<Chapter 40. Fake Hero Saga - 8>

Although he was nurturing the paladins and the priests, he was still required to come forward at times. It was no ordinary dungeon; it was an elite dungeon. Not only were the monsters that appeared within this limited, enclosed space huge, but a level 7 elite monster would appear whenever it felt like they were progressing smoothly.

[Lv7 Elite Solar Scorpion King]

[Kishaaaaaaaaah!]

"Aren't there not that many level 7 elites in this world?"

"Indeed. However, so much time has passed since this dungeon was formed that..."

He'd already experienced it in the Underground Empire, so he knew just how rare high level dungeons were.

But contrary to the Underground Empire, where heroes actively conquered dungeons in order to kill the undead (who ran rampant due to the curse), as well as the Undead Emperor who ruled over them, no one on the surface would seek dangerous monsters or dungeons, so long as no significant harm came from them.

And by neglecting these dungeons for hundreds of years, it came as no surprise that elite level 7 monsters, as well as a high level dungeon (or two) would appear... That's why Lee Shin Woo was able to enter the level 7 dungeon without any competition.

"They must've growth as time passed. S-Sir Kay! We cannot defeat this scorpion alone...!"

"Tch."

Lee Shin Woo cut through all the bothersome Sun Scorpions with his greatsword, ran towards the paladins and priests, and confronted the Solar Scorpion King one-on-one.

Not only was its body almost 5 meters tall, but its body was also covered by a tough, red outer shell. If he wanted to pierce through its exoskeleton and inflict damage, then he'd have to put in some work.

[Kishaaaaaaht!]

"Ah."

But its greatest weapon, its fire, wasn't working. It shot a yellow flame at him as if it were taking the initiative, but Lee Shin Woo just absorbed it with his greatsword. That wasn't all.

"Zenon."

[I got it.]

He called, and Zenon settled into his greatsword. Lee Shin Woo hadn't consumed him with his greatsword's Fire Eater ability. Zenon simply dwelled within his greatsword temporarily. But that 'temporary' effect was quite immense.

[The Lv7 Fire Dragon's Scale Greatsword is temporarily reinforced. You now have the ability to command all fire.]

[The Soul Seeing Eye skill has become Lv3. All stats have increased by 5.]

He'd only realized he could do this due to his contract with Sinea... To be exact, it was because of the Soul Seeing Eye.

The name of this skill couldn't be taken at face value, as it not only increased his understanding of souls and anything related to souls but also made it easier to control said souls. It was the same for transferring spirits to items.

He needed to look more into the fusion among mana, the soul, and matter, but to sum it up, if a spirit was compatible with a certain item, they could be infused into said item. And the compatibility between Zenon, a fire lizard, and the Fire Dragon's Scale Greatsword was obviously quite good.

'Combining with my sword is already this effective, so what'll happen if he combines with the Titan Bone Golem?'

He knew that it was nothing more than a temporary power-up, but he still wanted to try it at least once. The Titan Bone Core was already fully charged. Lee Shin Woo could start it up whenever he wanted, but...

'I'll leave it be just in case.'

Lee Shin Woo stared at the scorpion before him. After its initial assault had failed, it seemed to become more cautious, as it had stepped back and watched him... No, that's not what it was doing. It was actually gathering a frightening amount of mana at the end of its tail. Lee Shin Woo yelled instinctively.

"It's a Solar Beam!?"

[Kugyaaaaa!]

Lee Shin Woo marveled at its 'Solar Beam'; at the same time, the Scorpion King screamed and thrust its tail at him! Unfortunately, it wasn't an actual solar beam. It gathered as much heat as it could in one place (the end of its tail) and swung it around like a mace; Heat Smash would be an apt name for it. A hammer of fire that threatened to smash through any defense!

"Heuaaaahp!"

If Lee Shin Woo avoided its strike, then the entire area would be caught aflame. As they were deeply assimilated, Jin could read his thoughts. Jin let out a battle cry and kicked off the ground.

Lee Shin Woo pulled his greatsword back with both hands and then swung it directly at the scorpion's tail in midair. The sound of their collision resounded throughout the entire dungeon, and all those who were fighting flinched.

[Kyahahk!?]

The moment his greatsword and its tail came into contact with each other, the condensed heat at the end of its tale strangely disappeared.

The scorpion hadn't expected that, yet it didn't let that bother it and tried to push him back. However, that was its biggest mistake. Its tail had lost both its heat and the force behind it, so Lee Shin Woo's greatsword just cut through it easily.

Dirty bodily secretions spurt out, but before they could spread, Lee Shin Woo evaporated it all with heat. The scorpion felt immense pain, temporarily halting both its thoughts and its movements. All it was allowed to do was scream in agony.

[Kishaaaaaahk!]

"Heup!"

Whereas, Lee Shin Woo relayed his intent to Jin once they landed. Jin changed his stance and prepared to jump again. Lee Shin Woo was amazed, as it felt like he and Jin moved as one. Then, the High Rank Assimilation skill leveled up. It had been quite some time.

[The High Rank Assimilation skill has become Lv2. Agility and Magic have increased by 10.]

The Assimilation skill leveled up, and the two matched their breathing (though the undead couldn't breathe). Then, they leaped beautifully, as if they had truly become one, and Lee Shin Woo swung his greatsword using the momentum.

The sight of them cutting through the rampaging and tail-less scorpion's head to stomach was akin to the creature with a human's upper body attached to a horse's lower body: a Centaur.

