“Can you keep up?”

Using the force of my descent, I swung my sword down with all my might, aiming for the crown of the creature’s head.

Crunch. Crack. Snap.

Even though I had infused my blade with magic, the rock-hard body of the Gigas split cleanly in two without any resistance. Watching the creature slowly collapse, its upper body neatly divided, I landed firmly on the ground.

Thud!

The sound of its fall was as grand as its massive size. Yet, there was no sense of relief from having defeated such a formidable monster. From the first clash, it was clear this creature was no match for me. Still, I felt grateful to my companions for following my slightly unusual orders this time.

“Hyung, you did great.”

Hyun had appeared behind me without my noticing. Though I hadn’t had a chance to look closely, I could see his gloves were dented in a few places. We had mostly restrained the creature’s arms, so he must have been grazed by its tail or body.

Hyun’s eyes sparkled with admiration as he spoke.

“You’re amazing, Hyung.”

“It’s the mages who did well.”

“Even so, I never imagined you’d take it down in one blow.”

“It wasn’t just one blow…”

I trailed off, feeling a bit awkward. Hyun’s expression was becoming increasingly intense, so I quickly moved on. I heard Yujung calling for me to wait, but I ignored her and kept walking.

The expressions on my companions’ faces were quite a sight. Were they really that surprised I took it down with one strike? Regardless, everyone had worked hard, so I spoke in a gentle tone.

“That was an impressive display of magic. Thanks to all of you, we had a great opportunity.”

“Ah… yes… You were amazing too, Suhyun. Ha, haha.”

Shin Sangyong replied with a stunned look, unable to hide his surprise. His change in how he addressed me, from “leader” to my name, was telling.

Ansol let out a sigh of relief. As I glanced around at their faces, I found nothing particularly unusual. Having spent some time with me, they were simply impressed, not suspicious.

However, Shin Sangyong and Jung Hayun were different. This battle had shown them a glimpse of my true power, enough to surpass a first-year user. In other words, they realized I wasn’t like the average user of our year.

After exchanging glances with Shin Sangyong and Jung Hayun, I spoke with a calm demeanor.

“You used a lot of magic. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine… but…”

“But?” Jung Hayun hesitated, her face a mix of conflicting emotions. After a heavy silence, her pale lips parted again.

”…Thanks to us, wasn’t it a bit easier for you?”

Jung Hayun quickly composed herself and answered in her usual clear voice. Hearing her response, I had to suppress a smile. Indeed, she was different from Kim Hanbyul, able to read the situation. It seemed she was willing to wait and see.

Her unexpected reaction made me smile despite myself.

“Yes, it was very helpful.”

“Hehe, I’m looking forward to the next battle.”

The others listened quietly to our exchange. Shin Sangyong seemed like he wanted to say something, but Jung Hayun didn’t give him the chance, so he just scratched his head.

I decided to take a short break. And in that moment, I made up my mind. I would definitely recruit both of them as steadfast members of the clan, like Go Yeonju. Judging by our conversation and the atmosphere, they were likely to accept, but there was always a chance they might refuse.

If they refused… should I kill them?

No, there was no need for that. They could become troublesome enemies, but unlike Go Yeonju, they hadn’t appeared as adversaries in the first round, so I needed to think it over a bit more.

While the group rested, I tapped my fingers on the ground, lost in thought.

In the end, my worries were unfounded.

After leaving the Gigas’s chamber, we opened the remaining two doors in the initial room. One contained a fake Cockatrice, and the other held a horde of enhanced undead.

In terms of difficulty, it went Gigas, Cockatrice, then the undead. However, with our improved equipment and experience from the previous day, we handled them more easily. Of course, my more active participation played a big part, but the group’s growing experience couldn’t be ignored.

“I’m sorry, it seems my predictions were off.”

Shin Sangyong apologized in a dejected voice.

We had crossed the passage connecting the divided space and entered the next area. This room also had three doors, just like the previous one. The previous area had a door next to the passage, but this one didn’t.

