Chapter 212 – Ancient Temple of Magic

After making an appointment with Shin Kyung-min, Min Do-jun returned to the guild office.

“Guild Master, you’re back?” Park Dong-yun greeted.

“Team Leader Park Dong-yun, I’ve secured a dungeon.”

“A dungeon? Which one…?”

“It’s the [Ancient Temple of Magic] in Iran.”

“What?”

Park Dong-yun was surprised by the dungeon’s recommended level, which Min Do-jun mentioned was around 4,000.

“You’ve already found a dungeon I couldn’t even locate? A soloable dungeon above level 4,000?”

“No, it’s not for soloing. I’ll be going with a party.”

“A party? With whom…?”

“I’ve arranged to go with Shin Kyung-min and Kang Hyuk-su. There are supposedly two others as well, but I don’t know who they are.”

“What! Shin Kyung-min and Kang Hyuk-su? The domestic rank 1 and 2 hunters?”

Park Dong-yun couldn’t hide his excitement at the mention of the names of Korea’s top hunters, names even elementary school kids would know. He was also astonished by Min Do-jun’s unexpected connections.

In contrast, Min Do-jun remained unfazed, as if wondering why anyone would be impressed by such a thing.

‘What’s so great about domestic rank 1? It’d have to be at least world rank 1 to matter.’

No matter how prestigious the title of domestic rank 1 was, it couldn’t prevent betrayal by other hunters. Having personally experienced this, Min Do-jun didn’t find the title particularly enviable.

‘In this life, my goal is world rank 1.’

He aimed to become so overwhelmingly strong that no one would dare think of betraying him.

“So, when are you scheduled to go?” Park Dong-yun asked.

“We’re meeting tomorrow at 11 PM, so I need to board a flight by this evening at the latest.”

“What, so soon…?”

As Park Dong-yun hurriedly tried to book a ticket, Min Do-jun waved his hand, indicating it wasn’t necessary.

“The ticket is already booked. Shin Kyung-min took care of it.”

“Oh.”

“He also said he’d come pick me up if there’s time. Team Leader, just record it for me.”

“Understood.”

A few hours later, as promised, Shin Kyung-min arrived in his McLaren.

Vroooom-

“Sounds like he’s here with all that noise outside. I’ll see you next week, then.”

“Conquer it safely and return, Guild Master!”

Stepping outside, Shin Kyung-min greeted Min Do-jun with a bright smile, completely unaware of the fate awaiting him.

“Get in, Hunter. Hand me your luggage.”

After loading Min Do-jun’s bag into the trunk, Shin Kyung-min took the driver’s seat.

Vrooooom-!

As they set off, Shin Kyung-min immediately apologized.

“I’m sorry for contacting you so suddenly. I took too long, didn’t I?”

“Was there an issue?”

“An issue? No, I just took a while to find a dungeon suitable for your level, Do-jun. I usually stick to dungeons below level 3,800.”

“So, this dungeon we’re heading to is your first time as well?”

“Yes.”

At those words, Min Do-jun smirked inwardly.

‘Good. If it’s an unfamiliar dungeon he’s entering for the first time, no one will find it strange if he dies.’

A high-level dungeon, especially one he’s never been to before, would make any accident seem plausible. Even if Shin Kyung-min died here, no one would suspect foul play.

‘However, I need to think carefully about whether to kill Kang Hyuk-su as well.’

It would be ideal to take care of both at once, but…

‘If the rank 1 and 2 hunters die on the same day, it’ll raise suspicion.’

To continue his revenge, he needed to be cautious.

“What about the other hunters? Are we meeting them at the assembly point?” Min Do-jun asked.

“No, we’re meeting at the airport, so you’ll see them soon.”

Nodding as if it were no big deal, Min Do-jun’s expression remained indifferent, but inwardly, he was brimming with anticipation.

‘I hope Seo Jin-cheol is among the team members.’

Since Seo Jin-cheol was a high school friend of Shin Kyung-min, there was a high chance he’d be there.

‘If Seo Jin-cheol is there, I can complete revenge on three people in a single day.’

If it were just Shin Kyung-min and Kang Hyuk-su, he’d have to decide whether to kill both, but with Seo Jin-cheol present, the situation would be different.

‘Killing three at once on the same day would be the best outcome.’

Even if it might be difficult to manage the aftermath, taking out three in one day was a gamble worth taking.

“We’ve arrived.”

After parking at Incheon Airport, the two headed up and spotted a familiar face.

“Kyung-min! Hunter Min Do-jun!”

Kang Hyuk-su approached with a wide smile, extending his thick hand for a handshake.

