#16. Cobalt Mine? No, Cobalt Dungeon!
#16. Cobalt Mine? No, Cobalt Dungeon!
"......."
I held my breath in silence. After the Gwangalli incident at dawn, hunters were everywhere. The characters embroidered on their shoulder patches — Gwangmyeonghoe — stood out far too clearly.
'Gwangmyeonghoe...'
The Busan-based clan. You could call it the representative clan responsible for the entire Gyeongsang region, led by a pair of twin brothers.
'Probably because of the sewer incident.'
Hong Yuri must have notified them. And it wasn't just Gwangmyeonghoe — hunters from other clans were patrolling Busan like sentries, with a hunter posted at every manhole cover...
'They're quick.'
Considering chimera experiments had been carried out inside the city, it was only to be expected. They'd probably seen the grave I'd dug, too...
[Gwangmyeonghoe is known to have convened an emergency assembly of the region's clans. Hunters from Gwangmyeonghoe have since been sighted moving through the city. Despite repeated inquiries, Gwangmyeonghoe and the other clans have yet to issue an official statement.]
A crackling radio broadcast drifted from somewhere. No human would have caught it, but my Faint Hearing didn't miss even faint transmissions.
[It has also been confirmed that they have sealed off sewer access points and requested assistance from the Ministry of Environment. Investigations are underway into whether this is linked to the incident early this morning in which Dawn Hunter Hong Yuri devastated Gwangalli Beach...]
'This is a problem...'
With hunters everywhere, careless movement had become impossible. I had no way of knowing where a hunter might be lurking, so even Stealth was no guarantee I wouldn't be detected. Stopping the calamity had been the right call, but the consequence was that Gwangmyeonghoe — the clan he belonged to — had mobilized this aggressively.
'...Should've reversed the order.'
I should have killed him first, then stopped the calamity. A miscalculation I hadn't thought through. No — I'd never even imagined the sewer calamity would be discovered in the first place...
'What lousy luck.'
Just as I turned to leave.
[Breaking news. The Gyeongsan Cobalt Mine has become a dungeon. Type: cave-labyrinth composite. The jurisdictional clan has announced it will hand the matter over to other clans.]
'The Cobalt Mine turned into a dungeon?'
Unexpected news. The Gyeongsan Cobalt Mine... I didn't know the details, but I vaguely recalled hearing about a civilian massacre there. And now the place was a dungeon?
'Was there a scenario like this in the novel?'
As far as I remembered, it had never been mentioned. But this was two years before the story, so I figured it was plausible. I'd been planning to head to Daegu anyway, and if a labyrinth had activated...
'No reason not to go, right?'
I needed to raise my level regardless. Slaughtering random animals wasn't going to get me anywhere now. Evil Devouring could convert them into experience points, but leveling up that way was terribly inefficient.
'Because I need to get stronger.'
For now, the target was Gyeongsan.
***
"Hello! I'm Lee Eun-ha, returning from Administration to Search Team 3!"
Eun-ha couldn't lift her head under the cold stares directed at her. That, at least, was how it felt.
'I have to apologize...'
She had to apologize. Eun-ha took a deep breath and tried to summon the words she had prepared.
"I-I! A while ago. No, a f-few days ago. At Jirisan..."
Even as she stammered, she kept repeating to herself — just say it, you have to say it. But her mind had gone blank, and the words wouldn't come.
'What was I going to say? What was it...'
She'd rehearsed this, yet nothing surfaced. Her mind frozen white, Eun-ha squeezed her eyes shut. Her mouth was moving, but her head was so empty she couldn't recall a single word of what she was saying. It was like watching herself ramble from a distance — speaking, but only a bystander to her own voice.
At some point, Eun-ha realized she had bent at the waist. When had she bowed? Had she said everything? She had no idea. It was a mess. Then, suddenly, the sound of clapping caught her attention.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
A single person's applause. As if triggered by that sound, the clapping spread like bamboo shoots after rain, and her ears began to ring.
Clapclapclapclapclapclap!
"......!"
Only then was Eun-ha able to straighten her back.
"Th-Thank you! I'll do my best!"
