Chapter 148
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: Paldalsan, The Secret of the Dragon Labyrinth - Part 2
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At a Gate emergence site in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, A.M.T soldiers were setting up a perimeter.
Just a day before, the entire nation of South Korea had been on lockdown due to the dragon raid in Suwon.
But despite that, Gates continued to appear across the country, and raids were still being conducted.
“Hmm, it’s a Troll Gate, and the internal terrain… looks like a tropical rainforest, of all things.”
‘Gate Analysts’ dispatched from the 3rd Anti-Magic Brigade headquarters were investigating the Gate.
By placing a hand on the Gate, they could ascertain a certain amount of information beforehand.
“It’s been eight hours since the second surge, so the third one should happen in about an hour.”
This time, it was a formidable Troll Gate, a challenge even for a standard A.M.T raid team.
In cases like this, it was common practice to ‘outsource to the private sector’—that is, to entrust the raid to a private guild.
“This one looks pretty tough. Still, Captain Seo Eun-ha’s raid team should be more than capable of handling it, right?”
“Well, they’re the most talked-about team in the A.M.T right now, and they’ve got plenty of support. I’m sure they’ll do fine.”
Meanwhile, Seo Eun-ha was listening to the radio in front of an armored reconnaissance vehicle, checking her equipment.
- …This is an update on the current Gate emergences nationwide. A Troll Gate has appeared in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, and a raid is imminent. A travel restriction has been issued within a 3-kilometer radius. A Gate emergence has also been reported in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, but further details have not yet been confirmed…
This broadcast, <24-Hour Emergency Channel: The Shelter>, provided breaking news on Gates appearing across the country and issued evacuation notices. Within the A.M.T, it was mandatory to keep this channel on at all times.
During times when there was no breaking news, it switched to a current affairs talk show covering Player issues. Lately, every single issue seemed to revolve around Steel Rain. His name was being mentioned even now.
- I heard Steel Rain, Lee Hyun-wook, was chosen as the number one Player of the year by <Players> magazine. Is that right?
- Honestly, he deserves it. Phew, there was so much doubt, so much suspicion, but in the end, didn’t he always overcome it all?
- Haha— I can’t help but feel proud that someone like him is one of our country’s Players.
- But I hear that famous Players from around the world are still criticizing Lee Hyun-wook.
- Isn’t that less criticism and more slander? No, it’s just jealousy. Why do they hate him so much?
Being a state-run broadcast, it tended to take a favorable stance toward domestic Players.
*He’s grown to an unbelievable level… Lee Hyun-wook…*
Seo Eun-ha looked up. In the western sky, Laputa, which had been in Suwon, was returning to Seoul. The sight of the colossal object slowly approaching at a considerable altitude felt profoundly alien.
*No matter how much I grow, flying something like that around like a private jet… we’re on completely different levels.*
Every time she heard news about Lee Hyun-wook, she couldn’t help but feel small.
From the 4th Wave onward, he had resolved countless incidents that had threatened the nation.
Compared to his monumental achievements, Seo Eun-ha’s contributions felt localized and minor.
Of course, she believed that raiding local Gates was a valuable mission.
*This is also about protecting someone’s life, someone’s daily peace…*
But at some point, she had started to feel a strange sense of deprivation and powerlessness. The nation faced one crisis after another, yet all she could do was watch from the sidelines, unable to do anything else.
The heroic Player she had dreamed of becoming as a child, inspired by her father… this was a far cry from that image.
“Hah… is this really the time for such thoughts? Phew—I’m a raid company commander now.”
She slung her greatsword and shield onto her back, tucked her helmet under her arm, and headed to the assembly point.
Her team was gathered there, fully armed.
“First platoon leader, are you ready?”
At her question, the first platoon leader, a lieutenant, nodded.
“Yes! All personnel of the first and second platoons are ready for the raid.”
The 26 members of the Anti-Magic Brigade’s ‘Raid Company’ approached the purple Gate in full gear.
Just then—
“—Raid company commander, we’ve been ordered to stand by!”
A voice echoed from behind her, and Seo Eun-ha turned her head.
“Huff—huff—orders came from above to cancel the operation!”
What was this all of a sudden? The entire unit stared at Seo Eun-ha with bewildered expressions.
“Commander, look over there.”
A raid team from the private guild <Cheonghwa> was crossing the restricted line and heading toward them.
They were the backup team that had been on standby nearby in case of an emergency.
“What the?”
Sensing something was off, Seo Eun-ha asked her communications officer sharply.
“What’s the situation? We have the raid rights, so why are they coming over here?”
