Chapter 75: Designated Request (5)
Entry into the passage from which the vampire dragon had emerged was limited to just Yi Seong-jin and Kim Sun-woo.
The B-rank hunters deployed alongside them had sustained considerable injuries and were receiving treatment anyway.
Even if they rejoined, there was no guarantee they'd react properly in a pinch like before.
In other words, before they became dead weight, the two top forces of the investigation team decided to move alone.
"...We made it here, but going in feels impossible."
Yi Seong-jin peered inside and clicked his tongue.
Denser demonic energy than what the vampire dragon had wielded was seeping out from within.
They could force their way in, but it was only natural to feel repulsed, like staring into a cesspool.
"I'll take the lead."
But it was no issue for Kim Sun-woo.
As he thrust Black Flow Sword forward and circulated his internal energy, a pale white glow formed along the blade, pushing back the surrounding darkness.
"Hm."
Yi Seong-jin followed behind, scrutinizing the energy gathered on Kim Sun-woo's sword.
It resembled holy power at a glance, possessing the exorcising nature of spirits or spells.
It even seemed related to shamanism somehow, but he'd need a proper investigation to know for sure.
"Hold up."
Kim Sun-woo raised a hand.
The demonic energy was far too thick for something formed merely by the vampire dragon lingering there long-term.
If the creature had wielded power like this, it wouldn't have fallen so easily to their combined assault.
Rather than that...
It was more reasonable to assume some entity surpassing the vampire dragon lurked, or it had been influenced by something else.
But no other presences were felt.
"See something?"
"The problem is I see nothing."
Kim Sun-woo furrowed his brow.
Something capable of fooling even his senses lay ahead.
He couldn't decide whether to press on or retreat.
"Fall back. I'll check it myself."
Sensing Kim Sun-woo's hesitation, Yi Seong-jin rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward.
He gripped several talismans, muttering incantations to invoke his spell.
He soon tossed them into the air.
But.
Shruk.
They vanished without advancing far.
"Huh?"
Yi Seong-jin looked flustered.
If something was there, they should have reacted—yet they just disappeared?
If the spell failed, the talismans would burn or tear—that was standard.
But this was like they were cleanly severed...
"White soul. Black calamity. Azure cloud."
Realizing something belatedly, Yi Seong-jin unleashed another spell, swinging his arm wide.
The scattered powder sparkled, illuminating the darkness-shrouded space.
What had been hidden in shadow came into view.
At the same time, Kim Sun-woo froze at the sight before him.
"...A door?"
Ahead, in the bizarrely incongruous stretch, stood a small door just a few steps away.
Plain in form, devoid of any ornamentation.
Yet the passage beyond brimmed with the pitch-black darkness they'd encountered throughout.
"......"
Just looking at it sent chills down his spine, palms slick with sweat—the demonic energy was that concentrated.
Enter there, and I die.
His instincts screamed it.
What might have happened if he'd ignored his senses and plunged in...
"What now? Leaving it could spell disaster."
"...I've been pondering that. It's shaped like a door, so it leads somewhere, but maybe we can close it?"
"Where it leads matters too."
Kim Sun-woo bit his lip.
With demonic energy that thick, it could be hell, the demon realm, or a demon king's castle.
Clack.
He raised Black Flow Sword, sharpening its edge.
The faint internal energy trailing from the blade surged, transforming into sword gang.
Yi Seong-jin, grasping his intent, drew his ritual whip.
"Right. Smashing it seems the only way. Think you can?"
"Gotta swing and see."
Wood? Metal? Plastic?
He couldn't even discern the material.
Only a slash would reveal if it could be cut.
Kim Sun-woo exhaled shortly, channeling his energy.
Having felled the vampire dragon, he prepared to draw a second full moon...
Thud.
But a sudden sound from the door snapped their heads up.
A pale white hand had emerged from within, gripping the frame.
Finger bloodless white, nails black and razor-sharp.
The hand was roughly the size of Kim Sun-woo's body.
Hiss—.
Demonic energy roiled from inside, bursting outward.
As if something dormant within reacted to their energies, seeking to emerge.
"You!"
Yi Seong-jin snapped to, swinging his whip desperately.
Whatever it was, an indescribable existence was trying to cross.
A threat the vampire dragon couldn't compare to.
