I Awakened as a Dark History - Chapter 87

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 87
Craaaaaaagh!
A sound emerged—part wild beast’s roar, part cattle’s bellow, something caught between the two.
I couldn’t identify which monster was crying out, but the noise boded nothing good.
We pressed ourselves behind a jagged outcropping of stone and peered toward the source of the sound.
First came the sight of mandibles that splayed sideways like an insect’s, and horns that resembled those of a bull.
In the claws of the perpetually drooling monster lay an axe that gleamed the crimson red of molten lava.
Its sheer bulk, coupled with the aura of menace it radiated, made the hunters swallow hard.
The Leader’s quiet murmur cut through the tension.
“Balrog….”
If it was Balrog, that meant this was the Boss of the Dungeon. Yet something felt off about the situation.
“Shouldn’t a Boss be in the Boss Room?”
But Balrog was unmistakably out here, in the open.
I cautiously raised my head above the rock.
Behind Balrog, I could make out what was likely the entrance to the Boss Room—a door.
The massive stone door lay shattered and scorched, scattered across the ground.
‘Did Balrog break out? No, if it had simply emerged, the door wouldn’t be destroyed like that…. What’s happening?’
As I continued surveying the area, the Leader grabbed my sleeve and cautioned me.
“Be careful, Healer. If we’re spotted before we’re ready, it will be a disaster.”
I made a small circle with my thumb and forefinger.
Even so, I tilted my head this way and that, trying to see past the doorway.
The effort bore fruit.
Beyond the shattered stone door, I glimpsed the silhouette of something walking upright on two legs—a goat-like creature.
‘Is that the Sudden Boss? It doesn’t look that strong….’
Its two feet were hooved, but its hands resembled those of a human.
It was carrying something in both hands.
Red in color.
‘Lava…. No, wait.’
I stretched my torso forward to get a better look.
Crack!
Someone grabbed the back of my neck and shoved me down to the ground. The
Leader, who had pinned me, chided me with evident displeasure.
“Healer, you can’t extend yourself out that far.”
But the Leader’s rebuke barely registered.
What the creature had been carrying in hands identical to human ones was unmistakably blood.
My heart hammered wildly.
‘It’s collecting blood.’
As I began breathing heavily in silence, the Leader noticed something was wrong.
“What did you see?”
Only after the Leader asked did I finally gather my wits.
I nodded slowly.
“A…creature walking on two legs. Like a goat.”
“A Satyr, then. It’s C-Rank, lower than Nix, but it’s classified as a Demon Species and cunning—difficult to deal with.”
At the Leader’s tone, which suggested he was already familiar with this monster, I turned to stare at him.
“Is that one of the original monsters of this Dungeon?”
The Leader shook his head.
“No. That must be a Sudden Boss too. Since both Balrog and Satyr are Demon Species, it’s not unusual for them to appear together.”
And the Leader added that Satyrs usually clung to powerful monsters and eagerly collected the scraps they left behind.
The Tanker, who had been monitoring Balrog’s presence, glanced briefly at the Leader.
“Then you’re saying there’s no Sudden Boss here?”
The Leader fell silent, his expression uncertain.
Sudden Bosses were, by definition, sudden—impossible to predict with complete confidence.
But I was certain.
“No. There’s definitely one here.”
“Yes? You confirmed it? What kind of monster was it?”
The Tanker asked anxiously.
If we ended up facing both Balrog and a Sudden Boss at once, that was a legitimate concern.
Yet I hadn’t actually seen what monster it was. I only had a conviction.
“The Satyr was carrying something—offering it to something inside. Not to Balrog.”
To be precise, it was blood, likely being offered to a Stone Slate.
And the stone slate was always with the boss monster.
So it was right to assume a boss waited inside.
I hadn’t said it outright, but the Leader understood me well enough.
“If Satyr served in that capacity… it’s possible Balrog also took the role of gatekeeper. I’ll proceed on the assumption they’re the same demon species.”
The Leader exhaled sharply and rose from his seat.
He checked his sword, then glanced toward the researchers.
“Satyr can mimic human voices and speak. If you hear commands in our voices telling you to come out, don’t. Stay put.”
“Then… when the dungeon is cleared?”
“I’ll shout that the raid team has been annihilated. Only then is it safe to emerge.”
He was using the opposite cry as the signal.
The Leader smiled, though it looked forced—an attempt to shake off the tension.
