The spider's agonized screech echoed throughout the cavern as it thrashed wildly, smashing its massive legs into the ground and sending chunks of stone flying in every direction. Black blood poured from its ruined eye while the dagger remained lodged deep within the wound. Jinwoo landed lightly several meters away and immediately prepared for the monster's next attack.
Meanwhile, Jinho stood frozen in place.
His mind refused to accept what he was seeing.
The giant spider had effortlessly slaughtered eight hunters. Experienced men who had entered countless dungeons had been reduced to helpless prey within minutes. Yet Sung Jinwoo—the infamous E-Rank hunter known as the weakest hunter—was fighting the monster completely alone.
And winning.
The spider lunged forward in a frenzy, its remaining eye burning with rage. Massive legs crashed down one after another, each strike powerful enough to shatter the stone floor. Yet Jinwoo slipped between the attacks with unbelievable precision. Every movement was smooth and deliberate, as though he had already predicted where the attacks would land before the spider even made them.
This can't be real...
Jinho rubbed his eyes.
That's Sung Jinwoo. It has to be. But how is this possible?
He watched as Jinwoo ducked beneath a sweeping leg and counterattacked. His dagger flashed through the air before piercing a weak point between the spider's armored joints.
CRACK!
The monster shrieked in pain.
Jinho's jaw dropped.
An E-Rank hunter can't do that.
The thought echoed through his head over and over again.
No matter how talented he is, an E-Rank shouldn't be able to fight a boss monster like this.
As the battle continued, Jinho slowly began to understand.
The calm expression.
The incredible speed.
The overwhelming combat ability.
There was only one explanation.
A false ranker...
The words sent a chill down his spine.
False rankers were hunters whose true strength far exceeded the rank assigned to them during their initial awakening evaluation. They were incredibly rare, and every one of them possessed monstrous talent.
That's it... That's the only thing that makes sense.
Jinho stared at Jinwoo in disbelief.
He's not an E-Rank at all.
The spider suddenly let out a deafening roar and reared onto its hind legs. Mana exploded from its body, causing the entire cavern to tremble. The pressure alone made it difficult for Jinho to breathe.
The boss was desperate.
It had realized it was losing.
The giant monster raised its front legs before bringing them down with enough force to crush everything beneath it.
BOOM!
The impact shook the entire dungeon.
Dust and debris filled the air.
For a moment, Jinho lost sight of Jinwoo completely.
His heart stopped.
"J-Jinwoo...!"
The dust cloud slowly settled.
Then a figure emerged.
Jinwoo.
Completely unharmed.
The spider froze.
For the first time since the battle began, fear appeared in the monster's remaining eye.
Jinho saw it too.
The predator had become the prey.
Jinwoo burst forward.
His body became a blur.
The distance between them vanished instantly.
The spider tried to react, but it was already too late.
Jinwoo leaped high into the air, landing directly on the monster's head.
The giant spider thrashed violently.
But Jinwoo didn't let go.
With both hands gripping his dagger, he drove the blade downward with every ounce of strength he possessed.
STAB!
The dagger pierced straight through the monster's remaining eye.
A horrifying scream erupted from the spider's throat.
Then Jinwoo twisted the blade deeper.
CRACK!
The sound of something breaking echoed through the cavern.
The monster's body convulsed violently.
Its legs slammed against the ground.
Then its movements gradually slowed.
The screams stopped.
The struggle ceased.
And finally, the giant spider collapsed.
BOOM!
The entire cavern shook as the dungeon boss crashed onto the stone floor.
Silence followed.
Absolute silence.
Jinho stared blankly at the enormous corpse.
The battle was over.
The boss was dead.
Defeated by a single hunter.
His gaze slowly shifted toward Jinwoo, who stood atop the fallen monster with blood splattered across his clothes and a dagger still in his hand.
For several seconds, Jinho couldn't speak.
He couldn't even blink.
The image before him was burned into his memory forever.
He really did it...
The strongest creature in the dungeon had fallen.
Not to a raid party.
Not to a guild.
Not to a high-ranking hunter.
But to Sung Jinwoo alone.
Jinho swallowed hard.
The more he looked at Jinwoo, the more convinced he became.
He's definitely a false ranker.
There was no other explanation.
No E-Rank hunter could accomplish something like this.
No E-Rank hunter could slaughter a dungeon boss that had annihilated an entire raid party.
As Jinwoo calmly climbed down from the monster's corpse, Jinho felt a strange mixture of relief, admiration, and fear.
Because he had just witnessed something impossible.
And for the first time since becoming a hunter, Yoo Jinho realized that the most terrifying person in the dungeon had never been the spider boss.
It had been Sung Jinwoo all along.
-------------------
[You have defeated the Dungeon Boss]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
Gripping my hand tightly, I couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my face.
I'm actually this strong now...
Even I had a hard time believing it.
Not only had I defeated the dungeon boss, but I had also gained three levels in the process. Compared to what had happened in the original timeline, the fight hadn't even been that difficult.
At this rate, I'm getting stronger much faster than I expected.
"Ah... um... pardon me."
"Hm?" I turned around. "Jinho?"
Jinho immediately straightened his posture.
"W-Would you like me to carry your Essence Stones for you, sir?"
I almost laughed.
How cute.
I already knew he would do this.
Despite wearing equipment worth a fortune, he was actively trying to act like a porter. His expensive armor practically screamed wealthy heir, yet he stood there with that awkward smile plastered across his face, desperately trying to be useful.
He's really trying his best, isn't he?
"Y-You must be thirsty, sir. Here, have some water."
He hurriedly held out a bottle toward me.
I accepted it with a chuckle.
"Thanks."
As we approached the crystal-filled walls, Jinho nervously followed behind me.
The poor guy was sweating bullets.
His hands were trembling, and his eyes kept darting toward the corpse of the giant spider as if it might suddenly come back to life.
I couldn't help but laugh.
"Hahaha! You're sweating bullets and trembling over there, buddy."
Jinho flinched.
"C-Can you blame me?!"
His voice practically cracked.
"A few minutes ago, I watched eight hunters get wiped out, and then I watched an E-Rank hunter kill the boss monster by himself!"
I raised an eyebrow.
"E-Rank?"
Jinho immediately froze.
Realizing what he had just said, he quickly looked away.
"N-Nothing, sir."
Yeah right.
The look on his face practically screamed that he was trying to figure me out.
As I began mining the mana crystals, I could almost hear the gears turning inside his head.
He's definitely wondering whether I'm a false ranker.