## Chapter 106 – (13)
[Hidden Quest Cleared.]
[Lizardman Champion defeated.]
[Acquired skill: Heterogeneous Hunter.]
[Heterogeneous Hunter Lv.1.]
I stared at the newly acquired skill and checked its details.
It was a remarkably simple skill.
The description stated that it would slightly increase physical abilities when fighting against heterogeneous creatures.
I guess I’ll have to experience it in battle to really feel it.
“Are we really going to clear this dungeon?”
“Aish, why did you say that!”
The knight who had excitedly told Dana’s squad leader was beaten by the other knights around him.
Quite strongly.
The reason was that he might jinx it by saying unnecessary things.
I guess they didn’t want to set any flags.
Everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing, though they didn’t say it, as their voices were filled with laughter and anticipation.
Even Dana’s squad leader smirked.
But I couldn’t laugh.
‘It hasn’t appeared yet.’
The creature that injured Dana in the original story, and that Ethan defeated after awakening.
I was starting to believe it was in the deepest part of this dungeon.
Can we really win?
I looked around.
Ethan was growing right now.
Seeing me in action seemed to have ignited something in him, and he was the first to move whenever small fry appeared. He looked better than most knights now.
I had a rough idea of Dana’s combat power too.
She was overwhelmingly strong among the knights, but still a step below me.
Cecile was just average for the knights.
What I was most curious about was the type of magic Lexi could use.
“The most powerful magic you can use?”
“Yeah.”
Lexi pondered my question, then said as if she remembered,
“Flame Spear…?”
Why the question mark?
Lexi gave an awkward smile at my expression.
“It’s a little difficult to use in actual combat…”
The incantation takes a long time, and the probability of missing is high, so she doesn’t use it often.
“Hmm…”
But it must be much stronger than the fireball she showed me before, right?
If we can hit it, there might be hope.
“Huh? What’s that…?”
As we walked deeper into the dungeon, I saw something placed in the middle of the path.
As I got closer, I saw a familiar shape.
Yeah, a dungeon should have something like this.
“I, isn’t that a treasure chest?!”
Someone shouted loudly.
As he said, a golden treasure chest was placed right in the middle of the path.
It emitted a subtle and luxurious glow even in the dark dungeon, so it didn’t seem to be fake gold.
As someone who had seen gold more than enough recently, I could guarantee it.
“Is this… real?”
“…I don’t know.”
Dana’s squad leader shook her head, saying it was her first time seeing something like this, in response to the knight’s question.
Everyone gathered around the treasure chest in a circle, but they just watched without daring to touch it or give up on it.
“A treasure chest just out in the open like this…”
“Isn’t it a trap?”
“But are we just going to leave it?”
“Who knows what will come out…”
Various opinions were voiced, but no clear answer emerged.
I, too, was suspicious of the chest that was so blatantly advertising itself as a treasure chest.
At that moment, Ethan raised his hand.
“I, I’ll open it.”
“Ooh…”
Everyone was quietly impressed by Ethan’s courageous statement.
With his performance in this dungeon, Ethan was gradually gaining recognition from the knights.
Showing courage once again in that situation was enough to elicit admiration.
Feeling somehow proud, I looked at Ethan and nodded.
Ethan also nodded back.
“Let’s leave it to Ethan.”
When I suggested it, the other knights left only Ethan behind and took a step back.
Dana’s squad leader also looked a little worried before taking a step back.
Ethan slowly calmed his trembling hands and placed them on the treasure chest.
And slowly, he opened the chest.
“…”
Everyone held their breath and looked at Ethan and the chest.
They wondered if it was some kind of trap, but it didn’t seem to be.
Ethan looked at me.
“What… is this?”
“…”
At his question, I slowly approached and checked inside the chest.
There was a ring.
It was a ring that had never appeared in the original story.
Of course, since they hadn’t cleared the dungeon this far in the original story.
I picked up the ring and showed it to the other knights, including Dana’s squad leader.
Everyone looked like they didn’t know what it was.
Lexi, the mage, chimed in.
“I can feel a little magic, but it’s not bad magic.”
“…Really?”
I put the ring on my hand as an experiment.
It was something I could do because I trusted Lexi.
And a window appeared before my eyes.
[Acquired Heal LV.1.]
It wasn’t like I cleared a quest or got a reward.
But the message window saying I acquired the Heal skill popped up.
