Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: Dungeon Survival
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Rumble rumble.
Me, Han Ha-rin, Eun Sang-min, and fifteen others in total were sitting inside the truck bed. There was lighting on the ceiling, but we couldn't see outside at all. All we could hear was the engine noise and the rattling sounds.
Every time the truck stopped occasionally, the doors would open, and an Association staff member would lead the hunters out.
"F-11 zone. We've arrived. Blue Star Team, please disembark."
Three hunters stood up from their seats and exited. From a quick glance, it was a grassy area filled only with grass and no trees.
'So the F zones are grassland areas.'
We had already been informed in advance. The dungeon where 'Dungeon Survival Reforged' takes place is 'Pellon's World,' a D-rank open-type dungeon. It's a mysterious dungeon where the environment changes completely with just a little movement. Currently, this dungeon is under the Association's full management.
Not long after the hunters exited, the truck started moving again.
"We've arrived at K-4 zone. Gukcheon University Hunter Team, please disembark."
It was our turn.
The moment I got off the truck, I scanned our surroundings. Our starting point was a rocky area. The ground was hard-packed ochre soil, littered with dark brown boulders everywhere.
We checked each other's gear. The hunter equipment we were currently wearing was all provided by the Association. Eun Sang-min had a longsword and shield, Han Ha-rin had a shortsword, and I had a sword similar to my Flame Lotus Sword but without a guard.
The Association staff member spoke to us gravely, as if laying down the law.
"You must never remove your energy protectors inside the dungeon. Acting without the energy protector is immediate disqualification. However, you may remove them in designated rest areas."
I glanced at my left shoulder. A blue orb was attached there. That was the energy protector. It consumed energy to take damage in my place. If it turned red, it meant the energy was fully depleted, and elimination was confirmed.
"Team leader Sung Yu-jin?"
"Yes. I'm Sung Yu-jin."
"Here's your tablet. It's not being reissued, so be careful not to lose it. You can check the map, situation updates, and more with the tablet. You can also contact us in emergencies."
"Yes. I heard about it at the briefing."
"25 minutes from now, at exactly 3 PM, it starts. Stay put here until then. See those cameras installed over there? The tablet has a tracker, and drone cameras are flying around, so no cheating. Good luck."
The Association staff member headed straight to the truck's driver's seat. The truck began to pull away into the distance.
"Ugh, man... We have to spend a whole week here... Haah."
Eun Sang-min plopped down on the ground right away. It might seem like no big deal until you actually experience it, but surviving a week in a dungeon without civilization's help is tough. There's a lot to do in every aspect.
That said, quitting right away because you don't want to would get you broadcast nationwide and roasted by everyone.
"……."
Han Ha-rin crossed her arms and quietly surveyed the surroundings. Something had changed about her since awakening her mana. Before, she wore clothes with almost no exposure and compressed her H-cup breasts to hide them. But now, she wasn't bothering to hide her figure.
'Let's see... As expected, the tablet's functions are limited. The most useful part is viewing the map.'
I fiddled with the tablet. Since it plays a pretty important role, I needed to get familiar with operating it quickly.
"Yu-jin. What do we do? Hunt monsters first?"
Eun Sang-min asked me.
Dungeon Survival ranks participants by survival points. After a week, the team with the most survival points wins.
One way to earn those survival points is by hunting monsters. As hunters, we need to steadily take them down.
"We'll run into monsters just by moving around. The important things here are food, drinking water, and shelter. Even if it's not peak condition, we need to maintain above average, so they're essential."
Superhuman hunters or not, we're still human. Food and water are must-haves.
"So we start with scouting... Where to first?"
"There's an R-zone nearby, so let's start there. R-zone is a forest, so there might be streams or something."
The tablet's map only shows zone boundaries. We couldn't know exactly what's inside without scouting.
"Finding a rest area is important too. For the first day, we should focus on scouting over monster hunting."
Eun Sang-min nodded. He didn't seem to have any complaints about my directions.
My eyes met Han Ha-rin's in midair. I gave her a lecherous grin that only she could see, and she furrowed her brow slightly before looking away.
The fact that we were sex friends was a secret between just the two of us.
'That haughty face moans and writhes under me... Heh heh...'
I shook my head. Thinking of Han Ha-rin's naked body had gotten me a little worked up down there.
'Gotta hold back.'
I had to hold back here. Cameras were installed everywhere, and drone cameras patrolled the skies like watchmen. Not only that, some Association staff roamed the dungeon with cameras. One wrong move, and it wouldn't just end in embarrassment.
The tablet in my hand vibrated slightly. I checked it. There was a notification.
'Whew... Since we're in it, we might as well win.'
All our team members could use mana. We had the ingredients for victory. Failing to win with this team would be embarrassing.
'Wait, no. We can't have sex, but we could sneak in some touching.'
I sneaked a glance at Han Ha-rin's lewd body.
???
In a certain location within the dungeon, many people had gathered.
It was a place with dozens of small screens installed, and one large central screen. About ten people sat in front of the screens.
Dungeon Survival runs nonstop for a week. Not just the participants, but the hosts and guests reacting to the footage have to keep going too.
2 PM.
The studio cameras began rolling.
