Chapter 013
### [Chapter 013]
< Out-of-Spec Clear (1) >
13
A few days later, Hunter Management Bureau Operations Headquarters, Field Response Team 2 Office.
“Team Leader, this is the final report on the C-Rank monster processing incident in the outskirts of Gyeonggi-do.”
Kim Min-su handed the data pad to Team Leader Kang Dong-cheol.
Kang Dong-cheol furrowed his brow at a certain part while flipping through the document.
“The mana concentration around the scene is still stable?”
“Yes. That’s what’s strange. Usually, if a strongman comparable to S-Rank used power, it’s normal for the surrounding mana concentration to fluctuate minutely for at least several days, no matter how well it was controlled. But that area... is too peaceful. As if nothing happened.”
Kang Dong-cheol sank into thought while stroking his chin.
A strongman not caught even by the Bureau's system.
A perfect control power that left no trace even after using power exceeding A-Rank.
“You mean they hide their presence perfectly? Is such a thing possible?”
“It’s close to impossible. Isn't it natural that the higher the rank and the larger the mana core, the more minute mana wave will leak to the surroundings just by breathing.”
It was common knowledge known to any Awakener.
A mana core is like a heart, so as long as one is alive, it constantly circulates mana and emits minute waves to the outside.
Just like a high-output engine emits unique noise and vibration.
“The reason S-Rank Hunters are quickly discovered even if they want to hide their identity is precisely because of that. Controlling that perfectly means....”
“It means it’s at a level that defies the laws.”
Kang Dong-cheol organized the words.
Everything was a mystery.
Overwhelming power. Perfect stealth. Unidentified purpose.
“Team Leader, we can't know anything just by sitting at the desk and speculating.”
The youngest, Kim Min-su, spoke as if he had made up his mind.
“Let's go there directly. To that area.”
“Are you suggesting a door-to-door inquiry? But there’s no guarantee that strongman will be cooperative with us....”
“No. It’s not an inquiry.”
Kim Min-su looked out the window with a solemn expression.
“That area, because the ground has been weak and the mana flow unstable since long ago, B-Rank or lower Rifts occurred frequently. We designate it as a regular patrol area for next week and approach naturally.”
“A disguised patrol... not bad.”
Kang Dong-cheol nodded at Kim Min-su's suggestion.
It was a method with the least risk while also being able to thoroughly scan the area once more.
“But even if we approach that way, how do we find them? You said they hide their presence perfectly.”
Instead of answering, Kim Min-su lifted the precision mana detector that had been placed in a corner of the conference room.
It was expensive equipment made with the latest technology, capable of even analyzing minute flows of mana.
“This will do. That village, the registered population is less than thirty. Most of them are elders far removed from mana.”
“Then....”
“We conduct mana anomaly reaction physical examinations targeting all the village residents while on patrol. We’ll use the excuse of a resident safety check for the Rift occurrence area.”
Kim Min-su had already prepared all the materials to be used for cooperation and placed them in front.
“No matter how much of an S-Rank one is, it’s impossible to forcibly seal the mana core. They just suppress the emission of mana.”
“Right. Mana isn't easily hidden.”
“Doesn't this machine even catch minute backflow waves that occur when trying to hide mana? No matter how strong the mana is, if you keep it inside your body, it’s bound to squirm to come out. We just need to capture that squirming.”
It was a perfect plan that everyone would agree with.
“If we scan them one by one with the latest mana detector like that, we’ll be able to catch even a minute reaction even if they’re hiding their energy. There’s no way we’ll miss it.”
“Good. Next week, Field Response Team 2 will conduct precise patrols and resident safety checks in that region. Everyone, get ready.”
* * *
Since I had decided to go to the Tower, there was no reason to delay further.
But I couldn't go empty-handed.
Thankfully, Lee Seok-ju had siphoned Bureau equipment through Old Man No and sent it to me.
Along with the words that this was the best he could do.
An old but usable steel armor and a steel sword.
And a few potions. It was truly the minimum configuration.
“So-ye.”
-Oppa! You called early today?
“Yeah, I have somewhere to go. I might not be able to call tomorrow.”
A Hunter who enters the Tower cannot leave until they either clear it or die.
And once one leaves the Tower, a recovery period of usually one week is required before re-entry due to the sense of foreignness from the mana accumulated in the body.
It was the reason Tower raids were carried out so slowly and carefully.
A challenge involving money, time, and life.
“How are you lately?”
-So-ye is fine.
