Stop, Friendly Fire!

[Level 7 elite dungeon - You have acquired the permit to the Cradle of Fire. All stats are increased by 50 within the dungeon. The dungeon's information is added to your minimap. All actions are buffed within the dungeon.]

It was strange; the Pope's information on the dungeon was all wrong. He didn't care about the dungeon's true name, but he didn't expect it to be an elite dungeon!

Even so, he couldn't just pack up and leave. Lee Shin Woo didn't tell anyone about this and just hurried forward. He was prepared to hit level 8 before he left this dungeon.

[A strong, hot wind is blowing. High Rank Fire Resistance completely nullifies its effects.]

[The ground is agonizingly hot. High Rank Fire Resistance completely nullifies its effects.]

"You guys all good?"

"I feel like I'm dying."

"But you're still not dying."

Lee Shin Woo felt like the entrance's heat was akin to a tepid summer breeze, but the paladins and the priests looked like they were heroes facing off against certain death. Each and every step was difficult for them. Despite them equipping gear that increased their Fire Resistance, it seemed like the heat was too much for them.

"I feel like it's gotten a lot hotter all of a sudden. If His Holiness's analysis is correct, then it's a sign that..."

"The monsters inside are further strengthened. Because mankind has only killed the monsters that come outside the dungeon and haven't tackled the dungeon itself, the trapped mana fundamentally strengthens the monsters..."

Lee Shin Woo had experienced this phenomenon before, where monsters that have been trapped in a dungeon for several years are many levels stronger than their normal counterparts. This dungeon may be the same. In fact, Lee Shin Woo was shocked that the Magic Empire was so willing to leave a bomb at their very doorstep for so long.

'It's the same in both the Magic and the Underground Empire. These Emperors sure love sitting in their rooms doing nothing.'

'Maybe they're protecting the palace?'

No matter how threatening an elite level 7 dungeon was, the Emperor should be able to deal with it without much difficulty.

But the fact that he left the dungeon alone for so many years meant that he had some sort of reason that he couldn't leave the palace. Or that he's afraid of something outside... Probably not. Lee Shin Woo couldn't think of anything that the Emperor would have to be afraid of. If there was, then it'd be the Undead Emperor, or... death itself.

[I-I'm getting stronger. My power is growing.]

'Yeah, yeah. Get big and strong.'

[...Ah, an enemy approaches. From below!]

Lee Shin Woo didn't need Zenon's warning, as he sensed the enemy's presence already. He silently thrust his greatsword into the very heart of the desert. A chilling sound was accompanied by black blood surging up to the surface.

He raised his sword, revealing a red scorpion in the place he'd stabbed. The end of its tail was bent like a hook and emitted a red flame, rather than poison. Jin was a bit surprised and took a step back.

[Lv7 Sun Scorpion]

"Everyone, prepare for battle. Be careful, it might be able to shoot its fire over long distances."

"Understood!"

With Lee Shin Woo at its center, the priests and paladins got into formation, leaving a certain amount of distance between them and Lee Shin Woo. While they were doing that, Lee Shin Woo roughly assessed the Sun Scorpion's strength and abilities. He ripped off its outer shell and beat on it, and also figured out its methods of attacking.

"It's weak."

'It is?'

A Sun Scorpion's greatest strength wasn't its toughness. It was its heat! It wasn't very large, but the scorpion's heat felt as though it had concentrated the surrounding desert's heat. Moreover, the flame at the end of its tail would bypass Intermediate Fire Resistance entirely and burn the body! Of course, it didn't have any effect whatsoever on Lee Shin Woo.

After he'd tested this, Lee Shin Woo stamped on it and killed it. When he picked up the 'Fire Tail' it dropped, it transformed into a 'Fire Tailbone' like any other non-skeletal drop. He acted like he was pocketing it in his bag, but was actually activating Bone Reinforcement. Activating Bone Reinforcement had become completely natural for him now.

[Absorbing the Lv7 Fire Tailbone. Health has increased by 1. Skill proficiency in High Rank Fire and High Rank Fire Resistance has increased.]

'Perfect.'

He'd been fighting against either way weaker or way stronger opponents for the longest time, so he was needlessly happy from picking up a same level bone. He was slightly moved by the experience, but there were people who needed him.

"Sir Kay, please help!"

"We need help too! These guys are a lot stronger than... Oh, flames incoming!"

"Flame Shield!"

In the short period of time that Lee Shin Woo spent studying the monster, the paladins were forced onto the defensive against three Sun Scorpions. Lee Shin Woo sighed and straightened his greatsword. Then, the Sun Scorpions' flames disappeared, as if they were all a dream.

Their tail flames disappeared too. The scorpions panicked and shook their tails, but it didn't change anything.

"What...!?"

"That's Elemental Domination! I didn't think anyone could actually use that ability..."

"Even the Heavenly Light General, the leader of the 12 generals, shouldn't be at that level...!"

Elemental Domination. It wasn't a skill. When one's element dominates the other, the dominator can seize his opponent's element and use it as he pleases. It was recorded as a legend, but the paladins and priests were seeing the rebirth of that ability right before their very eyes!

...Is what they thought, but it wasn't. Although it was true that Lee Shin Woo was far stronger than the Sun Scorpions and that he could indeed absorb their flames, it wasn't his own ability, but the Fire Dragon's Scale Greatsword's.

[Special passive skill: Fire Eater - Absorbs the fire element and all fire-related energy.]

[Special passive skill: Countercurrent - Once it reaches the maximum capacity, the fire energy is concentrated in a single point, amplified, and discharged.]