"Well, you know... people make mistakes. Right, everyone?"
"She's still young. She tripped all on her own and broke her own nose. It's fine. It's fine."
"Yeah. Just do well from now on. Let's keep at it."
The words of encouragement made her chest ache with gratitude.
"Anyway, that settles it. Hunter Lee Eun-ha has officially returned to Team 3. There was an unsavory incident, but she's apologized in person, as you've all seen."
The team leader gave a nod, as if to wrap things up.
"Well, honestly, the reason she's being forgiven is because Lee Eun-ha has always done well, isn't it?"
"That's true. Eun-ha always did do well."
Just as the conciliatory mood settled, the door slammed open like a bucket of cold water.
"Uh. What's this? What's everyone doing?"
Who would kick open a meeting-room door like that? No matter how you thought about it, there was only one person. Beyond the wide-open door, red hair came into view.
"V-Vice Team Leader?"
"What's up? Why's everyone gathered?"
"...Eun-ha's returned to Team 3."
"Eun-ha? Huh? Why? Was she somewhere else?"
"She was transferred to Administration a while ago."
"Didn't know. You brat. I've been in Busan for months."
"Hong Yuri."
"What?"
The team leader sighed, looking at Hong Yuri, who answered without a shred of shame.
"This seat's vacant. And you, at Gwangalli this morning... we'll talk about that later."
"Yeah. Got it. Can I go in first, though? Something I need to check before departure."
"Fine. I'll call for you later."
"Okaaay~ Oh, and anyway, congrats on coming back to Team 3?"
"Ah. Yes! Thank you...?"
As the vice team leader blew in like the wind and vanished the same way, the team members buzzed among themselves. Eun-ha, meanwhile, was still dumbfounded.
"...Ugh. Things are about to get chaotic again."
"It was nice when the vice team leader was out on dispatch... It's gonna be a mess again."
"Quiet, quiet! Anyway, dismissed. Those assigned to the Jirisan detail depart at one o'clock, so have lunch and gather back here. I trust you all know whether you're going or not."
"Yes, sir!"
The moment the team leader was the first out the door, the team members sighed as if on cue.
"Did the vice team leader already finish her Busan assignment?"
"No, it's not finished. I heard she came back in a hurry because of Alpha."
"Ugh... That damn Alpha. She'll go back once it's over, right?"
"Probably. Now that the vice team leader's back, I bet the work will wrap up fast."
"Wow. Lucky Woo-taek, huh? Gets to relax a little?"
"Haha..."
Though the man in question wore an uncomfortable look.
"Hey, covering for the vice team leader this whole time — that's been rough, right? You worked hard, Woo-taek. Let's see... you eating now?"
"No, in a bit. Go on up for lunch."
"Alright. Keep up the good work~"
"Hey~ old man! Let's go together."
"The hell, brat. Why are you coming with me?"
"Oho. A newbie in society talking back?"
"Ah~ this kid's really milking it. Fine. Let's go together. Come on, you punk."
"......I should get some food too."
"...Senior!"
"What now, kid?"
"Thanks. You were the one who started clapping earlier, right?"
"That wasn't me. And you — just because you weren't mobilized this time doesn't mean you can go to Jirisan alone again..."
"Ah~ it's fine. I'll stay put."
"Yeah. Well. Doubt you'll cause any more trouble in the meantime."
When the meeting-room door quietly opened and closed, Eun-ha, left alone, murmured softly.
"Because somehow, I don't think I'll get caught this time."
***
"—Grrr."
Getting as far as Yangsan was easy. What came after was the problem.
'Which way do I go to get to Gyeongsan?'
I didn't have a smartphone. Navigating by road signs alone was no simple task, and I couldn't exactly stop people to ask for directions. Until now, I'd managed by finding train stations or highways, but the main roads were often covered with Gwangmyeonghoe hunters and others, making free travel difficult.
'...Life was simpler when I was on the mountain.'
By the time I somehow made it to the Cobalt Mine, the sun had long since set.
"Grrr."
