Thumbs Up, Level Up

Chapter 62

“This special dungeon seems to be at the highest level of difficulty. There is the level limit, the ‘infiltration’ dungeon theme, and the fact that you don’t get the quest unless the dungeon’s information is revealed. There are three conditions to the dungeon.”

“That’s scary…”

As everyone started to understand the current situation, their expression hardened. Their tone was light, but they felt a sense of crisis.

This was to be expected. Even Ji-Cheok had entered this dungeon with the understanding that it was an intermediate one, so this development was beyond his expectation. Ji-Cheok felt like somebody had just banged his head against a wall. Still, he knew the atmosphere had to change somehow. Otherwise, everyone could die of fear, before even fighting any monster

“Even though this situation is unexpected, you are thinking that it is still possible to clear the dungeon,” Ji-Cheok said.

Everyone looked at Ji-Cheok in disbelief.

‘Huh? Why is everyone looking at me?’

“You get what I’m saying, right? Although this dungeon is clearly said to be the highest level, there is still a chance. Isn’t that right, Ji-Han?”

Smirk.

Ji-Han faintly smiled at Ji-Cheok.

[Distinguished Person Jung Ji-Han admires your courage.]

[You have received 3 Likes.]

It seemed like Ji-Han was very moved by Ji-Cheok’s words.

“Yes, Ji-Cheok is correct. We can do it,” Ji-Han said.

“In that case, I have an idea,” Ji-Cheok said.

Everyone kept looking at Ji-Cheok.

“Didn’t you say that the theme of this dungeon was ‘infiltration?” Ji-Cheok asked.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of a saying.”

“What?”

“If there are no witnesses, it’s an assassination.”

Everyone was stunned.

“I’m serious,” Ji-Cheok said.

Ji-Cheok spoke to his teammates very sincerely and seriously.

* * *

Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.?

Hundreds of undead soldiers were marching toward Ji-Cheok. With composed and disciplined steps, the army eventually arrived at the hall where Ji-Cheok’s team was. However, the party was nowhere to be seen. Hundreds of divine undead soldiers began to search the interior of the hall. Skeleton soldiers poke behind the pillars and knocked on the wall. Meanwhile, more soldiers continued to flow in through the passageway. After some time had passed, the holy knight made a bizarre noise.

[It’s above…Find them…]

One of the priests raised its holy staff and prayed. Its bony teeth clattered as it chanted.

[Death…Be…With you…]

As the priest cast its holy spell, a faint glare began to emanate from the bodies of some of the temple soldiers surrounding the priest. Then, something strange happened.

Crack!

The soldiers’ bodies were instantly broken into parts, then merged together. They turned into a giant centipede made of skeletons.

The centipede crawled around the hall and climbed up the walls. The bony creature was moving in a grotesque manner, heading toward a few holes in the ceiling. The enemy had realized that Ji-Cheok and the team had evacuated through the vent in the ceiling! When the centipede reached the vent, it would become a ladder for other undead soldiers to climb up, like death itself drawing near. The sound of the centipede’s legs piercing the walls was akin to the sound of ants marching toward a cicada that had fallen to the ground. The fallen cicada would never be able to escape from the ants, and sooner or later it would be torn to shreds.

That was when the voice of life resounded blasphemously throughout the halls.

“Let there be light.”

Something fell from the vent of the ceiling. It was a big metal ball, with geometric patterns shining on its surface. And just as the voice of life had commanded, there was light.

* * *

“It’s all done.”

Ji-Cheok drew an improvised magic circle. At the center of it was the Mono Bike that had been summoned again after its cooldown, and the teammates were all standing on the edge of the circle.

“This is… Was this possible?”

“Remember when I reported that I learned alchemy by accident? Turns out I can do this kind of thing too,” Ji-Cheok said.

“Huh…”

Ji-Han was very surprised. It wasn’t just him; Ji-Byeok, Mu-Cheok, Ha-Na, and even Seong Kwang were all amazed at Ji-Cheok’s ability.

[Hunters Seong Kwang, Byul Ha-Na, and Jung Ji-Byeok admire your skill.]

[You have received 10 Likes.]

[Distinguished Person Jung Ji-Han is amazed at your unconventional thinking.]

[You have received 2 Likes.]

Everyone sighed in relief at the thought of staying alive, and Ji-Han looked like he was watching something interesting.

“As I said before, if there’s no witness, the answer is always assassination. And there’s a whole group of monsters down there. This is the only solution,” Ji-Cheok said.

“Mr. Um Ji-Cheok… You always surprise me. I admire that.”

“I will appreciate it if you admire me after the plan goes well. To start, I am going to let my qi flow into the bike.”

Imbuing things with qi was something that only Ji-Cheok, a cultivator, was able to do. After Ji-Cheok finished, he looked at Han-Na.

“Next, Ha-Na, please use your skill.”

“Yes sir.”

Ha-Na used one of her support skills, a trap skill that bound the opponents’ movements, on the bike.

“Next is Ji-Byeok!”

“Okay!”

This time Ji-Byeok used her tank skill, which temporarily increased the durability of the bike.

“I guess I’m next.”

Seong Kwang stepped up and used his buffs. His skills increased the mana and qi of the Mono Bike, and also imbued it with divine power.

