Taking the lead (2)

The path to this point hadn't been as difficult as I had imagined.

The group I entered the dungeon with wasn't made up of the most skilled warriors or brilliant strategists.

And yet, they worked surprisingly well together.

Now, positioned at the back of the party, my role was reduced to killing a goblin here and there.

The number of monsters reaching me had dwindled.

The flanks were better organized, after all.

At least there was that.

''To your left!''

Doyun and Minseok moved like predators toward the remaining goblins.

There were only four.

Nothing that required any real effort.

Minseok struck first.

His spear sliced through the air with precision, the tip piercing the throat of one of the goblins before it could even process the attack.

A clean kill.

The creature let out a choked gasp, eyes widening as it collapsed to its knees.

Doyun followed right after.

His blade gleamed as it cut through flesh and bone, severing the arm of another goblin.

The monster howled in pain, stumbling backward—

Fatal mistake.

Minseok twisted his spear, driving it deep into the goblin's exposed chest. The impact silenced its scream instantly.

The last two goblins exchanged glances.

Desperation.

Panic.

They tried to flee.

Another mistake.

Doyun lunged forward like a shadow, his sword carving a bright arc through the air.

A goblin let out a gurgling sound as the blade tore a deep gash across its back, the force of the strike sending it crashing to the ground before it could take another step.

The last one still tried to run, its eyes wide with pure survival instinct.

Minseok didn't give it a chance.

With a swift motion, he spun his spear in a downward arc, the tip driving straight into the goblin's chest, sinking in all the way to the shaft.

The monster shuddered.

Let out a gurgling breath.

And fell dead.

The dust settled.

The fight was over. No complications. No real resistance.

''Good work guys!''

The rest of the group remained at ease, not even bothering to intervene.

I glanced around, assessing the situation.

That's when I noticed Song Hana staring at me.

I looked away.

Instead of returning her gaze, I focused on collecting the mana cores from the fallen creatures.

The blade sliced through flesh and skin effortlessly.

With a bit of practice, it was easy to locate the glowing stones embedded within their bodies.

As I finished the last extraction, Kang Jisoo approached.

''You've got a knack for this,'' he remarked, watching my work. ''You cut fast and find the cores without wasting time.''

I smiled.

''Thanks. It takes some effort.''

But I didn't take it as a compliment.

This was disguting.

Disgusting shit.

Who, in their right mind, would dream of being just a porter?

Instead of fighting at the frontlines, I was here, digging stones out of goblins' guts.

I stood up, wiping the blade against the ground, just as Hana approached me.

She didn't need to heal Minseok or Doyun since neither had been injured.

So what did she want with me?

''You know, so far, you're the only one who's actually gotten hurt.''

Her voice had a light tone. Amused, even.

I blinked.

''Yeah, well... I like to keep things balanced. Being the most incompetent in the group must help morale.''

Hana let out a short sigh—half a laugh, half exhaustion.

''You have a special talent for being dramatic.''

''I need to stand out somehow.''

I shrugged.

She shook her head, but there was no annoyance in her expression.

For someone who had carried a serious aura up until now, she was surprisingly laid-back when she wanted to be.

Before the conversation could go any further, Jisoo clapped his hands, drawing the group's attention.

''Everyone in position.'' He scanned us one by one. ''We've been here for a while now. If my intuition is right, the boss should be close.''

The group reorganized.

Jisoo gave out basic instructions.

He also took his time to praise the others.

And then, finally, his eyes landed on me.

He hesitated for a second before speaking.

''Liam was...''

A pause.

''...fine.''

I looked at him, expressionless.

He had to be messing with me.

''Follow me.'' He gestured toward the darkness ahead. ''Let's finish this.''

Jisoo led the way, and the group moved in silence.

Strangely, we didn't encounter any more goblins along the way.

No rustling, no glowing eyes peering at us from the dark. Nothing at all.

How long had we been walking?

Hard to tell.

My eyes narrowed as I spotted something ahead.

The others did the same.

But while I struggled to make out the shapes, they seemed to have no trouble at all.

And then, we saw it.

Unlike the rest of the cave, where the ceiling was jagged and moisture dripped down the stone, the area before us looked... built.

A massive door loomed in the distance.

It was ancient, made of dark, heavy stone, with carvings twisting across its surface.

Strange symbols were etched into it, worn down by time.

The material looked sturdy, but what stood out the most was its sheer size.

Too big for a goblin. Too big for a human too.

The group halted before it.

Jisoo's gaze swept over the structure, his expression unreadable. Then, he turned to us.

''Check your equipment.'' He was firm.

