When Seong and Kim Che-geon arrived, they found quite a crowd of users already present, entering the dungeon in the order of their group numbers.

The entrance displayed the number of the next group to enter, making it impossible to miss one's turn.

Currently, it was the turn of Group 57.

Seong and Kim Che-geon's group, numbered 99, still had quite a wait ahead of them.

"What happens if we miss our turn?"

Seong's curiosity was piqued as the question crossed his mind.

“Aah! I’m from Group 44! Did my turn already pass!?”

“Yes, it’s passed. If you miss your turn, you’ll be pushed to the back of the line and have to wait until the end.”

“What!? You’ve got to be kidding me!”

The answer came from a latecomer who had just arrived, inadvertently solving Seong’s curiosity.

Relieved to have arrived on time, Seong and Kim Che-geon patiently waited while others entered the dungeon one by one.

But then, a commotion erupted near the entrance.

A man of massive build stood beside a strikingly small woman.

“This wait is boring. Wouldn’t it be faster if we killed everyone and went in first? What do you think, Kalak?”

“...Hmm.”

“...?”

“???”

Their harsh words immediately drew curious and alarmed stares from those nearby.

Did they really hear that right? Surely, it had to be a joke, but the tone was far too rough to be taken lightly.

What was that tiny woman saying?

As the crowd continued to look on with puzzled expressions, she grinned.

“Hmm~ What should we do, Kalak?”

“The guild instructed us to restrain ourselves.”

The massive man replied to the small woman cautiously, almost deferentially.

Usually, it would be the man speaking in such a reckless tone, but hearing it from the petite woman was oddly unsettling.

“Are you insane!?”

Another user voiced their thoughts aloud, unable to hold back.

The small woman didn’t turn her head but shifted her gaze, rolling her eyes to fixate on the speaker.

Then, with a smile, she snapped her fingers.

In an instant, five flaming spears ignited in midair.

The sudden burst of magic left the crowd pale with fear.

The quest was designed for users below level 50 who had not yet completed their second advancement.

But to wield magic of this caliber?

The shock quickly gave way to terror as someone noticed the insignia on the shoulders of the man and the woman.

“L-Look at their shoulders!”

Following the shout, all eyes turned to the symbols etched on their uniforms: a withered willow tree.

“Echo Willow!?”

“No way! Echo Willow!?”

“This is insane…”

Echo Willow.

A large guild notorious for its infamy. Few aspired to join its ranks due to its reputation.

Most of its members were known for accumulating infamy points and engaging in unethical behavior. It was a guild of villains among villains.

While not among the top-ranking guilds, Echo Willow’s reputation was not to be underestimated.

Despite being composed of infamous users, it had grown into a major guild—a testament to the skill of its members.

As the crowd murmured in shock, the small woman, now satisfied, gave a bright smile and nodded.

“This is more like it. Don’t you agree, Kalak?”

“The guild instructed us to restrain ourselves, Uz.”

“Ugh, so boring. Fine.”

Pouting in frustration, the woman, Uz, snapped her fingers again, causing the flaming spears to vanish in an instant.

Although the flames were gone, the oppressive atmosphere they had created lingered.

The room remained tense, broken only by the sound of people swallowing nervously.

In the midst of the stifling silence, only Seong tilted his head, puzzled.

“Echo Willow? What’s that?”

As he debated whether to ask Kim Che-geon via the party chat, a message from Kim Che-geon appeared.

[Joseon’s Best Sword Kim Che-geon: Sorry, but do you know what Echo Willow is?]

For a moment, Seong considered explaining, but then shrugged it off.

Kim Che-geon noticed his reaction and muttered, “I see,” before letting the matter drop.

Unlike the crowd, neither of them was fazed by a mere display of five flaming spears.

To them, such antics were hardly worth the fuss.

“If they attack, we’ll just fight them,” both thought, brushing off the incident.

Eventually, Kalak and Uz entered the dungeon as Group 78.

Not long after, it was finally Seong and Kim Che-geon’s turn—Group 99.

As indicated at the entrance, entering Rock’s Tomb would scatter party members to different starting points.

For Seong, this posed no issue; he already knew the layout of the dungeon.

However, he hesitated momentarily.

‘Should I stick with Kim Che-geon?’

While Kim Che-geon seemed unlikely to die midway through, the hidden pieces in the dungeon weren’t typically shared.

Seong already had a good idea of the hidden piece’s location—it was said to be essential for a dark mage.

‘I’ll decide after I find it.’

