[You have entered the Event Dungeon, ‘Insect World.’]

“Eeeeeeek!”

The moment the notification message rang out, Hwaya screamed and jumped at me. Feeling the sudden warm touch and the sweet scent, I looked down at Hwaya blankly. At the same time, the others looked at me blankly before cheerfully saying, “We won’t be able to expect help from Hwaya, but let’s do our best!”

My father said, “Daughter, spiders aren’t insects. You won’t see them here, so don’t worry.”

“Ajusshi, I’m bad with both spiders and insects…” Hwaya whined.

Yep, I knew she’d say that…I couldn’t help but sigh.

“Hwaya, I understand how you’re feeling, but this is an SS ranked dungeon. Without you, we’ll be in danger.”

She whimpered, “Yeah, sorry…I’ll try my best.”

“We haven’t even run into any monsters yet.”

“How long are you guys going to stick together!”

Ludia raised her eyebrows when Hwaya continued to cling to me. With a bitter smile, I slowly separated Hwaya from me and turned around.

“Then I’ll go survey the area on Lotte…Lotte?”

[This Event Dungeon prevents monsters with strong mana from entering. Tamed monster, ‘Lotte,’ could not enter the dungeon.]

“It’s just one thing after another,” I grumbled.

Since Plene wasn’t strong enough for an SS ranked dungeon, I sent her back. Lotte, on the other hand, could raise my strength by twofold just by being with me. Unfortunately, she couldn’t enter the dungeon. She probably wouldn’t be in any danger outside, but without her, we might be in danger.

No, that was the old me. My stats were increasing by the day, and I had also learned the skill Mad Typhoon. Even before that, my companions and I had defeated the SS+ ranked Flame Drake. There was no reason we couldn’t clear this dungeon with our current abilities. It wasn’t good to underestimate ourselves.

“T.K., what’s up with her? What is she scared of all of the sudden…Insects?” Pepper asked.

“Ah, you’ll understand soon.”

The moment I answered Pepper, the ground fissured, almost as if a secret base was hidden underneath. Then, a black head emerged from it. It resembled the head of an ant, only magnified thousands of times.

Hwaya then jumped on me again.

“I, I might not be able to do it. Can I just stay like this?” she asked plaintively.

“No!”

While I shouted at Hwaya, my father charged forward with his spear. His spear vibrated strongly as shockwaves gathered around it. The ant discovered him and pointed its giant head, creepy eyes, and annoying antennae. Then…

“Men!”[1]

“I know how you’re feeling, but you’re a spearman, Father!” I yelled out in exasperation.

Father struck his spear down vertically at the ant’s head. Surprisingly, the ant easily defended the strike with its hard carapace. Despite its head ground against my father’s vibrating spear, not even a scratch appeared on it. It really had an incredibly powerful integument.

“Haa!”

However, my father didn’t back down and shot out even more powerful shockwaves. He was probably the best in the world in bypassing his enemy’s powerful outer defense and attacking its internal system. The ant twitched for a moment before its head exploded, shooting out its bodily fluids.

“Kyaaaaaak!”

Because the terrified Hwaya blocked its guts with her flames, none splashed on us. On the other hand, my father looked like he had gone swimming in a pool of it. He didn’t seem to mind at all as he gave us a thumbs up.

“Did you see that, son!?” he boasted.

“Yes, Father. It was perfect,” I inattentively complimented him. Ye-Eun suddenly hushed us by putting her index finger over her mouth.

“A large number of something is coming here, Shin.”

“A large number?”

I promptly focused on the tremor of the ground and the presence of mana. There really were a lot of enemies gathering here. The problem was that they weren’t just coming by land.

When I looked up, it was exactly as I expected. I could see a black cloud swarming toward us. That was…

I said matter-of-factly, “A swarm of locusts.”

“Ew…Kyaaaaaa!”

In the end, Hwaya couldn’t overcome her fear of insects and exploded. The scarlet flames she shot out pulsed like waves and swept over the swarm of locusts heading toward us.

“Don’t come, don’t come, don’t comeeeee!”

“Girls who hate insects are scary…”

I inadvertently nodded after hearing Walker mutter. An indescribably vast flood of flames began to burn the locusts that numbered close to a natural disaster. I had never seen anything like this before. Each dead locust crashed to the ground, making a large thud. At the same time, a spicy fragrance spread out, and I had to stop my drooling father.

“There are others coming!” Ye-Eun shouted hurriedly.

Damn it, I had briefly forgotten about them because Hwaya’s attack was so overwhelming! I could feel countless presences from the ground as well. The moment I realized, I stuck my spear into the ground and shouted.

“Thunder Wave!”

[Kiaaaaa!]

[Kashakashakasha…]

The damned insects sang in response to my lightning attack. No, please stop…You’re giving me goosebumps!

Just like the ant we initially killed, they appeared from within the earth. Most of them were ants, but there were also beetles, worms, and larvae. I didn’t think insects were that creepy but seeing them magnified thousands of times, I could undoubtedly say they were one of the most frightening and creepy monsters I had ever met.

After Hwaya saw them, she began to shake.

“I, I’m scared, Shin. I’m scared.”

I soothed her, “You’re doing great, Hwaya. Just focus on burning the locusts. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Y-Yeah, g-got it.”

Hwaya tightly shut her eyes. Meanwhile, the others were killing the insects in their own ways.

Leon crowed happily, “Haha! I didn’t think there were monsters who could survive a bullet from my Desert Eagle! How fun!”

