Chapter 7
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Goblin Village (3)
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No one was foolish enough to miss that something was terribly wrong, even if they didn't say it out loud.
“Damn it, what the hell is going on?”
“I’ve never heard of anything like this.”
“Don’t tell me we’re trapped in the dungeon? No! I don’t want this!”
“Wait, everyone, calm down!”
Panic began to set in.
All the while, the status window announcing the failure to create an exit gate kept popping up.
[Error :: Failed to generate exit gate.]
[Error :: Failed to generate exit gate.]
At this point, it was downright chilling.
“Wait, doesn’t something feel off?”
Lee Ye-eun, the team’s scout and tracker, was the first to react.
‘An earthquake?’
I felt the disturbance at almost the same time as her.
At first, I thought it was just an earthquake, but I soon realized it wasn't.
It wasn't just the ground; the entire space was shaking.
My vision swam as if I were hopelessly drunk, and I could barely keep my balance.
[Unauthorized individuals are entering ‘??? ?’.]
* * *
We all came to our senses at roughly the same time.
“What is this? What just happened?”
“Whoa, this isn't right.”
Nam Woon-ik was the first to speak, and Choi Min-hyuk’s jaw dropped as he looked around.
We were standing on a massive bridge made of black bricks.
Below it was a chasm so deep you couldn't see a thing.
The bridge was cut off behind the point where we had appeared.
Whatever this was, the structure was designed to force us forward.
Lee Ye-eun, who had been staring into the empty air, spoke with a grave expression.
“This is weird. The status window isn’t showing up.”
Usually, the first thing that appears when you enter a dungeon is an information window about it.
The information available outside a dungeon was typically limited to its name and boss monster; everything else remained unknown until you went inside.
Now, over sixty years after dungeons first appeared, humanity had grown accustomed to them and their monsters. Information on all dungeons A-rank and below was public, so this rule generally only applied to rare dungeons, like special A-ranks or S-ranks.
“This place is suspicious enough. Maybe it’s just not supposed to show up?”
“That’s not it! I mean nothing is showing up! Not just the dungeon info, but nothing at all!” Ye-eun shouted, unable to contain her frustration.
At the same time, Kim Tae-woon and Nam Woon-ik tried to open their own status windows.
Listening quietly, I also attempted to open mine.
“Can anyone get their status window to work?”
“Nope.”
“Mine’s not working either.”
“Damn it, me neither.”
All four of them turned to look at me.
Why would I be any different? I simply shook my head in response.
For the other four, this was supposed to be the final step before officially becoming Hunters.
This was a bolt from the blue for people who had expected to clear a dungeon and leave like everyone else.
The mood was like a funeral.
Kim Tae-woon tried to placate the others.
“For now, let’s try moving or looking around.”
“Damn it. I thought we were done.”
“We’re not going to die, are we?”
“Stop saying things like that!”
The four of them began to search the area around the bridge.
I joined them.
The bridge had no railings, so a single misstep could send you plummeting.
I knelt and peered over the edge.
I couldn't see anything but blackness.
It was clear that if you fell, you weren't coming back.
The bridge was mostly made of black bricks, but white bricks were embedded here and there, acting like small lights.
“You’re not scared at all, are you?”
Lee Ye-eun spoke from a few steps behind me, her arms crossed. I glanced down again.
The depth was unfathomable, but I didn't find the drop particularly frightening.
I suppose it was because I had been through all sorts of experiences.
“Do you have anything to throw?”
I asked, turning slightly toward her. Understanding my intent, she rummaged through her pockets.
She pulled out a small steel ball, a little larger than a coin.
“If this is okay.”
“What is it?”
“A disposable smoke bomb. I got it from the guild. It explodes on impact and releases smoke.”
“Perfect.”
If there was a bottom, smoke would rise after it burst.
I took the steel ball, this so-called smoke bomb, from Lee Ye-eun and dropped it over the side.
The others, having found nothing of note, came over to where Lee Ye-eun and I were standing.
“What were you doing?”
“Threw a smoke bomb over the edge. Not only did no smoke come up, but there wasn't even a sound.”
