Joon-seok left home and reached the location exactly at 10 AM, where the C-rank party was waiting for him.
As soon as he arrived near the Gate, his eyes fell on a tall, solidly built man wearing heavy armor. The man looked at him directly and asked, "Are you Kang Joon-seok?"
"Yes, that's me," Joon-seok replied.
The man gave a slight smile and extended his hand. "I'm Kwon Tae-woo, the leader of this party and a C-rank hunter. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," Joon-seok said, shaking his hand.
Behind Kwon Tae-woo, the rest of the party stood ready, checking their gear. A sharp-eyed girl holding a bow glanced at Joon-seok and gave a small smile. Her name was Han Ji-eun—the party's archer.
Not far from her, a man with an irritated expression stood with a sword resting on his shoulder. "Kid, hurry up and carry the bag. We don't have time," he said in a harsh tone. He was Lee Min-jae, the party's main damage dealer.
A little further away, a calm and cold-looking man silently observed everyone. That was Park Seung-ho, the party's assassin.
Nearby, a mage was cleaning her staff. Her name was Choi Hye-won.
At the edge of the group stood a nervous-looking girl, rubbing her hands again and again. She was Kim Soo-ah—the party's healer, and it was her first time entering a C-rank dungeon.
Joon-seok looked at all of them in one glance. They all seemed experienced. Kwon Tae-woo raised his hand. "Alright, enough talk. The Gate will close soon. Let's move inside."
As soon as the entire party stepped through the Gate, the world changed instantly.
It was dark—but not completely. The surroundings were filled with old, broken stone walls covered in a dark red layer that looked like dried blood. The ground was cracked in several places, and a faint red glow seeped out from within those cracks. The air felt heavy, carrying a metallic smell—a mix of blood and rust.
This wasn't a normal cave. It felt more like the ruins of an ancient temple that had been destroyed thousands of years ago. Broken pillars and scattered debris stretched into the distance. Occasionally, faint sounds echoed through the space—chains dragging… or low, distant growls.
Kwon Tae-woo tightened his grip on his shield and said quietly, "Stay alert. This doesn't feel like a normal C-rank dungeon."
Joon-seok frowned slightly. This feels completely different from the D-rank dungeon… It's only C-rank, so why does it feel this heavy and oppressive?
At that moment, Park Seung-ho stepped out from the shadows and spoke to Tae-woo, "Mr. Tae-woo, I scouted ahead. There's a group of dozens of hobgoblins up front."
Tae-woo's expression turned serious. "Everyone, take your positions!"
Choi Hye-won quickly cast a magic shield over the party. Everyone prepared themselves, weapons ready.
Soon, dozens of hobgoblins appeared. They weren't like normal goblins—these were taller, more muscular, and armed with swords, wearing pieces of armor.
Joon-seok watched them carefully. These are completely different from regular goblins… Can this party handle them… or will I have to step in myself?
Kwon Tae-woo shouted, "Mr. Joon-seok, stay behind! We'll handle this!"
A large hobgoblin charged straight at Tae-woo, swinging its sword. Tae-woo raised his massive shield—
Clang!
A loud metallic sound echoed as sparks flew from the impact. The attack hit with tremendous force, but Tae-woo didn't move back even an inch. At that moment, Han Ji-eun drew her bow. Infusing it with wind energy, she released the arrow. It spun rapidly through the air, piercing through a hobgoblin's armor before striking its throat. The creature let out a guttural growl before collapsing.
Lee Min-jae grinned. "Now it's my turn!"
His sword ignited with flames as he swung it in a wide arc. A blazing red slash cut through the air, hitting three hobgoblins at once. They were instantly engulfed in fire, their screams echoing through the dungeon.
Park Seung-ho vanished into the shadows. A second later, he reappeared behind a hobgoblin and slit its throat with a precise strike. Blood burst out as the creature dropped.
Choi Hye-won spun her staff and shouted, "Ice Field!"
A large patch of ice spread across the ground, freezing several hobgoblins in place. Their legs were locked, unable to move.
Kwon Tae-woo seized the opportunity. "Stone Spikes!"
Sharp stone spikes erupted from the ground, piercing through the immobilized hobgoblins and killing them instantly.
From the backline, Kim Soo-ah continued casting healing spells. "Is everyone okay? Don't let your stamina drop too much!"
Joon-seok stood there, holding the bags, silently observing everything.
This team is highly coordinated… The leader doesn't even need to give many orders. Everyone already knows their role.
But the fight wasn't over yet.
More hobgoblins were approaching—this time more aggressive, and clearly more organized. Among them was a larger one, standing behind the group like a leader, giving out commands.
Lee Min-jae frowned, breathing slightly heavier. "This doesn't feel normal… they're too coordinated."
