Assault on Urban Warfare
Sergeant: Baek Jaesung 17
Ration distribution was a war in itself. The refugees had gone days without food, turning into feral beasts at the sight of it. Anyone would do the same after starving without so much as a drop of water.
Even so, we barely managed to keep things under control by leveraging the brute force of us dungeon hunters. We'd only done one round of distribution, and already 30% of the supplies we'd brought were gone.
"This is no small crisis."
Rina said, wiping sweat from her brow. These people acted like their lives hung on a single can or bottle—and for them, it probably did. The refugees gathered here had lost their homes to the dungeon outbreak. They were sheep without a fold, and we were the shepherds guiding them.
The moment rations were done, Colonel An Seokho called the 3rd Company together. We'd handed off refugee shelter duties to volunteers and other soldiers. Our real purpose here was to tackle the root problem: conquering the dungeon.
"Time for a briefing on the dungeon. Eyes sharp, listen up."
The company commander swept his piercing gaze over the 3rd Company. Me included, everyone wore a solemn expression.
This was where the real war began. For dungeon hunters, dungeons were the battlefield.
"The dungeon we're hitting is codenamed Urban Warfare. An open-type dungeon that popped up in Ben Aivies. Confirmed size: over 1,500 hectares."
Yeouido Island's land area is about 290 hectares. Anything over 1,500 made this one of the larger open dungeons.
Considering it had only appeared less than two months ago, the erosion rate was insane. If we didn't fully conquer it here, it'd balloon into an uncontrollable wildfire and swallow the whole northern part of Port Elizabeth.
"Estimated conquest difficulty: 6~7 rank on the international scale. That's 7~8 rank in Korean terms. Mana density around 1.7G. Monsters are golem-type machines. They're packed with high physical defense, so dealers, stay extra sharp."
""""Yes, sir!"""
The company commander pulled a four-folded map from his breast pocket. The Urban Warfare layout.
"The dungeon's eroding in real-time, so don't blindly trust the map. Anyway, of the 1st Landing Battalion's five companies, we're taking the west side along with the peacekeeping forces on the east. Our 3rd Company's sector is this outer stretch on the west."
He jabbed a finger at our zone: the far western edge of Urban Warfare.
He pulled a pen from his pocket and drew a small circle around the spot.
"From this two-story house to that hill east of it—that's our patrol area. Sweep it, kill every monster that gathers. That's the mission."
Simple and clear: slaughter anything that moved.
"Understood."
Hwang Cheolmin bellowed confidently. The commander glanced up from the map, scanning our faces. Confidence burned in every eye.
"Good. Wheels up at 0700 tomorrow. Dismissed. Prep thoroughly."
We spent the night in a makeshift tent barracks next to the shelter, then geared up at dawn the next day.
The whole company assembled at the approach to the dungeon. Refugees, stirred by our presence, crowded around.
"Double-check your gear."
We'd be in the dungeon for at least four or five days straight, so gear checks were non-negotiable. Especially rations—verify those twice, three times if needed.
""""""All clear!"""""
Satisfied, the commander nodded, unfurled the map, and took point. He was our company's tank.
"Move out!"
""""""@#%^%$#!"""""
As we marched toward the dungeon, refugees erupted in cheers and applause.
Having lost everything to it, they desperately wanted the dungeon crisis resolved. Amid their roars and claps, we headed for Urban Warfare.
The path wound through big and small hills. We stuck to the road—no cars in sight, naturally.
"Just over that hill, and we're in dungeon territory."
The commander pointed to the fourth major hill. Beyond it, an unnatural mana flow prickled the air—like stepping into a dungeon.
Most dungeons I'd explored were closed-types. The only open one was Jeju's Hallasan National Park.
Open or closed, though, they were all dungeons at heart. No tension here.
The 3rd Company slowed. Time to move like hedgehogs with spines up.
"Commencing perimeter scan."