As if hearing her, the team leader from the Cheonghwa Guild answered.
“Hey, we’re just as baffled as you are. You guys requested this, so don’t act all high and mighty.”
At his words, Seo Eun-ha looked at the communications officer, who shook his head with a troubled expression.
“Well, uh… I just received an urgent call myself. They said the raid rights have been transferred to Cheonghwa.”
Whatever was happening, it seemed that someone in the higher echelons was trying to prevent Seo Eun-ha’s team from entering the Gate.
“Anyway, if we dawdle any longer, the second surge is going to start. We can go in right now, can’t we?”
“Hehehe… what a windfall. A Troll Gate should have a pretty sweet reward, right?”
With irritating chuckles, the Cheonghwa raid team swarmed toward the Gate.
Seo Eun-ha had no choice but to hand over the operation to them and head to the command tent.
Inside, Major Moon Tae-ho, who had been promoted from Regional Magic Controller to Operations Chief, was seated.
“—Chief! What is all this about? How can this happen?”
They had been planning the operation since yesterday, held several briefings, and were fully prepared.
To be stopped right before deployment was enough to make anyone furious.
Looking up at Seo Eun-ha’s heated expression, Major Moon Tae-ho showed his unease.
“I was planning the operation with you, so how would I know? The order just came down from above.”
“Hah… so, what’s the reason? Did the battalion commander order this?”
“No, the battalion commander said it was an urgent directive from much higher up.”
He shook his head repeatedly as if he truly didn’t know, shutting down Seo Eun-ha’s questions.
“Captain Seo, I don’t know the details either, so don’t ask any more questions and just return to base for now. But for them to be ordering you around like this, it must be someone pretty important. You haven’t done anything wrong, have you?”
Fuming, Seo Eun-ha stormed out of the tent, followed by Sergeant First Class Kang Ik-jun, who had been standing at the entrance.
“Wow—getting summoned by someone higher than the battalion commander. Who could this big shot be? Don’t tell me, General Seo?”
“No, my father isn’t the type to order me around like this. Hah, whatever it is, this is really pissing me off…”
She was already feeling down, and now this? What kind of situation was this?
“Maybe some general who’s taken a liking to you is recommending you for a higher position?”
“Forget it. I don’t need any of that. To be honest… I’m starting to wonder what I’m even doing in the A.M.T anymore.”
Lately, she had been feeling a sense of disillusionment. The A.M.T, the organization she had dedicated herself to, felt like nothing more than a local security force. When she thought about it, wasn’t it always Players from private guilds who solved the major threats?
*…Should I really stay here?*
Demoralized, they returned to Namsan, and Seo Eun-ha went straight to the battalion commander’s office.
“—Salute! Battalion Commander, what in the world is…”
And the person sitting in front of the battalion commander, Kim Kang-seok, was…
“…Huh, Lee Hyun-wook?”
Indeed, a big shot among big shots had come to see her.
***
Lee Hyun-wook and Seo Eun-ha went to an empty conference room to talk privately.
“What do you mean by that? That you can transfer my entire team… that…”
Lee Hyun-wook said he needed her strength and asked her to work for a raid team he was planning.
He added the extraordinary offer that, if she wanted, her entire company-sized raid team could be transferred with her. And all this with far better treatment than she was getting here.
“If you accept this offer, Captain Seo, your team will formally become a raid team directly under the President.”
In other words, it meant they would be directly under Woo Seong-mun, the head of the National Gate Response Strategy Office.
And if one were to be more precise, it meant they would be directly under Lee Hyun-wook.
“…Did the battalion commander approve this?”
The moment she asked, she realized it was a completely clueless question.
In the first place, if Lee Hyun-wook wanted something now, Kim Kang-seok couldn’t stop him even if he refused.
And since Kim Kang-seok was also an ardent supporter of Lee Hyun-wook, he wouldn’t have opposed it.
“Yes, the battalion commander heard my proposal and understood the necessity.”
Of course, Lee Hyun-wook wasn’t the type to just force his opinions on others.
Even so, Seo Eun-ha found it hard to comprehend the situation.
“Ah, but why me of all people…? You could find a much more skilled Holy Knight, couldn’t you?”
“……”
“You have connections with Saint-Dome, and they even sent support last time…”
Even without going as far as Saint-Dome, there were plenty of Holy Knights in this country more skilled than her.
While she was one of the best within the A.M.T, she had only just broken into the lower ranks of the national rankings.
*There’s almost nothing I can do to help him…*
It was the same during the pursuit of the demon worshippers last time. In the end, didn’t Lee Hyun-wook handle it all by himself?
