[Lloyd H.K.: The monsters' movements in the level 4 danger zone are a bit strange.]

Lloyd said, and Lee Shin-Woo realized that it was about time.

[Lloyd H.K.: It's like they're being chased by something, and it's becoming more difficult to hunt, as more and more monsters are grouping together.]

[Prince Altania: They're just scared of you.]

[Yasunori Akira: Things aren’t like that on my end. Maybe it's just localized.]

Of course it was localized. Since it'd only been two days since Lee Shin-Woo entered the level 4 danger zone.

[Lloyd H.K.: It's too much to write it off as mere localized phenomenon. There's definitely something incredibly powerful moving around here. It might even be one of the twelve generals...]

[Ethan Cruz: Want me to go over there?]

[Lloyd H.K.: No, it's not a big enough issue for you to... Mm, could you please come over?]

[Ethan Cruz: Of course.]

As he left the chatroom, Lee Shin-Woo felt as if he was breaking into a cold sweat even though it was physically impossible for him. He and Jin seemed to have been discovered after killing such a large quantity of monsters.

He'd done so a few times already, and the other monsters found out, which, unfortunately, led to them moving away in droves to avoid the two of them. The undead! Running away from them!

"I thought I'd be able to go wild in the level 4 danger zone with so many high-level monsters here, but..."

"The other heroes aren't going after the high-level monsters like we are..."

Unfortunately for the undead, Lee Shin-Woo had learned how to fight a large mob too well at the training facility. He’d grown fond of fearlessly charging into his enemies regardless of how many there were.

While it was a level 4 danger zone, Lee Shin-Woo and Jin trusted in their immortal bodies and slaughtered all monsters coming their way; the level 7 monsters were the only ones they had to be wary of, as even the level 6 monsters were no match for them. As a result, Jin's stats had increased by more than 100 in only two days.

"If we just keep at this for another 2 weeks, you should be able to reach level 7..."

"Isn't that damn necromancer coming? Let's avoid him and do what we need to."

Jin had been taking Bone Reinforcement without a fight, and Lee Shin-Woo had been hunting monsters diligently like a mother bird bringing worms for its newborn. However, they were going to lose such a great opportunity because of Ethan Cruz!

"Damn it, I guess it can't be helped..."

Of course, they hadn't just been killing monsters. They'd found a hidden undead hero and given him eternal peace.

The undead hero had been only level 6, but he had been incredibly proficient in combat. Once Lee Shin-Woo absorbed the hero’s bone following his defeat, Lee Shin-Woo's High Rank Bursting Thunder leveled up by 1, and his Intermediate Shadow Horn by 3. It was quite a significant progress.

"He seemed like a good senior, so I really wanted to keep him alive..."

"Why do they awaken when they hear your voice...?"

"I want to know that too. Rem, do you know?"

[I can only affect Golems for now...]

Yeah, of course that was how it was. Lee Shin-Woo sighed and patted Jin. They had avoided the monsters and run away when he heard about Ethan’s movement in the chatroom. They were preparing for the inevitable fight against him, but they weren't ready. At least not yet.

"We'll find another one soon."

"We're in the flatlands right now, though... Which means it must be in a dungeon."

"Let's enter carefully so that we're not discovered by the flying monsters."

"Okay."

It had been two days since they entered the level 4 danger zone, and they already looked quite dignified. Then again, they had risked their lives more than any other hero in order to explore the area, so it stood to reason that they would’ve accumulated much more experience.

"I hope we find someone we can actually talk to this time... Mm."

Lee Shin-Woo found the entrance to the dungeon and opened it. He did it so naturally; it was as if the dungeon was meant to open like water was supposed to flow downward.

There was a considerable amount of mana and monsters within dungeons in the high-level areas, which was exactly what all the undead craved. Thus, if they were noticed when they opened the dungeon, they might attract a barrage of attacks.

To be honest, his seniors had suggested that he 'be careful when entering dungeons' the moment he entered the level 3 danger zone, but whenever the undead swarmed him, he'd simply kill them while saying, ‘Ah, awesome.’ Thus, he hadn’t been too concerned.

"Nice, it's clear."

Lee Shin-Woo skillfully opened the dungeon and entered it with Jin before the monsters could swarm them. The entrance closed in an instant. They had finished things perfectly.

[Level 6 Elite Dungeon - You have acquired the permit for Mole Heaven. All stats have increased by 30 within the dungeon. The dungeon's information has been added to your minimap. All actions are now buffed within the dungeon.]

"This is our first time entering a level 6 elite dungeon. Will we be okay?"

"If it were a level 7 elite dungeon, I might be concerned, but a level 6 elite dungeon should be fine. Our problem's the senior who's inside..."

The dungeon was so silent that they felt uneasy. All of the monsters must have been killed already. It was highly likely that the hero was safe when he had first entered the dungeon, yet he still died in the end. Most likely to an elite monster, or the boss...

"He was so meticulous in clearing the monsters that I feel no presence in the entire area. The fact that he still ended up dying means the dungeon boss must be no joke."

Lee Shin-Woo and Jin might even have to fight the undead hero and the boss simultaneously. He tightened his grip around the Breath of the Lightning God. The six fully charged Breath of the Lightning Gods he had summoned hovered behind him and shook.

Jin wondered whether anyone could survive the barrage of the Lightning Gods...or Lee Shin-Woo's secret name for the attack, Lightning God’s Breath, but Jin didn't say it out loud.

"Let's go slowly, shall we?"

"Okay."

