Chapter 40: Buffalo Dungeon (4)

“What… what the hell?!”

The guard at the control post stared in horror at the path of destruction before him.

Blood splattered everywhere, filling the air with a thick, oppressive mist.

The remains of beasts piled into a grotesque mountain that nearly blocked the tunnel entirely, stretching over fifty meters.

The guard opened his mouth repeatedly but no sound came out. His dilated pupils struggled to process the scene before him. It took a moment for him to react, to grasp the magnitude of what he was witnessing.

“This… this is cursed. If anyone finds out, I’m done for.”

His face, pale and clammy, reflected his unraveling nerves. He began gnawing at his fingernails, the trembling in his bones betraying his terror.

Something had gone horribly, catastrophically wrong. He had thought those brats were just ordinary students.

His eyelids twitched, and the deep lines of worry on his face made him appear even older, his expression etched with dread.

“I’m screwed.”

The assurances he had given to the instructor now seemed utterly ridiculous. Every single buffalo, frenzied by the magic stone, lay dead—obliterated.

He had worked at the Buffalo Dungeon’s control post for a decade, and no one knew this place better than he did. He had been certain those students wouldn’t survive.

With his face contorted in disbelief, he gripped his head tightly, yanking out tufts of hair as he spiraled into despair.

“Damn it!”

Already plagued by hereditary hair loss, the stress now seemed determined to leave his forehead completely bare.

He owed twenty million won after losing his entire fortune at the Cheorwonland casino, and his creditors were relentless, threatening his life daily.

Then, that woman—calling herself an instructor from Joaquin Academy—had approached him with a proposal.

“If you do me a favor, I’ll clear all your debts.”

She was a slender figure with dark hair and icy violet eyes that chilled him to the bone.

Instinctively, he knew that disobeying her could mean his death.

Her conditions had been bizarre: she gave him a magic stone and instructed him to drive the buffalo into a frenzy, then unleash them on a specific student, Kang Geom-Ma, the moment he entered the dungeon.

She had also ordered him to use the magic stone to open a sealed stone door in the depths of the dungeon—something that had remained locked for as long as anyone could remember.

It was practically an assassination contract, but with his life already in shambles, he hadn’t seen any other way out. With the amount of money promised and the opportunity to keep the stone, which could fetch a fortune on the black market, he thought he could finally turn his life around.

“…I can still fix this… heh.”

Despite the worry etched on his face, he forced a shaky, insincere grin, desperately trying to convince himself.

Smears of blood on the ground formed a trail leading toward the stone door, as if something—or someone—had been dragged there.

“Those damned brats… this time, I’ll finish them for good.”

Spitting into his hands, he slicked back his hair, though a few loose strands fell, soaked with cold sweat.

Gripping his single-bladed axe, he staggered forward, his steps unsteady but fueled by a toxic blend of despair and malice, as he made his way toward the center of the dungeon.

***

“Things seemed to be going too smoothly…”

‘…Damn it.’

Being dragged into a hidden dungeon by the roaring stream of mana that engulfed us was more irritating than shocking.

From the start, why was the dungeon door—which, by all rules, should have been sealed—open as if it were waiting for us? And why did it slam shut the moment we crossed the threshold?

I had a bad feeling ever since noticing the suspicious look on the dungeon guard’s face before entering, but who could have predicted it would escalate to this? I’m no god, after all.

‘That damned guard…’

Even without concrete proof, I could piece it together.

The abnormal behavior of the buffalo, so unlike anything I’d experienced in the game, and the fact that this cursed hidden dungeon was accessible—it all pointed to him.

But a sudden doubt gnawed at me.

The door to this hidden dungeon could only be opened with the “Gigant Mana Stone” a reward item that appeared midway through the game’s storyline.

This special stone was obtainable only after defeating the final boss of the Gigant Dungeon, a pivotal moment marking the transition from the early to the mid-game in Miracle Blessing M.

Though a seven-star item—the second rarest tier out of seven—its description didn’t provide much information.

Players who didn’t consult guides often used it as an enhancement material, unaware it was the key to unlocking this secret dungeon.

And once players discovered its true purpose, they realized there were few opportunities to obtain it again.

The frustration was palpable. This dungeon granted a unique blessing: the “Transfer Blessing.”

This blessing allowed the user to transfer one of their skills into a weapon or item. While it wasn’t inherently powerful as a standalone ability, its potential was immense.

With this blessing, players could adapt Leon’s legendary sword, “Balmung,” to any situation, unleashing its true power.

Miracle Blessing M had hidden a priceless resource in this dungeon, and players who had squandered the Gigant Mana Stone on enhancements couldn’t help but feel cheated.

As usual, the game devs had ignored the complaints, a classic move from their playbook.