“Well, there may be many skilled Holy Knights… but there are no trustworthy ones.”
“I’m alive today thanks to the bracelet you gave me during the 4th Wave, Captain Seo.”
And in truth, he had been saved by Seo Eun-ha several times in his past life as well.
It would be a lie to say she hadn’t played a part in him getting this far.
In other words, Lee Hyun-wook trusted her far more than she realized.
“Ah, the bracelet with the holy barrier… right, that happened…”
Remembering that moment, Seo Eun-ha couldn’t help but let out a small smile.
And for some reason, the fact that he remembered and mentioned it gave her a sense of pride.
*He’s really become a big shot… To think a few words like this could feel so overwhelming, geez…*
Seo Eun-ha chuckled at her own absurdity.
“Yeah, well, it doesn’t sound like a bad offer…”
Honestly, it was the chance to work with him that appealed to her more than the incredible conditions Lee Hyun-wook offered.
To be precise, she wanted to join the procession following in the heroic footsteps of Steel Rain.
“…Uh, but, what exactly would I be doing?”
Come to think of it, she hadn’t even heard what the job entailed, yet her mind was already leaning toward it.
“This is a bit… confidential, I should say?”
“Ah, so it’s something that can’t be known to the public?”
“Hmm… I’ll tell you if you come with me now.”
Lee Hyun-wook stood up from his seat, and Seo Eun-ha hesitantly followed.
“Uh… go where?”
Lee Hyun-wook raised his left hand and pointed his index finger toward the sky.
“The headquarters for your new raid team, Captain Seo, will be established in a slightly higher place.”
***
- [Breaking News] Slayers Guild Begins Raid on Paldalsan ‘Dragon Labyrinth’ (1st Report)
Starting with a speech from Edward Woods, the Slayers Guild began their raid on the labyrinth.
At that moment, Lee Hyun-wook arrived at Laputa with Seo Eun-ha.
As she set foot on Laputa, which she had only ever looked up at from the ground, her eyes widened in amazement.
“Wow—this place is way bigger than I thought! Hey! What are those dwarves?”
The sight of high-ranking Gray Dwarves coming and going, chattering loudly, was bound to be unfamiliar.
“They’re not monsters, they’re NPC-like allies.”
“Ah… I, I see.”
“From now on, they will be crafting the equipment for your team, Captain Seo.”
Knowing full well the power of the magitech equipment Lee Hyun-wook had showcased, she felt a strange sense of excitement.
For a Player, the desire for high-performance equipment was an undeniable instinct.
But within the A.M.T, no matter how well she was treated, there was a clear limit to the quality of gear she could get.
Like a child at an amusement park, she turned her head this way and that, taking in the sights of Laputa.
A short while later, the two arrived at the Order Tower.
Only then did Lee Hyun-wook explain why he needed her help.
The summary was as follows:
First, after the Black Dragon raid, a labyrinth called the ‘Dragon’s Lair Ruins’ had formed on Paldalsan.
Second, to raid this labyrinth, a ‘special condition’ had to be met.
Third, only Players of the ‘Knight’ class could satisfy this condition, and a Holy Knight was a Knight-class.
After explaining the final condition, Lee Hyun-wook brought over a box.
“So, if I hold this, I’ll meet that special condition?”
“Yes. Only a Knight-class Player can hold it.”
As she cautiously reached out and gripped the hilt of the old sword—
*Wooooo—*
A brilliant light erupted from the black, rusted blade.
And then…
- (!) A quest has arrived.
[Class Change Quest]
- A chance opportunity, a special encounter, an absolute power…
You have obtained a sword of unknown origin.
In truth, this sword holds a tremendous secret.
That is… the authority of a ‘Dragon Knight.’
If you accept this power, a new path will open,
and at the end of that path, you will meet your greatest friend.
* Would you like to accept the quest? (Y/N)
“Huh? A quest just popped up… A class change quest? What is this?”
Seo Eun-ha blinked, re-reading the system message floating before her eyes, then furrowed her brow.
“…Dragon Knight? Wait a minute, am I going to become something like a Dragon Knight?”
Having spent a considerable amount of time growing as a Holy Knight, she wasn’t thrilled about the idea of her class changing. What if all her skills were replaced? Wouldn’t the combat style she had honed for so long become meaningless?
“It will likely restructure some of your skills based on your existing abilities.”
Lee Hyun-wook added, sensing her concern, and Seo Eun-ha nodded with a hesitant look.
“So, if I accept this quest, you know what’s going to happen next… right?”
Lee Hyun-wook slowly nodded. The role she was about to take on was immense, so he needed to explain it to her in detail beforehand. But he was at a bit of a loss as to where to begin.
