Chapter 65: Chapter 65

Before the necromancer unleashed her power, Ji-ah and Yoo Byung-joon were locked in an intense, ferocious duel.

Meanwhile, the other hunters were engaged in fierce battles against endless waves of undead.

“Ha-ha-ha! Bring it on! All of you!”

Kang Cheol-min charged into the mass of monsters, swinging his massive hammer with reckless abandon. His voice boomed across the battlefield.

“Everyone, follow me!”

The hunters from the Cheongrim Guild surged behind him, their initial performance dazzling.

At first.

“...This is bad.”

Yeo Dohyung frowned as he assessed the battlefield.

Hunter Kim Ji-ah was holding her own against the undead version of Yoo Byung-joon, the S-rank hunter. Despite the odds, she wasn’t retreating; she was pushing him back. It was an astonishing display of skill.

The real problem was Kang Cheol-min. After boldly declaring himself the leader, he had recklessly charged ahead, isolating his group.

In an undead dungeon, such recklessness carried severe consequences.

“If this continues…”

Kang Cheol-min and the hunters from the Cheongrim Guild would likely end up as minions of the boss.

The undead resurrected endlessly, their numbers replenished. The hunters, on the other hand, had no reinforcements.

Yeo Dohyung glanced at Choi Gaeul, the support hunter stationed in the rear. She appeared flustered, unable to reach the distant Cheongrim Guild hunters with her skills.

“...We’ll have to push through!”

Yeo Dohyung began casting a spell. Moments later, a barrage of lightning bolts rained down, obliterating a section of the undead horde.

“Nice!”

“That’s our Yeo Dohyung!”

Cheers erupted from the hunters.

“No casualties! Push forward!” Yeo’s shout rallied the hunters.

“Yes, sir!”

At his command, the hunters unleashed an array of colorful spells, tearing through the undead ranks. Empowered by the momentum, the melee fighters surged ahead, wreaking havoc.

At that moment, the hunters believed victory was within reach. They were confident they could conquer the dungeon.

But then—

BOOM!

Aaaahhhhhh—!

The boss unleashed her true power.

Everything began to change.

The undead, touched by the necromancer’s jet-black mana, radiated a terrifying aura. Skeletons resurrected at an alarming rate. On the far side of the room, a boss-tier monster—a lich—rose again.

Conversely, the hunters felt an oppressive force draining their strength with every breath.

“Kya-ha-ha! Die, all of you!”

The woman seated on the throne laughed sharply, her voice cutting through the battlefield. Though the hunters couldn’t understand her words, they felt as though their nerves were being clawed at.

Some of the rear-line hunters couldn’t hold back and shouted.

“Gaeul! Do something!”

“You’re an A-rank support! Do anything!”

They didn’t mean to be cruel. The suffocating despair left them desperate, clinging to the hope that Korea’s strongest support hunter could save them.

Choi Gaeul frantically cycled through her skills, trying to aid the hunters. It was no use. The power gap was insurmountable.

Finally, on the verge of tears, she screamed, “I’m doing everything I can!”

The shouting hunters flinched, stunned by her outburst.

One of the magic-class hunters who had joined the rear line watched, frozen with fear. The heavy, oppressive air seemed to choke her, amplifying her terror.

The situation wasn’t completely hopeless—Yeo Dohyung’s leadership shone brilliantly—but the relentless mana assault wore down their resolve.

The pervasive dread magnified every negative thought.

“Are we all going to die here?”

“Am I really going to be killed in a place like this?”

The grim thoughts spiraled, leaving her trembling.

It was then.

“...?”

A hand gently rested on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze before stepping forward.

Startled, she turned to see who it was.

It was the nun, who had been silently observing until now.

“S-Sister! It’s too dangerous!” the woman cried out instinctively.

The nun paused, turning to look at her. Tilting her head slightly, she gave a single nod.

And then—

A thumbs-up emerged from the end of her pristine sleeve.

Without a word, the nun continued forward. The magic-class hunter could only stare, dumbfounded.

Jeong Si-Hyun gazed straight ahead.

Truthfully, she hadn’t wanted to step in. Even as the necromancer taunted her, she had held back, savoring her peaceful, healing lifestyle.

