[Dungeon: The Burning Garden – The Clearing] [Status: Boss Defeated (Sort of)]
Seraphina stared at my outstretched hand like it was a live grenade.
Her pristine white gloves were singed, her silver hair was a mess of static and ash, and she looked about two seconds away from passing out.
"You..." she breathed, her eyes darting between me and the dead snake. "You said it... tripped?"
"Yep," I said, putting on my best innocent face. "Saw it happen. Big clumsy worm. Probably slipped on a banana peel or something. Nature is crazy, right?"
[System: 'Banana peel'? Really? Your lying skill is officially negative. You are lucky she is currently suffering from Mana Exhaustion and mild concussion, or she would have frozen your tongue off.]
She didn't take my hand. She slapped it away and used her staff to pull herself up, swaying dangerously.
"I don't need help from a porter," she hissed, though the effect was ruined when she immediately stumbled and had to lean against a burning tree. "Ouch! Hot!"
She jumped away from the tree, looking miserable.
"Suit yourself," I shrugged, stuffing my hands into my pockets to check on the Sun-Fire Lotus. It was still there, warm and safe.
Objective complete. Now we just need to leave before—
"Hey! Look! The bitch is alive!"
I sighed. "And here come the cockroaches."
The bushes rustled, and the Red Viper Guild emerged. They looked remarkably fresh for a group that had just run away screaming. Viper Kim was in the lead, grinning like a hyena that just found a carcass.
"Seraphina!" Kim shouted, spreading his arms wide. "You did it! You killed the beast! We were... uh... we were just flanking! Tactical retreat to draw its attention!"
"You ran," Seraphina said, her voice dripping with venom. "You used me as bait and ran."
"Details, details!" Kim waved his hand dismissively. He walked over to the massive corpse of the Pyro-Viper King. "The important thing is the loot. Look at those scales! That fang! It's worth millions!"
He turned to Seraphina, his eyes narrowing.
"And the flower? Where is the Sun-Fire Lotus? We had a deal."
Seraphina froze. She looked at the lava pool. It was empty. The explosion had scattered everything.
"It... it was destroyed," she lied.
I raised an eyebrow. Oh? She's covering for me? Or she genuinely thinks it's gone?
"Destroyed?" Kim's smile vanished. "That flower was worth fifty million won. You expect me to believe an A-Rank Mage let it get destroyed?"
He took a step closer to her. The other Vipers fanned out, surrounding us. Hands hovered over weapon hilts. The air grew heavy.
"I think," Kim sneered, pulling out a serrated dagger, "that you're hiding it. You want to keep it all for yourself."
"I don't have it," Seraphina said, raising her staff. "Back off, Kim. Or I'll turn you into a popsicle."
"With what mana?" Kim laughed. "I can see you shaking, Princess. You're dry. You couldn't freeze a glass of water right now."
He licked his lips.
"You know... accidents happen in Dungeons all the time. A tragic misfire? A monster ambush? Who would know if the great Ice Queen didn't make it home?"
[System: Warning. Hostility Detected. Murder Intent: 100%.] [Recommendation: Kill them all. Loot their corpses. It's the circle of life.]
I sighed loudly.
"Excuse me," I raised my hand.
Everyone looked at me.
"Can we not do the whole 'villain monologue' thing?" I asked, looking bored. "It's hot, I'm hungry, and I have a bus to catch. Can we just go?"
Viper Kim looked at me like I was a talking bug.
"The Porter," he chuckled. "I forgot about the bait. Boys, kill the cripple first. He's annoying."
Two Vipers stepped forward. One had a mace; the other had a sword. They were grinning.
"Sorry, kid," the mace guy said. "Nothing personal. Just business."
Seraphina tried to step in front of me. "Run, Ash! I'll hold them off!"
She tried to cast a spell, but only a pitiful puff of frost came out. She coughed, falling to one knee.
"So noble," Kim mocked. "Kill him."
The mace guy swung. It was a lazy, overhead smash meant to crush my skull.
Time to test the waters, I thought.
I didn't move. I didn't dodge.
I just looked at the mace.
[Target: Iron Mace] [Vector Analysis: Downward Trajectory.] [Action: Invert Vector.]
Reflect.
CLANG.
The moment the mace touched the hair on my head, it bounced.
But it didn't just bounce. It shot back up with double the speed.
The Viper's arm was yanked violently upward. The handle of the mace smashed directly into his own face.
CRUNCH.
"GAH!"
He screamed, dropping the weapon and clutching his broken nose. Blood poured through his fingers.
"My nose! My nose!"
"What the hell?" The sword guy blinked. "He... he has a hard head?"
"Must be a skill!" Kim shouted. "Don't hit his head! Stab him in the gut!"
The sword guy lunged, aiming for my stomach.
I yawned.
Tier 3: Friction Control.
I looked at the sole of his left boot.
Friction: Zero.
As he planted his foot to thrust, his leg flew out from under him. He did a perfect split.
RIIIIP.
The sound of fabric tearing—and something else tearing—echoed in the clearing.
