Instant Kill, Time-Stop Spellcaster - Chapter 25

The magic circle glowed.

 

A much larger rock than before rose into the air.

 

Yoo Chae-Young’s eyes tightened.

 

‘Can such output come from a 4th circle spell?’

 

Wasn’t her Magic output supposed to be low?

 

“Both of you, cover your ears!”

 

An enormous roaring sound echoed.

 

A large rock flew and shattered the golem into pieces.

 

Boom—!

 

“The sound’s too loud, the monsters will swarm. We need to move quickly.”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Yes…!”

 

It took quite a while.

 

“The dungeon has been altered and expanded. The old path is unreliable.”

 

“Just follow me.”

 

“We need to make a map as we go.”

 

“I said, follow me.”

 

“…Okay.”

 

Yoo Chae-Young didn’t resist anymore.

 

It was the choice that gave her peace of mind.

 

And strangely, she found it difficult to resist the force embedded in the man’s words.

 

She had always been calm and collected, but now, in the abnormal dungeon filled with fear…

 

Her fragile subconscious kept choosing the option that made her feel safe.

 

And that was to rely on Kang Hyun.

 

“Do you think you can find the way?”

 

“I’ve lived as a mercenary my whole life, finding paths is a basic skill.”

 

“Mercenary?”

 

“I’m a mercenary. State-affiliated.”

 

“…?”

 

Was this a joke?

 

‘What does being a state official have to do with finding paths?’

 

It turned out to be a joke.

 

Yoo Chae-Young knew about the second mercenary among the two Kang Hyun had mentioned.

 

Nevertheless, surprisingly, Kang Hyun found the way every time.

 

Then, the forest blocked their path.

 

“Stop. We’ll clear the stone worms first.”

 

“St-Stone worms!? Where are they?!”

 

Yoo Chae-Young shouted, clearly tense.

 

It seemed to be due to the earlier memory.

 

‘She’s more mentally fragile than usual.’

 

She had said she wouldn’t engage in Awakener activities, but she seemed to be a weak type under pressure.

 

“We haven’t reached them yet. That forest is a stone worm colony.”

 

“Colony…! But I don’t see any stone worms, are you sure?”

 

“The ground texture is soft and crumbly. The stone worms dig around and feed on it.”

 

“Ah…”

 

“The trees are leaning, their roots disturbed. It’s definitely a stone worm colony.”

 

The scariest thing about an abnormal dungeon was the uncertainty.

 

But the man in front of Yoo Chae-Young seemed to know everything.

 

“So, what do we do? If it’s just one, fine, but a colony… This is the difficulty you’d find in a B-class dungeon.”

 

“We don’t have to kill them.”

 

“Should we go back?”

 

“No. We’ll just knock them out with a 3rd circle <Shockwave> and move on.”

 

“Ah…!”

 

Aden’s magic was released.

 

Boom…

 

The ground below rumbled.

 

The surface barely trembled.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

There were more obstacles ahead, but Yoo Chae-Young was helpless before Kang Hyun’s decisions.

 

At this point, she no longer questioned what Kang Hyun did.

 

She simply listened carefully to learn and asked questions when needed.

 

“Is there a reason we’re turning around?”

 

“In barren lands like this, we need to watch out for monster territories. The number of them dropped significantly, so there must be a big one up ahead.”

 

“I see…”

 

“We’ll avoid it.”

 

Yoo Chae-Young realized too late that Kang Hyun was speaking informally, but she didn’t point it out.

 

It was another subconscious choice that made her feel at ease.

 

In fact, Kang Hyun’s informal speech was reassuring to Yoo Chae-Young.

 

“Why is Kang Hyun a E-grade?”

 

“Because my stats are E-.”

 

“That’s not…”

 

She was at a loss for words.

 

It was an obvious answer.

 

Where should she even begin to criticize?

 

Was it a problem that such a high-level person was E-grade?

 

Or was it a problem that an E-grade person was so skilled?

 

He was, from the start, someone beyond common sense.

 

Arguing about whether the chicken or the egg came first seemed meaningless.

 

“Still, with this much skill, you could have earned a higher grade with a little evidence.”