The site was under control, but there weren't many hunters. Maybe because no clan had officially been assigned the case yet? After carefully hiding and checking with Observation —
[Oh Gu-hwan (Human)]
[Height 162.8cm] [Weight 66.2kg]
[STR 151] [AGI 194] [VIT 170] [MP 185]
'Seems doable?'
From his stats, he was definitely a hunter, but he didn't look particularly strong. Then again, that was probably just the norm.
'Guess the dungeon isn't that dangerous?'
Two hunters were guarding it... Both around the same level. If anything, people like Jeon Woo-taek or Hong Yuri were just exceptional even among hunters.
'But they do have skills. Can't ignore that.'
It wouldn't be easy, but I didn't think it was unwinnable either. I slipped in quietly under Stealth, careful not to stir up unnecessary trouble. Even Hong Yuri had been momentarily deceived by this D-rank Stealth under worse conditions — there was no way these two would notice.
'Hmm.'
The moment I entered the Cobalt Mine, I was hit by a chorus of "Grrrruk. Grrrruk!" Every monster inside the mine had a dog's head on a human body. I tilted my head for a moment, then quickly placed them.
'Ah. Don't tell me — Kobolds?'
A dog's head, a human body. My mental image of Kobolds was too heavily colored by a certain game — little brown creatures who cheerfully mined ore in a tiny mine. That image was so strong it had thrown me off.
[Kobold]
[Height 144cm] [Weight 31kg]
[STR 51] [AGI 84] [VIT 76]
'...Yeah, they're Kobolds.'
I confirmed it with Observation. AGI 84. VIT 76. They posed zero threat to me. I'd planned to eat them all anyway, so I dropped Stealth —
"—Y-Yelp!"
The creatures immediately threw themselves flat... No, they were outright prostrating.
'What's this?'
"Wh-whimper."
Four Kobolds pressed flat to the ground, hands rubbing together. Unmistakably begging. It took me a moment to piece it together.
'I'm a dog too...'
And these guys are dogs. I was far stronger than them, so they were probably offering to serve me as their leader or something. One of them nodded frantically as if to confirm, but I had no intention of playing along.
I hit the nearest Kobold with Charge. AGI 84 wasn't just for show — he did react — but he was a beat too slow, and my jaws were already clamped around his nape.
'Could've been just a little faster, couldn't you?'
The three remaining Kobolds, who'd been prostrating moments ago, jolted upright in alarm and leveled their spears at me.
'First time seeing a real spear.'
There was something strange about having actual weapons pointed at me. Not that I was scared or anything.
"...Whimper. Whimper!"
They had their spears aimed but couldn't bring themselves to move — until the Kobold dying beneath my paws began to vanish under the Contact Intake tied to Evil Devouring. Panicked, one Kobold thrust its spear.
'Oh~ camaraderie.'
I bit down on the spear without thinking and got the inside of my mouth poked for it.
'Ah. Mistake.'
It didn't hurt, but it was still a mistake. And then something incredible happened.
"Krrr?"
"Ky-Yek?!"
[Satiety has reached maximum. Satiety converted to Experience Points via Evil Devouring (D) Lv.3.]
'...Is this for real?'
I'd consumed the spear. If the message hadn't appeared, I'd have dismissed it as an illusion, but with the message right there, there was no room for doubt.
'...Now that I think about it.'
[Evil Devouring: Become able to consume without discrimination.]
The skill's description finally surfaced in my head. At first, I'd interpreted it as something like "stops you from being a picky eater," but the wording had no such qualifier. No — it had never needed one.
'That's what it meant?'
Consume anything without discrimination. Stone, wood, minerals. Even the spear a Kobold had thrust at me. The creature had strained to pull its weapon back, but the spearhead was gone. It hadn't been pulled free — I'd consumed it. When I opened my jaws wide as if to say "aah," the Kobolds stirred restlessly.
"Wh-whimpering!"
They were looking at me like I was a monster. I wasn't in the mood to chase down creatures fleeing in utter panic. More importantly —
"Grrr—"
I experimentally ate a rock off the ground. No message about consuming a rock appeared, but instinct told me plainly that I'd digested it.
'...Unbelievable.'
