12-Q Dungeon was one of the high-level dungeons owned by the Abyss Guild. Naturally, guards were stationed there.

Although there were only three guards, all of them were Awakened. And not just ordinary ones—they were rated as B-Class.

Of course, no matter how important the 12-Q Dungeon was, it wasn’t important enough to assign B-Class Awakened as guards.

The reason was the imminent regeneration. Since the dungeon was close to regenerating, they’d stationed B-Class guards to fend off potential looters.

The guard duty was mind-numbingly boring, but today was the final stretch.

“It’s gotta regenerate today, right?”

“Of course.”

“Man... Playing watchdog for half a month was exhausting.”

“Right? Of all the times, we had to draw the short straw for guard duty.”

“Next time, try drawing better, idiot. Do you always pick the worst luck?”

“Heh.”

While they were chatting idly, several luxury cars approached. Flashy ones at that.

Bentleys, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Rolls-Royces…

“Wow, talk about showing off.”

“Why don’t you buy one? Didn’t you get that contract bonus last time?”

“Spent it all on an apartment.”

“Fifteen billion won?”

“Housing prices aren’t exactly cheap these days.”

“Fair enough.”

The cars drew closer, and the lead Bentley SUV came to a stop.

“Anything unusual?”

“No, sir!”

“And the ether levels?”

“No abnormalities!”

“Open it.”

“Yes, sir!”

As the barrier arm rose and the vehicles leisurely entered the dungeon, the frozen guards sighed in relief.

“Man, that was intense.”

“Tell me about it.”

“But are just those four going in? 12-Q Dungeon isn’t exactly a pushover.”

“They’ll manage with four. Especially since Kim Chul-jun is with them. Anyway, I hope they hurry up and take down the boss monster.”

Just then…

Thud. Thud.

Guard 1 stepped forward.

“Who are you?”

“Is this the dungeon?”

“Yes, but who are you? You don’t seem to be from the Abyss Guild.”

“I have business in the dungeon.”

“Are you a member of the Abyss Guild?”

“No.”

“Then from an allied guild?”

“Not that either.”

“Then are you insane? Do you know where you are? Get lost if you don’t want to die.”

“So, I can’t go in?”

“Of course not. This dungeon is property of the Abyss Guild.”

Seo-jun muttered under his breath, “I didn’t know dungeons could be owned...” Then, rendering the guards unconscious, he headed into the dungeon.

Seo-jun was genuinely impressed. It was a fascinating place where all sorts of monsters mingled together.

The first floor had goblins, the second floor had orcs. And the third floor…

“Krekseg?”

A beast the size of an ogre with golden fur, droopy snout, and tusks protruding like horns. It was a Krekseg.

Screeeeech!

‘These creatures don’t seem to be summoned from the Demon Realm.’

Monsters were generally influenced by demonic energy. They wouldn’t dare resist the aura emanating from Seo-jun’s body.

Yet, they charged recklessly, like moths to a flame.

Seo-jun waved his hand.

Slash.

The charging Krekseg’s body was cleaved in two. The bisected body skidded forward, unable to overcome its momentum.

‘If Kreksegs are here, that means there are other culinary ingredients as well.’

Arutis eggs, Krekseg meat. Perhaps even Gelak, Nyyoz, and Berinita, which he frequently ate in the Demon Realm.

Right there, Seo-jun butchered the fallen Krekseg. Other Kreksegs, watching their comrade being butchered, trembled in fear and didn’t dare approach.

Seo-jun collected the pork belly and loin cuts. Stowing them into his subspace, he left the dungeon.

He’d already gathered the byproducts of goblins and orcs, along with several chunks of magic stones.

And now that he knew Kreksegs inhabited the dungeon, he had no more business there.

As he was about to leave…

Screeeech!

‘Those people?’

That was why he hadn’t climbed further up the dungeon. Seo-jun followed the screams to higher floors.

Kim Chul-jun, the Demon King, stepped out of the Rolls-Royce.

The moment he exited the vehicle, he donned his sunglasses. His female companion clicked her tongue.

“Really? Sunglasses in an already dark dungeon?”

“Do you know how gross it is to get monster blood in your eyes? Plus, it’ll go viral on Entube.”

“Who’s stopping you?”

“Then stop nagging. Sometimes you’re worse than my mom.”

“Just don’t cause trouble this time.”

“Who said I would?”

“You.”

“Whatever. Just don’t get in my way. Today, if you’re a burden, I’ll cut you down.”

“Try it, if you can.”

“I hope I get the chance.”

Kim Chul-jun chuckled as he activated his body camera. The others followed suit.

Their raid videos either went viral on Entube or were purchased by the government for training new Awakened.

As they stepped into the dungeon, Kim Chul-jun tapped his female companion’s shoulder with his spear.

“Ice Queen.”

“I told you to stop calling me that.”

“Why not call the Ice Queen the Ice Queen? Should I call you Salty Queen instead?”

“Let’s not talk. Talking to a middle-schooler is pointless.”

At that moment, their sword-wielding companion approached Kim Chul-jun.

“Hyung, something feels off.”

“What?”

“The ether reaction device.”

The needle was fluctuating wildly. Chul-jun dismissed it casually.

“That always happens when a boss monster is about to appear.”

“I know, but it’s never been this erratic before.”