According to what I heard from the caregiver, she had been losing sleep at night lately.
Because of a nasty itching sensation like bugs crawling under her skin.
“So-ye. Just endure a little longer, okay?”
So-ye, who was much more sensitive than others and couldn't even endure the energy of an ordinary herb.
I could only hope that a miracle for her would surely be in that shop.
Standing in the middle of the yard, I took out the black ticket Lee Seok-ju had given me.
-Hmyoot?
Muryong approached while riding on the Gorani’s back.
“I’ll be back. You two guard the house.”
The Tower is strictly solo play.
Hunters with summoning skills are an exception, but registering Muryong, who has no combat power, as a summon would only make it a burden.
No matter how strong the Gorani had become, I couldn't let it fight against ant swarms with steel jaws starting from the 1st floor.
Rip-
The moment I tore the ticket, the card turned into black ash and scattered, and a geometric pattern was drawn at my feet.
The sensation of being sucked into the air.
A moment later, I was standing in a completely different space.
‘So this is the Tower I’ve only heard about.’
A damp and fishy smell.
A giant cave that continued endlessly in all directions.
This was the 1st Floor of the Tower, the Ant's Graveyard.
‘The mana wind is this strong, but I feel nothing.’
It was only a few weeks ago that even the mana wind leaking from a Rift caused me pain, but now it just felt like a cool breeze.
I realized that the Golden Bone Grass had completely changed my body.
“It’s a place I’ve only seen through data.”
The Tower had different terrain, appearing monsters, and raid goals for each floor.
Usually, Hunters could only know the raid goals through the system upon entering the next floor, and they had to find the raid method through numerous trials and errors and sacrifices.
‘But I already know.’
The Bureau database contains records of all floor raid data built up by the blood and sweat of South Korean Hunters over the last 20 years.
And I had memorized all that data perfectly.
‘The goal of the 1st Floor is simple. To annihilate all the Giant Ants in this cave.’
The main monsters are Giant Ants.
Each individual is weak enough for a D-Rank Hunter to catch easily, but the problem was their overwhelming numbers and the maze-like cave structure.
The core of the raid was finding and killing the Queen Ant hidden somewhere in this cave.
So the 1st Floor was a floor that required searching ability and endurance rather than combat power.
“Good. I’ve seen more raids than anyone.”
While scanning the surroundings nervously, I widened my eyes at the system message that popped up before me.
[An entity subordinate to the player, the unnamed Gorani, is summoned along with you.]
As soon as the message disappeared, the space next to me distorted and a giant Gorani popped out.
“W-why are you here?”
“Kkiyot!”
The Gorani was momentarily bewildered by the unfamiliar environment, but soon stuck close to me and wagged its tail.
‘Subordinate entity?’
Only then did I realize.
The taming ability of the [Absolute's Herb Garden] skill went beyond simply making it obey....
‘It was to completely attribute its very existence to me?’
The moment it spilled blood on the garden, the Gorani had been registered as one with me.
“Well, since you’re in, let's catch those ants together. It’ll take some time since there are so many of them.”
I pointed toward the other side of the cave.
Over there, hundreds of Giant Ants would be crawling around in swarms.
The Gorani nodded as if it understood my words.
And for a moment.
It slowly stretched its neck toward the sky and took a deep breath.
“PE-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-CK-!!!”
“!!!”
As the Gorani cried, a hellish scream that tore the eardrums and shook the brain fluid struck the entire cave.
A sonic attack close to magic that simply destroyed the weak minds of the low-rank monsters!
-Kieee-ck?!
-Ki-kik, ki-ki-ki-gik···!
Hundreds of Giant Ants began to flip over and have seizures all at once.
Their antennae burst, and their solid exoskeletons cracked, spilling green bodily fluids.
The Queen Ant in the deepest part of the cave was no exception.
Unable to endure the pain of its subordinates connected to this terrible noise, its nervous system was destroyed and it died instantly.
“You should have told me before you cried.”
Of course, even I, who heard it right next to him, flinched, but I could endure it reasonably well thanks to my body and eardrums strengthened with Golden Bone Grass.
It felt like Internal Energy was acting like a soundproof wall inside my body and absorbing the impact.
And the following system message.
[Cleared 1st Floor, Ant's Graveyard.]
“...What?”
[Clear Time: 12 seconds]
[Damage Taken: 0]
[Mana Efficiency: Unmeasurable]
[Overall Raid Grade: EX (Measurement Impossible)]
‘12 seconds?’