“Either it’s ridiculously deep, or something’s wrong. Either way, it’s obvious we won’t survive the fall. I guess that just leaves… that.”
Choi Min-hyuk turned his body toward the structure at the end of the bridge.
“What kind of building is that?”
“It looks less like a building and more like a tower, don’t you think?”
Lee Ye-eun pointed upward.
Up close, the structure did look something like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
It was so tall that we couldn't see its top.
“So? Are we supposed to climb that tower?”
“I’ve heard of dungeons that are structured like towers, but this thing looks like it has dozens of floors, easily.”
“It’s not a matter of climbing it or not! Our status windows aren’t working, remember? What are we supposed to do in a situation like this?”
“Why the hell is this happening to us?”
Amid the group’s confusion, I could feel Choi Min-hyuk’s heated gaze on me.
He wasn't the only one who was suspicious of me.
‘Not that they’d get anything out of me even if they did interrogate me.’
The silver lining was that the two who suspected me weren't fools who would let their emotions run wild.
Beyond the bridge, a small garden led to the tower's entrance.
In the garden stood a massive iron door. It wasn't just its size that was intimidating.
The entire building, including the door, exuded an overwhelming and sinister aura.
It was so intense that even I, who thought I had seen it all, almost flinched.
The tower, its height impossible to gauge, felt just that immense.
We couldn't just stand here forever.
We had done everything we could on the bridge, searched for everything there was to find.
Only the tower remained.
The problem was, who would be the one to open the door to this unknown tower?
Everyone had realized this was no ordinary structure.
“Hey, you powerless one. You go.”
Choi Min-hyuk grabbed my shoulder and shoved me forward.
“I don’t know what the others are thinking, but I suspect we’re in this mess because of you. Honestly, you’re the weirdest one here.”
“That’s going too far. He may not have a patron god, but Kang Han-gyeol is still a Hunter.”
“What’s not too far? You were the first one to suspect him, Kim Tae-woon. Anyway, it is what it is. Even if we can’t use our status windows, that guy is the weakest among us. Coldly speaking, if a problem arises, it’s only right for the one who isn't part of our fighting strength to die.”
Choi Min-hyuk’s words were chillingly pragmatic.
Given the circumstances, everyone was too busy processing his statement to object.
“Fine. I’ll go.”
“Don’t worry. We won’t just abandon you if something happens. Of course, if you die before that, there’s nothing we can do.”
What an unnecessarily gracious consideration.
Ignoring Choi Min-hyuk, I walked down the steps and stood before the colossal door.
“Is this even a door?”
It looked more like a giant slab of iron.
There were no visible seams, nothing that could be used to open it.
I glanced at the party behind me, sighed, and placed my hand on the massive iron slab.
Nothing happened.
As I stood there with my hand on the door, a thousand thoughts ran through my mind, and one hypothesis surfaced.
‘Could it be?’
The status window included a reading for mana.
Mana had also existed on the continent of Arbellicia, where I came from.
In the world of Hunters, mana seemed to be regarded as just another energy gauge for using skills. But in truth, mana was the power of the soul, possessed by all living things.
If stamina was the power of the body, then the source of mana was the power of the soul dwelling within that body.
I didn't have any skills yet, so I had never used mana, but if my theory was correct, then using mana should have no connection to the status window.
After all, the status window was just an easy-to-read display of a Hunter’s current state. Just because it was invisible didn't mean my mana had disappeared.
Taking a deep breath, I channeled the mana in my body through my hand.
“Huh?”
A blue pattern slowly began to appear on the surface of the giant wall.
‘I don’t know if it’s possible with this body, but…’
I poured as much mana as I could muster into the door.
It left me slightly drained, but thankfully, the door didn't consume as much mana as I had feared.
In that instant, the glowing blue pattern was complete.
[The Tower of Trials recognizes the Tower's Master.]
[Error :: Cannot recognize floor number.]
[Annihilate the goblin troop.]
[Remaining Goblins: 50]
[Error :: Cannot confirm reward.]
A brilliant light flashed behind us.
On a large magic circle, over fifty goblins appeared.
‘One mountain after another.’
At this point, it was becoming exhausting just to keep track of what was happening.