The Boss Room's location was deep in the northern forest. As Austin's party revealed the location, participants swarmed in. Already, over 100 people had gathered, and the number continued to grow.
I looked around. Austin had set up a command post with the leaders of each party and was holding a meeting.
'It'll be meaningless.'
"Seoyun-ssi, do we not need to join them?"
Tia said, looking around at the surrounding participants.
"No need. It'll be meaningless anyway."
At my firm words, Tia tilted her head and asked.
"What do you mean, meaningless?"
"Even if people with no experience and insufficient information gather, whatever strategy they discuss will ultimately be shoddy."
I glanced at the party leaders engaged in heated discussions nearby and added.
"Most of them won't even properly understand their own roles. Clumsy cooperation can actually be poison."
Tia nodded at my words, but Lauren, who was standing quietly to my left, said in a stiff tone.
"Still, isn't it safer to discuss and cooperate with others? I believe unity is important."
I chuckled as I listened to Lauren's words.
"Unity? That's only possible when everyone has the same goal and sufficient ability. Most people here are only desperate for their own survival. So they'll only trip each other up."
"Understood... Seoyun-nim must be right."
Tia smiled slightly beside her and lightly patted Lauren's shoulder.
"Don't worry. Seoyun-ssi has never been wrong so far."
I said to them.
"Don't waste time for nothing, just make your own necessary preparations."
Tia and Lauren nodded and each began to check their gear again.
Just then, Yoon Jaeho's party was visible in the distance. He was with Lee Sia, and Park Soyoung and Kim Minsu were also by his side.
As Lee Sia and I made eye contact, she waved her hand.
I also waved back at her.
"Seoyun-ssi, when are you going to fuck Lee Sia?"
"Probably before the 3rd floor, at least? For now, I'm saving her to fuck her right in front of Yoon Jaeho."
"That's so like Seoyun-ssi. I can participate too, right?"
Tia's purple eyes sparkled with delight.
"Of course. More importantly, did you look into Austin?"
"Yes. But... I don't think there's anything that could be a weakness. Although he pretends to have a bond with his comrades on the surface, he himself doesn't seem to consider them comrades."
'His personality is the same as in the original work. How should I torment him to make him suffer?'
As I was pondering how to torment Austin, just then, he approached.
"You were here. I was looking for you."
Austin stood before me with a gentle smile.
"What for?"
"I'd like you to be the main tank for the boss battle. Among the current participants, there's no one as skilled as Seoyun-nim. This is the most ideal way to ensure everyone's safety."
"I refuse."
As I firmly refused, his smiling face seemed to subtly twitch.
"Hmm... Understood."
Austin left without another word. Then he went to where the party leaders were gathered.
'A tank is meaningless anyway.'
In the original work, everyone will die to the hundreds of elite goblins the boss summons.
'The key to this strategy is the mage.'
I looked at Tia beside me. I'd been training her whenever I had a chance and made her master all the magic that could be learned on the 1st floor.
'In the original work, Yoon Jaeho struggled alone, but this time, with Tia, it should be easy.'
Hundreds of people moved and headed towards the Boss Room. A dark, gloomy, colossal door greeted us.
Austin stood in front and arranged the participants. According to his instructions, each party took its place.
"Is everyone ready?"
Austin's voice echoed. The participants nervously drew their weapons.
I moved far away from them.
'How many will die on the way to the Boss Room?'
Finding the Boss Room wasn't the end. In the original work, many participants died in the passage. Various traps and ambushes from higher-ranking goblins would begin.
Yoon Jaeho was also moving at a distance, similar to me. Looking at his face, he seemed to be thinking the same thing as me.
'He's experienced it, so he must know.'
"Lauren, protect Tia as much as possible."
"Yes."
The moment the raid party crossed the entrance, screams echoed. Five people died instantly from traps that sprang out from all directions.
"What are you doing?! Aren't you properly identifying the traps?!"
"No! Trap detection needs to be learned separately! Damn it! Is there anyone who learned trap identification?!"
"Damn it... I used trap detection, but it's not detecting anything at all!"
Voices filled with terror echoed.
'I knew this would happen.'
The Trap Detection skill can be learned by paying about 1 silver. The problem is that it only works in lower-level dungeons; for higher-level dungeons and above, a higher-grade detection skill was needed.
I looked around the raid party. Most were wearing cheap leather armor. It was impossible for them, who had no means, to even dream of higher-grade detection skills.
A hint of panic crossed Austin's face. And the problem of insufficient healers also became apparent.
'The initial healing skill costs as much as 10 gold to learn, so no one would have learned it.'
At the Central Temple, you can learn a healing skill by paying 10 gold.
I moved with the two women, avoiding the traps. We had all learned the higher-grade detection skills.
"Seoyun-ssi, is there a reason you're not helping them?"