I doubted my eyes.
‘The official shortest time record for the 1st Floor is 1 minute 12 seconds set by S-Rank Hunter Yu Jin-hyuk!’
Even that was regarded as an immortal record set by an S-Rank determinedly spamming skills.
But 12 seconds.
It was a physically impossible record that didn't even cover the time it takes to run to the Queen Ant's room.
[You have achieved a new record! You are registered as 1st in the ranking.]
‘Well, it should be a new record with this.’
The Tower rankings are collected by dividing them by Hunter rank.
S-Ranks among S-Ranks, A-Ranks among A-Ranks.
Since I was E-Rank, I would naturally be placed in the ranking among E-Class Hunters.
‘In the E-Class league, it would naturally be 1st with this level.’
Because it usually took other E-Class Hunters several days to clear the 1st Floor.
I didn't think much of it and waited for the next content to appear on the system window.
[Please enter a name to register in the ranking.]
A name.
What should I do?
There was no need to register my own name.
Hunters who try to increase their value through Tower raids usually register their real names or IDs to display their status, but I was E-Rank anyway according to the system.
One thing I learned countless times during my Bureau days.
Even if an E-Rank produces an amazing result, they dismiss it as luck or a fluke.
Guilds or corporations don't even make proper sponsor offers to E-Rank rankers.
The distrust and limit given by the label of rank.
‘It’s only the 1st Floor.’
Even if I were to flash at 1st place here, it wouldn't realistically help my life.
“Come to think of it, Muryong would be disappointed if it knew only the two of us came to the Tower.”
“Kkiyung.”
“It’s working hard tilling the soil at home, and its credit cannot be left out.”
Since the reason the Golden Bone Grass had such a good effect would also be thanks to Muryong.
So I decided to go with Muryong.
[Registered as 1st in the 1st Floor raid ranking under the name ‘Muryong’.]
[Clear Reward: 10 Gold]
“10 Gold?”
I heard that at most, one can get 1~3 Gold on the 1st Floor.
But 10 Gold!
“I’m lucky.”
[Dimensional Shop usage authority is activated.]
Soon after, along with the message window, an old wooden door appeared before my eyes.
Opening the door, a white rabbit wearing glasses behind the counter was staring at me.
“A-ah, hello?”
When I tilted my head, the rabbit also pricked its ears and tilted its head.
Checking the items while filled with expectation.
“...What, are there only these kinds of things because it’s the 1st Floor?”
The items on the display stand were quite disappointing.
[Item: Plain Water-Tasting Health Potion]
[Price: 1 Gold]
[Description: The health recovery effect is certain, but there is no fun in drinking it as it really has no taste. For you who are 2% lacking.]
[Item: Cursed Doll]
[Price: 2 Gold]
[Description: Just by possessing it, it makes you look a bit ugly to the people around you. (Effect cannot be stacked)]
[Item: Rainbow Pebble]
[Price: 2 Gold]
[Description: A stone with a legend that the Moon's tears fell into a river and hardened. It sparkles with seven colors depending on the angle of light. Very faintly, there is a pleasant sweet taste.]
“...Is this really all?”
There were only two or three items placed that were awkward to buy with money.
“Huh?”
Then, in a corner, I found a small, shriveled mushroom that was losing its vitality.
[Item: Vitality-Losing Fairy Mushroom]
[Price: 5 Gold]
[Description: It originally held clear and pure energy, but lost most of its life force due to someone's prank. Even children or patients extremely sensitive to mana can eat it without burden, but in its current state, it has no effect.]
“This is it.”
I didn't hesitate and paid 5 Gold to buy the withered mushroom.
The rabbit looked at me with an expression of "why would he buy such a thing?".
“I can give this to So-ye!”
“Kkiyot!”
The Gorani also rejoiced together and licked my face with its tongue.
“Now, let's go home.”
At that time, in the excitement of clearing the first Tower raid, I hadn't thought about the fact that a comprehensive ranking also exists for all Hunters regardless of rank.
And that ranking was not just an E-Class league ranking.
* * *
[Tower 1st Floor Raid Comprehensive Ranking]
Rank ID (Rank) Raid Grade Clear Time
1st Muryong (E-Class) EX 12 seconds
2nd Yu Jin-hyuk (S-Rank) S 1 minute 12 seconds
3rd Kwon Mu-seong (S-Rank) S 1 minute 45 seconds
The South Korean Hunter world was turned upside down.
< Out-of-Spec Clear (1) > END