It was D-Day.

Sung Joon took a taxi and arrived at the entrance of the dungeon. Besides Ji Seok, he didn’t see any of the other party members. Ji Seok was by himself, smoking a cigarette..

Once a month, Ji Seok’s regular assault team wouldn’t have anything set up, so he’d have to go through the matching for a dungeon run.

Ji Seok heard Sung Joon disembark from the taxi and turned his attention to him.

‘What is this? How did he change so much in just a few days?’ he thought in astonishment.

Since the dungeon run would dirty his clothes, he hadn’t come wearing his luxury items. However, Ji Seok was still astonished by Sung Joon’s change.

“We see each other often,” Sung Joon said, smiling in irritation.

It was only a small provocation but Ji Seok bit his lip.

Ji Seok repressed his emotions and spoke with an awkward expression.

“The dungeon’s on the tougher end today. You should be careful.”

At first glance, it seemed as if Ji Seok was worried about Sung Joon, but Sung Joon felt a weak killing intent from Ji Seok’s eyes and his voice.

‘He’s definitely killed people before,’ his memories seemed to tell him.

His past self had fought on the battlefield for dozens of years and knew how to expertly hide his killing presence.

Sung Joon hadn’t fully realized his past self’s abilities, but he had inherited Presence Detection as well as the ability to sense killing intent.

“Yeah, thanks,” Sung Joon replied and stood by the entrance. Ji Seok caught a glimpse of him and bit his nails.

‘Yeah, that killing intent wasn’t real. I misunderstood,’ he thought.

Ji Seok didn’t know that Sung Joon, due to his past life, was a master at controlling his own killing intent. He reassured himself that he had made a mistake that day, that the killing intent that day hadn’t been real, and smirked.

Thinking that Sung Joon knew nothing, he formulated a wicked plan.

Within ten minutes, the rest of the party members arrived. They introduced themselves simply.

They formed a group of four Combat Hunters and one Healer, and trekked into the dungeon.

“Please take out your Light Drones,” the party leader ordered.

The party took out and activated their Light Drones, brightening the long corridor.

“It doesn’t look as if there are any monsters here. Let’s go,” the party leader said.

Sung Joon remained silent. He thought he’d hide a portion of his abilities unless danger struck.

The party stood in rows, with the spear and shield-wielding party leader in front. Two party members stood behind him, then Sung Joon, and then coincidentally, Ji Seok behind Sung Joon.

‘He might’ve killed some people but he has no idea how to handle his killing intent.’ Sung Joon smirked.

He almost laughed at the clear killing intent he felt.

“There’s a door,” said the party leader.

They walked for about thirty minutes and faced a sturdy steel gate. Then a Hunter from the second row grabbed the handle.

The party leader aimed his spear and shield towards the front and the Hunter opened the gate. The Light Drones moved forward and brightened the room.

“It’s a clearing,” he said.

It was a large clearing with a high ceiling. They saw dozens of stone statues at the edge of the clearing.

“They’re Gargoyles.”

“It’ll be easy.”

Gargoyles, monsters which appeared in C-rank dungeons or higher, appeared as stone statues but when they discovered invaders, became living organisms.

They could easily take on Gargoyles, unlike Living Armors.

“There’re quite a few of them but we have a Healer. We should be fine,” the party leader said.

Everyone nodded. After the party leader had finished checking his weapon, he looked at Ji Seok.

“Mr. Han Ji Seok, please take care of Mr. Kang Sung Joon,” the party leader said.

“Leave it to me,” Ji Seok said, smiling.

“I’m going!” he replied.

The party leader entered the clearing and the Gargoyles immediately awoke. Thus, the battle began. Though the Gargoyles were many, the B-rank Hunters easily repelled them and entered the next room.

The party faced a mix of dozens of Gargoyles and Trolls.

“Ugh!”

“Heal!”

They sustained their first injury. Sung Joon immediately casted Heal. It wasn’t a deep wound, so it healed instantly.

However, it didn’t end with only one injury. There was an Orc Mage mixed in with the monsters, so Sung Joon had to use his Heal constantly.

“Let’s rest here for a bit,” the party leader decided.

They had cleared the second and third rooms. Five hours had passed. The party leader had them rest. Although Hunters transcended humanity, they still felt fatigue.

They took a break and ate something akin to beef jerky.

“Mr. Kang Sung Joon, your healing power seemed enormous. Isn’t the mana consumption extremely high?”

“That’s what I’m saying. Amongst the B-rank Healers, his healing power seems to be in the upper ranks..”

The Hunters appeased their hunger and then grouped around Sung Joon as they complimented his incredible healing power.

“Let’s go,” said the party leader.

Their short break ended and the party pressed on.