Lee Shin-Woo silently blew up the Breath of the Lightning God that had been in his hand. The thundercloud spread out in every direction instantaneously, and he continuously inhaled and exhaled with Mana Breath, causing the environment to remain saturated with lightning energy. He was forcefully turning his surroundings to his advantage through his authority!

"Good. It's become more stable."

"It always feels like my Lightning Resistance will level up when you do this..."

[I as well.]

This was one of tricks Lee Shin-Woo had learned once he reached level 7. Immediately changing the environment into one advantageous to him was a high-level technique that wouldn't lose out to a level 8. It was only possible because of the balance between Bone Armory, Rule of Bone, and Mana Bone.

I can do the same thing with Mana Breath without any explosions...

However, not only did that approach take much longer, but the energy the Breath of the Lightning God released was way more powerful.

Because his mana recovery rate was much greater than before, he could now re-summon the Breath of the Lightning God without much difficulty and fully charge it as well. All in all, this was a much better method for him.

"Even so... Jin?"

"We're using Assimilation to its max right now. You should be feeling what I feel as well."

"Mm."

After Lee Shin-Woo had re-summoned another Breath of the Lightning God and infused it with mana in preparation for a battle, he realized that their situation hadn't changed at all, which made him feel embarrassed.

The level 6 elite dungeon had several smaller paths, and as its name ‘Mole Heaven’ suggested, there were several big holes as well. It was quite a large dungeon, but it was devoid of signs of life.

At Jin's level, his crawl was as fast as a train, but even at that speed, they ran into nothing at all as they went deeper into the dungeon!

"Where's the senior? Is he really here? Maybe this is an empty dungeon that someone already cleared."

"He's definitely in here, but...there's only one undead senior inside of an empty dungeon...? If I am to make sense of this...

Lee Shin-Woo's goblin fire burnt gently as he tightened his grip around his Breath of the Lightning God. Jin, inspired by Lee Shin-Woo’s fighting spirit, followed suit and grew cautious. They went deeper into the dungeon, exploring every nook and cranny, and in the end, they arrived near the boss room.

"He's not here..."

"Shin-Woo, are you okay?"

Lee Shin-Woo finally came to the conclusion that there weren't any monsters within the dungeon. He had been suspicious when he hadn't felt any living energy within the dungeon, but he hadn't expected the boss to be dead as well. He couldn’t help but feel dejected.

"They really did go to heaven," muttered Lee Shin-Woo.

"You're terrible. So what are you going to do now? Are you going to enter?"

At the very least, Jin could tell that Lee Shin-Woo was wary of the senior inside. Lee Shin-Woo simply nodded.

"We've come this far, so we can't just turn back. If they're one of Ethan's agents, then all the more reason for us to take him down."

"...Yeah, if need be, we can just kill him I guess."

"Nah, I'm not going to kill him."

Lee Shin-Woo was sure that Jin hadn't forgotten about their encounter with the Archmage the other day and his resulting death. He gave Jin a gentle dutch rub and left his hand atop Jin's head.

"Let's go, Jin."

"Alright."

Dozens of lightning arrows appeared in the air. It was the skill Breath of the Lightning God came with, Thunder Arrow. It was quite an efficient means of attack; by consuming a small amount of mana, he could conjure a large number of controllable arrows.

"Hah!"

Lee Shin-Woo sent the thunder arrows flying at the boss room telekinetically. The arrows battered the giant stone gate in concert, and while they didn't manage to break through, they did make a dent on the side, allowing them to enter.

There was a calm-looking skeleton within.

[I didn't think an undead would enter the dungeon.]

The skeleton's bones had turned black, and it wore a robe adorned with luxurious gemstones. In place of its eyes were green gems; emeralds, to be exact. It really looked like a Lich coming straight out of a game, but it wasn’t one. Lee Shin-Woo wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing, but the undead hero would die if he destroyed its body.

[You seem to be quite a high-level one... Are you as powerful as one of the twelve generals?]

"Not quite."

Considering the fact that he could talk to it, the skeleton had definitely retained its intellect. Still, there was no proof that it was still sane, so Lee Shin-Woo didn't relax his guard. He wasn’t going to attack right away, of course. He would have to show his respect to his senior first.

"I'm someone who opposes them."

[Opposing the twelve generals? It's been a long time since I heard something so funny. An undead that opposes the Empire... Are you perhaps connected to Ethan Cruz? No, if you were working together with Ethan, you wouldn't have been able to find this place...]

The undead raised its staff, which was embedded with a large emerald, and aimed it at Lee Shin-Woo while speaking cautiously.

[Are you a hero?]

"...It seems like you're still self-aware."

Lee Shin-Woo hadn't met an undead hero that had been self-aware of who they were and acted accordingly before he could even convince them. He’d expected someone like this hero to cross his path sooner or later, but... He couldn't relax yet. At least now he had a chance to figure out how he should approach this situation.

[You too?]

"I'm Paul Zero… If you're not hostile, I'd like a proper conversation with you. How about it?"

Lee Shin-Woo withdrew his Breath of the Lightning God as he spoke, though of course he was prepared to attack the second he saw something suspicious. The skeleton likewise withdrew its staff. He was definitely a lot different from the undead heroes Lee Shin-Woo had met until now. No... perhaps it was different from any of the undead he had met.

[Well, well. This is quite surprising for me as well. Alright. Let's talk... Oh, right. My name.]

It stroked its face with its free hand and replied.

[...My name is Lee Man-Bok.]

A familiar name had popped up!