“Captain Seo, have you, by any chance… ever raised a child?”
At his words, Seo Eun-ha’s expression hardened.
*Ah, was that an inappropriate question to ask an unmarried woman?*
Realizing how strange the question sounded, Lee Hyun-wook quickly shook his head.
“No, that’s not what I mean. Like, a younger sibling, or a niece or nephew, or even a dog or a cat…”
As he spoke, he remembered that this woman was about as far from that sort of thing as one could get.
*Come to think of it, didn’t she say she hated having to take care of every little thing for someone…*
He recalled how she used to chew out her clumsy subordinates, calling them childish.
She was also a firm believer in not getting married, disliked cats and dogs, and even sought out no-kids zones in cafes.
*When I think about it, she was an individualist and had a cynical side to her about pretty much everything…*
That was, in many ways, a problematic personality for someone taking on the mantle of a Dragon Knight.
It made him worry if she could properly raise a dragon through its stages—egg, hatchling, whelp, adult…
*But she’s the only Knight-class I can trust enough to entrust with a dragon.*
And more importantly, a familiar-type dragon takes on the characteristics of its master.
Meaning, if Seo Eun-ha became the dragon’s master, that dragon would…
*…become a White Dragon with holy power attributes.*
That was the exact picture Lee Hyun-wook wanted to paint.
No matter how he thought about it, he had to push this through.
“Ahem—well, you might have to personally raise a young living creature… of sorts.”
“What? What does that mean? I’m a little confused right now, can you be more specific?”
Lee Hyun-wook nodded and carefully opened his mouth.
“Captain Seo… I think you’re going to have to raise a baby dragon.”
At those words, Seo Eun-ha’s face went rigid, and only her eyes slowly widened.
“What? I kind of… no, I really hate reptiles…”
It was the reaction he’d expected. Lee Hyun-wook decided to just push forward, no matter what.
“Ah, I see. But surely you wouldn’t refuse over something so trivial, right?”
Seo Eun-ha instantly regretted having grabbed the sword.
***
Fourteen hours had passed since Edward Woods’ Slayers Guild entered the labyrinth.
- [Exclusive] Slayers Guild Exits Paldalsan Labyrinth Empty-Handed… A Failed Raid?
Just minutes after that article was published, Edward Woods held a press conference, which was broadcast live as breaking news on TV.
- …There are reports that we came out empty-handed. Yes! That is true, to an extent.
*Click— Click—*
- However, we most certainly succeeded in our raid and have reached a critical turning point.
His expression was much better than expected, and he seemed brimming with confidence. It would have been natural to be annoyed after struggling through a labyrinth only to be blocked at the final gate, but he seemed to be taking it positively.
And the turning point he mentioned referred to the ‘hint’ to find the Dragon Knight.
*…Coordinates, level, and class would have popped up.*
Lee Hyun-wook predicted it would have given them three clues: Seoul—86—Holy Knight.
And that… very unfortunately for them, pointed to Seo Eun-ha.
In other words, no matter how hard they tried, they would never be able to obtain the ‘key.’
*Because I already have it…*
However…
- I declare before all the citizens of the world that we will be the ones to conquer this labyrinth! And the treasure we bring out… will be the rarest in history.
When asked what it was, Edward Woods did not answer.
He simply smiled, his face full of confidence, and continued.
- However… to solve this problem, we are searching for the key—a single Player. And to find this Player, we ask for the help of this entire nation. To that person, and to all who assist us, the Slayers Guild promises a massive reward.
It seemed they were planning to search for the ‘qualified person’ publicly.
*It would be much faster to find them by broadcasting those three clues…*
He added one final remark.
- And Steel Rain…
“Ah… no…”
The moment his name was called, Lee Hyun-wook couldn’t suppress his feeling of dismay.
- Just as I warned, we will be the first to clear this labyrinth.
Instantly, the spotlights flashed like lightning.
- Uh, what do you mean by that?
- DS, what was discussed between you and Steel Rain?
- Excuse me, just a moment! One more word…
But without answering, he basked in the spotlights and exited the press conference hall.
It seemed he had no intention of abandoning his rivalry with Lee Hyun-wook.
*He’s calculated that if he conquers the labyrinth first, he can recover some of the prestige he lost.*
In other words, for a bit of honor, he had boldly thrown out Lee Hyun-wook’s name.
And he must have judged that Steel Rain, who was currently doing nothing, would be unable to overtake them…
“Hah…”
Though he never wanted it, the eggs had started flying toward him on their own, ready to be smashed.