The party had been in the dungeon for over eight hours. At some point, they arrived in front of the Boss Room.

While a Combat Hunter opened the door, the party leader covered him. Eventually, the doors opened and the five Light Drones went inside.

The Light Drones brightened up the room and they were able to see the Boss.

“It’s a Twin-Headed Ogre.” the leader cried.

The Twin-Headed Ogre mostly appeared in A-rank dungeons but it could also appear as a Boss in a B-rank dungeon.

They couldn’t afford to get hit by the heavy club in its right hand.

“You’ll die instantly if you get hit by that..” someone said.

Everyone suppressed their anxiety.

“It would be nice if we had a Mage Hunter,” the party leader said.

Since the Ogre was huge, magic would be fatal.

“If you get hit, you’ll die immediately. Be careful. Don’t just rely on Mr. Kang Sung Joon’s Heal.” the leader advised.

“I don’t see any minions.”

“We’ll attack in an extended order.”

“Sounds good.”

The party finished their short discussion. Once they started to move, the Twin-Headed Ogre opened its four eyes. The party members, excluding Sung Joon, ran and surrounded the Twin-Headed Ogre.

“Attack!”

They simultaneously attacked from four directions. The Twin-Headed Ogre aimed at the front Hunter.

“Shit!” the Hunter cursed, rather than screaming. The club hit the Hunter and he flew far away.

“Heal!”

Sung Joon quickly casted Heal. He had seen the Hunter block the club with his sword at the last minute. His body’s bones had been crushed but there was a high chance that he would survive.

“Ugh..!” the Hunter groaned.

The white light shone on him and he groaned. Just as Sung Joon had thought, he was alive.

“Mr. Kang Sung Joon, nice!” the party leader praised, recognizing the situation.

He didn’t speak long, since the battle was still going on, but if Sung Joon’s Heal had been just a tad bit late, the injured Hunter wouldn’t still have been breathing.

“I’ll take care of him.”

As the intense battle raged on, Ji Seok caught the Twin-Headed Ogre’s back. Running up the Ogre’s back, he cut deeply into the back of its neck.

The Twin-Headed Ogre’s posture crumpled and the party leader seized the opportunity and stabbed its abdomen. The Twin-Headed Ogre collapsed.

Finally, a magic stone and a necklace appeared and the Twin-Headed Ogre’s corpse dissipated.

Ji Seok appraised the dropped item. Sung Joon didn’t miss Ji Seok’s eyes fill with greed.

‘It should start soon.’

Sung Joon scrutinized Ji Seok silently. While the party members appraised the item, Ji Seok naturally examined his surroundings and approached Sung Joon.

‘He’s thinking of taking care of the Healer first with a surprise attack,’ thought Sung Joon.

Sung Joon smiled coldly and looked at Ji Seok.

“What’s wrong?” Sung Joon asked.

“I wanted to rest a little,” Ji Seok replied and stood behind Sung Joon. It was the best place to mount a surprise attack, though Sung Joon had already seen through him. All he needed to do was not laugh.

Sung Joon feigned ignorance and walked forward. He could feel the palpable killing intent behind him begin to change.

‘He’s coming.’

When his killing intent reached its peak, Ji Seok drew his sword and stabbed him.

‘He’s fast,’ Sung Joon thought.

He was a lot faster than Sung Joon had expected. He had no time to draw his own sword.

‘Then..’

Sung Joon turned his body and with the back of his hand, parried Ji Seok’s sword.

“Wait.. how did you..!?”

Ji Seok withdrew his sword when his surprise attack failed and immediately retreated.

He couldn’t help but be surprised. A lot of Healers carried swords to protect themselves. That was why he had thought that Sung Joon was just a normal Healer.

However, he had predicted his surprise attack and warded it off? Ji Seok was completely taken aback.

‘I don’t have enough experience,’ Ji Seok thought.

He was supposed to withdraw his sword and follow up with another attack, but instead he became flustered and retreated.

That way, he’d given Sung Joon some breathing room.

Sung Joon drew his sword and smirked.

“T-This killing intent..!?”

Sung Joon’s terrifying killing intent dominated his surroundings.

‘I didn’t mistake it.. it was real.’

Ji Seok had convinced himself that Sung Joon’s killing intent hadn’t been real, that he had misunderstood. He had ignored the killing intent he had felt that day and now he regretted it. Just then, he thought he was a like a mouse facing a tiger and he didn’t dare move.

The thought paralyzed him, whereas Sung Joon was completely relaxed.

“You like hunting people, don’t you?” Sung Joon asked.

It was as if his cold killing intent had enveloped and sharpened his blade.

The Sword Saint’s hunt had just begun.