Chapter 13
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: To the Depths (2)
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Dungeon expeditions are, by nature, undertaken only after thorough preparation.
This is because they are fundamentally different from gate-related requests, which can be considered a form of disaster relief.
They are, in a word, a ‘conquest.’
Thus, in the case of a large-scale joint expedition, the preparation period alone can take over a month.
Countless details must be established, from securing provisions to analyzing previous records, planning strategies, and assigning roles.
But I had no need for any of that.
There was only one thing I did in the preparation phase for my expedition.
-The Garden of the Abyss?
I made a call to the only Hunter who had ever reached the ‘Lake’ within the Garden of the Abyss.
-Well, it’s a good dungeon for a rookie Hunter to farm stats. Up to the main gate, that is. But why…
“I’m planning to enter the depths of the tower.”
-The depths? You mean, beyond the lake?
After a moment of stunned silence, Yoon Suhyeok shouted, the veins in his neck bulging.
-You’re going to break through the depths? Are you insane? Didn’t you hear what I said a year ago?!
Yoon Suhyeok was practically jumping out of his skin.
The polite speech he’d used when suggesting we get coffee was gone, replaced once again by informal language.
Since it had come to this, I mixed in some informal speech myself.
“Of course, I know all about the ‘clear it if you can, moron’ challenge. I called because I was hoping to get a bit of information from you.”
-Why would I?
“Because you’re the most seasoned veteran who lasted the longest in the Garden of the Abyss.”
Yoon Suhyeok had survived for a full three months inside the ‘Lake’ of the Garden of the Abyss, and had chosen to withdraw midway, right on the verge of entering the depths.
He had done so without sacrificing a single member of his expedition team in the center of the notoriously deadly garden, which had produced countless ‘unreturned.’
He had an abrasive personality, but the man was undeniably skilled.
-So why should I give you information…
“I told you. I plan on clearing the Garden of the Abyss cleanly this time.”
-…Huh?
As Yoon Suhyeok seemed at a loss for words, I continued quietly.
“The moment I clear the depths, all eyes will be on me. If I were to say something like, ‘I received help from the Pungbaek Guild,’ the impact would be enormous. It’s good for you, since you can gain public attention just by sharing some stale information about the Garden of the Abyss. And it’s good for me, because I can shorten my clear time.”
-No, wait a minute.
Yoon Suhyeok, having finally caught his breath, continued.
-Do you really think you can clear the depths of the Garden of the Abyss alone?
“Of course.”
It was possible.
Because I had been promised surefire ‘support.’
It was impossible not to clear it.
My confident answer sent Yoon Suhyeok into a thoughtful silence once again.
Then, he sighed and spoke.
-…Alright, then I have a proposal of my own.
“What kind of proposal?”
-I’ll give you the information. In return, as soon as you get back, you sign a contract with our guild…
“Ah, no thanks.”
-What? Why?!
“I’m not a fan of being leashed before I’ve even done anything.”
-Hey, look here. Our guild is the only one this interested in you…
“Speaking of which, two people I’ve never seen before approached me this morning. Let’s see, I have their business cards here… Ah, Jeong Sowon from the Sanarae Guild and Pyo Myeonghun from the Aegis Guild.”
-They came to you in person? What’s gotten into those guys who never show their faces?!
What’s gotten into them, you ask?
You’re the one who stirred this wind.
And it wasn’t just a whirlwind; it was a storm of epic proportions.
-I really don’t get it. They’re not the type to move so carelessly, like any old scout.
“…”
-Hah, couldn’t even wait a moment, those bastards… Trying to snatch what I’ve already claimed.
Yoon Suhyeok muttered in an anxious voice.
I thought his ‘let’s get coffee’ was the result of some meticulous calculation, but it seems that wasn't the case.
“In that sense, my proposal should look even better to you. It’s like staking your claim once more on a talent your rival guilds are already eyeing.”
-…
I could hear him gulp over the speaker.
But the outcome of this contest had been decided long ago.
Pungbaek was a guild that obsessed over honor and achievement more than any other.
They would try to bring me in one way or another, if only to prevent their reputation from being tarnished.
-It’s information that’s over a year old anyway. Who knows what might have changed in that damned garden since then. If you really need such uncertain information, I’ll tell you a couple of things.
There was no way he would back down at this point.
* * *
“You’re here, Hunter Kim Hanul.”
The next day, I arrived at the designated meeting point in front of Sillim Station at the appointed time.
