If it was going to eat him,
it would have swallowed the Hammer Goblins first.
That simple fact gave Jhin the push he needed.
"Whew... whatever. Let's do this."
[Skill 'Calmness (F)' activated.]
Drawing in a deep breath, Jhin stepped toward the swirling portal.
Ding!
[You have discovered the 'Corrupted Molly's Secret Seed Room.']
The soft chime of the system made him release the breath he'd been holding.
In an instant, the suffocating darkness peeled away —
revealing a vast underground space.
He blinked, momentarily disoriented.
The portal inside the parasite's body —
the one the Hammer Goblins had crawled out of —
had transported him straight to the heart of the corruption.
'This is…'
The underground parking lot.
Carefully, he slipped behind a nearby pillar, crouching low.
Peeking out, he scanned his surroundings.
Everywhere he looked, parasite roots had wormed into the concrete —
dark, pulsing veins twisting through the structure.
He had found the source.
'Success.'
All around, Hammer Goblins were diving into black holes punched through the ground.
Probably passageways linking different floors together.
He must have ridden one of those tunnels down here, too.
Bang! Bang!
The hammering sounds hadn't stopped.
Jhin turned his head toward the noise — and froze.
Near the center of the parasite's core,
a monster loomed, swinging an enormous hammer with lazy, brutal ease.
It didn't take long to recognize it.
'...Corrupted Molly.'
His mouth went dry.
It was massive.
He had expected a boss monster to be big —
but this?
Normal goblins barely reached his waist.
This thing towered over two meters, thick with muscle.
Its shredded jeans barely clung to its green, bulging frame.
Veins stood out like black ropes across its skin.
It was less a goblin —
and more like a nightmare version of the Hulk.
Jhin swallowed hard.
Standing still, Molly exuded a presence so heavy it was almost physical.
'That's the boss.'
The one that would trigger full dungeonization if left unchecked.
Normally, it would take dozens of players working together to bring down something like this.
And even then...
victory was never guaranteed.
Plenty of veteran players had been wiped out by bosses like this —
losing their characters forever.
That was Exodia for you.
But...
Jhin narrowed his eyes.
'This is still the tutorial.'
The dungeonization wasn't finished yet.
The boss wasn't at full power.
And there was one critical strategy —
a trick —
that only worked before dungeonization completed.
He had to time it perfectly.
Holding his breath, Jhin huddled behind the pillar.
'I need to wait.'
He checked the quest window, watching the countdown.
Upstairs, the screaming continued.
People were dying.
But he couldn't rush.
Not yet.
If he moved too early, everything would collapse.
Steady breathing.
Clear focus.
The world around him shrank away.
Only the timer mattered now.
'Time left...'
At exactly the one-minute mark—
Molly lifted its giant hammer high over its head,
drawing in a deep, shuddering breath.
Jhin's muscles tensed.
'This is it.'
The final phase before dungeonization.
Every monster, no matter how strong,
dropped its guard for a brief moment during this transformation.
It was the best — and only — opening.
Tightening his grip on the longsword, Jhin measured the distance carefully.
He could reach it.
One minute was enough.
'Only one shot.'
Hammer Goblins were stationed around Molly like guards.
And the timer was bleeding down by the second.
If he failed —
if he hesitated even once —
Everyone in 5-6 units would die.
No second chances.
His heart pounded so hard it made him feel sick.
'...Just succeed.'
That was all that mattered.
[Skill 'Calmness (F)' activated.]
The Celestial Combat Body's ability steadied him, washing away the tremors threatening to seize his limbs.
No fear.
No hesitation.
Only the objective.
Only victory.
Screeeeech!!
With a sharp burst of movement, Jhin burst from cover, slicing through the dim light like a thrown knife.
The nearby Hammer Goblins howled and rushed to intercept him.
But he didn't slow down.
Not even for a breath.
His eyes locked on one thing —
Molly's neck.
Bounding onto a parked car, Jhin vaulted forward,
the goblins lunging behind him.
But they were too slow.
Thanks to his earlier title:
[Title 'Cowardly Slaughterer' equipped.]
[Due to 'Cowardly Slaughterer,' the goblins' rage has intensified.]
[Their punches are empowered by anger.]
[The goblins, blinded by rage, suffer impaired judgment.]
At a glance, it looked like a disaster —
the goblins growing stronger, faster, deadlier.
But it came at a price.
Their coordination crumbled.
Their attacks became wild and clumsy.
And in that chaos, Jhin slipped through like water.
'How many seconds left...?'
He could almost feel the seconds peeling away behind him.
Molly noticed him at last.
The giant twisted its hulking body, roaring, and swung its hammer in a brutal arc.
Fwoooosh!!
The wind of it grazed his face — a blow strong enough to break walls.
But Jhin ducked under it by a hair's breadth.
Molly staggered from the reckless swing, blood trickling from its nose.
Pushed too hard.
Overextended.
And with the title debuff gnawing at its reactions,
even this monster showed cracks.
Jhin didn't hesitate.
He pushed off the ground with all his strength.
'Now.'
That final breath before dungeonization —
the moment when monsters were at their weakest.
A fleeting heartbeat.
But it was enough.
Sssslice!!
The sword flashed.
A clean, precise slash across Molly's thick neck.
Hot blood exploded into the air.