[ You have defeated an Earthkeeper Kobold. ]

    [ You have defeated an Earthkeeper Kobold. ]

    [ You have defeated an Earthkeeper Kobold. ]

    The notifications repeated endlessly.

    Suho moved through the mines like a force of nature. With each swing of his sword, at least two kobolds fell. His team members were left with only a few kobolds that fled sideways in panic, scarcely able to challenge Suho’s overpowering presence.

    Despite this, none of them felt rushed or hopeless. Suho had already briefed them on what to expect, and they acted according to the training they’d received.

    “Begin mining as soon as we pass through,” said Gu Yeon-hwa, leading the mining team. Upon her cue, An Sung-won, the team leader, instructed his men.

    “Let’s get started!”

    "Yes, sir!"

    *Clang! Clang! Clang!*

    The mining team began their work. They had only picks and shovels—no modern tools. Modern electronic devices never worked inside gates, so they relied on manual labor.

    Meanwhile, the collection team carefully gathered materials from the kobold corpses, salvaging whatever could be useful. Within thirty minutes, the operation was well underway, and the mining system was running smoothly.@@@@

    Suho pressed forward, showing no signs of fatigue as he bulldozed his way through the mines, his sheer power leaving everyone around him speechless.

    *‘This is the Swordmaster, Ahn Suho... the man who cleared two sealed gates alone...’*

    *‘Wow, Hyungnim is amazing...’*

    After over two hours of slaying kobolds alone, Suho finally came to a halt at a fork in the path. Finishing off the last kobold in the area, he straightened and called his team.

    "Everyone, gather up."

    “Yes, sir.”

    The team gathered around. Even Seo Giwon, who had lower stamina than the others, was a little out of breath. Although Suho had handled most of the fighting, he had purposely let a few kobolds slip to the rear, so the team could practice under real conditions.

    “Do you see that fork in the path?” Suho pointed ahead. “This is the point I told you about.”

    “Yes, we’ve reached the fork as you mentioned.”

    “This is where Nexus gave up, overwhelmed by the swarm of kobolds when they tried to push further.”

    “Are we splitting up to advance?” one member asked.

    “No, I’ll be the only one going in.”

    “Pardon?”

    Without further explanation, Suho walked up to the entrance of the right passage, raised his sword, and swung it at the wall with all his might.

    [ Steel Cutter is activated. ]

    *Boom!*

    The wall crumbled partially under his blow, covering nearly twenty percent of the entrance. Suho struck several more times until ninety percent of the entrance was blocked.

    He did the same with the left passage, leaving only narrow gaps in both entrances, just wide enough for a kobold or two to squeeze through. His team members watched in awe, swallowing hard.

    *‘Someone who can collapse an entrance with a sword swing...’*

    *‘How strong is he really?’*

    *‘Is this even physically possible?’*

    With both entrances blocked, Suho turned to his team.

    “You’ll stay here and guard the right entrance. I’ll go through the left.”

    “This is the plan?” someone asked, skeptical.

    “Yes, this is the plan. I would’ve blocked the left entirely, but you need some practice. After I go in, no matter what happens, don’t come looking for me. Trust me and wait here for twelve hours. I’ll come out before then. If I don’t, leave without me.”

    Suho’s instructions were clear. He needed at least twelve hours inside to gather everything he’d come for.

    “Understood,” his team replied.

    “Oh, we had a bit of a rush earlier, but it’s been quieter since.”

    An Sung-won looked in awe at the pile of kobold bodies stacked near the entrance.

    “Even if they come one or two at a time, this number is no joke... As expected from Hunter Ahn’s team.”

    "Haha, thank you.”

    An Sung-won wasn’t exaggerating. After six hours, the attack team was managing the kobold flow smoothly, thanks to their training and Suho’s clever placement of the entrance barriers.

    Gu Yeon-hwa thought to herself,

    *‘If they came all at once, we’d have been overrun within the first hour...’*

    Despite her confidence in Suho’s skills, she couldn’t help but worry about him. Six hours had passed since he ventured alone into the depths.

    *‘I’ll trust him. It’s all I can do for now.’*

    Resolving herself, Gu Yeon-hwa decided to focus on her own duties.

    ---

    Meanwhile, deep in the mine, Suho finished his brief rest and stood.

    *‘Time to meet him.’*

    He had spent the last six hours inflicting terror on the kobolds. With so many dead, the remaining kobolds now avoided him like the plague. There was no point in hunting any more of them; it was time to confront the gate’s true boss.

    As he moved deeper into the mine, the surviving kobolds retreated, hiding in the shadows. Thanks to them clearing his path, Suho strolled forward almost leisurely until he reached the end of the mine.

    He stopped at a cliff.

    More accurately, he’d reached the uncharted depths of the mine, where the kobolds hadn’t yet excavated. Suho took a flare from his inventory, a tool designed to emit a bright light when deployed, perfect for illuminating dark spaces.

    He aimed it down into the abyss and fired. The flare rocketed downward, its light flickering as it revealed glimpses of the surroundings.

    Finally, it burst open at the bottom, flooding the area with a blinding glow.

    In the newfound light, Suho saw it—the real master of this mine, slumbering peacefully.

    The creature was nestled among heaps of magic stones and various ores, breathing heavily.

    - Snooore... Snooore...

    Its giant form, buried under the minerals, was unmistakable.

    Suho scaled the wall down to the mine floor and landed softly near the sleeping creature.

    He looked up at the beast, a massive form roughly four to five meters tall, with a body that combined elements of an elephant and a bear. Above its head floated the ominous title:

    - Bulgasal, Lv. 99

    Bulgasal. Named "The Undying" because it was said to be impossible to kill. This monster was one of the primary reasons why the Kobold Mines had

    been designated a sealed gate.

    *‘One of the top three monsters below the first-star tier...’*

    Summoning his spirit spear *Guiyeongchang*, Suho enchanted it with divine energy. He took aim at the monster’s forehead and hurled the spear with all his strength.

    [ Javelin Throw is activated. ]

    *Swish!*

    The spear shot through the air, aimed precisely at Bulgasal’s forehead.

    But—

    *Ping!*

    The spear bounced off harmlessly, failing even to scratch its thick hide. The creature’s skin was as hard as steel.

    But it was enough to disturb its sleep.

    *Rumble...*

    The ground shook as Bulgasal began to wake, a rumbling growl resonating through the cavern.

    *‘Here we go...’*