"HIIIIEEEE!" The sword guy made a sound that only dogs could hear. His eyes bulged out. He collapsed, clutching his groin, foaming at the mouth.
[System: Critical Hit! Target's future bloodline has been erased. Brutal. I love it.]
"Two down," I said, checking my nails. "Who's next?"
The clearing went silent.
Seraphina was staring at me with her mouth open. Viper Kim looked confused.
"You..." Kim growled. "You're not F-Rank."
"I am," I said honestly. "Check my status. F-Rank mana. I'm just... very lucky. Clumsy people, you know?"
"Luck my ass!" Kim roared. "Kill him! All of you at once!"
The remaining six Vipers charged.
I felt a cold rage bubbling in my chest. These were the people who left us to die. These were the people who made the prices of medicine go up. These were the people who made my mother suffer.
[Condition Met: Genuine Disdain for the Strong who prey on the Weak.] [Limit Breaker: 5%.]
"System," I whispered. "Let's play pool."
I looked at the charging group.
I picked up a pebble. Just a small, black volcanic rock.
Vector Charge applied to Object. Trajectory: Ricochet Pattern Alpha.
I flicked the pebble.
THWACK.
It hit the first guy in the forehead. It bounced off at a sharp angle.
THWACK. It hit the second guy in the throat.
THWACK. THWACK. THWACK.
It was a pinball game of pain. The pebble zipped between them, moving faster with every impact as I manipulated the kinetic energy transfer.
"OW!" "MY EYE!" "WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"
Within three seconds, the entire squad was on the ground, groaning, clutching bruises and welts.
Only Viper Kim was left standing.
He was trembling. He looked at his fallen men, then at me.
"You... you're a monster," he whispered. "Who are you?"
I walked toward him. I didn't hurry. I just walked.
"I'm a Porter," I said softly. "I carry trash."
Kim screamed and lunged at me with his serrated dagger. "DIE!"
I caught his wrist.
Well, I didn't catch it. I stopped it.
I created a localized wall of high-density air pressure in front of my palm. His hand hit it and stopped dead, like hitting invisible concrete.
I looked him in the eye.
"Kneel."
I increased the gravity on his shoulders. 10x.
CRACK.
Kim's knees hit the rock floor so hard I felt the vibration. He screamed, dropping the dagger.
"Please!" he blubbered, snot running down his face. "I'll give you money! I'll give you the guild! Don't kill me!"
I looked down at him. This man was D-Rank. He was stronger than me on paper. But right now? He was nothing.
[System: Opportunity Detected.] [Target: Viper Kim (Submitting)] [Condition for Copy: Make the target feel genuine inferiority.] [Condition Status: MET.]
[Skill Copied: 'Snake Bite' (D-Rank)] [Description: A quick strike that inflicts poison damage.] [System Note: We can deconstruct this for 5 Control Points. It's a trash skill, but it tastes like chicken.]
"Deconstruct," I muttered.
[Control Stat: B+ -> A-]
I released the gravity. Kim collapsed face-first into the dirt, sobbing.
I turned to Seraphina. She was still leaning against the tree, watching me with a look that was 50% fear and 50% awe.
"Are we done?" I asked.
She nodded slowly. "You... you manipulated gravity. And kinetic energy."
"Did I?" I blinked. "I think he just had weak knees. Calcium deficiency is a serious problem."
She narrowed her eyes. "You're a terrible liar, Ash."
"I try."
I walked over to Viper Kim's unconscious body and looted his wallet.
[Item Acquired: Wallet] [Contents: 200,000 Won and a coupon for a spicy noodle shop.]
"My pay," I said, pocketing it. "Plus a tip."
"We need to leave," Seraphina said, her voice regaining some of its icy composure, though she still looked pale. "The dungeon is stabilizing, but these idiots will wake up soon."
"Right. Ladies first."
We walked toward the exit portal.
As we stepped through the swirling red mist, Seraphina stopped and looked at me.
"Ash," she said.
"Yeah?"
"I don't know who you are. And I don't believe your 'clumsy' act for a second."
She stepped closer. She smelled like frost and ozone.
"But... you saved my life. The Frost Monarch's disciples always pay their debts."
She pulled a small, silver ring off her finger and tossed it to me.
"It's a storage ring. It has about 5 cubic meters of space. Sell it, keep it, I don't care. Consider us even."
I caught the ring.
[Item: Minor Spatial Ring (B-Rank)] [Value: ~80,000,000 Won]
My jaw dropped. Eighty million?
"Uh, thanks," I stammered.
"Don't get used to it," she said, turning away to hide a slight blush on her cold cheeks. "If you tell anyone I was saved by a porter, I'll freeze your blood. Understood?"
"Understood, Ice Queen."
She vanished through the portal.
I stood there for a second, holding the ring, the Lotus in my pocket, and a new gravity stat.
[System: She totally likes you. You should have asked for her number.]
"I'm here to cure my mom, not find a girlfriend," I said, putting the ring on. It fit perfectly.
[System: Boring. Now let's go home. You have a potion to brew, and I have a feeling your kitchen is about to explode.]
I stepped through the portal.
[End of chapter 6]