I shook my head and spoke in a calm voice.

“It’s alright. We didn’t live in those times, and it’s hard to deduce everything from a single record. The Gigas was a bit of an anomaly, but everything else is going as expected.”

“Haha…”

Shin Sangyong gave an awkward smile at my comforting words. The most important thing to confirm on this floor was the level of the monsters. Sacrificing a hundred humans could summon a complete low-grade demon. The monsters on this floor were inconsistent, but they were definitely stronger than those on the first floor.

“Um, Master.”

“Yes?”

“If you sacrificed a hundred monsters like the Gigas, what level of demon could you summon?”

“Hmm. But that’s not going to happen.”

“Still.”

At Shin Sangyong’s insistence, Vivian pondered for a moment before shaking her head and answering cautiously.

“The Gigas, as Suhyun said, is like a combination of a giant and a basilisk. At that level, you might be looking at a high-grade demon.”

“High-grade?”

I asked sharply, and Vivian quickly waved her hands.

“I-I don’t know. I said it’s not going to happen.”

I snorted and turned away. Did she think “high-grade” was just a name?

For users, demons were categorized into low, mid, high, and top grades for convenience, but the demon world had a strict hierarchy. A high-grade demon would be at least a duke-level figure. Among our group, only I could realistically consider defeating such an opponent. Vivian could fight, but she couldn’t guarantee victory. She’d likely lose eight times out of ten.

And even if one appeared…

“I think it’s time we continue exploring this area.”

I stood up, brushing off my clothes. I could sense a growing unease among the group. Hearing my words, Jung Hayun, who had been calming herself with closed eyes, looked up at me.

She had pushed herself a bit too hard, and her already pale skin looked even more ghostly. Normally, Jung Hayun would manage her abilities wisely, but since the Gigas’s chamber, she had been pushing herself to her limits in every battle.

I had a rough idea why, so I said nothing. These were issues to resolve once the exploration was over.

After a brief rest, the group got to their feet. I led them to a door that felt right, and we moved forward. As we walked, I sensed that the western and northern rooms had activity, while the eastern room was empty.

Since we had chosen the western door first, we could proceed clockwise.

As we walked, a heavy silence settled over the group. Everyone’s faces showed signs of fatigue. But the looming battle with the demons seemed to be causing a subtle tension.

The lack of rewards or items from the second floor also contributed to the mood. Without something to reinvigorate us, each battle would only weigh us down more. Even though we had already hit the jackpot with the items from the first floor, human greed knows no bounds.

Finally, we stopped in front of a massive iron door.

Before opening it, I looked back at my companions. They all turned their weary eyes to me. I sighed briefly and placed my hand on the door handle. As I applied force, the door creaked open with a grating metallic sound. I pushed it wide open.

“Graaah…”

As the door opened, a chilling presence targeted me sharply.

“Protect!”

In an instant, a translucent barrier formed around me. With a thud, the attack dissipated. It was Ansol’s protection spell. I didn’t know when she had prepared it, but I didn’t offer any praise.

While Ansol might deserve recognition, a priest was expected to do this as a matter of course. Her action was simply fulfilling her role.

“There’s a monster. Be careful, everyone.”

After speaking, I raised my sword, ready for another attack. But after the initial assault, nothing else came. We had no choice but to advance.

As I took another step inside, another wave of dark energy surged toward me. Prepared, I swung my sword, cutting through the attack, and moved forward to secure a safe zone for my companions.

Once everyone had hurried inside, I finally had a chance to take a good look at the creature before us. This room was dimmer than the others, but not so dark that we couldn’t make out what was in front of us. And what stood there was…

“A Spirit Knight,” I muttered.

At my words, Shin Sang-yong and Jung Ha-yeon immediately frowned.

“Ugh. This lab seems to be a gathering place for magic-resistant monsters,” Jung Ha-yeon grumbled, clearly irritated.