Han Seungjin murmured, channeling mana. Darkness Radar.
It was mid-morning, sun just rising—suboptimal for his ability, but better safe with possible ambushes.
At the hill's crest, Urban Warfare unfolded before us.
"Whoa. Now I get why they call it Urban Warfare."
Hwang Cheolmin's words. The guy spouted nonsense often, but spot-on this time.
Before us lay a village bombed to hell: shattered buildings everywhere.
"Erosion must've warped the landscape."
Roofless mansions, half-collapsed three-stories, cars turned scrap heaps, roads pocked with craters.
Down the hill: crumbled brick walls, wrecked structures stretching on. Some had man-made bunkers—sandbag circles with dugouts like the Kakil army outposts. Rusty field guns sat inside.
"Those cannons... monsters, right?"
Rina pointed at what I was eyeing. No way a normal village had artillery like that unless it was a warzone. Definitely dungeon spawns.
"Look—monster pack moving!"
We turned where Jang Gun-gi pointed. From behind a ruined white building to the west, stiff-legged scrap robots emerged.
"Those..."
Rina whispered. The ones Shara Swanel had shown in photos days ago. Scrap Golems, for sure.
"Scrap Golems. Earth-attribute monsters. Sky-high physical defense, regenerate unless you snuff their core completely. Eyes sharp, everyone!"
The commander refocused us.
"Alright. Advance west, wipe 'em out. Hold formation!"
We pushed toward the white building swarming with scrap golems. Past bent poles, through rustbuckets. Then Han Seungjin barked sharply.
"Watch your six!"
The scrap pile we'd passed shuddered to life. Headlights flashed red, and it pulled a badass mech transformation like something out of a cartoon.
Pew!
But Han Seungjin wasn't watching. A razor Darkness Arrow pierced the transforming car.
BOOM!
Fuel tank hit dead-on—it exploded mid-shift in a massive blast. Flames roared from the chassis, doors and tires flying. Kinda wanted to see the full transform, but oh well.
The boom drew monsters from everywhere. A giant spider-bot crawled down a wall; motorcycles revved from behind, blocking retreat.
Bikes pulled slick transforms too—into 190cm bipedal bots. Kids would've begged their moms.
"Whoa, Decepticons. Want one."
Hwang Cheolmin blabbered. On the kid level, yeah.
"I'll handle the rear!"
Rina yelled, flinging her hand. Space cracked behind her; over ten chain bundles lashed the bike-bots.
Front: the scrap golem legion advanced. Slow, but zombie-rustbuckets closing in hit hard.
"Tanking! Dealers except Sergeant Rina, eyes front!"
Commander's call.
"Darkness Cannon."
Han Seungjin whispered. He thrust his right hand skyward, palm out.
Mana surged around him. Big one brewing.
"Commander! Need to clump 'em!"
Max AoE efficiency meant packing 'em tight. He heard, thumbed back over his shoulder.
Better to herd than snipe. Han Seungjin was compressing mana so hard my skin crawled next to him.
'Light Saber.'
Blade of light in hand. Dash forward.
"Jaesung! Hit from back!"
Hwang Cheolmin, accelerated, called out.
"Nah. Gotta clump these bots. Seungjin's one-shotting."
"Oh! Got it."
Cheolmin was decent up close.
He acceleration-tapped golems, drawing aggro easy—these rustbuckets were dumb as bricks.
"Seungjin! Ready!?"
Glanced back. A black sun orb hovered over his head—Spirit Bomb tier.
Ten minutes of mana squeeze: pure death. Even the bots recoiled instinctively. Mana roiled threateningly.
"Yes! Ready!"
We three herders dodged. He hurled the Darkness Nuke-worthy orb.
"Clear out!"
Dark barrier domed from him, shielding us.
"Chain Prison!"
Rina layered chain webs. Double shield up.
BOOMBOOMBOOM!
The cataclysmic roar punched through both barriers, blasting our ears.