“Hunter, nice to meet you. It’s the first time since we had that meal together, right?”

“Indeed.”

“I’ve always wanted to party with you, Hunter, and now I get to fulfill that wish. Haha!”

Laughing heartily, Kang Hyuk-su prompted Min Do-jun to smile as well. However, his inner thoughts were far from friendly.

‘So this is the guy who kept harassing Jeong Hye-won?’

Thanks to the information from Lee Min-ji, Min Do-jun saw Kang Hyuk-su in an even worse light than before. Even without that, as a target of his revenge, he held no positive feelings toward him.

More than that, Min Do-jun was curious about the other team members who hadn’t arrived yet.

‘He said there are two more.’

Just then, Shin Kyung-min asked the question on Min Do-jun’s mind.

“Guild Master, where are the other team members?”

“They texted me a moment ago saying they’ve arrived. Let’s wait a bit.”

Soon, the two made their appearance. At the same time, disappointment flickered across Min Do-jun’s face.

‘Seo Jin-cheol isn’t here.’

He had assumed that as a high school friend, Seo Jin-cheol would be on the team, but he wasn’t.

‘If they’re high school friends, why didn’t he include him on the team? Tsk.’

If Seo Jin-cheol had come, Min Do-jun had planned to end three revenges in a single day, but that plan was now off the table.

‘No choice. I’ll have to settle for Shin Kyung-min and Kang Hyuk-su.’

Kang Hyuk-su introduced the newly arrived team members.

“This is Park Kwang-jin, ranked 5th, and this is Kim Ki-yul, ranked 6th.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Min Do-jun shook hands with the two. They were faces he hadn’t seen even before his regression.

‘To think there were top-ranked hunters I didn’t know about.’

Then again, at this point, only 1 year and 6 months after his regression, it was around the time he would have just reached B-rank in his previous life. If these hunters had dropped in rankings or died in recent years, it made sense he wouldn’t know them.

Click- Click-

Before long, people started gathering, snapping photos with their smartphones.

‘Well, with such prominent hunters gathered in one place…’

Rank 1, 2, 5, and 6, plus Min Do-jun, known as the Hongdae Hero, it was impossible not to recognize them.

“Let’s go before it’s too late.”

And so, Korea’s strongest party boarded a flight to Iran.

* * *

Reaching Tehran, the capital of Iran, took a long time.

‘I thought I’d die of boredom.’

It was no surprise Min Do-jun felt frustrated after a 15-hour journey with a layover in Dubai.

‘It doesn’t seem that far in a straight line, but it took surprisingly long.’

Riding the Ghost Wolf, a super-fast mode of transport, he could have arrived in under 2 hours, but since this was an official trip, he needed to leave a record.

“Here we are.”

After a 2-hour drive, they arrived in the city of Kashan. This was the location of the S-rank dungeon, the Ancient Temple of Magic.

At the dungeon entrance, a soldier on guard approached with a rifle.

“Who are you? This is a restricted area.”

They could have communicated in English, but Kang Hyuk-su simply handed over a document, rendering it unnecessary.

“Ah, you’re the S-rank hunter team from Korea?”

After checking the paperwork, the soldier quickly lowered his rifle. Threatening an S-rank hunter was akin to suicide. Not that a gun could threaten an S-rank hunter anyway.

“Please, go right in.”

Opening the barbed wire, the hunters entered.

[Kashan City – Ancient Temple of Magic Dungeon]

• Difficulty: S
• Player Limit: Min 3, Max 5
• Entry Restriction: Level 3,000+
• Objective: Survive within the time limit
• Failure Penalty: None
• Time Limit: 72 hours
• Time until dungeon break: 202 hours 31 minutes 12 seconds

“Let’s equip our gear before going in.”

At Kang Hyuk-su’s suggestion, the hunters quickly donned their S-rank equipment. Min Do-jun also held Excalibur in his hand. Though it drew the team’s attention, no one asked about the weapon, as it would be impolite.

“Ready? Let’s go.”

And so, the five hunters stepped into the portal.

Most S-rank dungeons have survival as their objective. Simply enduring the time limit isn’t difficult. However, to hunt monsters and gain experience, movement is necessary. Thus, even though the goal of each dungeon is survival, specific strategies exist.

The Ancient Temple of Magic was notorious for being particularly tricky to conquer among high-level dungeons.

“Most of you are entering a level 4,000 dungeon for the first time. I am too. But don’t worry. I’ve thoroughly studied the strategy beforehand, so dangerous situations won’t arise.”

