abcnovels
Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Siheung 8 Dungeon (1)
“That’s tense.”
There were not even common reporters around the Siheung 8 dungeon. There were no citizens that were out to observe, and the state strictly controlled the place.
In fact, no ordinary person would want to snoop around here.
The S-Class dungeon might collapse anytime. The apartment complex, where residents had finished evacuating, was bleak beyond being bare, and the multinational Hunter team was conducting a final inspection in front of the gate.
“I heard there was another personnel change at the last minute.”
In consideration of rotation and reserve personnel, about 100 Hunter pools were formed, and 40 were required to enter the dungeon to match the gate limit. Still, several people were adjusted at the last minute.
The first thing that caught my eye was that Seo Gyu-cheol was moved into the reserve.
It was not because of his wish but was due to the demands of foreign Hunters who had briefly trained together. When that news became known, the media went wild again.
‘The news must spread fast that his ability as a Hunter could only go that far.’
He may be the first S-Rank Hunter in Korea. Still, he was pushed aside because he was not better than other equivalently ranked Hunters in combat capability and had no special ability to be used in the dungeon.
On the other hand, Han-seol, officially known as the top-ranked Hunter in the A-Rank, remained in the list of the 40.
‘In terms of the frequency and time, she has experienced the Siheung 8 dungeon the most.’
She even took the position of the expedition leader.
There was one more reason for this. It was because she had a support type skill of [Battlefield Command]. It was rare to find somebody who learned it.
It’s a telepathic skill that she learned by dedicating a skill slot, as she was more experienced in being the expedition leader than Seo Gyu-cheol. It could increase the explorers’ survival rate through accurate and rapid communication, or so she said.
In any case, it was unusual to do so for an expedition team with numerous S-Rank Hunters, even if she had such a background.
‘She means that in a war, a commander doesn’t necessarily have to be the best marksman.’
“Seo Gyu-cheol must be grating his teeth.”
This was a Korean Hunter belonging to another guild. He was certified as S-Ranked later than Seo Gyu-cheol, but he was among the 40 members.
Even after Seo Gyu-cheol’s growth stopped, other Hunters continued to strengthen.
‘Well, Seo Gyu-cheol didn’t make it to the final attack team even in my previous life.’
That was why he survived. What was waiting for him was a miserable life until his death, though.
“Here we go, final check!”
Item inspection was not as thorough as other attacks.
Still, there was nothing good about being noticeable, so I slightly changed the appearance of a magic sword and bracelet by adding different artifacts and materials. I particularly put extra attention on the sword so that no one else could touch it except me.
The sword groaned with exaggerated feelings as if deplorable.
‘What a shame. Such simple combination work… Will I have to wear this sloppy outfit throughout the exploration of this dungeon?‘
Instead of replying, I tapped the sword handle, which was meant to close its mouth. One would think it was a habitual behavior.
‘But I’m a little excited since it’s an S-Class dungeon. I’ve heard the briefing as well… but I think you know more about this dungeon. Am I right?’
Tap, tap, tap.
More and more force was added onto the hand that tapped the sword.
‘No, it’s not just the dungeon. I think you’re one step ahead of other humans in everything, in all kinds of information. So, what is your unique skill? If you let me know, I’ll show you how to combine it with my accumulated knowledge and use it more efficiently and…’
Tap, tap.
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.
Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.
I thought I should try to egg Oh Jin-hwa once more. The Senator still couldn’t find the statue I asked for.
‘When the hell can I get it? I wish I could stop its muzzle.’
“The shift starts now!”
While the final attack squad was preparing, Korean Hunters filled the dungeon to the limit with 40 people. This was due to the dungeon’s characteristics, which became more difficult later if left empty for a long time.
The shift between them and the final attack team proceeded by one coming out of the gate and one going in from here. Hunters who were fatigued appeared one by one, looking wretched. At the same time, there were groans from all over the place.
“Phew! I really thought I was going to die this time.”
“Don’t you think the wave cycle is getting shorter and shorter?”
Meanwhile…
“Wow, these are faces I’ve seen on TV a lot. They really gathered only those above S-Rank, huh?
“Thank you very much for your service! Good luck!”
Some people recognized the Hunters, who were similar to each country’s S-Rank Dream Team, and shouted cheers.
“But is this going to work? Isn’t it customary to fill a limit of more than 30% with the next-highest grade? We should give our everything; it should be safe when at least 10 SS-Rank joins…”
“Think about it. SS-Ranks are like critical weapons, so do you think they will use all of them? When we aren’t even aware of the structure of the dungeon.”
Not all countries let the Hunters be as free as the United States. Some were anxious because the composition of SS-Ranked people who joined is less than expected.
‘All countries agree that if it collapses, it may not end just in Korea.’
But then…
‘That doesn’t mean that all risks will be shared equally.’
The results of countries’ fierce calculation of risk distribution were now being implemented in the expedition’s composition.
‘Even if this blows up, Korea will bear the primary damage.’
Waiting for my turn, I walked into the gate by shifting with a Hunter who had just come out. When he made eye contact with me, he looked desperate and spoke in hard English pronunciation.