[You have acquired 5,192,430 Perium.]

[You have acquired the Lv7 Solar Scorpion King's fire tailbone.]

He had only swung his sword twice: once to cut off its tail, and the second to cut through its head. Contrary to its status as an elite level 7 monster, it had died quite pitifully. The paladins and priests, who had just barely defeated the scorpions and turned back towards Lee Shin Woo, saw that scene and spoke in awe.

"I knew you were strong, but..."

"To think you'd finish it with just two swings of your sword."

"I can't even begin to imitate his horsemanship. It felt like they became one."

"Hm."

To be honest, Lee Shin Woo was just as surprised as they were. There was a huge difference in stats between a normal level 7 monster and an elite level 7 monster, with a huge difference between their skills as well.

For example, the primary skill that increased Lee Shin Woo's offensive and defensive abilities was his Rule of Bone skill. When one becomes an elite, they gain a unique attack skill and a buff skill like Rule of Bone. In effect, there would be a huge difference between a normal level 7's attack/defensive power versus an elite level 7's, so much so that it was difficult to consider them both level 7.

This was the primary reason why elite level 6 monsters could be more powerful than normal level 7 monsters. However, he'd killed an elite in just two swings of his greatsword. If he'd used Bursting Thunder as well, then he'd probably have managed to kill it in one. It made no sense, no matter how much stronger he'd gotten. If that's the case, then...

'Zenon, did you feel anything?'

'I think the scorpion could increase its defense and magic resistance with its fire mana. The moment you attacked, I could feel something being sucked away from it.'

'Aha. I felt the mana when we clashed, but I thought it was nothing and ignored it. So that's what it was.'

He understood immediately. Not only had he nullified his enemy's attack, but also nullified its shield as well. As a result, he was able to cut through it easily. Lee Shin Woo felt a bit sorry for the Solar Scorpion King.

'Wait, this... Mm, this won't work either.'

However, the loot was disappointing. He had been hopeful, as it was the loot of a level 7 elite, but its tailbone was no different than an agglomeration of several normal Sun Scorpions' tailbones. He wouldn't be able to reinforce the Titan Bone Golem with this.

"If the elites won't work, then I suppose I have no choice but to hope that the boss... Huh? What's wrong with you guys?"

"T-That's... Sir Kay."

The paladins and priests, who had been watching him, were now looking behind him. Lee Shin Woo tightly gripped his greatsword and looked behind him. Smack dab in the middle of the desert, the sand was... being sucked down.

"Quicksand?"

"No, it's not a natural phenomenon."

Lee Shin Woo sensed the presence of something huge beneath it, drawing the sand towards it. No, it wasn't really 'drawing' the sand in. It was from hot wind. An artificial, powerful flow of air was added to the heat to create it.

The hot air drew in not only all the sand here, but all the sand in the dungeon itself. At this rate, they wouldn't be safe here! Although he was flustered, Lee Shin Woo tried to give the paladins and priests their orders, but then saw a message.

[Level 7 elite dungeon - You have found Cradle of Fire's truth path. The dungeon's information has been updated. Magic has increased by 10.]

[Level 8 dungeon - Sun's Nest. All stats are increased by 75 within the dungeon. The dungeon's information is added to your minimap. All actions are buffed within the dungeon.]

"...Ha."

This was his first time in a level 7 dungeon, yet that same dungeon had been upgraded to a level 8 dungeon. Rather than feeling fear or terror, Lee Shin Woo was speechless. But for some reason, a corner of his face was smiling.

"If it's a level 8 dungeon... then a level 9 boss might show up."

"L-Level 9!? Humanity can't contend with a level 9! Unless the Emperor intervenes himself!"

"Of course it's impossible. It's obviously impossible. ...But what if..."

What if this dungeon hadn't been a fire element dungeon? What if he hadn't possessed the Fire Dragon's Scale Greatsword? What if he hadn't had the good fortune of meeting Zenon and learning how to infuse him into a weapon? What if he hadn't had the Titan Bone Core?

Then he would have had to give up on this dungeon.

"I've come this far, I can't just leave. You guys, get out of here now. Tell the Pope what's happened and make sure no one approaches the dungeon."

"Sir Kay!? You're not thinking of going in, are you... Keuk!"

The hot air intensified and the sand they (the paladins and priests) were standing on began to crumble. It was clear that they didn't have much time to retreat! The paladins and the priests looked hesitant. The fact that they hadn't run away immediately touched Lee Shin Woo to no small measure.

"I'm not interested in your feelings right now, so hurry and run."

"Sir Kay!"

"Keep these two things in mind. First, I can return alive, whether I succeed in conquering the dungeon or not. Second, it'll be dangerous for anyone besides myself to come near the dungeon. If you understand, then get out and give the pope my message!"

"Y-Yes sir!"

All the paladins and priests simultaneously turned around and began to run at his command. The hot wind had begun to affect the entire dungeon, and the sand began to coil and rise. It attempted to draw them in as well, but before it could, Lee Shin Woo extended his greatsword, absorbing and nullifying the hot air.

"You see, I can absorb more than just heat."

While he was at it, Lee Shin Woo used air to push the paladins and priests towards the dungeon's entrance. When he was sure they were safe, he turned around.

Lee Shin Woo and Jin slowly sank into the sand while being buffered by the hot air... and gazed into the eyes of the mastermind of this phenomena.

[Lv8 Elite Desert Ghost]

It was time the Sun God's hero underwent a true test.