Chapter 33: Cyberpunk and Mercenary Part 6 (2/2) 

The exploration resumed.

It was more enjoyable and progressed faster than expected.

According to Paul, this party had already cleared this dungeon ten times.

They were circling the entrance not due to a lack of skill but because they were searching for something.

“The lower floors of this building used to be a place for researching protective magic.”

They were here because of Paul, a mage specializing in offensive and buff spells.

He wanted to learn a few defensive spells for peace of mind.

With the addition of Amon to their usual route, the progress was incomparable to previous runs.

However, despite the fast pace, there was no reward this time either.

They found neither a magic recipe nor any monster drop items.

“Ah… another dead end,” Yellow muttered in disappointment.

They had scoured an entire floor but failed to find the desired recipe.

“It’s unfortunate, but let’s wrap up this exploration here.”

Paul, the most disappointed, was comforted by his teammates as they prepared to leave.

That was when…

“Something’s caught at twelve o’clock.”

Blue pointed to a corner.

Everyone’s attention focused on him.

Blue-haired Hale approached the wall in the corner, feeling around.

He nodded, pulled a sticky bomb from his belt, and attached it to the wall.

“Everyone, out.”

The entire party exited the room.

Boom!

A loud explosion was followed by the sound of something collapsing.

When they returned to the room, a hidden passage was visible.

At the end of the secret passage, there was a door.

“A boss room?”

Paul shook his head at Amon’s murmur.

“Not a boss, but a mid-boss.”

“How do you know that?”

“According to the report from the only party that encountered the lich, there were two death knights guarding the door to its room.

Since then, twenty years have passed, and the lich has moved deep underground, where no one has seen it since, but I doubt much has changed.”

Amon understood.

Meanwhile, the party prepared to enter the boss room.

“Since it’s a mid-boss, there’s a higher chance of getting a drop item.”

With a confident grin, Tori cracked her knuckles.

The other members were equally eager to fight the mid-boss.

But Amon alone disagreed with this approach.

“I don’t think this is a good idea.”

Once again, his cautious nature came through.

They had no information on the boss, and he had only planned to hunt minor monsters near the entrance today.

He hadn’t planned or prepared to fight a mid-boss.

He’d only joined the party intending to go as far as the entrance.

Amon didn’t want to take the risk of facing a mid-boss.

“Sorry, but I’m not prepared for this.”

Fortunately, the party didn’t hold it against him.

Instead, they felt apologetic toward Amon.

“No, it’s our fault. It was unplanned, and we ended up pressuring you.”

The team showed genuine regret toward Amon.

However, they were reluctant to leave after discovering the mid-boss.

Leaving and returning later could mean someone else might seize it.

Moreover, boss fights had a high chance of dropping essences or recipes, yet no guarantee of respawning, making competition intense.

Thanks to Amon, they had saved a lot of ammo today, and their condition was at its peak.

It felt like a one-time opportunity.

Paul couldn’t tear his gaze from the boss room entrance.

Unable to watch him any longer, Amon finally spoke.

“I’ll go back alone.”

“What?”

“Monsters don’t respawn within twenty-four hours of being defeated, right? We cleared everything on our way in, so the path back should be safe.”

“But…”

“Just to confirm, does the mid-boss need my help?”

The team shook their heads at Amon’s question.

They were an experienced party who’d made it close to the lower levels of this dungeon.

They wouldn’t struggle against a mid-boss at the entrance level.

“Then, let’s do as I suggested.”

The party members hesitated, but Paul finally relented.

“Thank you.”

Amon nodded, standing up.

Blue-haired Hale handed him something as he got ready.

“Take this, just in case.”

It was a disposable barrier.

Hale had five of these and hadn’t used any today, so he had plenty to spare.

Amon accepted it gratefully.

One could never be too cautious.

“Before I go, let me at least confirm the boss.”

If it turned out to be a crazy hidden boss, the team could reconsider and retreat.

The party thanked Amon for his concern as he opened the boss room door.

The moment they opened the door, they came face to face with a three-headed wolf chimera.

While Amon was tense, having never seen this boss before, the others breathed a sigh of relief.

“It’s not a hidden boss. Just a regular mid-boss.”

They’d faced it before and defeated it with minimal damage.

Hearing this, Amon also felt relieved.