However, the three forces did not mix; they were just absorbed onto the bike separately. This was how the skill worked.

Only the last step remained.

“Mu-Cheok, if you could,” Ji-Cheok said.

“Okay.”

Mu-Cheok wrote two words on the bike, and these two words became one power.

[Convergence]

As mana, qi, and divine power began to merge into one, the three forces started to also repel each other. Ji-Cheok had expected this to happen. These were different kinds of power that could not be combined normally. What they did was nothing more than forcibly trying to mix up these forms of energy by using skills. Ji-Cheok tried something else.

“Activate, magic circle! May you become one with the power of my will!”

The magic circle on the floor was activated. A stream of light covered the entire team and then it headed toward the bike. With the help of the magic circle, the composition of the Mono Bike changed. While embracing the three powers that were trying to fuse, the Mono Bike collapsed unto itself. Countless particles wiggled and changed shape, eventually becoming a perfect sphere.

Buzzz—Buzzz—Buzzz—Buzzz—

The sphere started to pulsate and vibrate. Ominous green light glowed from the geometric patterns drawn on the surface.

This was a bomb.

“Hyung, this looks like a nuclear weapon…” Mu-Cheok said.

“Hey, is this how it’s supposed to be? It’s beyond my imagination.”

Fear flashed across the face of Ji-Byeok. It wasn’t only Ji-Byeok, but all the other members except Ji-Han.

Buzzz—Buzzz—Buzzz—Buzzz—

Ji-Cheok knew why they were scared. The finished product was emitting an aura beyond imagination. The sheer power emitted every time it buzzed made everyone’s spine shiver. Since Ji-Cheok created it, he also knew that it was going to explode soon.

Crack. Crack.

Right then, he heard something from outside the vent. There was the sound of something gnawing at the starting point where the team had come in. When Ji-Cheok finally saw what it was, he felt as if he had been transported into a horror movie.

‘What the hell is that?!’

It was a centipede that had several skulls attached and many limbs intertwined.

‘Wow, I guess you can be anything if you give up your human form.’

“Leader Ji-Han! Finish this up! NOW!” Ji-Cheok shouted.

“This is very weird, but okay.”

Ji-Han used his skill.

“Stop, until the time comes.”

Ji-Han used his skill on the Mono Bike—or rather on the sphere that had become a Mono Bomb. Immediately, Ji-Byeok started to pump up her muscles.

“Ahhhh!”

She swung her fist that was covered in mana.

Bam!

The sphere bounced out of the vent like a cannonball. Along the way, it also pushed out the disgusting bone centipede that had just entered the vent, and Ji-Cheok could see the Mono Bomb flying out of the vent exit. Ji-Cheok guessed that the Mono Bomb was now falling toward the dungeon starting point where they had arrived.

‘How far did it fall?’

Ji-Cheok was calculating where the sphere would be, and then when he thought it was at the right place he opened his mouth.

“Let there be light.”

And there was light.

* * *

Bishop Graon. He was the highest-ranked among the priests of [He_who_denies_death]. Originally, he wasn’t supposed to come out of the boss room, but now, he was with the undead army. This was possible because the ‘restrictions’ of the dungeon had been loosened to some extent. However, as he saw the ominous sphere falling from the vent, he felt like he was in danger. As he gazed at the sphere that was emitting a downright apocalyptic force, he immediately opened his mouth to shout out an order. He knew if that sphere wasn’t stopped, a catastrophe would happen.

[Attack…]

Unfortunately, his order came too late. The time stop skill that Ji-Han had cast was canceled, and the sphere turned into a bright light in an instant.

There was no sound. The light expanded, illuminating the surrounding areas. It quickly expanded to tens of meters in diameter, causing everything it touched to simply disappear. The energy reached its maximum radius and crushed everything that was in the area. It was so strong that even spirits evaporated without leaving a trace.

Then, it stopped expanding and started to shake.

Then…

BOOOM!!!

An unprecedented explosion engulfed the hall and devoured everything.

* * *

“Wall!”

“Weakening Trap!”

“Oh, Apostle, please save us!”

“Word: Barrier!”

“Stop!”

‘Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh’

Everyone panicked and used their protective skills, to counter the enormous power pouring in from the vent. The wall that Ji-Byeok summoned met the shockwave head-on, and Ha-Na’s skill weakened it. After that, the sacred shield of Seong Kwang and the shield made of Mu-Cheok’s Words overlapped. In addition, Ji-Han’s time-stopping skill was also cast to help out.

“Activate Monoblade!”

Ji-Cheok took out his dual swords and used the Monoblade skill. He stood behind Seong Kwang and Mu-Cheok’s shields.

The power of the explosion tore through the wall of Ji-Byeok and shook the sacred shield and the Word shield. Both shields exploded, having mitigated the shockwave somewhat. The power of the explosion was still heading toward Ji-Cheok, but thanks to Ji-Han’s skill, the explosion was coming slowly. Ji-Cheok swung his Monoblade in a powerful attack that looked like it would ‘delete’ everything in its path.

Boom!

In spite of the shockwave moving slowly, its power was so massive that Ji-Cheok’s entire body was blown back by the impact.

Ji-Byeok grabbed Ji-Cheok from behind. Thanks to her, Ji-Cheok was able to catch his breath. His swing had erased most of the force of the explosion.