But—

“...I can’t ignore this.”

Watching the hunters tremble in fear, she realized she couldn’t afford to remain passive.

“They’re all trying so hard. Is it right for me to do nothing?”

She made her decision. She would fulfill her promise to the director: bring everyone back alive—except for those already dead.

And she would take this opportunity to settle an old score with the insolent necromancer.

“I haven’t forgotten what you did to me.”

In the otherworld, she had endured everything.

Because the continent was teetering on the brink of destruction under the overwhelming power of the Demon King.

She had to survive to the very end and defeat the Demon King first. Only then would she even have the chance to figure out how to return to Earth. That was the situation she was in.

So, she endured every injustice.

“I just chose not to dwell on it, that’s all.”

But here, things were different.@@novelbin@@

Clearing this dungeon would mean returning to her comfortable home. This wasn’t the otherworld, where enduring was the only option. This was an Earthly dungeon.

If she didn’t want to endure, she didn’t have to.

She could live however she wanted.

No one could oppress her or bind her anymore.

No one.

“Everything I suffered, I’ll return it tenfold.”

As Ji-ah joined the chaotic melee where the hunters were locked in combat, Si-Hyun watched her briefly before taking a resolute step forward.

THUD!

A radiant explosion of divine energy erupted from Si-Hyun, spreading out like a tidal wave.

Hwaaaaaaaaahhh——!

From the spot where Si-Hyun stood, an immense wave of divine energy and mana erupted outward, spreading as if to claim dominion.

The necromancer’s dark mana, which had saturated the boss room, clashed against it, a violent struggle for dominance unfolding in an instant.

Who held the stronger power?

Who was the true apex of this battlefield?

Their forces collided with a ferocity that filled the air with tension.

Crackle. Zzzzt!

Opposing energies clashed, generating deafening noise as they fought for supremacy.

It didn’t take long for the victor to emerge.

The Saint, Si-Hyun, had won.

“Grrrr…”

The necromancer gnawed at her lower lip, unable to comprehend what was unfolding.

Was that really a human?

Even just the divine power alone created an unbridgeable gap. She was being pushed back relentlessly.

But the pressure from her opponent did not end there.

The necromancer felt her surroundings being pulled into the saint’s grasp, the mana in the room bending to Si-Hyun’s will. Her own mana was being devoured.

It felt like her very flesh was being gnawed away, a chilling sensation that made her tremble uncontrollably.

And in this very moment, the curtain rose on the beginning of judgment.

“Ohhh!”

“The power! It’s surging through me!”

“With this strength, I feel like I can do anything!”

The necromancer’s mana, which had dominated the room, retreated, while Si-Hyun’s power surged outward, embracing and empowering the hunters.

The magic-class hunter who had been watching Si-Hyun from the beginning widened her eyes in awe. To her, it was as if a goddess had descended upon the battlefield, a single beam of light piercing the darkness.

Boom!

Si-Hyun took another step forward, her presence swelling with an even more explosive force than before, as though she had only been testing the waters until now.

“Guh…”

“Kyaaaa…”

The weaker undead began to collapse one by one. Their connection to their master severed, they reverted into lifeless husks. The endless revivals of the skeletons ceased entirely.

Choi Ga-Eul, South Korea’s top supporter, stood slack-jawed, staring at Si-Hyun.

Even witnessing it firsthand, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

Boom!

Si-Hyun continued her advance.

Close-combat hunters who had been riddled with wounds turned their eyes to her unconsciously. The injuries that had covered their bodies vanished, healed completely.

Not only that, their exhaustion faded, and vitality filled their veins anew.

It was a kind of magic they had never encountered in their lives. It felt like a miracle, an experience they couldn’t quite put into words.

The leader of the Dawn Guild, Yeo Dohyung, felt the same.

The mana he had been meticulously managing began to regenerate rapidly. At this rate, he could cast spells without any fear of running dry.

This was something even Ga-Eul’s skills had never achieved.

Boom——!

Si-Hyun pressed forward without pause, pouring all her energy into overwhelming every hostile presence.

Even the high-ranking undead couldn’t escape her grasp. The mana enhancing their bodies was stripped away, weakening them at an alarming rate.

