Former Ranker's Newbie Life-Chapter 34

With Do-Jin’s final spell, the last elite golem crumbled. True to its name, Unstable Mythril Steel Golem, the area where it had fallen crackled with intense mana reactions, sending stone fragments flying in every direction.

Amidst the scattering debris, Theresa spotted a mana stone and gasped in awe. “W-wait, is that a mana stone? I’ve never seen such a dark one before!”

As she said, the mana stones left behind by elite monsters were far richer in color than ordinary ones. The deeper the color, the greater the amount of mana stored inside.

This one’s the best among low-grade stones...

Do-Jin only needed a glance to estimate its value. After years as a mage, he didn’t even need special tools. He could eyeball most mana stones and get a rough estimate instantly.

“How many of these did we get? We’ll have to measure them to be sure, but just from the color alone, shouldn’t we be able to get at least 100,000 won per piece? On top of that, everyone’s been freaking out lately because mana stones are in short supply,” Theresa chattered excitedly as she scooped up the loot.

Do-Jin chuckled to himself. She was ecstatic over such an estimate when it was easily worth triple that.

“We won’t know for sure until we run a proper appraisal, but with that size and color, they should sell for at least 300,000 won each.”

At his casual remark, Theresa’s eyes widened to the size of saucers.

“T-three hundred...?!” Her tongue twisted so badly she couldn’t even get the number out properly.

The shock wore off fast, though. In the next moment, she was on her hands and knees, frantically digging through the pile of stone fragments before they could dissipate into mana.

“Sang-Soo! Hurry up and grab them! Soso, get over here and help! If a monster respawns and we have to run, we’ll lose everything!”

“Are you even human? You saw me get launched across the room by that golem, right? Pretty sure I cracked a rib,” Sang-Soo replied.

“I’m sitting this one out,” Soso chimed in.

“Ugh! Kim Soso, if you help me gather these, I’ll take you to that café you wanted to go to last time!”

“Argh, let go of me! Pick them up yourself! Gah, fine! Fine! I’ll help, okay?! Just don’t kick my ribs, dammit! Even in a game, getting hit where you’re already hurt feels so wrong!”

Do-Jin shook his head at their antics and walked toward a specific spot he had been keeping an eye on.

It should be around here.

Just before delivering the final blow, he had caught a glimpse of something odd flashing amidst the chaos. If something stood out that much in the middle of a fight, chances were high it wasn’t just a mana stone or common loot. Using Psychokinesis, Do-Jin swept away the loose rubble, exposing what was underneath.

I knew it.

A veteran player never mistook that particular kind of shimmer.

[Mythril Steel Bracelet]

Grade: C

Equip Requirement: None

A bracelet crafted from a metal that naturally draws in mana. It continuously absorbs and releases mana in cycles.

+3% Mana Recovery

+5 Magic Resistance

+5 Intelligence

Do-Jin knew this Mythril Steel Bracelet well.

The elite Unstable Mythril Steel Golems from the Closed Iron Mine were infamous for dropping mythril steel accessories. They were especially sought after among min-maxers trying to build emperor-tier characters.

In terms of stats, it wasn’t all that impressive for an accessory around Level 40. Aside from its mana recovery option, it wasn’t particularly special, but the fact that it had no equip restrictions made it a fan favorite.

What was the market price back then? The bracelet went for around 500,000 won, right?

Fifteen years into the future, the market would be flooded with all sorts of gear. Even then, this item still held its value at five hundred thousand won. At this point in time, however, equipment was insanely scarce. Even if its stats weren’t game-breaking, it could easily fetch a few hundred thousand won in this era. With a find this valuable, even after splitting the profits with the party, this was shaping up to be quite a good haul.

Do-Jin pocketed the bracelet and turned back, feeling pretty damn pleased, only to be met with Theresa’s beaming face.

“Did we get a lot?” he asked.

“Look at this! I found four of them!”

It wasn’t just Theresa. Sang-Soo was grinning, clutching a sword he’d dug out of the rubble, and even the normally apathetic Soso had the faintest hint of a smile, probably because she’d secured that café trip with Theresa.

The mood was light, and spirits were high. It had been a grueling fight, but the loot made it all worth it. Come to think of it, this was probably the first time Do-Jin had ever experienced such a peaceful party hunt. In his past life, he had been a lone wolf, partly by choice, partly because of circumstances. He was still caught up in those self-deprecating thoughts when the golem’s remains scattered into particles of light, dissolving into pure mana and returning to the world.

It was such a natural occurrence that Do-Jin didn’t even react. He simply scanned the area one last time to make sure he hadn’t missed any loot.

Suddenly, the mana around them froze, followed by a loud boom.

Even the non-mages sensed that something was wrong and instinctively looked around. The reaction was even stronger for Do-Jin since his class was inherently attuned to the flow of mana, which meant he felt the anomaly firsthand.

He knew exactly what this kind of phenomenon meant. This wasn’t just some random magical fluctuation. In an open dungeon like this, where nothing particularly special should be happening, the world’s mana suddenly coming to a halt could only mean one thing.

It can’t be... he thought.

A boss spawn was the only possible explanation.

Do-Jin’s head snapped toward the dungeon walls. There, he spotted something red and something blue. Two gemstones were forming rapidly, solidifying at an unnatural speed.

“Run back the way we came! NOW!” Do-Jin shouted the second he saw them.

Those gems were an unmistakable sign. A boss was about to spawn in the center of the room. The party members, who had been briefly confused, immediately bolted at Do-Jin’s command.

