Dungeon of the Alchemist (2)
“Damn it! More of those wolf bastards!”
“If you’ve got time to complain, get into formation!”
Quickly, I stepped in front of Ansol, pulling Anhyeon into a triangular formation. The number of wolves before us was staggering, far too many to count at a glance. Their menacing growls sent a shiver down my spine.
I bit my lip in frustration. The caravan’s trail had vanished without a trace. The deeper we went, the stronger the trail should have been, but it had abruptly disappeared. I had wandered around, hoping to find another clue, but it was as if the trail had been spirited away. Just as I was about to activate my third eye, the wolves attacked.
Even though these were the infamous wolves of the Black Forest, I was confident I could handle over a hundred of them alone. The problem was the others. They had struggled with just over twenty before, and now there seemed to be twice that number. Though not our first encounter, the sight of over forty wolves glaring at us was enough to terrify the rookies.
“O-Oppa.”
“Don’t back down!”
Despite my shout, Yujeong took an involuntary step back. The wolves howled in unison, and the sound of over forty voices made Anhyeon, Ansol, and Yujeong freeze in fear. I heard Anhyeon muttering something, but there was no time to ask. The wolves were closing in fast.
We were in trouble. There was no time to calm the others. Yujeong and Anhyeon snapped out of their daze and gripped their weapons, but the situation was still dire. I gritted my teeth and drew my sword.
“Ansol, cover me and slowly retreat. I’m leaving the formation.”
“W-What? Oppa? Oppa!”
Without time to explain, I charged forward, sword in hand. The wolves bared their sharp teeth as I lunged at them. I heard screams from behind, but this wasn’t a battle that could be won with mere support. With this many wolves, there was no guarantee the others could keep up. The only solution was to reveal more of my true strength.
The first clash with the wolves began.
With a single leap, I was in their midst, swinging my sword infused with magic. The result was beyond my expectations, even surprising myself. The synergy of my swordsmanship, experience, and latent abilities unleashed a power unlike anything before. With one swing, six wolves were cut down, their blood spraying into the air.
“Protect!”
Ansol’s timely protection spell enveloped me. The wolves, shocked by the loss of their comrades, hesitated. But only for a moment. Still confident in their numbers, a few broke off towards the others, while the remaining thirty focused on me.
I swiftly dispatched two wolves charging from either side, then turned to slice through another leaping at me. Hot blood splattered over me. Glancing at the others, I saw they were holding their own against the attacking wolves. But there were still many left. Relishing the challenge of a difficult battle, I swung my sword again, cutting through the surrounding wolves.
“Yelp!”
Slash!
I wasn’t just taking down one wolf at a time. Two, three fell with each swing, and when I landed a critical hit, six would fall. My sword moved fluidly, as if it had a mind of its own, cutting through the wolves with ease. It was the manifestation of perfect harmony between man and sword.
“Yelp! Yelp!”
Slash! Slash!
With each swing, more wolves fell, their bodies cleaved cleanly. As I turned to face the threat behind me, I felt a sharp pain in my thigh. Swinging my sword behind me, I looked down to see a wolf clamped onto my leg.
“You can’t break through my defenses.”
I whispered softly, driving my sword down into the wolf’s head. Blood gushed from its skull as it fell. Kicking the lifeless body aside, I continued my rampage, a whirlwind of steel and fury. After a while, I noticed the battlefield had grown quiet.
The battle had reached a lull. The initial forty wolves had been reduced to just eight. In that short time, over thirty had been slaughtered. I had shown more of my strength than intended.
As I smiled at the thrill of battle, the remaining wolves whimpered and backed away. Taking a step forward, they turned and fled, yelping in fear.
Where do you think you’re going? Just as I was about to give chase, I heard urgent shouts from behind.
“Hyung!”
“Oppa!”
“Oppa!”
Their cries brought me back to reality. They hadn’t seen my smile, but I realized I had gone too far. What should I say? How should I explain this?
Then, as I looked down, I noticed my body was drenched in blood. The smell of it gave me an idea. It was unfortunate I had to act, but I had no choice. My actions had been excessive, and suspicion often starts with small things. It was best to nip it in the bud.
“Ugh!”
“Hyung! Are you okay?”
Hearing them rush towards me, I feigned retching and collapsed to the ground, making sure to breathe heavily. Coughing up blood would have been perfect, but that might have led to them insisting we turn back.
“Huff, huff!”
Sweat poured down my face as I put on a pained expression. The others looked at me, unsure of what to do. Anhyeon quickly pulled out a potion, while Ansol began chanting a healing spell. Yujeong tried to remove my clothes. What was she doing?
“Hyung! Hyung! Stay with us!”
“Oppa! Oppa!”
“S-Stop it. Just be quiet….”
“Hyung, drink this!”
Anhyeon tried to give me the potion, but I shook my head and waved him off. Yujeong, who had managed to half-remove my shirt, peered closely at my body, then tilted her head in confusion.
“What? There’s no external injury. Could it be… an internal one?”
“Ugh… Please, just let me….”
As I slowly circulated my magic, I noticed the white mist rising from my body and looked urgently at Ansol. If anyone would recognize it, it would be her. Ansol, who had been chanting, paled at the sight of the mist.
“Move!”
“Ah! Why is she acting like this?”
“Move, I said!”
Yujeong flinched at Ansol’s fierce gaze and stepped back. Ansol placed her hand on my chest, channeling her magic into me, likely to assess my condition. I seized the moment to unleash a fierce surge of magic, making it seem like I was struggling to control it.
