072 - Designated Request (2)
The investigation team, having finished their preparations, boarded a train and headed to Chungcheong Province.
Their destination was Cheonan Station, a metropolitan city station located in Chungcheong Province.
The moment they stepped off the train, Kim Sun-woo let out a short groan.
"...I heard the damage was bad, but this is worse than I imagined."
A large-scale dungeon break was a disaster in itself.
The area around Cheonan Station had somehow maintained its shape, but just a little further out, it looked like it had been hit by an airstrike—utterly devastated.
"Watch out!"
"Damn, no matter how much we clear, it never ends."
The streets were filled with workers hauling away monster corpses.
The fierce battles had inevitably left massive traces behind.
For chunks too heavy to move by hand, they were using heavy machinery.
"This seems worse than Gangwon Province?"
"That was bad too, but this place almost got the whole city wiped out if things went wrong."
"Ga Hwa-ryong was no joke either."
At the hunters' words, Kim Sun-woo recalled the massive fire dragon he'd fought in the city back then.
The monster that barreled toward them spewing lava and flames had been a walking catastrophe.
He could take it down easily now, but at the time, even throwing everything he had into the fight, it had been a daunting foe.
'Honestly, surviving that was a miracle.'
What had possessed him to charge in so recklessly?
Thinking back now made his blood run cold.
"Ah, this place got wrecked too. It was a great curry spot."
"You've been there?"
At Kim Sun-woo's question, Han Su-ah nodded.
"Some relatives on my mom's side live around here. They evacuated before the dungeon break, so they're safe, but their house and everything else got totally smashed."
Han Su-ah sighed regretfully.
Countless people had lost their homes and livelihoods.
Even if the government compensated them, for those folks, it felt like time had frozen still.
Having lost their immediate means of survival, they must have felt utterly lost.
"We're here to investigate so tragedies like this don't happen again. Please keep that in mind, everyone."
At Association Director Lee Jin-hyuk's words, they looked ahead.
Beyond the ruined streets of Cheonan, a military unit forming a perimeter came into view.
The thick auras emanating from various spots suggested there were hunters operating alongside them.
As the investigation team approached, a soldier who appeared to be in charge came forward to greet them.
"I'm Lieutenant Colonel Han Sang-cheol of the battalion. The dungeon hasn't shown any major changes since then and seems to be maintaining a similar state."
"You've worked hard."
"Will you be entering right away?"
"Yes, that's the plan."
"If you need manpower, we can provide support."
Lee Jin-hyuk gave a faint smile at Lieutenant Colonel Han Sang-cheol's offer.
"We appreciate the consideration. But with Mugung Guild cooperating, we're good."
"...Good luck, then."
Han Sang-cheol smacked his lips and stepped back.
It would have been a nice achievement if he could have gotten a foot in the door with the investigation team.
Unfortunately, the association wasn't that accommodating.
The team arrived at the gate and took a moment to prepare.
The fact that even the military was standing by cooperatively showed just how much attention the government and association were paying to this investigation.
Shwaaaa.
With preparations complete, the investigation team crossed the portal of the massive gate.
A chilling sensation enveloped their bodies, and right after, Kim Sun-woo let out a gasp at the sight before him.
"...No wonder they call it a large-scale one."
An incredibly vast forest stretched out endlessly.
He could see why it was named the Great Forest.
After briefly taking in the scenery, Kim Sun-woo gauged the presences deeper inside and asked Director Lee Jin-hyuk.
"You said all the internal monsters have been cleared?"
"The previous subjugation team finished the job. They even did second and third sweeps, but given the dungeon's nature, new ones could spawn or hidden ones lurk, so stay cautious."
Kim Sun-woo nodded.
He'd been through too much to brush off Lee Jin-hyuk's words lightly.
Kim Sun-woo and Mugung Guild's Knight Team escorted the association's investigation team as they slowly pushed deeper inside.
Just past the entrance, traces of intense combat became visible.
As Kim Sun-woo examined the crisscrossing scars, he felt a familiar sensation in the midst.
'This is definitely...'
It was Mugung Guild Master Han Kang-sik's sword traces.
He could tell just from the deeply gouged paths.
Not just here—his marks were scattered everywhere around.
"A brutal fight, huh? No kidding."
Han Su-ah, sticking close by his side, whispered as she scanned the surroundings.
The entrance alone bore signs of unimaginably fierce battles.
"...And yet the forest looks untouched."
"Now that you mention it."
At Robert's words, Kim Sun-woo nodded and gazed at the Great Forest.
If A-rank hunters had gone wild, the forest would have been reduced to rubble, leaving nothing but ruins.
But the woods before them remained pristine, lush greenery undisturbed.
The answer came from beside them.
"Large-scale dungeons like this regenerate to their original state over time after damage, consuming the dungeon's own mana. Once the mana for recovery runs out, the dungeon itself collapses and can't hold."
"...Ah, got it."
It was Park Un-hyuk, one of the association investigators.
Kim Sun-woo shook the hand he extended.
"Truth be told, we're pinning a lot of hopes on you, Hunter Kim Sun-woo."
"Me?"
"Yes. You uncovered in less than half a year what we've researched for over a decade without finding."