The creature’s helmet, with its two broken horns, glowed with a cold, blue flame. Its armor was rusted and stained with dark, dried blood. It was far from human. Though most of its body was covered in armor, the little of its face visible through the helmet was unmistakably skeletal.

The Spirit Knight was a tricky opponent, not just because of its physical strength but also due to its magical attacks. It had a natural resistance to magic, making it a formidable foe. That’s why Jung Ha-yeon was so frustrated.

In life, it had been a knight, capable of close combat and magic, with resistance to spells. While it wasn’t quite at the level of a Death Knight, it was still a challenging adversary.

However, all of this applied only to the genuine article.

“Soo-hyun, do you think the Spirit Knight is another product of this lab?” Vivian asked, her brow furrowed.

“Considering they summon demons, it’s not surprising,” I replied succinctly, causing Vivian to frown even more. I glanced at her before turning my attention back to the creature.

“Playing with human souls… It’s something I can’t condone as an alchemist,” she said, her voice trailing off as I stepped forward. The creature seemed to realize that a simple sword attack wouldn’t be enough to harm us and began to close the distance.

“Graaaah…”

“An-hyun, Keeper, Yoo-jung, get behind me. Sol, prepare a binding spell… Mages, support us with auxiliary magic. And…”

I paused for a moment before continuing. Though I wasn’t addressing anyone in particular, the only ones I hadn’t given orders to were the mages.

“Don’t overdo it.”

With that, I charged at the Spirit Knight.

---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=

Hello, this is Ro Yujin.

Well, I’ve decided to release two chapters today.

I realized that even if I can’t post at midnight tomorrow, I can still release two chapters later in the day. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to post right at midnight, but I’ll do my best. :)

It seems some of you are getting a bit tired of the battle scenes in the Ruined Lab. Reading your messages makes my heart ache. Haha. I’ll wrap up the second floor in the next chapter or two and try to finish the third floor as quickly as possible. Thank you. (__)

『 Reader Comments 』

1. MTBear: Oh, really? I just love bears so much. Bear bear bear. :) Congratulations on being first. Maybe you could introduce me to a bear someday… huh?

2. HumanLife: Oh, you made a good choice. I sincerely hope your surgery goes well today. Haha. If the hospital were nearby, I’d visit you. And the work you mentioned is one I also enjoy reading. :)

I can’t argue with FoolishPoet’s critique. While baseless hate and criticism can be countered with explanation and understanding, FoolishPoet’s critique is polite and valid from another perspective. As I always say at the end of my notes, criticism is always welcome. It’s just a matter of differing opinions.

Still, reading your long comment gave me a lot of strength. Thank you. I hope your surgery goes smoothly today. Fighting!

3. GhostWarrior: Oh! It’s the Vice Guild Master! Welcome! (hahaha)

4. GradeRown: It might be much worse than that… no, it definitely is. ㅜ.ㅠ I’m still pondering over it. Haha. Sniffle sniffle… (?!)

5. hohokoya1: After reading your comment, I thought, “Ah, let’s just release today, and even if I can’t post at midnight tomorrow, I’ll write two chapters.” ㄲㄲ I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

6. Ragna-Blaze: Oh! This is fate! So, let’s set a date and have a ceremony… huh?!

7. zjekfksqlc: Yes, as long as the angels have set it, it’s unlikely to exert power over them. However, with Hwajeong included, you can consider the power restored. Hahaha.

8. Evian: Grrr! Grrr! Waaah?!

9. Refill: Thank you. I’m looking forward to that day too. I’m excited to see if I can do it. Haha.

10. DemonEmperor: Thank you for the coupon. (__) It seems you’re living abroad. I’ll keep writing diligently until the day you return. :)

Your recommendations and comments are the driving force behind continuous updates. (This is the truth.)

I always read all the comments repeatedly.

Please don’t feel too disappointed if you’re not mentioned in the comments.

If you’re really curious, send me a message, and I’ll reply!

For now, I’ll take my leave.

I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.

Recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.