“Researchers, just focus on keeping yourselves safe.”
Someone swallowed hard at his words.
I wasn’t the only one who heard it plainly.
The Leader pretended not to notice and turned his attention to the raid team.
“Tanker, advance first and draw Balrog’s attention. We want to finish Balrog as swiftly as possible. Healer, use Blooming first.”
I was taken aback by the unexpected order.
“Pardon? A sudden boss would be much stronger.”
Fighting a sudden boss while drained by Balrog would be nearly impossible. Don’t hold back on yourself—let’s eliminate Balrog first.”
I had to follow the Leader’s orders regardless. I nodded.
The hunters gripped their weapons tightly.
Then An Je-hwan muttered softly.
“Idun’s Gold.”
An Je-hwan’s mana enveloped us.
It seemed to be a support skill.
Following his lead, several of the researchers chanted their activation words in unison.
“Transmute.”
“From the height of heaven to the depth of earth.”
The researchers’ skills didn’t generate much mana flow.
The effects seemed minimal.
They whispered to the hunters.
“It’ll boost attack power by about 5 percent.”
“It’s a 10 percent resistance increase skill.”
“Mine nullifies one status abnormality.”
There didn’t seem to be any poisonous monsters or ones that inflicted status abnormalities here.
If I’d realized that, the hunters certainly had too.
The hunters smiled awkwardly but said nothing to the researchers.
They didn’t want to dampen the spirits of people who’d gladly expended their mana to cast these skills.
I looked at An Je-hwan, who stood quietly alone.
“What does your skill do, Captain?”
“Skill Penalty Nullification.”
An Je-hwan’s tone was so casual that for a moment I thought it was an unremarkable skill.
Three seconds later, I slapped both hands over my mouth.
I’d almost let out a gasp of astonishment.
The other hunters reacted much the same way.
Only An Je-hwan remained composed.
He counted on his fingers as he explained his skill in detail.
“It nullifies all skill penalties—cooltime, recoil, stacking restrictions, everything. Though it doesn’t affect activation words or skill conditions themselves, it’s quite useful.”
Useful was an understatement.
‘That’s incredible!’
The hunters shook their heads vigorously in agreement.
The Leader stepped closer to An Je-hwan.
“How long does the skill last?”
“It’s usage-based. Two applications per person. My cooltime is around twenty-five minutes.”
Even I felt covetous listening to this. What must the Leader be thinking?
The Leader fell silent for a moment, mouth tightening as if he wanted to say something, then waved his hand.
“Understood. Well then… Healer, I need to revise the plan.”
“Yes?”
Called on suddenly, I widened my eyes.
The Leader smiled now with considerably more confidence than before.
“The cooltime and non-stacking restriction have vanished, so we’ll stack Honey Wine twice. If it looks like we’re being pushed back, I’ll give the signal. Use it one more time for me.”
If we stack Honey Wine three times, just how much would attack and defense power surge?
The healing would apply at almost the same level as Blooming, too.
At the Leader’s command, the Hunters picked up their weapons with ease, unlike before.
“If possible, I’d like us to handle Balrog with two stacks, and then we can use both Honey Wine and Blooming together when we enter the Boss Room.”
This was my first time burning through skills like this.
And the Hunters themselves marveled at receiving this much buffing for the first time.
“With buffs and healing stacked that much, there’s nothing to fear.”
“Well, they say even if the sky falls, there’s always a hole to crawl through.”
Confidence crept into the Hunters’ voices.
The Leader shoved their backs, filled with that newfound resolve.
“Let’s go!”
At the Leader’s cry, the Hunters vaulted over the boulder.
A low growl rippled across the cavern.
Balrog finally sensed our presence and turned its massive form toward us.
Clang!
The Tankers raised their shields while the dealers gripped their weapons firmly behind them.
I glanced back one last time at the researchers.
An Je-hwan had constructed a defensive barrier using materials like urethane foam.
When our eyes met, An Je-hwan bowed his head to me.
In that gesture—a plea, almost—I gave him a thumbs up.
‘I’ve given them this skill. We can’t afford to lose.’
I stretched my hand toward the Hunters standing in front.
“Honey Wine.”
―Honey Wine―
Allies’ attack power and defense increased by 50%
For 10 minutes, recover 10 HP once every 20 seconds.
Cooltime:
00:29:59
(Skill Penalty Nullification is currently active.)

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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