At this point, they had enough trust in him to know that listening to his orders never led to anything bad. That trust had already saved their lives many times over.

CRACK.

A massive arm materialized out of thin air and smashed through the very spot they had just been standing.

“U-uhh...” Sang-Soo let out a strangled groan as he turned his head, feeling the wind pressure graze the back of his neck. It wasn’t that he couldn’t scream, but he was simply too stunned to make a sound.

Before his eyes, iron sand rose from all directions, swirling into a massive vortex as it forged itself into a golem. First, an arm took shape, followed by the shoulder. As more and more iron sand was sucked in, the process accelerated. The chest formed next, then the abdomen. Finally, the other arm solidified.

Boom!

The half-completed colossus slammed into the ground, its newly formed hand bracing against the earth. Then, it turned its gaze toward Do-Jin’s party.

“ROOOOAR!!!”

[Boss Monster, Condensed Mana Mythril Steel Golem, has appeared in the Closed Iron Mine Dungeon!]

As the monstrous creature roared, Do-Jin had only one thought. Why the fuck is everything happening so fast? Is the dungeon broken?

He had expected elite monsters and even a boss to spawn, considering they were the only ones who had made it this far. But fighting five elite monsters back to back, only for a boss to show up immediately afterward, was something else.

In reality, it was inevitable. The very reason the Closed Iron Mine had been abandoned in the first place was due to its tendency to spontaneously generate golems in mana-dense areas. Moreover, this chamber that Do-Jin had forcibly broken into had been sealed for years, allowing mana to accumulate unchecked.

On top of all that, their massacre of the elite monsters had only made things worse. If they had killed the golems slowly, the mana would have naturally dispersed over time, but they had wiped out five elite monsters in rapid succession. With no time to dissipate, the huge amount of raw mana had simply spilled into the nearest open space, spawning the five elite Unstable Mythril Steel Golems. Now, that same overflow had triggered the birth of the boss monster.

Even as a regressor and a veteran player with deep knowledge of the game, Do-Jin couldn’t possibly remember every single detail about every dungeon. From his perspective, it just looked like the dungeon had lost its damn mind and was throwing out every monster it had left.

“What... what the hell is that?! That’s the boss? Why is it spawning now?! We just finished off the elites!” Theresa’s voice cracked in disbelief as she read the floating system message.

Keeping his eyes on the massive golem, Do-Jin responded flatly, “Maybe they’re giving us a special welcome bonus for being first-time visitors.”

Theresa snapped her head toward him, gaping. “You cannot be serious.”

But as ridiculous as his words sounded, he wasn’t entirely wrong. The sudden, chain-reaction spawning of powerful monsters was something only the first entrants to a dungeon could ever experience. In a way, it was a privilege, a special gift that could easily kill them all.

Sang-Soo’s voice was tense as he turned to Do-Jin. “What’s the plan? Because there is no way we can take that thing on.”

The others did the same. Ultimately, whatever they did next would depend on his decision.

Instead of giving a straight answer, Do-Jin flipped the question back on them. “How long do you think you can last against it?”

Sang-Soo eyed the massive golem, still absorbing swirling iron dust into its body, then let out a breath and responded, “I know I can’t survive... but I’m pretty confident I’d die in one second flat.”

“That thing’s almost fully formed. Shouldn’t we back off, think this through, and gather more people before we try anything? It’s not like anyone else is gonna make it this deep into the dungeon anyway,” Theresa said, pointing at the golem, which had now formed one of its legs and was beginning to rise.

Her suggestion to retreat, bring in reinforcements, and increase their numbers made a lot of sense. Sure, they’d have to split the rewards, but that was better than getting themselves killed by rushing in unprepared.

Despite that, Do-Jin immediately shot her down. “No. The moment a boss spawns, everyone inside the dungeon gets a system notification. This place is packed with mages, so there’s no way they didn’t sense the mana disturbance. If they check the boss’s designated spawn location and find nothing, they’ll assume there’s a hidden chamber. Once they start looking, it won’t take long for someone to find the hole we made.”

If they left now, someone else would swoop in and claim the kill. Do-Jin had no intention of handing this boss over to anyone else. He gestured toward the nearly completed Mythril Steel Golem, which was almost fully operational.

“That thing’s gonna drop insane loot. You really wanna walk away without even trying?”

A chance to solo a boss in an open dungeon like this was unheard of.

“You said you were ready to risk your life for this, didn’t you?” Theresa hesitated, then glanced at her friends.

Sang-Soo sighed and shrugged. “If you wanna fight, just say so. It’s not like I’m planning to stick with this game long-term anyway. Dying once won’t kill me.”

Soso added, “I’m fine with dying here, too. But if we wipe, you’re spending every second of your cooldown taking me to every shop I want to visit. That’s my condition.”

Theresa’s eyes welled up at their words. “Sang-Soo... Soso... You guys...”

But before she could get too emotional, Do-Jin shut it down immediately. “If you’ve made up your mind, then get ready. It’s moving.”

Boom.

Right on cue, the Mythril Steel Golem completed its formation and rose to its full height. The massive figure made entirely of iron dust looked less like a monster and more like a glitch, a shifting mass of metallic noise forced into existence.

“Three minutes.” Do-Jin’s voice was calm and unwavering. “You just have to survive and keep that thing distracted. I’ll figure out a way to take it down.”

As the golem’s colossal frame lurched forward, Do-Jin wasted no time. He broke away from the party and sprinted toward the glowing red gemstone embedded in the far wall.