With that, Seong entered the dungeon alongside Kim Che-geon.

As they stepped inside, system messages appeared before them.

[You are with your party member.]
[You may now enter.]
[Entering 『Event Dungeon: Rock’s Tomb』.]
[*Caution: Party members will start in separate locations.]

Ignoring the notifications, Seong took in the sight before him.

The dungeon was a dark, labyrinthine maze.

For Seong, darkness was an old friend, making his surroundings easy to navigate.

The walls were smooth and the floors neatly cut—less like a tomb and more like a carefully constructed labyrinth.

As Seong surveyed the area, he noticed Kim Che-geon standing still with his eyes closed.

While it might seem strange at first glance, Seong knew why.

‘He’s probably adjusting to the darkness.’

When transitioning from bright light to darkness, it often took time for one’s vision to adjust. By closing his eyes, Kim Che-geon was speeding up the process.

Once adjusted, Kim Che-geon opened his eyes and said, “Hmm. All right, thank you for waiting.”

“It’s nothing.”

Noticing that Seong had already adjusted to the darkness, Kim Che-geon thanked him, and Seong took the lead.

Even though Kim Che-geon had adapted to the darkness, it was only natural for Seong, whose vision wasn’t restricted in the dark, to guide them through the dim environment.

Recognizing the logic, Kim Che-geon followed without a word.

How far had they gone?

A sound echoed as Kim Che-geon’s foot brushed against something.

Click.

The instant the sound registered, both Kim Che-geon and Seong reacted with lightning speed.

Following the clicking noise from the floor, a faint rumble above signaled something moving rapidly. Without hesitation, they bolted from the spot.

Pah! Pah-pah!

Kim Che-geon pushed off the ground explosively, his feet skimming across the surface in an almost fluid motion, while Seong mirrored his actions, having seen his agility in action before.

As they darted away, the ceiling crashed down with a thunderous roar, crushing the ground where they had just stood.

BOOOOM!

The vibration from the impact gave them a sense of its sheer force.

If either of them had been caught beneath it, they wouldn’t have escaped unscathed—if they’d survived at all.

The trap wasn’t just powerful; its speed was terrifying.

Only Seong and Kim Che-geon’s reflexes had allowed them to evade in time. Most users would have been crushed before they could even react.

It was a brutal trap, but both Seong and Kim Che-geon stared at it with calm expressions.

Kim Che-geon’s face seemed to ask, “Is this the best they’ve got?” while Seong thought to himself, “Manageable.”

“Shall we continue?”

“Hmm, let’s proceed.”

The trap had given Seong the final piece of information he needed to understand the dungeon’s layout.

Now fully aware of where they were and where they needed to go, he began moving at a faster pace.

Kim Che-geon, momentarily wondering if they were going too quickly, decided that speed was preferable to caution and kept up.

As they advanced, they encountered and evaded every trap with ease.

Then, as they pressed onward, an eerie laugh echoed from up ahead.

“Kekeke! Kek!”

“…?”

“Hm.”

The sudden laughter brought Seong to a halt, while Kim Che-geon stroked his smooth, beardless chin thoughtfully.

In front of them stood a mysterious being.

Black horns jutted from its head, and its skin—or perhaps its short, bristly fur—gleamed darkly under the faint light.

The creature stifled its laughter with its hands, struggling to suppress the sound, while its long, whip-like tail lashed against the ground with alarming force.

CRACK! CRACK!

The sheer strength of its tail strikes made its power evident.

As the creature fully revealed itself, Seong and Kim Che-geon instinctively braced themselves, their eyes narrowing as they assessed their unusual foe.

[Lv.40 Lesser Demon, Kaishak]

As expected of the tomb of an evil sorcerer—demons were appearing as monsters.

Kim Che-geon observed Kaishak with curiosity, while Seong also found himself intrigued.

Could a lesser demon be turned into an undead?

Interesting.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Seong lunged toward Kaishak first.

Kim Che-geon, not one to fall behind, quickly followed.

Although Seong had started his charge first, Kim Che-geon overtook him and reached Kaishak ahead of him.

However, just as Kim Che-geon closed in on the demon, its whip-like tail, with a razor-sharp tip, shot straight toward him.

Shwip!

The tail thrust forward faster than an arrow, causing Kim Che-geon’s eyes to widen slightly.

The speed was greater than expected, but it was still just a tail.

Kim Che-geon swung his sword with precision, intercepting the tail as it darted toward his forehead.