“You’re such a coward. How do you even do this job?”

“…”

“It’s nothing.”

“If you say so.”

“Stop frowning.”

“Yes, hyung.”

Kim Chul-jun wasn’t overly concerned. That is, until the boss monster appeared.

“A Hydra?”

The Ice Queen’s voice quivered with shock. The same was true for the others, including Kim Chul-jun.

“How…?”

12-Q Dungeon was a Grade-2 dungeon. Though high-ranking, it was a stabilized dungeon, and the boss monster had always been a Skeleton Knight.

The magic stone and shield obtained from defeating the Skeleton Knight were valuable guild resources.

But a Hydra, an ungraded monster?

“Snap out of it!”

Chul-jun’s shout jolted everyone back to their senses. Despite their panic, they were elite members of the Abyss Guild.

Screeeech!

At that moment, the Hydra lunged. Kim Chul-jun raised his shield just in time to block its venom.

Sizzle.

“Hyun-woo, cast a speed buff on me and the Ice Queen! Gyeongmyung, stand by! I’ll tank it!”

“Hyung, it’s too dangerous!”

“There’s no other way!”

Chul-jun sprang forward, narrowly dodging the venom thanks to the speed buff.

As he closed in, he used his shield to block the Hydra’s attacks and shouted, “Ice Queen, Blast!”

The Ice Queen’s Blast erupted. It should have momentarily staggered the Hydra, but…

It was unscathed. Even after taking a direct hit from the Blast!

There was no time for despair.

Screeeech!

The Hydra turned its venomous wrath on Hyun-woo. Although he cast a shield spell on himself…

Sizzle.

The shield melted instantly. The venom seeped through the gap.

“Aaaaaargh!”

What made the Hydra’s venom terrifying was its endless, excruciating pain. Like a napalm bomb that wouldn’t extinguish.

Hyun-woo’s screams filled the air. The Hydra’s smug expression seemed to say, “Now, it’s your turn.”

GyeongmyungGyeongmyung froze in place, and the Ice Queen was no exception.

This couldn’t be the end.

“Snap out of it! Ice Queen, cast Hellfire on me! Gyeongmyung, cover me with rapid-fire arrows!”

“You’ll die!”

“Do it now!”

As the Ice Queen’s Hellfire roared and Gyeongmyung’s arrows flew, Kim Chul-jun used the edge of his shield to sever the Hydra’s heads.

Blue blood spurted out, and the Hellfire hit its mark, followed by Gyeongmyung’s poison-tipped arrows.

Screeeech!

The Hydra screamed in agony. The attacks seemed effective—or so they thought.

Growl.

The Hydra’s wounds regenerated rapidly. Its nine heads fused into one.

‘This has to stop…’

With nine heads, they had a fighting chance. But with one, it was a different story.

As he tried to move, exhaustion overcame him. Sleep claimed him, and Chul-jun collapsed.

Before losing consciousness, he saw a shadow.

As he was collapsing, a black shadow entered his field of vision. And then—

“Let me just take some venom.”

An utterly insane statement.

Having subdued the four, Seo-jun walked leisurely into the cavern. By now, the Hydra had fully merged into a single form, its tongue flicking menacingly.

Ignoring the creature, Seo-jun approached one of the poisoned individuals. The man's right arm, struck by venom, was bubbling as if boiling. It was said that a single hit from the Hydra’s venom would leave a person in eternal agony—feared even by dragons.

‘Lucky.’

If the afflicted person could hear that thought, they might have been dumbfounded. But Seo-jun genuinely thought so.

Because...

Swish

With a mere gesture, the bubbling and roiling arm calmed down.

The Hydra, witnessing the scene, widened its eyes in disbelief.

How?

“You don’t seem to be from the demon realm either.”

“Kiieeek!”

The Hydra lunged, only to have its neck caught mid-air by Seo-jun. Was it out of frustration that a mere human had managed to seize its throat? The Hydra unleashed its venom in retaliation.

Seo-jun began collecting the venom in glass bottles.

“Good.”

“...?”

“Don’t stop. Keep going.”

“Kiiieeek!”

“More. More. More. More. More.”

“Kiiieek?”

“I said, spit out more.”

“Kihek-hehk-hehk!”

“All done?”

The bewildered Hydra nodded hesitantly.

Crack!

With a simple squeeze, the supposedly immortal Hydra extended its tongue one last time and collapsed, dead.

Casually accomplishing the impossible, Seo-jun secured the filled glass bottles. Packing all twelve bottles, he finally left the dungeon.

Back in the dungeon.

The first to regain consciousness was Kim Chul-jun. Scanning his surroundings, his eyes went wide with shock. The Hydra lay dead.

‘Did... I kill it?’

No, that couldn’t be. He had struggled merely to fend off the creature’s attacks. The idea of killing it was laughable.

“Ugh.”

“Uh... Hyung, are we dead?”

“No. We’re alive.”

“Ahhh!”

Gyeongmyeong screamed at the sight of the Hydra’s corpse and fainted again. The Icep Queen approached and tapped the Hydra.

“It’s... dead?”

“R-really?”

“Yeah.”

“H-how... did you kill it, Hyung?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know? How’s that possible?”

“I woke up, and it was already dead.”

“That makes no sense... Ah, the body cam! We have the body cam!”