 

“My mana’s too low, so I can’t show my full potential.”

 

“Mana stat…!”

 

Then you need some help, right?

 

Yoo Chae-Young’s face lit up.

 

“I’ll persuade Seonghwa when we go back. I’ll make sure to promise unconditional support.”

 

“Of course.”

 

That’s what everyone said.

 

Kang Hyun was also aware of his value.

 

He had been treated well, and he was used to it.

 

That self-assurance gave him an air of ease.

 

It was this confidence that Yoo Chae-Young was drawn to.

 

The guild had been focused on Aden, but by now, Yoo Chae-Young’s attention had long since shifted to Kang Hyun.

 

‘Could there be another person like him?’

 

His knowledge was impressive enough, but his mana was below E-grade, yet he was so skilled in magic.

 

How was that even possible, considering he couldn’t use it?

 

‘Wait…? Hold on a second.’

 

Low grade.

 

Yet, exceptionally skilled.

 

Endless potential for growth.

 

These traits matched the description of a certain someone.

 

Finally, it clicked.

 

The one who had recently caused a stir.

 

‘Perfect… Clear?’

 

Her hair stood on end.

 

Her instincts screamed loudly.

 

‘It’s him.’

 

Yoo Chae-Young, a renowned scout in the Awakener industry, now saw the back of the man in front of her as someone with the potential to become the best in the world.

 

Her heart raced.

 

Should she ask?

 

He seemed to be hiding his identity.

 

Would he be upset?

 

Carefully, she hesitated, finally speaking.

 

“…When we go back, I want to suggest a lifetime contract with the guildmaster, not the free mercenary contract we discussed before.”

 

“No.”

 

She bit her lip.

 

Right, a treasure like this couldn’t be obtained so easily.

 

“Where is it? The number one guild ‘Road’? Or is it a foreign super guild? Or even a foreign government? The U.S.? China?”

 

“What are you talking about? I don’t want to belong to any group.”

 

“You’re already state-affiliated.”

 

“That’s just for show. No obligations or restrictions.”

 

Right, he was a free mercenary.

 

At first, she didn’t understand the odd title, but now she saw it—the government had adjusted to fit him.

 

‘This will be a tough fight.’

 

But still, she would win him over.

 

For Seonghwa!

 

Finally, they arrived at the dungeon’s center.

 

But what awaited them was nothing but despair.

 

“The boss… room.”

 

A massive door stood before them.

 

It exuded a sense of oppressive weight.

 

This dungeon had a boss room.

 

‘Is this even possible?’

 

The dungeon difficulty had significantly increased.

 

With Yoo Chae-Young’s experience at F+ rank, she couldn’t even guess what the difficulty level was.

 

A boss room in such a dungeon.

 

No matter how optimistically she thought about it….

 

‘At best, we’d need at least 10 C-rank or higher to handle this.’

 

That was just a vague guess.

 

This was a boss room beyond a dungeon’s difficulty.

 

What could come out of it?

 

In the worst case, an A-rank monster could appear.

 

‘No matter how perfect an Awakener is…’

 

There was no way they could transcend ranks completely.

 

Yoo Chae-Young was overwhelmed with anxiety.

 

Aden and Kang Hyun, having heard the explanation, were in the same state.

 

“Well… we’ll just have to open it and see.”

 

“If I pour all my mana into it, we should be able to handle it somehow.”

 

“Do you think the boss will just wait for that?”

 

Kang Hyun casually swirled his sword.

 

“But I’ve run out of mana.”

 

Aden’s magic had drained some of his mana.

 

“Ugh… If something really strong shows up, we’re done for.”

 

Yoo Chae-Young flinched.

 

‘If even Kang Hyun is saying that…’

 

Is this really the end?

 

“Master, don’t we still have the ‘Dried Shincheonsoo Elixir’ from before?”

 

“Right. Why? Do you want to die with a full stomach? That stuff tastes awful.”

 

It was a potion that no longer worked for increasing mana.

 

“It may not boost mana, but it will refill Your mana.”

 

“…Are you a genius?”

 

“Hehe. I’m a genius recognized by my master!”

 

The way she thought was truly surprising.