The sword and tail collided, but instead of a dull thud, a piercing metallic clang resounded.

CLAAAANG!

The impact sent vibrations rippling through the air.

Kim Che-geon frowned slightly as his wrist tingled from the force, and he was pushed back a step.

At this level of strength, it might be difficult for Seong to handle the demon alone.

Just as Kim Che-geon was about to shout a warning, Kaishak’s tail recoiled mid-flight and lashed out at Seong instead.

The tail, ripping through the air with ferocious speed, seemed poised to pierce Seong—only to be halted by a thin, crimson barrier in front of him.

BOOM!

The tail struck the barrier, causing the air to explode outward, but it failed to penetrate the thin, blood-red shield.

Kaishak’s maniacal laughter stopped abruptly.

“Kik?”

“?!?!”

“……”

The unexpected appearance of the barrier stunned both Kaishak and Kim Che-geon.

Kaishak was bewildered that his powerful tail had been blocked by such a fragile-looking shield, while Kim Che-geon was shocked to realize that Seong, who wasn’t a warrior or swordsman, was actually a dark mage.

“A dark mage who can wield a sword this well?”

Kim Che-geon couldn’t hide his astonishment.

Even among the swordsmen he knew, few had reached Seong’s level of mastery.

What is this man’s true identity?

While both Kaishak and Kim Che-geon were caught off guard, Seong remained unfazed.

He summoned a bone arrow and launched it at Kaishak.

The bone arrow, summoned with a flick of his fingers, flew straight at the demon, who quickly coiled its tail around itself to deflect the attack.

Ting!

Kaishak’s tail successfully blocked the arrow, but as the demon shifted its focus, a turquoise lance of light flew from Seong’s position.

Kaishak’s instincts screamed at him to block it.

Realizing the threat, the demon desperately swung its tail to intercept the glowing lance.

A sickening crack echoed as Kaishak’s tail twisted unnaturally from the force of the movement.

CRACK! SNAP!

Ignoring the damage, Kaishak managed to position its tail to block the lance.

Or so it thought.

The lance passed through the tail as if it were an illusion, piercing Kaishak’s chest and embedding itself near the demon’s heart.

Shk!

“KYAAAAAAAHHHH!”

Kaishak let out a bloodcurdling scream as its eyes turned pitch black.

[Critical Hit!]
[The effect of 『One Strike!』 has been activated!]
[Darkness damage applied.]
[Lesser Demon Kaishak is blinded and disoriented for 3 seconds.]

Three seconds.

It wasn’t much time, but for Seong and Kim Che-geon, it was more than enough.

Kim Che-geon, snapping out of his surprise, surged forward as Seong fired another volley of ghostly arrows.

The two reached Kaishak simultaneously.

Seong’s sword slashed deeply into the demon’s body, while Kim Che-geon’s sword, imbued with a golden aura, struck with even greater speed and force, leaving a long gash across Kaishak’s torso.

With two seconds still remaining, they didn’t hold back.

The pair continued their relentless assault, striking Kaishak repeatedly until the demon fell, unable to even cry out in its final moments.

[You have gained experience points.]

As the message appeared, turquoise smoke began to rise from Kaishak’s corpse.

A new system message popped up in front of Seong.

[You may now use 『Legion of the Dead』.]
[Would you like to raise a Death Soldier?]

A lesser demon as an undead.

Seong’s lips curled into a satisfied smile as he prepared to raise Kaishak into his undead army.

However, footsteps echoed from the opposite corridor.

Moments later, the source of the sound revealed itself—two figures stepping into view.

“Oh my, more users? This is practically a reward, isn’t it, Kalak?”

“...It’s fine inside the dungeon.”

The pair muttered to each other as they came into full view.

New system messages appeared before Seong and Kim Che-geon.

[Infamous users detected.]
[Attacking them will not increase your infamy.]
[Infamous users detected.]
[Attacking them will not increase your infamy.]
[Entering combat mode.]

Above their heads, glowing text identified them.

『Infamous User - Lv.45 Kalak』
『Infamous User - Lv.49 Uz』

The massive man, Kalak, and the petite woman, Uz, exuded an aura of confidence as they approached.

Seong, glancing at the pair, tilted his head slightly, as if finding them amusing.

From behind, the faint sound of laughter emanated from Kaishak’s corpse—laughter only Seong could hear.

Kikikiki!

Hearing the laughter, Seong thought to himself.

“Time to test the undead lesser demon.”

After all, the perfect opponents had just arrived.