3.

Truthfully, Kim Buja's biggest concern wasn't how to purify the Forest of Malevolent Spirits.

'What if the hidden clear condition is something stupid like 'survive for seven days'?'

A condition like that wasn't particularly threatening. If he purified the forest before the seven days were up, the penalty wouldn't trigger, as the monsters would no longer be malevolent spirits. And since he would have already met the main objective, the dungeon would likely let him leave as soon as the hidden one was fulfilled.

The problem was being trapped in the dungeon for a full week.

'That would be hell.'

His current rank was ninth. If he had skipped the Legendary dungeon and run a tighter schedule—three Special dungeons a day—he could have definitively reclaimed the top spot.

But he had chosen this path because he was aiming for more than just a single reward.

'When else would I get a chance to grind a Legdenary dungeon like this?'

The word 'first' held a special meaning for all players, but for Buja, it was paramount. The prestige was one thing, but the rewards were substantial. Normally, a player's first clear of a new dungeon grade would grant them bonus stat points. For Buja, however, it was replaced by an achievement, which came with its own unique rewards. And on top of that, there was the constellation. It wasn't active yet, but obtaining a Legendary-grade star would make activating the 1-star constellation a breeze.

That was why he had taken this risk, completely unaware that he was walking into a hellish place with a hidden condition.

"Let's just focus on the purification first."

Where to even begin? The thought didn't linger. As soon as he started fighting the malevolent spirit monsters, such concerns naturally faded away.

[6 gold has been acquired.]

The only active buff was the 50% EXP bonus from the event. Even so, every single malevolent spirit he killed dropped at least 5 gold. When he took down an elite monster he stumbled upon, he earned nearly 20 gold.

"I could just live in the Forest of Malevolent Spirits forever," he muttered, only half-joking.

To hell with the event. The undeniable reality was that the sight of gold piling up before his eyes was a powerful temptation. The Legendary item was a nice thought, but it was an intangible prize he might not even win. His ninth-place rank was a stark reminder of that.

Since he couldn't leave without finding the hidden condition anyway, maybe he should just hunt monsters for a while. He could make some content out of farming fifty thousand gold in one go. He chuckled at the wild thought, then paused, dumbfounded by the fact that it wasn't entirely unrealistic.

As expected of a Legdenary dungeon, the Forest of Malevolent Spirits was teeming with an inexhaustible supply of monsters. He had only been wandering for half a day, but they seemed to spawn endlessly, sometimes alone or in pairs, but often in swarms of a dozen or more. In higher-star dungeons, monster counts in the thousands were common, but it was a rare sight in the tutorial bracket. Plus, if the monsters evolved, they would grant more experience, which would convert to even more gold. If he had an infinite supply of food from the Gold Shop, the idea wasn't impossible. It would, of course, remain just a thought.

"Kieeeeeeeeeee!"

Was the dungeon itself endorsing his gruesome fantasy? A bloodcurdling scream echoed from the distance. It was so piercingly loud that it made him scowl, even though it was impossible to tell how far away it was.

[You have heard the scream of the "Source of Evil."]

[All stats will decrease by 10.]

[Attack Power/Defense Power will decrease by 10.]

[You have a chance to be afflicted with a "Status Ailment."]

Each new hologram only deepened his scowl, but it wasn't all bad news.

"There it is," Buja muttered.

Through the hazy fog, nestled between the dense, dark trees, was a massive vortex of mist. It was an unmistakable sign. He had found the source—the very thing that had twisted this place into the Forest of Malevolent Spirits.

* * *

It was a colossal, amorphous mass—a monster so vast that he couldn't see its peak even when he craned his neck back. The "Source of Evil," a being of pure malevolence, looked exactly as its name suggested: evil incarnate.

"How am I supposed to kill that thing?" Buja wondered aloud.

It didn't appear to have a heart or any discernible weak points, nor did it seem like it would feel pain from a simple stab. He cautiously began to back away.

"Yeah, I definitely need to farm a bit more before taking this on. Holy Light won't even be enough to blind it, will it?"

Even as he spoke, his eyes meticulously scanned the creature. As long as he could inflict damage, its size was irrelevant. His complaint wasn't just for show; it was a genuine concern. Could Holy Light, a mere Grade-1 skill, actually damage this massive spectral entity?

"I guess we'll see."

He'd find out when he tried. His condition was optimal. The debuff from the Source of Evil was effectively canceled out by the event buff, and the fatigue from the last four hours of fighting had been erased with potions and a hearty meal.

Perhaps this was a stroke of luck—a chance to fulfill the clear condition so quickly.

4.

"He's out!" someone cried out.

The exclamation was abrupt and premature—one that shouldn't have been heard just yet.

"What?"

"Already?"

"How long has it been?"

"Twenty hours!"

"No way!"

The crowd watching Kim Buja's Legendary dungeon gate stared in disbelief as a lone figure was ejected from the tightly controlled portal.

"Did he die in there?"

"He's collapsed on the ground."

They threw out theories, but deep down, they all knew the truth. Once you entered a dungeon, the only way out was to clear it.