Park Un-hyuk smiled faintly as he looked deeper into the forest.
"The unprecedented threat targeting Earth has been a longstanding theory. With dimensions different from Earth existing, some influence was inevitable—that's the prevailing view."
But until now, no solid evidence had surfaced.
Recently, opinions had started leaning toward it being mere speculation.
'Then this guy flipped the script in one go.'
The Golden Realm and beings from other dimensions waiting for Earth to ripen so they could survive—it was a chilling tale.
On the flip side, to doomsayers preparing for the end, Kim Sun-woo was a ray of light.
Unlike other prophets or self-proclaimed experts spouting vague claims, he brought concrete, irrefutable proof.
In that sense, Park Un-hyuk felt grateful toward Kim Sun-woo.
It validated that his life's work wasn't in vain.
"Alright, let's begin the investigation! Mugung Guild hunters, please handle perimeter security."
At Director Lee Jin-hyuk's words, Robert nodded and issued orders to his team.
"Split into groups as pre-assigned and conduct the search. If you spot anything unusual, retreat immediately and report."
The investigation team's goal wasn't conquering the dungeon.
So, they scattered in pairs, keeping watch so the investigators could work undisturbed.
Step.
Unlike the other hunters, Kim Sun-woo had permission for solo action.
There was no hunter who could match his stride, aiming beyond B-rank toward A-rank anyway.
'Doesn't look much different from other dungeons.'
He reached out, stroking a towering tree and its branches.
Aside from the high mana density typical of dungeon interiors, it wasn't much different from Earth.
"......"
Kim Sun-woo glanced at the investigation team.
They'd unpacked their equipment, set it on the ground, and started their full survey.
With the Knight Team there, they could respond quickly to any trouble, so it should be fine to scout around briefly.
"Su-ah."
"Yeah, oppa?"
"Gonna check deeper inside real quick. Tell the team leader."
"Got it!"
Leaving Han Su-ah's energetic reply behind, Kim Sun-woo moved out.
Shwaaaa.
He expanded his senses, sweeping the Great Forest interior.
Even after second and third sweeps, presences lingered here and there.
Swoosh!
Having plotted his path, Kim Sun-woo kicked off lightly.
A streak of light flashed as he surged forward, sword gleam exploding in his wake.
Crack!
An ogre's ochre-skinned head split in one stroke.
Any other monster would have died instantly, but the ogre's unique regeneration tried to heal even that.
—KABOOM!
But a bolt of pure white lightning from the sky wouldn't allow it.
It shattered not just the split head but the ogre's entire nape, rendering recovery impossible.
Thud.
The massive body toppled backward.
Kim Sun-woo shook off his hand casually and leaped from tree to tree toward the next spot.
'Can't have even one or two slipping out—that'd be a hassle.'
True to its A-rank large dungeon status, each monster was elite-level from lower dungeons.
The Knight Team could handle them, but no need to waste energy unnecessarily.
Plus, it was a light warm-up for him.
Splatter!
He swung his sword to flick off the fluids, exhaling shortly.
"Five down. That should do it."
A few more lurked in the deepest core, but unless they went that far, no encounters.
If any stirred, he could clean them up then...
"......?"
As he turned to return, something tugged at Kim Sun-woo's senses.
His expanded awareness from scouting and sharpened from combat had caught the subtle flow.
Narrowing his eyes briefly as he scanned, he slowly crouched and reached toward the ground.
"Coming from below?"
A strange incongruity prickled him.
The mana flow here was unnaturally stagnant, almost suppressed deliberately to prevent change.
Staring at the ground for a moment, Kim Sun-woo slowly raised his sword.
"Guess poking will reveal it."
Kiiiiing!
Pure white light surged along the Black Flow Sword.
The densely condensed energy, near sword gang in solidity, left a sharp afterimage as it slashed downward.
—KABOOM!
The earth heaved like a bomb had detonated, flipping the ground.
Soil erupted, rocks shattered, trees toppled.
It was like a massive earthquake.
At the same time, Kim Sun-woo's eyes widened as he peered down.
"This is..."
Buried in the earth was a massive door leading underground.
Tapping it lightly, he felt its sturdy material.
That explained why it withstood his strike.
He wanted to open it right then, but prolonged solo action risked endangering the team.
If an army like the one that invaded Haesinjeon poured out, even he couldn't hold them alone.
Kim Sun-woo turned and headed back to the team.
The commotion had drawn the investigators together.
They relaxed at his report of just hunting monsters, but Director Lee Jin-hyuk's eyes widened at the mention of a door leading underground.
"Underground? You mean underground?"
"Yes. Seems like a nested dungeon inside the dungeon. Wasn't reported?"
"The Great Forest has been raided before. Who'd have thought... something like that."
"A nested dungeon in an A-rank. Not your average difficulty. We can't approach it lightly."
Kim Sun-woo warned preemptively, in case they suggested checking it out.
Rash curiosity could wipe everyone but him.
Even as association director, he wouldn't follow reckless orders.
Of course, Lee Jin-hyuk wasn't that foolish.
As a former hunter, he knew full well what an A-rank dungeon meant.
With a serious expression, he nodded.
"We'll request support from the association. Let's assemble a dream team to raid the A-rank dungeon."