“Please close that gate!”
I answered briefly. “I will.”
*
As the landscape changed, exclamations of the Hunters were heard everywhere.
“Wow, what in the word…!”
“That’s amazing.”
S-Ranked Hunters, who had experienced all sorts of hardships, dropped their jaws. Beyond the gate was a small island that floated in the altitude far above, defying gravity.
Since it was classified as a field type, the entire island was surrounded by a barrier’s thin sphere.
Due to the island’s small diameter, the distance between the barrier that surrounded it 360 degrees and the island’s ground was not that far.
“It’s almost like a fortress.”
On this small island, something stood out in addition to the traces of the fierce battle. First of all, an anti-aircraft guard post resembling a modern war surrounded the floating island’s edge.
Enemies here always come from the sky.
“Looking at it with my own two eyes, it feels very different from the video.”
A Hunter stood on the edge of the island and looked down. The bottom was covered with something like white clouds, so the natural landform underneath was not identified.
As we all heard the briefing, everyone knew that it was not a cloud in the sky but a thick fog covering the ground.
“Group 1, start the guard at the pre-assigned post. Group 2, rally on the central portal!”
At the instruction of Han-seol, 40 Hunters were divided into two.
Twenty people in group 1 took their places in the air defense posts, which were guarded by 40 people who returned to Earth after taking turns.
While the dungeon attack was suspended for a while, only 20 people remained to protect the area from now on, which had been guarded by 40 people. It was twice as much coverage per person.
In the meantime, 20 people from Group 2 left this place for the next stage. That was the plan.
“That’s the portal.”
This was definitely the inside of the dungeon that we arrived at through the Earth’s gate. However, inside the dungeon, there is another gate, which was technically a portal.
“Multiple dungeons…”
It was one of the factors that made the attack of the Siheung 8 dungeon difficult.
The first stage was the floating island dungeon directly connected to the Earth. This portal would lead to the second stage, which was a ‘Dungeon in a Dungeon.’
Nevertheless, the maximum number of personnel was limited by a total of 40, regardless of the stage. It was the same for any Hunter who entered any stage that passed the Earth’s gate.
The Clear would not be completed until the last stage. It would only give rewards once then, and the key from there would close the Earth’s gate.
An experienced Hunter grumbled.
“You know how hard it has been to clean up this island without leaving a single nest? I’m saying that portal wasn’t that open from the beginning!”
When the Siheung 8 dungeon gate was opened and Korea’s first expedition team set foot, the floating island was a monster den. After beating up all the monsters and completely destroying the nests, parts that looked like it was made from the alien race’s technology rolled around the island.
“It took time to figure out how to assemble them and how to make use of them.”
The finished artifact created a portal to the second stage of multiple dungeons, but that wasn’t the end of the struggle.
“It’s not a gate that’s open for thousands of years and beyond once you open it! This portal thing is…”
Before he could finish his speech, a sound was heard.
Whistle!
A Hunter who was guarding the sky at the air defense post suddenly sounded the alarm.
“Here, they come!”
“Oh, shit! What kind of a shitty welcoming party this is, right after our shifts?!”
The Hunters were all set for action. They had all heard the cries of the monsters in the distant sky.
“Squeeeal!”
Black creatures were observed flying in droves beyond the faint barrier-like boundaries of the dungeon. They had bat-like wings, elongated and sleek bodies, and a lizard-like head attached at the end of it.
“Flying Dragon!”
It was the very monster that had been tormenting Hunters that defended Stage 1 for a long time. Han-seol then cried out.
“Ready for battle! Group 2 will also help Group 1 to fix this place, then will move on!”
Flying Dragons flew in, each holding a ball of fire in their mouth, and the moment they finally crossed the boundaries of the dungeon, the flames all rained downward.
Boosh!
The red pillars that slanted the sky were all aimed at one place—the portal in the middle of the island!
Whoosh!
Boom!
However, the barrier preinstalled by the expedition team protected the portal, giving off a blue glow.
“Stop them! We must protect the portal at all costs! When that closes, all the information about the second phase we’ve collected so far by attacking it will go down the drain!”
“Damn, isn’t there an anti-aircraft missile or something? The one that has a mana core on the warhead!”
“Did you doze off at the briefing? The boundary is too close to the ground!”
Hunters’ attacks within the boundaries did not reach outside, nor could they go out directly. Monsters could not attack outside the border, but they were free to enter the edge.
“Damn it. They expect us to beat them all up?”
“Yes, while being careful not to break the portal!”
The Hunters each began pouring their sword energies, arrows, and magic into the sky.
*
I remembered what Han-seol explained at the briefing.
‘Since we’ve completely driven them out of the floating island, they’ve come back from somewhere and started attacking at irregular intervals. There seems to be no end to killing them one after another to the point that even though it’s a field type, we suspect that there’s a Hive somewhere.’
The target was a portal in the middle of the island, precisely, an artifact that triggered it. They then tried to break it with all their might.
‘The gate closes once the assembled artifact is disassembled. It is closed even if it receives a certain amount of shock. It also closes when there are too many monsters that break into the boundaries.’
