Do whatever you want with it."

Eun-ha's brows furrowed. "You don't want a share?"

Kyung-min shrugged. "I'm not here for loot."

He wasn't lying.

This was never about gold or gear.

It was about understanding team dynamics.

Understanding how to manipulate them.

Min-seok visibly relaxed at his words. "Oh. Alright then."

Joo-hyuk huffed a quiet laugh. "That works for us."

The party quickly distributed the remaining loot, and Kyung-min simply observed.

And as he did—

🔹 [New Title Unlocked – The Catalyst]

(Your presence shifts the course of battle. Allies fight harder. Enemies react differently. The battlefield bends to your existence.)

Kyung-min's brows lifted slightly.

Now that—

That was interesting.

—

Observing Party Dynamics

Min-seok was the type to keep track of loot fairly. He wanted a smooth, diplomatic approach.

Eun-ha had leadership tendencies, making decisions on distribution with a tactical mindset.

Joo-hyuk was practical. He didn't care about small rewards as long as the party remained strong.

Da-jung?

She was the wildcard.

She hadn't protested Kyung-min's presence, but she watched him the most.

She was thinking. Calculating.

Interesting.

Kyung-min mentally filed it all away.

—

The Next Step – A Fork in the Path

As the dust settled, something shifted within the dungeon.

A faint hum vibrated through the air. The stone floor beneath them trembled ever so slightly.

Then—

A stone archway materialized on the far side of the room, its runes glowing faintly with an eerie blue light. A swirling rift-like portal flickered at its center.

At the same time, the stairs leading downward emerged, rough and uneven, descending into the abyss below.

Joo-hyuk straightened. "A checkpoint."

Eun-ha exhaled. "Good. That means we can rest here or leave if we want."

Min-seok wiped his forehead, his exhaustion clear. "Not gonna lie, I'm tempted to go back. We barely made it past the first floor."

Kyung-min didn't answer.

His thoughts drifted.

His butler had told him about this.

A Tower Dungeon's checkpoint system.

A safe zone between floors. A place to recover, regroup—or retreat.

But the moment you stepped onto the next floor, the difficulty scaled.

The same rank of monsters—but higher levels.

More dangerous. More intelligent.

A greater challenge.

And Kyung-min wasn't interested in waiting.

He turned toward the stairs. "I'm going ahead."

The others stiffened.

Joo-hyuk frowned. "Alone?"

Eun-ha's expression darkened slightly. "That's reckless."

Min-seok blinked. "Dude, at least rest for a bit—"

But Kyung-min was already walking.

Da-jung tilted her head, watching him closely. "...You really don't care about teamwork, huh?"

Kyung-min paused for a moment.

Then, without turning back, he simply smirked under his mask.

"I work best alone."

And with that—he stepped down.

—

The Descent – A Familiar Shift

The stairs stretched endlessly below, the air growing colder with every step. Shadows danced along the walls, flickering unnaturally.

Then—

He reached the door.

It stood just like before, an ancient stone frame embedded into the dungeon walls. A single, unmarked entrance.

Kyung-min reached out.

The moment his fingers grazed the surface—

A pulse of energy rippled through the air.

A familiar pull.

And then—

Everything shifted.

The sensation was the same as when he first entered the dungeon. A disorienting wave, as if reality itself had bent for a brief moment.

Kyung-min stepped through.

The door vanished behind him.

—