So I could level up just by eating dirt and rocks? Sure, the efficiency would be terrible. If I'd only known a little sooner, I'd have been using this all along.
'Thought it was trash, but it's actually pretty good, huh?'
Not just pretty good — it was incredible. Efficiency-wise it'd be lacking, but for someone like me who didn't need to sleep 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, this was the perfect skill.
'Levels aside, I can grind Evil Devouring's skill level with this.'
Not only that, but my Empty Stomach skill level would go up too. I shoveled a mouthful of dirt in. Thank goodness I had no sense of taste.
'Shall we get moving?'
I hadn't gone far before I was forced to stop.
[A cave-labyrinth composite type...]
That phrase from the news. True to its name — a labyrinth — the path split off into multiple branches. I'd tried following the nearest presence by instinct, but kept hitting dead ends, so I started marking visited passages with my claws.
'...This doesn't feel like a mine at all.'
No mining carts, no ore veins. It was just that the location was the Cobalt Mine, while the inside felt like a labyrinth carved into a cave.
"Snff snff. Hm?"
A sudden scent of blood.
'Sense of smell is way better in the labyrinth.'
[Faint Sense of Smell (E) Lv.3 proficiency at maximum. Faint Sense of Smell (E) Lv.3 → Faint Sense of Smell (E) Lv.4]
Since smells don't pass through solid walls, tracking them naturally led me along the actual path — in the labyrinth, at least, my nose was more convenient.
"Guoooooh!"
"Scatter!"
Clear language. Spoken words.
'The representative clan said they'd hand it off to other clans. They got in here already?'
One warrior. Two archers. Three hunters total, facing off against a pig-man.
[Orc]
[Height 195cm] [Weight 216kg]
[STR 317] [AGI 176] [VIT 295]
...As with the Kobolds, the image from a certain game was so strong I hadn't recognized it at first. I'd naturally pictured a green-skinned warrior, but the real Orc had a pig's head on the body of a massive bruiser. At 200 kilograms, it didn't read as fat so much as solid, robust power.
'STR 317?'
Two Orcs might actually be a match for the monster Wolf. Supposedly trash mobs, yet on an entirely different scale from the Kobolds I'd just fought. Even so, the hunters were methodically pressuring the Orc. This clearly wasn't their first time.
"Regroup! Scatter again!"
"Load arrows!"
But the rhythm of the fight was nothing like your typical game raid.
'Well, fair enough. Trying to win a strength contest with an Orc would be suicidal.'
Unless you were Jeon Woo-taek. Even Hong Yuri would struggle to match an Orc in raw power.
The team had a warrior with a shield, but he wasn't blocking head-on — he dodged whenever possible. The Orc was no fool either; whenever the warrior retreated, it would target the back line and charge. In an instant the frontline was breached, but by then the back line had already scattered and pulled away. The Orc chased after them, only for the warrior to block its path again. Calling him a warrior felt wrong — he was more like a relentless, harassing hound, constantly harrying it while refusing to let any attack land cleanly. His technique was impressive.
"Guoooooh!"
The Orc wasn't stupid, either. It knocked aside incoming arrows with the shoulder guards strapped to its arms. Whenever the Orc raised its arm like that, the warrior seized the opening and struck. But he never overcommitted. The goal was to drain the Orc's strength — not to finish it in one go.
'Composed.'
It was the kind of precise, choreographed team fight you'd see described in a novel.
'What would I do if I were that Orc?'
Not much. Outnumbered, there'd be no choice but to take hits. Not agile enough to close the gap. Even if I'd been the one fighting, I doubt the outcome would have changed. At best, I might have held a narrow passage to face them one at a time — but then I'd just be a sitting target for arrows. In the end, the hunters secured victory without any surprises. I carefully wrapped myself in Stealth to avoid being noticed.
Then, out of curiosity, I used Observation — and jolted.
[Gu Sang-seop (Human)]
[Height 176.8cm] [Weight 82.5kg]
[STR 214] [AGI 162] [VIT 151] [MP 164]
'What are you doing here?'
Because one of the people in that party was none other than a man I'd resolved to kill.