One Hunter muttered after hearing the explanation.
‘Son of a bitch! What a shitty dungeon, that is.‘
Someone asked back.
‘No, but can’t we just open it again when it closes? Once we’ve killed them all. Why do we have to stop them so desperately?’
Han-seol answered.
‘After the portal opened and the expedition entered the second stage of the dungeon, the portal was closed as the Hunters on the floating island failed to defend it. Then the reopened portal led to a different dungeon. The environment was similar, but it was definitely a different place.‘
‘The Hunters who went to level two would have taken with them the Returning Stone.’
‘Yes, they all did.’
She said this all with a shadow cast on her face.
‘And no one made it back.’
Everyone was speechless as if they were in shock. Someone spoke.
‘There’s a dungeon where the Returning Stone doesn’t work?’
I recalled the explanation of the item called Returning Stone.
[Returning Stone]
– Item description: Forces the user to be moved from the dungeon where the user is located to the most recent direct dimension. Please note that once used, reuse is not possible.
What should be noted here was the expression ‘the most recent direct dimension.’
Unlike the first stage, the floating island directly connected by the gate, the dungeon inside the dungeon, or the second stage, had never been directly connected to the Earth. The system interpreted the relationship between the first and second phases as a ‘linked separate dungeon,’ Those who used the Returning Stone in the second stage did not return to Earth.
‘So, to send the Hunters to the second stage, a certain number of Hunters must remain in level one to defend the portal.‘
So, in short, it would never be closed.
‘That’s some shitty ass dungeon.’
A Hunter clicked his tongue.
*
“Squeal!”
Boosh!
A flame shower fell from the sky.
Weeeng!
The barrier continuously prevented the attack of the Flying Dragon flock. Hunters shot down the monsters, one after another before their exposure to the flames got longer.
“Kyaaaaah!”
The number of Flying Dragons gradually decreased at the attack of Hunters across the sky. Among those explorers focusing on defending, one caught my eyes—A Taiwan-born Awakened who was famous in my previous life.
‘Mei Lin Wu!’
With her hair cut short like a male soldier, she stood out in many ways, despite her small height. The forearm’s thickness, revealed due to her sleeveless shirt, was comparatively thick to her head, and the muscles on both shoulders were amazing. If I exaggerated the length of her arms a little, she could reach her knees. There were signs of physical modification.
“I’ll sweep this side first!”
She, who had spoken in a sharp tone, aimed at the sky with a metal bow comparable to her height. She did not load the arrows and pulled the string without any hesitation.
Creak!
She pulled the string with great strength to the point that the tight string’s sound echoed throughout the island. Although she did not load the arrows, 20 silver flashes hovered side-by-side in the air she pulled in and widened.
Mei Lin didn’t even align her body up with the bow. Without aiming a target, she just looked up and stared at the flock of Flying Dragons.
The moment she released her hand, twenty lines sliced the sky with the sound of wind tearing.
Swish!
A series of red flowers bloomed at each spot where the silver bow crossed the target. The blood-red dot drawn in the air soon becomes a light stroke of lines.
“Squeeeal!”
Most of them were penetrated and killed instantly.
Some turned quickly and tried to escape from the orbit of the flash. However, the arrow carved with light followed their escape path and had pierced the neck accurately, much like a remote-controlled missile.
So Mei Lin drew her bow again, one after the other, and each time, the dragons fell, like a swarm of insects directly hit by an insecticide. She was indeed a Hunter who specialized in aerial fights, invited only for the first stage.
“Why do we have to leave 20 people in the first stage? She’s all that we need.”
Someone was sarcastic while fighting.
“If your head is light, why don’t you balance it by weighing down your mouth. Do you think Mei Lin Wu is a robot? A machine? Do you think she can fight alone for 24 hours? Even if she holds on to her position by downing potions, she’ll be in a potion shock if she fills it up five times. We’ll need to do the rotation.”
“Ehem, I see.”
I also sprayed the sword energy to the sky with the sword in a different look.
Unlike pure Mana, sword energy was exposed to other Hunters, so I chose to perform only the skills that Bill Russell usually used, not the unique mastery skills such as [Artha’s Sword Dance].
That alone made me catch the attention of other Hunters.
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Boo-boo-boom!
“What, isn’t he an S-Rank? But is it possible for him to perform such attacks?”
“I guess the promotion wasn’t far away, or he didn’t get a promotion on purpose.”
The synergy effect of active Mana, which was collected above the limit through [Mana Drain], and the magic sword, drastically reduced Mana consumption and spread and embroidered the sky.
It led to a blue rain that reversed the direction of attack. The Flying Dragons that Mei Lin’s arrow couldn’t shoot down were followed up by the sword energy at the right timing and penetrated them.
Then suddenly, the magic sword murmured.
‘Hiding your power, you can’t fix it once it becomes a habit.’
Other Hunters thought that I was revealing the power I had hidden, but the magic sword still knew that I could not show my skills to the extent that I could.
I began to mumble to myself.
‘Wait for a while.’
Soon, I would have to swing you until you were to get sick of it.