Fortunately for me, I’d been so busy with work back then that the stone remained unused in my inventory, sparing me from disaster.

“Hah…”

I exhaled sharply, vapor escaping my lips.

While it was normal for cave-type dungeons to feel cold, this chill cut straight to the bone.

The atmosphere was oppressive, not just figuratively—it was palpable.

My skin prickled under the weight of a malevolent energy, like needles stabbing into my flesh.

I quickly scanned my surroundings and saw my teammates slowly getting to their feet, holding their heads as they struggled with nausea.

Thankfully, none of them appeared seriously injured from being dragged here.

Saki Ryozo’s uniform skirt had torn up to her thigh from scraping along the ground, leaving a slit that resembled a qipao dress. Through the tear, her smooth, unblemished leg was visible—a small relief in the grim situation.

‘We got lucky.’

After confirming that everyone was unscathed, I surveyed our surroundings.

We were inside a vast cavern with a dome-like structure that rose about thirty meters high.

The flickering light of torches lined the walls, casting eerie shadows. At the center of the chamber, something massive loomed in the darkness.

Squinting, I activated the Blessing of the Sword God, and my night vision revealed its silhouette.

A hulking figure sat slouched on a rock that served as a throne.

It was the hidden boss of the Buffalo Dungeon—a Rank A monster—the Minotaur.

Players in the community affectionately referred to it as “King Cow,” due to its resemblance to a friendly boss in another game.

However, its appearance was anything but friendly. With the head of a buffalo and the body of a man, it wielded a massive double-headed axe like a cane.

As a hidden boss, the Minotaur was leagues above the usual field enemies.

Its physical strength was said to rival that of a demon, and though it didn’t use magic, its ferocity alone earned it a reputation equivalent to one.

Standing beside it like loyal sentinels were two smaller Minotaurs, known as the “Left and Right Advisors of the King.”

Though these Rank B monsters weren’t particularly dangerous on their own, their coordination made them a formidable pair.

‘Facing all three at once would be suicide.’

Even with my eyes closed, the aura they radiated seeped into the ground, forcing me to swallow hard.

“…Geom-Ma, what is that?”

Beside me, Chloe, her detection ability undoubtedly picking up the overwhelming presence, tugged on my sleeve.

I pressed a finger to my lips, signaling her to stay quiet. She nodded silently.

Speedweapon and Saki hadn’t yet adjusted to the darkness, but sensing my tension, they stayed on guard without speaking.

I glanced toward the stone door behind us.

It looked impenetrable to any ordinary weapon, with a diagonal red mark etched across it—a Mark of 【???】

‘We need to get out of here quietly.’

I’d already exhausted the Blessing of the Sword God during the fight with the buffalo. Facing the Minotaur without it was unthinkable.

While its materials would be ideal for enhancing my weapons, I valued my life far more.

After some deliberation, I bit down on a sashimi knife—not as a weapon, but as a gag to endure the pain.

Carefully, I drew the Murasame, which I had reserved for emergencies.

At that moment, a chilling sensation swept over me as I sensed something behind us.

The Minotaur’s ear twitched in our direction. Its previously closed eyes began to open, glowing with a sharp, relentless light.

Slowly, it rose from its stone throne.

Boom!

The Minotaur struck the ground with the base of its double-headed axe, and its subordinate monsters roared in response.

“Moooooo—!”

“What the hell?!”

Speedweapon, who had been holding his breath, flinched in alarm.

Boom!

The Minotaur slammed the ground again, and the flickering torches brightened, illuminating the cavern in full.

Now that my teammates could clearly see the Minotaur and its lackeys, their terror was palpable. Escaping without a fight was no longer an option.

‘Then…’

I clenched my teeth, steeling my resolve.

This wasn’t like the exam, where I’d been unprepared for the Demon Siren.

I had fought the Minotaur before. If I were at full strength, I might have been able to handle all three. But without the blessing, my odds were slim.

“SpeedWeapon, can you buff me to reduce pain?”

“Yeah… I can do that.”

Speedweapon, pale as a sheet, regained some composure upon seeing my determined gaze.

Meanwhile, the Minotaur lumbered toward us. I remained calm and asked him pointedly.

“How long can you maintain it?”

“Max, about two minutes.”

“Perfect. During those two minutes, don’t let up—not even for a second. If you do, then…”

I dragged a finger across my neck.

Speedweapon eyes widened, but when I gave him a reassuring smile, he nodded, albeit nervously.

“Got it… I trust you.”

“Saki, Chloe, take care of the other two.”

Saki nodded, her face tense, though her hands trembled slightly as she gripped her bow.

“Don’t worry too much.”

I offered a smile before stepping toward the advancing Minotaur.

Glancing back, I saw my teammates’ determined faces, each of them giving a firm nod.

“Let’s handle this the same as before.”