He then turned back toward the dungeon’s exit without hesitation, while the team headed toward the mid-boss.

“See you on the surface!”

“We’ll settle the payment once we’re topside!”

The party gave Amon a thumbs-up as they answered, closing the boss room door.

There were no particular issues on the way back to the surface.

In fact, it was much smoother than going down.

With no monsters or people around, the path back was eerily calm, if a bit creepy.

Thus, Amon managed to return to the surface safely.

The sun that had been up when he entered was now long gone.

‘Guess it’s time to head back.’

Sonia would probably be worried by now.

Amon made his way to the Explorers’ Guild building to report his return.

However, as soon as he entered, he noticed an air of commotion.

‘What’s going on?’

With ears perked, he headed toward the reception desk.

While weaving through the crowd, he picked up fragments of words: scavenger, human trafficking, dungeon.

He had a rough idea of what it was about but couldn’t be certain.

Amon approached the receptionist he usually worked with to get clarification.

“I kept hearing the term ‘scavenger’ on my way here. Did something happen?”

“Well… Apparently, scavenger activity was discovered inside the dungeon recently. Judging by the condition of the bodies, it seems they’ve been active for about a week now. The police are investigating, but there’s no sign that the culprits have exited the dungeon yet.”

“Are these scavengers the same people involved in organ trafficking and human trafficking?”

“Yes, you heard right.”

Listening to her explanation, Amon couldn’t help but stroke his chin in thought.

A growing sense of unease began to cloud his mind.

‘No way…’

Even so, he couldn’t shake off the gnawing feeling.

In the end, he decided to delay his return and gather more information about the scavengers.

He slipped some cash to veteran explorers and the police officers, piecing together details about the scavengers.

‘They’re a highly meticulous bunch.’

Considering the first disappearance, it seemed the scavengers had been active for not just a week but possibly a month.

The fact they’d gone unnoticed all that time indicated their level of professionalism.

They weren’t just some disorganized gang leaving traces everywhere due to unrestrained greed; they were a rational, systematic organization.

He thought he understood their methods now.

‘Parties planning to challenge mid-bosses have mainly been the ones disappearing.’

To be honest, it was a very clever tactic.

Boss fights offer high drop rates but come with great danger.

While deaths within a party are usually due to small fry or traps, entire parties are often wiped out by bosses.

So if a party challenging a mid-boss disappeared, it wouldn’t raise much suspicion.

After all, party wipes are common in dungeons.

Not only did it keep suspicion at bay, but there was another advantage.

‘After a raid, parties are bound to be exhausted.’

The vanguard would be worn out, and the rear guard would likely be low on ammo.

Such weakened parties, even stronger than the scavengers, would be easy targets.

With this realization, Amon’s hand instinctively reached for his phone.

[Sorry, Sonia. I’ll be late tonight. Go ahead and have dinner without me.]

After sending the message, Amon turned off his phone.

He headed back toward the dungeon entrance he had just exited.

As he inserted cash into the turnstile at the dungeon gate, he cursed inwardly.

‘Damn it, damn it, damn it…’

There are no coincidences in this world, and tragedy always comes with signs.

Maybe he was being paranoid, but the oppressive feeling in his chest strengthened his conviction.

His steps gradually quickened.

‘Paul, Tori, Even, Hale…’

The faces of the kind-hearted party members flashed in his mind.

If they had been indifferent or unfriendly, Amon might have ignored their plight, like most people in the city.

There would’ve been some lingering guilt, but he’d rationalize it as just another sad reality of this world.

However, They were people of rare, shining character in this grim world.

They had given Amon something invaluable, an experience that could not be quantified.

Yes, that alone made risking his life worth it.

With this self-justification, he retraced his memory of the path they had taken inside the dungeon.

‘Hopefully, I’m just being paranoid…’

If it turned out to be a false alarm, he’d gladly endure their teasing.

He even hoped he’d end up chalking this up as a miserable and embarrassing chapter in his life.

A junction came into view.

‘Fourth left!’

Without slowing down, he sprinted in that direction.

Then, just as he entered the passage…

Boom!!

A deafening explosion came from that direction.

‘Damn it!’

Explosions were common in dungeons.

But to Amon, even this explosion sounded different.

‘Please, just stay alive!’

Amon broke into a full sprint.