He hadn't fought against any fire enemies thus far strong enough to warrant the skill's use, but after thinking about it, he realized he could make good use of the Fire Dragon's Scale Greatsword here.

Of course, there might be a limit to how much it could absorb. But at the very least, Lee Shin Woo hadn't met any enemies as powerful as he was.

"I'll erase the flames, so do your best. If you can't, then you have to go back, so keep that in mind."

"Keuk... I'll try my best!"

"Yeah, keep it up."

The level 7 monster, the Sun Scorpion. The level 6 paladins and priests had to fight these monsters with their lives on the line. If it weren't for the combination of paladins and priests, (their defensive and healing capabilities were impressive, even when compared to other level 6s) then they wouldn't have stood a chance.

[Kiaaaaaaaah!]

[Kishaaaa!]

But that only applied if the Sun Scorpions were in tip-top shape. Lee Shin Woo's greatsword had mercilessly stolen the flames they emitted, as well as the flames that made up their bodies, so they were weakened to the extent that they could barely be called level 7s. At least enough that the paladins and priests could take them on.

"It's sucking their flames well."

'But what are you going to do with the fire? Are you going to use that 'countercurrent' ability? Against them?'

Lee Shin Woo had already told Jin about the greatsword's options, so Jin had asked about it while tilting his head. Lee Shin Woo firmly shook his head.

'I have no intention of wasting that energy. I'm going to use the countercurrent ability, but the target's going to be me.'

'...As I thought, you...'

He'd thought this when they had first entered the Corrupted Dryad's domain, which had been filled with trees spewing acid; Lee Shin Woo had to be a masochist! However, Lee Shin Woo immediately rejected that notion.

'Training my fire resistance is nice and all, but my main goal is to charge the Titan Bone Core.'

The level 8 Titan Bone Core, which had charged for 2 months, and would enable him to board the Titan Bone Golem for 4 minutes.

The item had evolved, allowing the outside of the golem to endlessly accumulate heat and charge itself, but Lee Shin Woo wanted to go one step further; the heat should be able to reduce the charge time.

'And if that all goes well.'

He'd come to a dungeon filled with the fire element, hadn't he? Lee Shin Woo secretly hoping to improve the golem's performance with the loot he got here.

After all, he would hit level 8 soon. The narrower the gap between his stats and the Titan Bone Golem's, the lower the stats he'd gain from synchronizing with it. That's why he wanted to improve the golem. In the end, he just didn't want to lose out on his investment.

'What about that tailbone?'

'I absorbed and analyzed it, but it's unusable. I can't use something that weak to reinforce the core.'

When he had researched the core with Kratia before, they came to the conclusion that 'this was its limit', but Lee Shin Woo thought differently now. Didn't the Bone Gate evolve too? The Titan Bone Core, as well as the Titan Bone Golem it created, could definitely reach new heights. It should be possible. He hoped.

"We've... successfully hunted them!"

"Ah, just now? Do you need a break?"

"That's... Yes, just a little..."

"Alright. Then let's rest for 5 minutes."

While Lee Shin Woo was ruminating over the Titan Bone Core, the paladins managed to finish up. With their element sealed, the Sun Scorpions were weaker than other normal level 7s, so the paladins were able to win somehow. And with their victory, the paladins and priests had achieved a feat. Their stats must've increased.

"If you want to survive even one second longer in this dungeon, then fight desperately like your life depends on it and grow. I'll watch your backs so you don't die."

"""Thank you very much!"""

Lee Shin Woo collected all of the scorpions' tails and absorbed them, but left the Perium to the paladins. Sealing the scorpions' fire was a huge achievement for him as well. He absorbed all of the fire and as a result, his health increased by 1. It was quite effective, as they weren't even elites.

'I thought you'd tell them all to leave.'

'Yeah, that's what I'd intended to do, but...'

Jin asked, and Lee Shin Woo recalled the Evileye General, the level 7 archer. Of course, Lee Shin Woo was confident that he could overpower her quite easily. Since she was weaker than the Beast General he'd fought before.

But while Lee Shin Woo wasn't here, he didn't know what might happen. The Pope was level 7, but the Sun God religion didn't have any other level 7s! Lee Shin Woo had only just realized how little military might the Sun God religion had. He didn't know how the other religious orders fared, but that wasn't really important right now.

'It's because of my actions that the Sun God religion has gotten famous enough to attract the attention of the 12 generals. It would be irrelevant if everyone liked them, but there are some who clearly oppose or are wary of the Sun God religion. If I continue to stay here, then nothing bad should happen, but if I were to disappear, then...'

'Aha, you're trying to nurture the Sun God religion's elites because you're worried about them.'

'Actually, it's more along the lines of me not wanting my foothold to disappear while I'm gone.'

The Pope didn't think Lee Shin Woo would help them grow forever, but they were forced to concentrate entirely on supporting Lee Shin Woo and fostering his image, so they had no time to pursue anything else. So, Lee Shin Woo would increase their power in their stead.

'They won't be at the level of a hero, but I should be able to get them to level 7.'

'There's no helping that.'

Even if they reached level 7, a hero would far surpass them in power. But Lee Shin Woo wanted to train the Sun God religion's elites so that they could at least stop one or two of the 12 generals. They had fought just three scorpions and were gasping for breath, so it may be impossible, but...

"Alright, it's been 5 minutes. Let's get a move on."

"Keuk... Understood!"

Their happy training camp began nonetheless... However, just three days later, after traversing through 30% of the dungeon on foot, Lee Shin Woo was forced to stop their training.

A level 8 enemy had appeared. It wasn't even the boss.