Does that mean it’s the power of this ring?
It was more rewarding than I expected.
“…If you want that ring, you can have it. You’ve been the most active today. What do you all think?”
“I agree.”
“It’s just a ring…”
“Can I have the chest?”
Dana’s squad leader seemed willing to give it to me since I seemed to like the ring.
The other knights also agreed with Dana’s words.
They might be saying it willingly because they don’t know the ring’s ability.
It was a good thing for me.
After acquiring the ring, we walked for a long time, and a door finally appeared.
A door that wasn’t even at the entrance of the dungeon, but was four times the size of a person.
Everyone sensed it.
That there was something unusual beyond this door.
“What should we do? Squad Leader?”
I asked, standing in front of the door, and the squad leader fell into 고민.
Opinions were divided among the knights as well.
And gradually, everyone’s gaze turned to the squad leader, who was looking at the door with her arms crossed.
In the end, Dana’s squad leader had to make the decision.
Whether to go all the way, or to return once and reorganize.
I, too, couldn’t easily make a decision.
Dana’s squad leader seemed to have finished 고민, and slowly unfolded her arms and stood in front of the door.
“We’ll challenge it. Even if we lose, we need to see the guy beyond this door so we can definitely defeat him next time.”
“Yes!”
No knight opposed Dana’s words.
Everyone prepared to face the guy in their respective positions.
Before opening the door, Lexi chanted a spell in advance.
She was planning to slam a fireball as soon as the door opened.
Some knights stood in front of the door.
To open that huge door.
“Are you ready?”
At Dana’s words, Lexi nodded, and several knights who were waiting began to push the huge door.
“Kkeueueueuk…”
“Push!!!”
The weight was considerable, as much as its huge size. The knights were pushing with all their might, even throwing their weapons to the ground, but it opened quite slowly.
Fortunately, I had been doing the three major exercises recently and had increased my strength a little, so I was able to push.
I wondered if Ethan and I should join in, but gray fur was visible through the small gap in the door.
“Everyone, get away from the door!”
“Kruooo!”
Dana’s squad leader’s stern order was issued, and the knights scattered to the left and right.
Then, the guy who was visible through the door gap opened the door with his huge body.
Thump!
Several knights collided with the door and flew away due to the suddenly opened door.
Fortunately, the injuries were not serious, but they didn’t seem to be able to participate in the battle.
It was an incredible brute force.
Not only did he open that thick door with a bang, but he also sent the knights behind the door flying far away.
Lexi threw a huge fireball at the guy who opened the door, as if she had been waiting.
It was a bigger and faster fireball than the ones she had thrown at the Lizardmen before.
Thump!
With a tremendous roar, dust and fiery ashes rose.
Everyone held their breath in the silence that followed the loud noise.
“…”
Everyone looked into the smoke.
Each of them raised the weapon in their hand.
Those who saw the guy through the door gap understood.
That this wouldn’t be enough.
“Kruooo!”
The guy, who was very angry, jumped out of the flames.
His target was Lexi.
I used my internal energy to quickly close the distance and rolled on the floor while hugging Lexi.
“Kyaak!”
Lexi’s shrill scream rang out, and the axe that the guy swung was swung towards the spot where Lexi had been, by a hair’s breadth.
When I looked back, a huge axe was stuck in the floor.
I looked up at the guy.
Minotaur.
The identity of the monster that was the boss of this dungeon and the final boss of the original story.
“Everyone, protect Lexi! Seonghan, Ethan! Aim for his legs with me!”
Dana’s squad leader calmly commanded and raised her weapon.
Lexi got up from the floor and chanted a spell.
It was different from the previous chants.
Because I whispered in her ear while grabbing Lexi and rolling.
To prepare the Flame Spear this time.
Lexi’s eyes shook at those words, but in the end, she trusted my words and began to chant the Flame Spear spell.
Dana’s squad leader, Ethan, and me.
The three of us rushed at him, aiming for his legs.
Hoo Woong!
All three of us reacted and avoided the swung axe, but our steps stopped at its power.
The sandstorm entered our eyes just from the wind pressure of the swung axe.
‘Monster.’
Among all the monsters I’ve ever met, he was the one who best suited that word.
To have that speed with a size that seemed to be 5 meters.
The guy looked down at us and slowly raised his axe.
I, too, infused my sword with internal energy.
It seemed like it wouldn’t be an easy fight this time.