To Tia's question, I quietly replied.
"If there are many people, the reward distribution decreases accordingly."
Screams continued to be heard from the front. Due to traps and goblin attacks, participants died one by one.
Eventually, they arrived at the door leading to the Boss Room. The raid party, with exhausted faces, rested in front of the Boss Room door.
Over 250 people started, but only about 150 survived. And among them, 50 were mostly injured and only received simple treatment.
"Let's rest and reorganize for a moment!"
At Austin's shout, the exhausted participants collapsed onto the floor.
A moment later, Austin stood in front of the Boss Room door.
'Is he nervous?'
The tension was palpable on his face, which had been so confident at the start. He took a breath and slowly extended his hand towards the massive iron door.
-Creak!
As the door opened, what was revealed behind the massive iron door was pitch-black darkness. A cold chill emanating from that darkness ran down the participants' spines.
The raid party exchanged nervous glances and stepped one by one into the Boss Room. The silent air felt even heavier. And the moment everyone entered the door, it slammed shut.
-Thump, thump, thump...
Along with the growing sound, a colossal figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
[Ironclad Crux Lv. 12]
A giant over 4m tall was adorned in jet-black armor, and its dark teal-skinned muscles were on a different level from ordinary goblins.
"Grrr..."
A low growl echoed throughout the entire Boss Room. Its massive footsteps shook the ground, and the participants instinctively recoiled.
"Th-that's the 1st floor's..."
"Level 12...? No way..."
Someone shouted. Most participants had not exceeded Level 5. To them, a Level 12 boss was an overwhelming presence.
Its red eyes gleamed with madness and bloodlust.
-Smash!
As Crux's axe struck the ground, a massive magic circle was drawn on the floor with a tremor. The magic circle, emitting a red light, instantly dyed the entire space.
"That's..."
Someone let out a single scream.
An ominous red light burst forth from the magic circle, and from within it, hundreds of goblins surged out.
[Goblin Legion Summon]
Hobgoblin Elite (Lv. 7) x5
Hobgoblin Warrior (Lv. 5) x25
Common Goblin (Lv. 3) x200
"Kiihihihihik!!!"
Along with the ominous laughter of the summoned goblins, they charged towards the raid party.
"R-run away...!"
The participants recoiled in terror.
-Thwack! Stab! Crunch!
The goblins' weapons swung in all directions. The participants' bloodcurdling screams filled the Boss Room.
"Form a defensive line!"
Austin shouted, but it was already too late. The formation instantly collapsed before the sheer numbers of goblins.
Crux let out a mad laugh as he watched the scene. The massive axe struck the ground once more.
-Crash!
A massive iron chair rose from the floor. Crux sat on the chair and watched the participants being massacred as if enjoying the sight.
'Time to make my move.'
I took out Black Night from my inventory.
"Tia, adjust your magic appropriately and reduce the number of summoned goblins."
"Yes, Seoyun-ssi."
"Lauren, no matter what happens, don't leave Tia's side."
"Yes."
Lauren replied, raising her axe and shield. Tia summoned black snakes and purple snakes, gathering magic at her fingertips, and prepared to cast a spell.
"Wind Cutter!"
Yoon Jaeho's shout was heard from afar. The blade of wind that flew from his fingertips cut down the goblins.
Yoon Jaeho's magic gradually reduced the number of goblins.
I advanced forward, cutting down the charging goblins.
'I need to quickly deal with the elite mobs so Tia and Lauren are safe.'
I charged towards the Hobgoblin Elites. As Black Night emitted a blue light and cut through the air, an elite goblin's neck was severed.
-Slash!
"Grrrk?!"
Seeing the severed corpse of their comrade, the other Hobgoblins looked at me in surprise. The ones who hesitated for a moment quickly took on a mad glint in their eyes and charged at me.
In the battlefield that instantly turned into pandemonium, Austin's shout echoed.
"Reorganize the defensive line right now! And advance by following Seoyun-nim! An opportunity has arisen!"
The participants began to move according to his words. I continued to advance, cutting down Hobgoblins.
At the rapidly decreasing goblins, Crux's red eyes gleamed coldly. The axe in his hand was slowly raised.
-Thump!
Crux finally stood up completely from the chair. His colossal physique overwhelmed the entire Boss Room.
With a low growl, the massive axe swung, cleaving through the air.
"Dodge!"
-Swoosh!
Along with the sound of the axe blade cleaving through the air, the bodies of the raid party members nearby were instantly severed. Corpses rolled on the floor amidst horrific screams.
Crux's axe took dozens of lives with a single swing. Its red eyes turned towards me.
Crux roared and swung his axe once more. The massive axe blade cleaved through the air and flew towards me.
I parried the axe blade with Black Night.
-Clang!
The resounding impact of steel clashing echoed. The axe blade and sword clashed, sending sparks flying.