 

She was so similar to Mila.

 

He took out the elixir and swallowed it.

 

Yoo Chae-Young, watching in shock, screamed.

 

“What… What are you doing! Spit it out, quickly!”

 

Talking about an elixir, and yet putting it in his mouth without hesitation?

 

“No, you need to be here to do anything. Spit it out now!”

 

Her voice was desperate.

 

She grabbed Kang Hyun by the collar, shaking him.

 

She was falling apart mentally as Kang Hyun faced danger.

 

But Kang Hyun simply chewed the elixir.

 

“Ah, that’s healthy.”

 

Bitter, so bitter.

 

Yoo Chae-Young, who had been composed until now, made a bewildered face.

 

“Huh?”

 

Aden nodded with his arms crossed.

 

“Yeah, that’s the normal reaction.”

 

Aden had been just as surprised when he first saw that strange behavior.

 

“My mana’s full now. Shall we open it?”

 

“…Are you really going to open it?”

 

“We can’t just stand here.”

 

It was a clear answer.

 

And with no preparation, holding only his sword in hand.

 

Kang Hyun pushed open the door.

 

Boom, boom, boom…

 

The boss appeared.

 

“Hmm.”

 

Behind Kang Hyun, the two froze in place.

 

“We’re done for.”

 

A terrifying growl echoed.

 

Before them stood a gigantic wolf.

 

A three-headed wolf.

 

Its silver fur gleamed with metallic luster.

 

Yoo Chae-Young muttered.

 

“Iron Cerberus…”

 

Her voice was filled with despair.

 

“B-rank… boss…”

 

Game over.

 

A B-rank dungeon boss monster.

 

Even a skilled A-rank adventurer would not be able to solo it.

 

It was a raid-level monster.

 

If it escaped into the outside world, an emergency evacuation order would be issued for a 10km radius.

 

Yoo Chae-Young gave up on life.

 

‘This can’t be…’

 

Even A-rank Aden.

 

Even Perfect Clearer Kang Hyun.

 

There was no way to win.

 

They would all die.

 

Ahh…”

 

She sank to the ground.

 

Aden was equally shocked, her face blank.

 

Her usually clear eyes were now dull and unfocused.

 

The face of someone who had sensed death.

 

But only Kang Hyun calmly stroked his chin.

 

“Hmm…”

 

No answer came.

 

‘Looks like it’s time for that.’

 

Tsk…

 

He hadn’t practiced this in his current body.

 

Kyle had died in his past life.

 

In his final battle with the World Tree.

 

And at the moment of death.

 

He had reached a new level.

 

The ultimate power of the Word.

 

Though he had never used it before.

 

‘This is the first time.’

 

Kang Hyun stepped forward.

 

Clunk, clunk.

 

The sound of his footsteps and dragging sword echoed, drawing the attention of Aden, Yoo Chae-Young, and Cerberus.

 

Grrr…

 

“Master…?”

 

He lowered his mask as he walked.

 

And said.

 

“Soul (靈魂). Spirit (魂魄). Soul Ritual (魄儀). Spirit rites (儀典).”

 

(Tl Note :- “儀典” is not typically translated as “spirit rites,” although it could be loosely connected to ceremonial practices involving spirits in certain contexts. However, the term is more accurately understood as ceremonial rites or protocols that pertain to formal events, rituals, or etiquette.)

 

Words that commanded the soul.

 

The language shook the boss room.

 

“Decree (典令). Final decree (令終). Last Statement (終言).”

 

It was a power that applied regardless of the enemy’s strength.

 

The power that reigned at the top of all things.

 

Declaration (言明). Annihilation (明滅).

 

After completing the 9 vows.

 

Kang Hyun reached the Cerberus.

 

He lifted his head and met its gaze.

 

Grrr…

 

And.

 

Grrr—!

 

Just as the monstrous beast opened its mouth and lunged.

 

“[Die]”

 

The Cerberus stopped in its tracks.

 

Slowly, it tilted its body.

 

Boom!

 

The B-rank raid-level boss.

 

The Cerberus’ death.

 

Yoo Chae-Young and Aden couldn’t even think of shouting, their gazes fixed on the scene.