"Insane."

The moment they confirmed the bloodied face belonged to the only player who had entered, the staff from the Jeong Cheol Guild stood frozen, their minds blank.

"He's actually insane," one of them breathed.

The stupor didn't last long.

"Medical team! Assessment team! Move!" Seora's voice cut through the chaos.

Having been on standby, she directed the situation with more composure than ever. A swarm of people rushed toward Kim Buja, who had crumpled to the ground the moment he emerged.

"Oh my god!"

Those who got a clear look at his condition gasped, their hands flying to their mouths. His skin was scorched black in places, and deep gashes were so caked in blood it was impossible to tell where one wound ended and another began. The armor he wore was in an even worse state, shredded and mangled beyond recognition.

"He's in tatters."

"Is this the first time we've seen Buja come out looking like this?"

"I heard that's the Guild Master's own Special-grade armor. For it to end up like that…"

The support team watched with pity as the medical staff carefully loaded Buja onto a stretcher. Had Jeong Cheol been there to hear them, he would have clutched the back of his neck in shock, but fortunately, he was off in another dungeon, farming event points. Seora fell in step behind the retreating medical team.

"Whew, I guess a Legendary-grade dungeon is no joke," one of the remaining staff members remarked.

"No joke is an understatement. But the real monster here is Buja."

"…You're right. He actually cleared it, didn't he?"

"A twenty-hour clear. That's a record that'll go down in history."

The support team realized they wouldn't have to brainstorm a PR strategy. A live stream of the dramatic scene had already been broadcasting to the world for the past twenty hours.

* * *

People fear the unknown. They fill the void with imagined dangers and conjure up countless ways they might fail. For the average player, Legendary dungeons were the ultimate unknown—a hell that could never be conquered. Over ninety percent of players had never even set foot in a dungeon of Unique-grade or higher, making Legendary dungeons the stuff of myth. For those who had managed to clear Special dungeons, the fear was even more palpable.

If a Special dungeon was that grueling, what horrors awaited in a Legendary one?

That terror was now personified in the broken figure of Kim Buja.

—Wow, Buja is in that bad of a shape?

That was the reaction from players who knew his reputation.

—Wait, why does the guy who clears Special dungeons like he's taking a stroll around the block look like he went through a meat grinder?

—I guess Legendary really is on another level.

—He's alive, right?

—What's the point of clearing it if you die? He has to be alive.

The difference in difficulty was undeniable. The prevailing theory—that a player who could comfortably clear Special dungeons might stand a chance in a Legendary one—seemed to hold true, at least on the surface.

—So, you can only clear a Legendary-grade dungeon if you can breeze through a Special one like Kim Buja.

—FR, and that's with the event buff. You'd probably need three Kim Bujas to get through that thing.

—Insane.

This was the logical conclusion, but a vocal minority disagreed.

—He's a bit banged up, but a 20-hour clear doesn't seem that hard.

—Guess the difficulty of Legendary dungeons depends a lot on luck. A 20-hour clear sounds like he got a freebie.

Some genuinely believed this, while others were simply motivated by envy. But no matter the opinion, the facts remained unchanged.

—Yeah, well, it's a new record.

The video feed from the Fly Guild remained silent. In stark contrast, Kim Buja's channel was exploding with activity. While the dungeons themselves were incomparable, in the competitive narrative that had been forged, Kim Buja was the clear winner.

* * *

"Phew…"

"Are you okay?"

Inside the limousine speeding toward Jeong Cheol Hospital, Buja, who had been feigning unconsciousness on the plush gurney, let out a soft sigh and cracked open his eyes. It was an act that had fooled even Seora. He nodded at her worried question and slowly sat up.

"Wow, I really thought I was going to die. Ugh."

Pain flared from every inch of his body. Potions had staunched the bleeding, but they couldn't knit his flesh back together instantly. Wincing, he began peeling off the tattered remains of his armor.

"I'm sorry. I really wanted to return this in one piece."

"It's okay," Seora said softly.

"Right," he grunted. "The Guild Master is the one who won't be okay, I guess."

He had grandly declared he would claim the armor, but he never actually intended to keep it. It wasn't something he would use forever, and he had always planned to return it with his sincere gratitude once he found something better. But now, things were complicated. The battle had been so intense that he hadn't even noticed his armor was in rags until this very moment.

"Please tell him I'll be sure to repay him."

"Okay," Seora replied, nodding at his earnest tone.

While she had been instrumental in borrowing the armor, it wasn't her place to make a decision on Jeong Cheol's behalf.

"Still, I think it made for a good picture."

"…What do you mean?"

"It was a little dangerous, sure, but not this bad," he admitted. "I came out without any first aid on purpose. No need to raise expectations, right?"

A slow smile spread across Seora's lips as he spoke.

"I'm glad," she whispered.

With a heartfelt sigh of relief, she pulled him into a warm embrace, obscuring his vision.

"Me too," he murmured into her shoulder. "Looks like I'll have to stick around for a long time to come."

* * *

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