Han Ji-eun released another arrow and shouted, "Be careful! More are coming from the left!". Joon-seok thought to himself, If it comes to it… I'll have to fight too.
At that moment, a loud roar echoed from deeper within the dungeon—this time, it wasn't from a normal hobgoblin. It was something far bigger… and far more terrifying.
Kwon Tae-woo's expression turned serious.
"Everyone, stay ready… something big is coming."
Soon, the hobgoblin leader appeared. It was tall and heavily built, wearing full armor and carrying both a sword and a shield. It let out a terrifying roar that shook the entire ruin.
Behind it, five more hobgoblins rushed forward to attack.
Kwon Tae-woo raised his shield and blocked all five attacks at once, but his face tightened under the pressure.
Lee Min-jae stepped in and unleashed a powerful flame slash—stronger than before. The attack cut through all five hobgoblins, slicing them in half instantly.
But the leader roared in anger and struck with its full strength. Tae-woo tried to block with his shield, barely managing to hold his ground. A shockwave spread through the ruins from the impact.
The leader attacked again with overwhelming force. This time, Tae-woo was sent flying back, crashing into a wall. Blood spilled from his mouth as he fell.
Lee Min-jae immediately countered with another flame slash, but the leader calmly raised its shield and blocked it without difficulty. Min-jae froze for a moment, shocked.
Choi Hye-won swung her staff and created a massive ice spike, launching it toward the leader. But the creature sliced it in half mid-air with a single swing of its sword.
Park Seung-ho emerged from the shadows, aiming for the leader's neck from behind—but the leader reacted instantly. It turned and slammed him away with its shield, sending him crashing across the ground.
Han Ji-eun fired a wind-enhanced arrow toward it, but the leader casually blocked it with its shield.
For a moment, the entire party fell silent.
How are we supposed to defeat something like this? Kim Soo-ah, trembling, continued healing everyone. One by one, they slowly got back on their feet, blood still dripping from their mouths.
Suddenly, the hobgoblin leader moved at incredible speed and struck Lee Min-jae with a powerful slash, driving him straight into the ground.
Before it could turn toward Han Ji-eun for the next attack, Joon-seok quietly placed his bag on the ground.
In an instant, he disappeared from his spot and appeared right in front of the leader. With a single, powerful kick—
The hobgoblin leader couldn't even react. It was sent flying across the ruin and slammed hard into the wall.
The next moment, Joon-seok was already back where he had been standing, calmly picking up his bag again.
No one saw what happened.
Only Kwon Tae-woo, who had just gotten up, caught a glimpse of the leader crashing into the wall.
This… this isn't normal, he thought. That's not something an E-rank hunter can do. He handled that leader like it was nothing. Who is this guy… and why is he working as a porter?
Kwon Tae-woo stood up as the others slowly recovered under Kim Soo-ah's healing.
"I don't know how that leader went down," one of them said, still confused, "but the Gate isn't cleared yet."
Kwon Tae-woo stayed silent. There must be a reason… That's why he's hiding his strength.
The party regrouped and began moving forward.
After walking for a while, they came across a massive cave within the ruins. A heavy, suffocating pressure flowed out from inside.
Everyone froze. No one spoke.
Joon-seok narrowed his eyes. Their fear makes sense… Whatever is inside this cave… it's the strongest monster I've faced so far. Even stronger than the Red Guardian from the D-rank dungeon.
Slowly, they stepped inside the cave.
The moment they entered, their eyes widened in shock.
At the center, seated on a throne, was a terrifying figure—a five-meter-tall ogre with a dark red, muscular body.
Its skin was covered in old scars and glowing red cracks, as if its blood was boiling beneath the surface. Two large, curved horns rose from its head, stained dark like dried blood.
Its deep red eyes emitted a faint mist with every blink. Sharp fangs protruded from its mouth, giving it a savage appearance.
In its right hand, it held a massive Bloodiron war axe. The blade gleamed with a dark red shine, releasing sparks of crimson energy with every slight movement.
In its left hand, it carried a long, spiked blood chain. Old, dried blood clung to its spikes.
A heavy, oppressive aura poured out from its body, making the entire cave tremble.
At that moment, a system window appeared in front of Joon-seok:
Bloodfang Ogre Lord
Rank: B
Monster Type: Boss
Title: Crimson Ravager
Defeat this boss to claim your reward. This boss is ten times stronger than you… proceed with caution.
As soon as the Ogre Lord noticed the party, a terrifying grin spread across its face.
Joon-seok stared at it, a hint of excitement in his eyes.
"…This isn't just a C-rank boss," he said quietly. "This is a B-rank monster."
To Be Countinue