“O Earth, punish the creatures who stole thy blessings and defied thy providence!” Ludia chanted.

“They’re tough! But they aren’t looking at me even when I hit them!”

After hearing Ye-Eun’s observation, I looked around. No matter how much my companions attacked them, the insects ignored them and were charging to a particular place. It seemed that their target was…my father.

“Hahahaha, come at me! I, Kang Yungoong-nim, will take you on!” my father boasted as he faced the incoming insects.

That line was from a 90’s movie. His shockwave ability was an extremely good match against the insects as it destroyed the insects’ insides.

What was the difference between my father and the other party members? It was obvious. Father was covered in the bodily fluid of the ant he killed. Plus, he was being updated in real-time with other insects’ bodily fluids.

“Father, you need to wash yourself off! The ant’s bodily fluid is attracting the insects!” I shouted.

He replied, “Don’t we have to kill them all anyways!? Why don’t you get covered in it too?”

“Thanks, that’s exactly what I thought you’d say!”

If my father volunteered to take the aggro, it was my duty as a good son to make use of him.

I immediately gave out my commands, “Father said he’ll bait them on his own! Ludia and Pepper, reduce the number of insects coming from afar! All the close-ranged attackers, stay near my father and attack! Ah, Shuna, you should go and protect Hwaya, Ludia, and Pepper!”

“Got it!”

“Good idea!”

After explaining our strategy, I took Hwaya off of me and gave her to Shuna. Then, I shot forward with my spear. Peika was already infused in my spear and it was flickering with lighting. As I surged up the power of Peruta Circuit, a whirlpool began to form. I shouted, “Ruyue!”

[Yay, it’s been a while since I materialized.]

“I’m going to use a skill. Will you be able to run?”

[Yeah!]

I immediately jumped on her back. As Ruyue ran forward, I thought, There are just too many of these insects. Not even mentioning the swarm of locusts covering the sky, there are hundreds of insects coming toward us.

Hundreds of SS ranked monsters! What a…What an enjoyable battle!

I quickly activated Gale Track. With the increased speed, I instantly sent a beetle in front of me flying.

“Oraaaaaaa!”

Every time I sent an insect flying, Ruyue accelerated and the charge became stronger. With the effect of the armor and tattoo, our charge was already amplified by 110%. Every time we sent an insect flying, it was rising by an additional 7%. After the tenth insect, the insects’ bodies began to explode just by making contact with my spear. I freely changed the trajectory and wantonly killed the monsters. Anyone who wanted to defeat Revival or myself with just this was gravely mistaken!

“Haaaaaaaaap!”

I shouted spiritedly when Gale Track’s power had reached its peak. In other words, we had already sent over thirty insects flying.

My original strength was amplified by Gale Track, which was then amplified by 110%, and was then amplified by another 200%. Although I would have been stronger if I was on Lotte, there was no reason to discuss what could have been. I was glad that Ruyue was here.

“What are you, a tank!?”

“Wow, he’s so strong!”

“O Earth, protect him from injuries!”

How many insects did I kill? After running wild in the front line for a while, I suddenly felt the earth trembling. I could only imagine that the second wave of insects was coming.

I took care of the insects nearby and got ready for Gale Track’s final blow. Wind energy gathered and strengthened into Mad Typhoon.

“Come, I’ll send the leading monster flying…!”

I held my spear tightly and adjusted my stance. I was prepared to kill any monster with one blow.

Then, it shot up from the ground. It had a head with a terrifying horn, a leg like a crimson thorn, a segment, a leg, a segment, a leg, a segment, a leg…I couldn’t help but shout, “A centipede! Hey, you’re not an insect!”

Damn, if you’re going to do this, name yourself Bug World, not Insect World! Now that I thought about it, I knew I had already killed many non-insects earlier.

“Isn’t that guy getting caught up on the wrong things?”

“T-That’s what’s cute about him!”

“I got it, Flame Witch, but can you open your eyes and say that?”

“Die, you stupid arthropods!”

I placed my rage in my spear and released the storm on the centipede. The boss had taken its sweet time in appearing but was instantly blown into pieces. It died without even completely pulling itself out of the earth. Just the part that had come out was well over sixty feet long. By the looks of it, not even half of it was out of the ground.

“Looks like it’s a semi-boss monster.”

I placed my hand on the centipede’s severed head and placed it in my inventory. Checking with Mana Detection, around the third segment, I noticed…a Mana Stone. Good, the Mana Stone of an SS ranked dungeon’s semi-boss! This is what makes dungeon runs exciting!

“Guys, there’s something other than locusts flying here!”

While I was drunk on the feeling of victory, Pepper’s rather tranquil voice cut through my haze. Something other than locusts? I raised my head and looked up towards where Pepper was pointing. I could really see another swarm of insects that weren’t locusts. I inadvertently cursed out loud, “God damn Asian giant hornets!”[2]

Apparently, the fight would only get worse from here. I heard Asian giant hornets could kill humans, but those guys were enlarged thousands of times. That’s…cheating! The biggest cheat was…

“You bastards don’t even live in America!”

Ignoring my shouts, the Asian Giant Hornets flew toward us like arrows. It was the start of a second round.

1. In Kendo, this is what you yell when you strike the helmet/head area ☜

2. Google it. These guys are vicious and quite famous in Asian culture for being able to kill people. Every year, in Japan, they kill 30-40 people ☜