Descent into the Lower Level
The wall monitor in Meeting Room B displayed the drone footage from the previous day. Spores burst open as a cloud of dust surged forward. The sensor logs read stabilization at 6.6 and residual mana at 2.1.
“Today we’re entering the lower level. We’ll only confirm up to the confluence baseline,” Mira said, swiping the screen to bring up the Pocheon D-04 waterway schematic.
“All three sensors have been replaced. The new filters are moisture-resistant. Humidity is higher than yesterday.”
“Three power packs, fully charged. Drones set for rear surveillance.”
“Good.”
“Doyun, any issues with the gravity module?”
“Stable up to 2.3 pressure.”
“Sorin, what about the spore layer analysis?”
“The particles have grown larger. Airflow alone won’t clear them.”
“Then we’ll go with the separation method. Sorin, secure visibility. Jaehoon, maintain the current cutoff line. Doyun, fix the gravity axis. Jihoon, handle the sensor baseline.”
“I’ll make the call. If it exceeds 6.8, we withdraw immediately.”
“Understood, Team Leader.”
The meeting ended in ten minutes. We walked down the corridor, checking our gear one by one. The familiar weight of the sensor, dagger, and battery settled into my hands. The H-Van waited in the parking lot. We loaded the equipment in order, double-checked the straps, and closed the trunk. The engine rumbled low as the vehicle rolled toward the gate.
At the gate we got out, ran one final equipment check, then stepped inside. The air changed the moment we crossed the threshold—humidity and temperature shifting together. The upper level had already been cleared the day before, so residual mana stayed low and the sensors remained stable. We moved straight to the lower-level entrance without stopping.
Descending the tunnel, the mud grew deeper with every step, clinging to our boots. Fog and spores blurred our vision. The sensor read 6.3 / 2.1, holding steady.
“Lower level entry complete. Spore density is higher than yesterday.”
“Left side concentration is heavy,” Sorin reported, adjusting the airflow and stepping forward. She raised her hand, set the angle, and chanted briefly. “Wind Blade.”
A thin gust sliced through the fog, pushing spores aside and revealing the passage. The ground trembled. Something beneath the mud swelled and burst upward—three slimes erupting at once, their surfaces rippling as mucus sprayed in every direction.
“Psychokinesis Control.” I gathered the flow at my fingertips and reduced forward pressure. The first slime folded inward, its internal pressure collapsing until it burst. I shifted the force to the second; its shell twisted and split. The third tried to stretch and retreat, but I locked its trajectory with kinetic transfer. More mucus and mud splashed outward.
“Jihoon, you’re starting to hit like a real hunter.”
“Took down three D-rank slimes by himself.”
“Cleaner than when I blow them up with gravity. Psychokinesis really scales differently once it gets stronger.”
“I’ve been practicing.”
“Might as well keep practicing automatic collection while we’re at it. I’ll go ahead.”
“Tch… collection duty again? At least slimes are easy.”
“Alright, finish cleaning up. We keep moving.”
Mira’s voice cut through. We secured our gear and advanced deeper. A low, overlapping cry echoed beyond the fog. The sensors picked up a new reaction unlike the previous pattern. We shifted into combat stance immediately. The reading held at 6.4 as we followed the waterway, watching our footing. Water reached our ankles. Cracks lined the walls, and a thin layer of spores drifted across the mud, disrupting the current.
Then the airflow shifted. The water surface split, and five massive carapaces rose in formation—Deep Crabs.
“Three on the left, two on the right,” Mira ordered instantly.
“Psychokinesis Control.” I focused pressure on the leftmost crab. Its shell caved inward and burst, red mucus scattering. “Gravity Reversal.”
Doyun raised his hand. The two crabs on the right floated into the air. “Pressure Increase,” he commanded. Gravity flipped. Both slammed into the water, sending up sprays of foam and mucus.
“Lightning Arrow.” Blue light flashed from Jaehoon’s fingertips. Bolts streaked forward, piercing the second and third crabs. Electricity spread through their bodies; shells cracked from the inside and exploded. The corpses rolled slowly on the water, yellow mana stones exposed.
“Jihoon, switch on automatic collection mode.”
“Tch, help out a little, would you?”
I floated my dagger into the gaps of the carapace, channeling psychokinesis to slice through the interior. Mucus scattered. Once the yellow crystal was visible, I eased the force and carefully extracted it along the grain.
“Don’t work Jihoon too hard. There are other people here too.”
“Exactly. Jihoon oppa went and practiced collection with psychokinesis. He’s going to end up the dedicated collector at this rate.”
“I wish they’d hurry up and release a mana stone scanner already,” I muttered.
“That’s my department,” Jaehoon replied. “Once approval comes through, I’ll set it up right away.”
A short laugh escaped. The water calmed, and the air grew still. Fog drifted low across the mud, then the edge shifted as if pushed aside. A faint tremor rose from below. The airflow twisted sharply.
“Downstream… something’s moving,” Jaehoon said, crouching for a better view.
“The flow isn’t consistent. Definitely biological.”
“Pattern suggests a Flux Lich,” Doyun added, tightening his equipment straps.
“Keep visibility. Watch for interference reactions.”
Mira stepped forward. Blue light pushed the fog outward. Spores tore apart, and a figure emerged. A thin current membrane wrapped its body, while bone-like afterglow flickered irregularly inside. The scent of burning metal filled the air with every movement, and static spread with each step, making the air shimmer. A Flux Lich.
“Flux Lich. Current-type boss. Mind the interference,” Mira warned, lowering her fingertips.
The lich twisted. Lightning raced along the walls and burst in succession. The floor shuddered, sending shockwaves outward.