I heard the metallic clicks of swords being adjusted, the tightening of quivers, the rustling of leather gear being secured.

I tightened my grip on my spear, inhaling deeply.

Jisoo gave a nod, satisfied.

Then, he stepped forward.

And pushed the door open.

The creaking was deafening.

Dust poured down from the edges, and the dim torchlight barely managed to pierce the space beyond.

A horrible smell hit us like a punch to the gut.

Something dead. Rotting.

My eyes took a moment to adjust to the new environment.

The transition from the damp cave to this place was abrupt.

The ground was no longer rough stone but smooth, ancient slabs.

The ceiling stretched higher, arching over us, supported by cracked columns that looked like they were barely holding up.

And then, we saw it.

Corpses.

Dozens. Maybe hundreds.

Small, green bodies, stacked carelessly, piled like discarded trash.

Goblins.

Or what was left of them.

Limbs torn off. Bones shattered. Entrails spilled across the floor in a grotesque carpet of twisted flesh.

And in the middle of that nightmare, it was there.

A monstrous creature, crouched over a still-warm corpse. Its massive torso was covered in bulging muscles, its grayish-green skin riddled with scars. Its arms were long, fingers thick and clawed.

It ripped a goblin in half like it was nothing more than damp paper.

Flesh tore apart with a wet snap. Guts spilled between its fingers.

''...What the hell is that?'' Hana whispered. 

The creature stopped.

Slowly, it turned toward us.

Glowing yellow eyes locked onto us, scanning, assessing.

Then, its lips pulled back.

Rotten, jagged teeth appeared in a twisted grin.

As if it had just found a better meal.

My grip on my spear tightened. A lump rose in my throat.

I was going to throw up.

But I held it in.

''Formation!'' Jisoo roared, stepping forward.

The others moved instantly.

I backed away.

As far as I could.

And then, the fight began.

The monster moved.

Too fast for something that size.

Jisoo was the first to meet its charge, his axe cleaving downward in a vicious arc. The blade bit into the creature's shoulder, but not deep enough.

The beast snarled, eyes flashing with something almost like amusement before it twisted its massive frame, swinging a tree-trunk of an arm toward Jisoo's head.

He barely ducked in time. The force of the swing howled through the air, missing by inches but kicking up a gust strong enough to send loose debris flying.

Minseok reacted instantly.

His spear blurred, a silver streak piercing into the beast's exposed flank.

The tip buried deep.

The creature let out a guttural roar—not of pain, but of rage.

Instead of flinching, it charged forward, ignoring the wound entirely.

Seok-Min barely yanked his spear free before its massive claw ripped through the air where he had just been.

Doyun didn't hesitate. He darted in from the side.

A clean arc.

Steel met flesh, slashing across the beast's thick leg.

It wasn't deep enough to cripple, but it was enough to make it stagger.

''Now!'' Hana's voice rang out from behind us.

A warm, golden light flared around Doyun.

His breathing steadied, his muscles tensed with newfound energy—a buff.

At the same time, Ilhoon took his shot.

The twang of a bowstring snapped through the air, and an arrow whistled toward the beast's head.

The monster's gaze snapped upward at the last second—

It swayed.

The arrow missed its eye by a hair's breadth, embedding itself deep in its thick shoulder instead.

It barely even flinched.

Ilhoon cursed under his breath, already knocking another arrow.

Doyun, now enhanced by Hana's magic, didn't waste the moment.

His next strike came faster. Sharper.

The sword whipped forward, slashing deep into the wounded leg.

This time, it hit something important.

The beast let out a thunderous roar, its balance finally faltering.

Its knee buckled.

This was it.

Ilhoon nocked another arrow, aiming for the exposed throat.

Doyun stepped in, blade raised for the final blow.

Then—

I heard it.

Something moved.

Above us.

My head snapped upward, and my breath froze in my lungs.

There, clinging to the jagged cavern ceiling—

A second one.

Bigger. Redder.

Its muscles pulsed as if they were about to burst.

And then, it dropped.

I ran forward. I had to stop it.

Time stretched.

I wanted to scream, warn Ilhoon—

But I was too late.

The impact shook the ground.

The snap came first.

The sickening crack of Ilhoon's arm bending the wrong way.

Then, the crushing force.

His bow slipped from his fingers as the monster slammed him into the stone floor.

Its feet sank into his chest.

Flesh gave in. Bones exploded outward in a red mist.

His head was pressed down, crushed into the ground until it was nothing more than a mangled pulp of red.

Silence.

My lungs burned. I hadn't realized I was holding my breath.

The new monster rose, licking its rotting teeth.

Shit.

We weren't dealing with just one boss.

We were dealing with two.