Fail to block it here, and the dungeon—not to mention Cheonan and the Korean Peninsula—would face unprecedented peril.
Bam!
Kim Sun-woo instinctively kicked off, charging.
No thoughts of whether it could be cut.
His mind filled only with stopping it from escaping.
Fwaah!
A full moon rose behind the door.
For a split second, the moon gleamed brilliantly amid the haze, asserting its vivid presence.
Crack.
One finger on the door moved, shattering the moon's core precisely.
The full moon of Moonlit Night was just a phenomenon from imagery and White Flow Divine Art's energy—not real.
Blocking the technique was one thing; the moon itself couldn't be stopped or destroyed.
Thus, without time to wonder how, Kim Sun-woo swung Black Flow Sword at the unknown with singular focus to sever.
Shyaak—!
A long arc engulfed door and hand alike.
A slash even the vampire dragon couldn't withstand, crumpling it.
"......"
But Kim Sun-woo could only grit his teeth.
Despite pouring half his remaining internal energy, the door and fingers bore not a scratch.
...No, atop the gripping fingers.
A tiny mark appeared, but merely a slight dent in the flesh.
Strength surpassing the vampire dragon, rivaling a true dragon.
Creeeak.
Exhausted, landing before the door, Kim Sun-woo locked eyes with one slowly emerging from within.
Black pupil, yellow iris.
A long, slit eye with raging demonic torrents above.
Soon, he saw it curve faintly.
...It's smiling?
Sneering at him from beyond the door.
Mocking a mere human for daring to bar its way.
As he prepared to slam his remaining energy into a final strike,
Click.
Suddenly, the door appeared and slammed shut.
Smoothly seamless, vanishing as if never there.
"......"
Kim Sun-woo stood frozen, panting raggedly.
Yi Seong-jin approached from behind, sighing in relief.
"We sealed it?"
"...If you insist. Something was inside."
The eye he'd met lingered in his mind.
Indescribable, forged from every ill omen in existence.
Even his ever-vigilant danger sense had frozen momentarily.
The door was shut, but the gaze's afterimage refused to fade.
Yi Seong-jin patted his shoulder belatedly.
"Good work regardless. Whatever it was, no ordinary foe. If it'd crossed, disaster."
Yi Seong-jin made a fox-eye gesture at the empty air where the door had been.
The rift's presence was gone.
Recreating such a passage would demand no small power.
No matter how mighty, not in short order.
"Let's head back. Destroy the core, close the portal. Can't leave loose ends, whatever it was."
Yi Seong-jin shook his head, chills lingering.
He wanted no more time here.
Sharing the sentiment, Kim Sun-woo nodded curtly.
As he followed, he glanced back once at the door's spot, then turned away.
The investigation team's consensus, including Yi Seong-jin and Kim Sun-woo, led to closing the Cheonan Station dungeon break.
Confirming all personnel out, they destroyed the core, ending the dungeon that had half-wrecked a city.
"......"
Director Lee Jin-hyuk watched the sealing dungeon with regret.
A-rank or higher dungeon breaks were rare worldwide.
They occurred and were discovered often enough.
But stable, controllable ones like this? Countable on one hand.
They'd hired hordes of hunters to extract max data, yet fell short.
...Or did they?
His gaze fixed on Mugung Guild—and the hunter chatting with Yi Seong-jin.
B-rank Kim Sun-woo.
A long-time F-rank from Mugung Guild, he'd recently shown martial talent, skyrocketing.
His achievements proved no mere aptitude.
Late bloomers existed, but few matched Kim Sun-woo's meteoric rise.
"He's got character. No arrogance despite high rank, threw himself into danger without hesitation. Mask suits him too. Honestly, compared to you or me, he's not even that old, right?"
He'd even won over Yi Seong-jin, famed for strict judgments on others—some trick there.
Invited to his forge, no less. Talent beyond martial arts?
Yi Seong-jin held close ties to the Association.
Flawless skill, strong promotion recommendation.
A-rank.
Lee Jin-hyuk eyed Kim Sun-woo gravely.
Impossible in normal times.
F to B in months.
No hunter he'd heard of hit A-rank via standard route in half a year.
But the world was chaotic, craving heroes.
Government sought one to soothe and rally the furious masses.
A comet-like hero fit perfectly.
Lee Jin-hyuk nodded, addressing his subordinates.
"Let's head back. Things'll get busy soon."