“Psychokinesis Control.” I twisted the lich’s upper-body trajectory. Pressure shifted and its motion jerked. “Doyun, Gravity Increase.”
Mira moved aside to open space. “Increase,” Doyun said, pressing his palm down. Pressure drove the lich’s lower body deep into the mud, slowing it.
“It’s weak to heat. I’ll finish it.”
Mira advanced. Red light bloomed at her fingertips. “Flame Spear.”
A crimson line tore through the waterway and detonated. Heat and thunder filled the passage. The spear pierced the lich’s center. Its mucus boiled, the current membrane shredded, and fragments and light exploded outward. The air split. Water sprayed upward. The lich swelled, twisted once more from within, then its outer membrane tore and detonated. Heat and the smell of metal lingered as red smoke drifted across the water.
“It’s over,” Mira said, lowering her wrist after a steadying breath.
“Even a C-rank boss goes down in one hit in front of an A-rank.”
“Jaehoon, wasn’t that skill Team Leader used a B-rank skill?”
“Yeah, I think Team Leader’s skill is B-rank.”
“Using B-rank or higher skills in a narrow structure like this risks ground collapse. Anything A-rank or above needs caution!”
“As expected of Team Leader’s class.”
“Jihoon, collect the stone.”
“Again?”
“Yep. Activating Byun Jihoon Bot automatic mode.”
“Seriously… now I’m being treated like a robot?”
I floated the dagger into the remains and split the surface with psychokinesis. A red mana stone rose. I confirmed the brief flash of light, lowered my hand, and recognized it immediately as a top-grade C-rank stone. Once it was in my backpack, the surface trembled faintly, residual heat still lingering. I also separated one residual current core and two mucus samples, sealing the vials. The metallic scent brushed past as the caps clicked shut.
“Collection complete.”
I secured the backpack and evened my breathing. The surrounding flow gradually settled. Heat and airflow calmed together, and the tremors beneath our feet stopped completely.
“What about the dungeon core reaction?”
“It hasn’t disappeared entirely. Location isn’t clear.”
“We’ll stop here for today.”
We packed our gear. Cables wound, cases closed with a short metallic note. The water settled in response. Everyone turned toward the gate. I glanced back once at the water surface. A faint light rippled beneath, but it was the kind no instrument could detect.
This weekend ends here. Absorbing a D-rank will definitely make me stronger.
The thought passed quickly. We walked in silence, leaving the fog behind. The air changed as we exited the gate. We carried the equipment to the vehicle, loaded it, and climbed in. The engine started and we merged onto the road. Damp air escaped; the interior felt fresher.
Back at the branch, we moved the gear to the maintenance room, wiped the cases, placed them on the shelves, and plugged them into the charging racks. Indicator lights lit up in sequence. I opened the backpack and laid out the recovered items—the red crystal, the residual coil, and two mucus samples. The surface warmth had already faded.
“Jihoon, submit the report tomorrow,” Mira said, setting her terminal on the table. “Today’s work ends with stabilization processing.”
“Yes, Team Leader. I’ll organize everything from last time and give it to you tomorrow.”
The trunk closed with a low metallic sound. The day’s flow came to a natural end.
The next morning, the lights in the meeting room were already on. I stopped by the equipment room to check charge status—heat and backup files all normal. I opened the terminal and reviewed the report. “Stabilization complete. No anomalies.” The single line at the top was enough for today’s meeting.
Team members filed in one by one. I had already placed the backpack on the table.
“Settlements are done. I included everything that was pending. Adding the Chuncheon dungeon, it comes to about two million won per person.”
“Now we have someone in charge of settlements too. Feels reassuring.”
Sorin clapped her hands. “Wow, perfect. Jihoon oppa is the best.”
Doyun flipped through the documents. “You calculate as fast as you collect.”
“Haha, now you’re going to dump accounting on me too? No thanks. Next time a bonus comes up… Sorin, I’m counting on you.”
I handed her the envelope. “This is this month’s settlement.”
Sorin accepted it with both hands. “Oppa, I’m not good at math. Can’t you just do it?”
“Hey, I’m the automatic collection specialist. No can do.”
Jaehoon reacted loudly. “Yes, yes. Too busy with important work, I suppose.”
“If Jihoon oppa says so, I’ll do it next time.”
“Yeah! Sorin, I’ll leave it to you next time. Thanks!”
“Everyone worked hard yesterday. Jihoon, you have salary negotiations next week, right?”
“Yes. HR asked me to come in.”
“Nothing too formal. Just organize anything from this year’s records you want to mention. A few reports should be enough.”
A week passed. I skipped a few dojo sessions and immediately got called out. The instructor spun his wrist in the center of the mat. “Double the amount you missed.”
I ended up stuck training through the weekend, my fingertips numb and the pressure still lingering in my arms.
On a holiday afternoon I visited Pocheon D-04 again and headed straight to the marked point. The mana flow I had left behind was still there. When I traced the grain with psychokinesis, a red light flashed briefly. My palm grew hot as the dungeon core reacted immediately. The absorption didn’t take long, but the sensation of my strength solidifying another step was unmistakable.
From now on, I should check the less-managed D-rank stabilization dungeons first.
The thought passed. Then salary negotiation day arrived. Morning air was cold. Coffee aroma spread slowly as office lights flickered on one by one. Team members sat at their desks, sorting documents as usual.
“Jihoon, HR today?” Mira asked, passing over some materials.
“Yes. I’ll head over for the salary negotiation.”
I picked up my terminal, zipped my bag, and stepped into the hallway. A breeze brushed the window at the end of the corridor. Today wasn’t about stating numbers—it was about the results accumulated over the past year finally being converted into a number.