“Unbelievable!”
“What’s going on?”
“His mana is going berserk. It’s a reversal phenomenon!”
“A reversal? Then….”
“Ahhh!”
Ansol cried out, hugging my face as tears and warm breath washed over me. Anhyeon and Yujeong, understanding the gravity of a mana reversal, stared at me in shock.
“Damn it… I shouldn’t have just stood there…!”
“What do we do… What can we do….”
”…Everyone, quiet down.”
Feeling it was enough, I pretended to struggle to sit up. Ansol, Anhyeon, and Yujeong all looked at me as if I were some kind of superhuman. I sat cross-legged, watching the white mist rise from my body. The others, realizing what I was about to do, quickly stepped back.
“Everyone… keep watch for a moment.”
After watching the kids nodding their heads three times a second, I slowly slipped into meditation. Once I entered a state of contemplation, I could easily lose track of time, so I had to be careful not to delve too deeply. Besides, I had a reason to use my third eye properly, so it seemed like a good time to do it.
The traces were definitely getting stronger, then suddenly vanished in an instant. The most likely explanation was a barrier. However, if it were a barrier, I should have sensed some magical energy, but there wasn’t even a hint of it. It seemed to be a type of path barrier that didn’t react to magic.
I slowly activated my third eye and began to carefully scan the area around the forest.
“Phew…”
After finishing my analysis, I let out a long sigh. It wasn’t as intense as seeing past events during the rite of passage, but it was much more exhausting than simply gathering information. Still, I took comfort in having found the vanished traces and opened my eyes to see two pairs of blinking eyes staring right at me.
Blink.
Blink blink.
Blink?
Blink blink?
”…”
“Oppa?”
“Brother?”
Ahn Hyun was on high alert, spear in hand, scanning the surroundings. Hearing the kids call me, he turned his head, and our eyes met. I could see his mouth slowly drop open in surprise. After gently prying the kids off my face, I managed to stand up.
“Oppa, are you okay? Are you hurt?”
“For now, I’m fine. As long as I don’t overdo it.”
“Hyung, here. Take this.”
“Oh, no. A stamina potion won’t help with mana inversion…”
I wanted to say it was useless, but seeing Ahn Hyun’s face, I couldn’t refuse. In the end, I awkwardly accepted the potion. He seemed determined to make me drink it.
As I uncorked the potion and gulped it down, the kids followed my movements, looking up and down. When I shrugged, wondering why they were doing that, Yoo Jung spoke up with a downcast expression.
“Oppa, maybe we should turn back this time.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I heard from Sol. Mana inversion isn’t something that happens just once. If it’s not treated properly, it could happen again…”
“I told you, I’ve suppressed it for now. We can get proper treatment when we reach the city.”
“But still…”
“Instead of worrying about that, focus on yourselves… Ugh, never mind. Just when I thought you were getting better, you’re back to square one. Didn’t you learn never to back down from monsters? It’s like telling them you’re scared.”
The kids felt a bit wronged, understandably. It was their first time seeing over forty wolves at once. But when I cut them off with a tone that left no room for reconsideration, Hyun and Yoo Jung hung their heads.
They wanted to scold me for running off on my own, for not sticking to formation. But it seemed they knew they were at fault too.
Despite my scolding, the kids still looked worried. I must have grimaced a few times while using my third eye, which was genuinely taxing.
After stretching a bit, I looked at the kids, who were watching my lips intently, and spoke.
“Anyway, we’re not turning back. Especially not because of me. So get your heads straight. I’ll let it slide this time, but if you act like this again, I won’t let it go.”
“Hyung, but… Sol said mana inversion…”
“But nothing. I know my body best. I’m still good to go. Just focus on yourselves.”
Only after I finished speaking did the kids slowly start packing their things. Their faces were still gloomy, as if the encounter with the wolves had completely dampened the mood that had been gradually lifting. Seeing their spirits drop so quickly, I realized the weight of my position.
As I turned to leave, I could feel their hopeful gazes on my back. But I had no intention of turning back. We needed to retrace our steps to where the traces had disappeared and adjust our course.
The reason I couldn’t find the traces was, as expected, due to the path barrier. A barrier that could lead to another world in a single step. The thought of finally grasping the clue to the alchemist’s dungeon filled me with excitement.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
I contacted Joara about the best index yesterday. They said removing favorites intentionally doesn’t affect it. I’m not sure if I misunderstood or was misinformed, but it always feels like someone is messing with the favorites every time I post.
I received news that a relative was in a car accident. They were someone who always cared for me. The problem is, they’re in a critical condition. My father rushed down there, but there’s no news yet. He’s not answering his phone either…
To briefly touch on the comments, Suhyun is currently at the top among users. In any fight, they can maintain an advantage for the first 20 minutes, assuming they go all out. However, stamina is still a limiting factor. Even in a one-on-one, the longer it drags on, the worse it gets.
Stat points are “really” not given out often. That’s why Suhyun was so surprised to receive points during the rite of passage. I think it will be extremely rare to receive stat points through achievements or performance in the future.
As I wrote, my mood seemed to seep into the text, making it quite somber. I tried to lighten it up, but it didn’t seem to help. Even when I tried to joke around, my reflection in the mirror looked frighteningly stern. It’s unsettling how my typing doesn’t match my mood. My mind is a mess.
I always read all the comments repeatedly. Please don’t feel too disappointed if there’s no reply. If you’re really curious, feel free to send me a message, and I’ll respond.
That’s all for today.
I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
Favorites, recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.