"Hello! I'm Jo Seok-ho, the main MC for Dungeon Survival Reforged! This time, we'll be explaining the situations live for a full week, so three MCs will take turns hosting. Please forgive us, viewers, and let me introduce my assistant MCs and guests!"
Thanks to Jo Seok-ho's seasoned skills as one of Korea's top 5 most famous MCs, the shoot progressed smoothly.
"Hong Su-won, what do you think of this Dungeon Survival Reforged?"
Hong Su-won was a man in his late 30s.
He was an executive at 'Bluebird,' one of Korea's top 10 guilds, handling scouting and advisory roles. Most of the invited guests were executives from major guilds.
"I think it will be a success. The original Dungeon Survival lacked hunter information and preparation. But this time, the Hunter Association is actively cooperating, and rules are set.
The young hunters who will lead Korea's next generation of hunters will show off their skills and entertain the viewers."
"The skills of these young hunters protecting Korea's peace—I'm really looking forward to it too. What about Baek Ji-eun, who belongs to the Association and has been busy lately with modeling and broadcasting?"
"Same here. Hehe. I know the participants' info and skills to some extent. You'll be shocked when you see what they're capable of with your own eyes."
Baek Ji-eun said with a bright smile. It was a fake smile for the camera.
She glanced at one of the countless screens.
It was showing the Gukcheon University Hunter Team—Sung Yu-jin's team.
'Can that kid handle it?'
She was worried about her old friend she hadn't met lately due to being swamped with Dungeon Survival preparations.
'...Ah. I need to meet up once and suck him off...'
Soon, it was exactly 3 PM. Association staff who had been monitoring from one side began operating something.
Baek Ji-eun easily realized they were releasing the monsters they had been suppressing. As one of the project leads for Dungeon Survival, she knew most of the details.
Main MC Jo Seok-ho didn't miss the timing and shouted loudly.
"Dungeon Survival Reforged! It's finally starting!!"
???
We checked the tablet's notification window and immediately headed east toward the R-zone without hesitation.
We're a team where everyone can use mana. No need to act timidly with such a powerful lineup. If other hunters come at us, we just fight back and eliminate them.
"Oh. Monster."
A monster hiding behind a large boulder revealed itself.
Giant Scorpion. As the name suggests, a 2-meter massive scorpion. Hard exoskeleton, pincers that could crush rocks, and a tail stinger.
'D-rank monster. Just watch out for the tail stinger poison, and it's nothing special.'
We weren't particularly tense. A D-rank monster could be taken down easily by one of us.
"What do we do? Ignore and pass?"
Eun Sang-min asked me.
I glanced back. An Association staff member was filming us from a distance with a camera. It was annoying, but unavoidable. This was a broadcast.
"Hunt it and go. Can't just leave it after encountering."
"Can we use this for food?"
"If we can remove the poison."
Giant Scorpion meat contains poison components, so it can't be eaten without detoxification. And even if we could detox it easily, who has time for that?
"Want me to kill it?"
"I'll do it."
Han Ha-rin stepped forward. I didn't stop her.
The giant scorpion charging at us ferociously came to a halt. Not only that, it couldn't even stand properly and slammed into the ground. Invisible gravity was crushing its body.
Han Ha-rin began intensifying the gravity even further.
Kwachik! Kwajijik!
The scorpion's body shattered miserably.
"It's done."
"……."
Han Ha-rin said calmly to Eun Sang-min. He made an awkward face. Now that Han Ha-rin could use mana, she was stronger than him. Gravity Manipulation was one of the top-tier abilities.
'I could lose to Han Ha-rin if I'm not careful. Our sparring win rate lately is about 80%.'
Gravity fields are invisible, making them tricky. Even using mana to counter when she activates it with mana is quite hard to escape.
"No time to stand around. Let's move."
"Wait. The magic stone? Shouldn't we take this?"
Eun Sang-min asked me. He clearly hadn't memorized the rules.
"Association staff will handle recovery."
I glanced at the tablet and confirmed the 5 survival points earned from killing the Giant Scorpion.
???
One of the rules of Dungeon Survival Reforged.
Supply boxes containing food are distributed at 6 AM and 6 PM. Obtaining one gives an additional 100 survival points.
This isn't a rule for the hunters. It's for the show's entertainment.
The supply boxes encourage battles between hunters. From the viewers' perspective, inter-hunter fights are more fun than monster hunts.
Red dots appeared on various spots on the map. There were 10 in total. The closest one was about 20 minutes away from us. Supplies are dropped from the air to the ground.
"The only food we've found in this forest so far is mushrooms. We need to go get supplies."
Food was harder to find than expected. We'd discovered a few unidentified mushrooms, but they didn't look very nutritious. Not enough.
"Plus, 100 survival points isn't a small amount. Anyone oppose my opinion?"
"Your opinion's right. We need food."
"Can't survive on just mushrooms. Of course we go."
Han Ha-rin and Eun Sang-min agreed.
With our superior combat power, avoiding supplies out of fear of hunter battles would be foolish.
"After getting the supply box, we find shelter. The sun's setting soon."
???
10 minutes before 6 PM exactly, we arrived at the supply drop location.
"Kraaaack!"
A bluish flame ignited on Eun Sang-min's body as he confidently took the lead.