Conversely, the hunters facing them grew exponentially stronger.

The Knight Guild Master, who had been relentlessly swinging his blade, sharpened his gaze.

Slash—!

A dozen undead fell in the blink of an eye, their bodies sliced cleanly apart.

“Hahahaha! Bring it on! All of you, come at me!”

Kang Cheol-min, his expensive gear dented and battered, rampaged across the battlefield with newfound energy. In his mind, he believed he had surpassed his limits in this extreme situation.

Regardless, he had indeed become stronger.

Exhale…

Si-Hyun stopped momentarily, her gaze fixed on the necromancer seated before the throne.

A smirk tugged at her lips, though it was obscured by her veil.

“A defeated heroine, indeed.”

The thought stemmed from a term she had once read online. The phrase fit so perfectly, she felt she might find herself using it often.

Step, step—

Si-Hyun began walking again.

The situation had completely reversed.

Though the necromancer had been the master of the boss room, its ruler was now Si-Hyun. This space belonged to her.

“Ugh…!”

The necromancer bit her lip until it bled, unable to make sense of what was happening.

Having left the hero’s party midway, she hadn’t witnessed Si-Hyun’s progress since.

Back then, the saint had been nothing, a pitiful existence unworthy of the title “saint.”

What could have possibly happened to turn her into such a monster?

“……”

Whatever the necromancer felt, it didn’t matter to Si-Hyun.

Her steps were confident as she approached the throne.

“Kreeee!”

“Kiieeeek!”

Some of the undead charged in a desperate attempt to halt her advance.

Slice—

But nothing could stop her. With smooth, precise movements, she cut through them, unimpeded.

This was Si-Hyun’s domain now.

“You’re just a prayer-spouting lackey! Don’t you dare act high and mighty!”

The necromancer thrust her staff forward.

Through the ornate staff, dark magic surged, casting shadowy spells toward Si-Hyun.

But.

Boom!

Si-Hyun’s prepared magic clashed with it head-on, neutralizing the attack entirely.

“D-don’t come any closer! Stay back!”

The necromancer’s shrill cries echoed as she unleashed spell after spell.

Blades of shadow slashed toward Si-Hyun.

Dark tendrils reached out to bind her feet.

The necromancer threw everything she had to stop Si-Hyun’s relentless advance.

But Si-Hyun didn’t falter once.

In mere moments, she closed the distance, standing right before the necromancer.

The chaos of the hunters’ battle against the undead could still be heard in the background.

But here, in front of the throne, there were only two.

Si-Hyun leaned in slightly, her voice low and almost casual.

“…You should have known better. Why did you crawl all the way here?”

“Get out of my sight!”

The necromancer screamed, swinging her staff wildly in rage.

Si-Hyun didn’t even draw her sword. A frail caster like this posed no threat.

With her left hand, she effortlessly caught the staff mid-swing.

She yanked it from the necromancer’s grasp, tossing it aside where it clattered and rolled away.

“…Any last words?”

“You puppet-playing wench!”

The necromancer spat curses, her voice thick with fury and humiliation.

Si-Hyun hadn’t expected anything more.

Without dragging things out, she raised her sword to chest level.

And drove it straight through the necromancer’s heart.

Shhk—!

“Gah…!”

The necromancer coughed blood, her trembling hands clutching the blade impaling her chest. Her body quivered as life drained from her.

She muttered one last regretful sentence before slumping lifelessly.

Expressionless, Si-Hyun pulled the sword free.

With a solid kick, she sent the necromancer’s lifeless body sprawling to the ground.

Her face betrayed no emotion as she gazed down at the corpse.

Disrespect for the dead? No, the necromancer wasn’t someone deserving of respect.

“Everything I endured, I’ve returned in full.”

Si-Hyun turned to survey the surroundings.

The undead, now without their master, crumbled into dust.

Behind the throne, a portal leading to safety appeared.

Without hesitation, Si-Hyun was the first to step through.

Emerging outside the dungeon, she rejoined Jang Han-Soo, who had been waiting nearby.

One by one, the hunters followed, exiting the gate.

Many looked around for the hero who had saved them.

But none could find the vanished nun.