Kang Hyuk-su, the tank and leader of the group, reassured the team. Of course, this was unnecessary for Min Do-jun, the only one with prior experience.

‘Hm?’

At that moment, Min Do-jun noticed something. Shin Kyung-min and Kang Hyuk-su exchanged a glance.

‘Look at these guys.’

It wasn’t common for two men to share a look unless they were plotting something. Min Do-jun felt a strong suspicion that they were up to no good.

‘Think I’ll fall for it?’

With his Weakness Detection trait, he had already analyzed their combat styles and weaknesses.

‘Even without Weakness Detection, I’m confident I can handle them.’

Even if they launched a surprise attack, Min Do-jun was certain he wouldn’t suffer a scratch. The Second Twin’s Blessing allowed him to block fatal blows three times.

‘Plus, with Tarnhelm, I can reflect 90% of the damage.’

He could counterattack just by standing still, so a surprise attack didn’t faze him.

‘I don’t know what you’re scheming, but go ahead and try.’

Following the group ahead, Min Do-jun observed their actions. When Shin Kyung-min and Kang Hyuk-su glanced at him, he deliberately looked away, pretending not to notice.

Just then, Kang Hyuk-su, leading the way, raised a hand to stop the group.

“Enemy spotted ahead.”

Before them stood a 3-meter-tall humanoid monster holding a spear as long as its height. It was an Ancient Guard.

“I’ll demonstrate how to handle it first.”

Kang Hyuk-su charged forward with his shield raised.

BOOM-!

Though it seemed reckless, the impact was undeniable. The 3-meter giant staggered from the blow.

“Haaap!”

Kang Hyuk-su let out a taunting shout and swung his sword. Before the guard could even swing its spear, wounds appeared all over its body.

“Ohh.”

The watching team members gaped in awe.

Kang Hyuk-su’s sword sliced between the gaps in the guard’s armor, dealing damage.

“As expected of the leader.”

“No wonder he’s rank 2.”

Park Kwang-jin and Kim Ki-yul looked on with admiration. They knew Kang Hyuk-su was strong, but they hadn’t seen such a dazzling performance before.

THUD-

The Ancient Guard collapsed, bleeding through its armor. It didn’t take long.

“The armor is tough, so aim for the gaps like this, and you can take them down easily.”

Acting as if it were no big deal, Kang Hyuk-su’s gaze turned to Min Do-jun.

‘Heh, he must not have expected a tank like me to be this strong, right?’

In truth, the reason Shin Kyung-min and Kang Hyuk-su wanted to party with Min Do-jun was singular: to sway his heart into joining the Emperor Guild. All the meals and camaraderie up to now had been for recruitment purposes.

‘With this, even Hunter Min Do-jun must be impressed… or not?’

Contrary to expectations, Min Do-jun showed no reaction. In fact, Kang Hyuk-su was the one surprised by his indifference.

Kang Hyuk-su signaled to Shin Kyung-min with his eyes.

‘Your turn now.’

‘Understood, Guild Master.’

After exchanging that silent conversation, they resumed their advance.

“Two enemies spotted!”

As two guards appeared, Shin Kyung-min stepped forward this time.

Crackle-crackle-

A current generated at the tip of his staff struck precisely into the helmet of one guard. It was an incredibly precise magic control, made possible by using telekinesis to immobilize the target’s face.

THUD-!

One guard fell, and the remaining one raised its spear and charged.

However-

CRUNCH!

The charging guard’s neck twisted 360 degrees before collapsing.

“Amazing! Hunter Shin Kyung-min’s trademark telekinesis!”

“To wield such powerful telekinesis so freely… Wow…”

Ignoring the admiring sidekicks, Shin Kyung-min looked at Min Do-jun.

‘What do you think of my skills?’

But once again, Min Do-jun’s expression remained indifferent. Having seen Shin Kyung-min hunt countless times before his regression, there was nothing to be surprised about.

“Hmm.”

Shin Kyung-min glanced at Kang Hyuk-su with a troubled look.

‘What do we do, Guild Master? I showed off my skills, but it’s not working.’

‘Why? Why isn’t he impressed by our strength?’

As the two puzzled over this, Park Kwang-jin, who had been treated as a mere sidekick, pointed behind Min Do-jun with a shocked expression.

“B-behind! There’s another one! Watch out!”

Taking advantage of their distraction, a guard charged at Min Do-jun.

But just as it rushed forward-

Slash-

The guard’s body was cleaved in two.

“…”

The team members gaped at the guard, split in half along with its armor. It was obvious who had done it. The moment Min Do-jun’s sword passed by, it had happened.