About ten people were already gathered in front of the station.
Around eight of them were Hunters, laden with all sorts of equipment over their suits.
The other two were public officials from the Dungeon Management Department.
“It seems I’m the last to arrive. My apologies.”
As I bowed my head, one of the eight Hunters shook his head and stepped forward.
He was a bald man with a scar on one side of his face. Judging by his aura, he seemed to be the leader of the expedition.
“It’s fine. We got a room yesterday and have been staying nearby. I’m Jo Gwangsu of the Indomitable Guild.”
“I’m Kim Hanul.”
“I know. Aren’t you the fella who got an S-rank on his magic power measurement a few days ago?”
One of the officials quickly interjected.
“Ah, I informed them of Hunter Hanul’s participation this morning. I could have told them yesterday, but then…”
“Good call. Even if they don’t know his face, the name ‘Kim Hanul’ is pretty famous. If word got out, this place would be swarming with reporters. Well, not that it seems like something to make such a fuss about in the first place.”
Jo Gwangsu muttered as he subtly looked me up and down.
“I hear you applied for a personal expedition, so let me say this in advance. Don’t you go thinking you can just piggyback off of us.”
Oh, look at this.
I chuckled inwardly.
It wasn’t that I didn’t understand.
I must seem pretty arrogant.
They had probably been undergoing rigorous training and planning for this expedition for the past month.
In that context, my presence would feel like that of a sudden, unwelcome guest.
“And don’t get too cocky. I myself got an A-rank on my Awakened Being magic power measurement. Though my strength weakened after an unfortunate accident along the way.”
“Ah, I see.”
[Casting Sage’s Eye.]
Name: Jo Gwangsu
Age: 34
Gender: Male
- Stats -
Strength: 20 Agility: 30 Stamina: 34 Spirit: 10
- Skills -
Prey Tracking Lv.1, Arrow Skewer Lv.2, Crude Arrowhead Lv.2
- Contracted Divine Seat -
None
[Judgement: C-rank or lower. ‘Sage’s Eye’ count will not be applied.]
Strange. Looking at him with the Beholder’s Glasses, his stats were nowhere near what you’d expect from someone who got an A-rank on their magic power measurement.
When I let out a low smile, Jo Gwangsu’s face crumpled.
“Why, what are you smiling at?”
I answered while wiping my silver-rimmed glasses and putting them away in my pocket.
“It’s nothing. You certainly look like you’ve been through a lot. I’m sure you’re very experienced.”
“What?”
“Hey, are you making fun of our leader for going bald from hardship?”
“What, was that what he meant?”
Suddenly, a few of the bald Hunters flew into a rage.
No, that’s not what I meant. I have a conscience; I wouldn’t do something that cruel.
“Alright, alright, that’s enough chatter.”
As the atmosphere grew a little tense, the official quickly clapped his hands.
“Well then, is everyone ready? I’ll open the entrance now.”
He walked toward the center of the construction debris that lay beneath the great garden floating 30 stories high.
Then, he gestured toward a space piled high with rusty materials and concrete bricks.
Vwoom—
With a resonant hum, a blue rift about two meters in diameter appeared.
It was the portal leading to the Garden of the Abyss.
“We’re going in.”
With those words, Jo Gwangsu was the first to disappear into the portal.
The other seven Hunters followed him.
I walked slowly at the very back.
As I stood before the pulsing blue gate, an information window popped up.
[Garden of the Abyss (修心)]
Rank: B
Personnel Limit: 20
Type: Specific Condition Clear Dungeon, Breakthrough
The same information window that everyone who entered the dungeon through this gate would have seen once.
But for me, there was one more addendum that none of them knew about.
[The Garden of the Abyss! You will find a new answer here. Focus. You must see beyond what is visible to the eye.]
Unlike the other sleek hologram screens, this was in the familiar ‘pixelated’ information window.
I stepped into the rift.
“I wish for the safe return of all expedition members.”
The official’s voice faded as a deep darkness enveloped my vision.
And cutting through the darkness, a pixelated status window flew from the other side and was thrust before my eyes.
[The Garden of the Abyss has accepted the Dream Lord’s Castle’s request!]
[The Garden of the Abyss will partially alter its structure.]
* * *
Immediately after entering the dungeon, the first thing that met my eyes was a sky stained crimson.
It was similar to a sunset sky, but the feeling was somehow different.
The sky was, quite literally, an unsettling blood-red.
The Indomitable Guild members and I were in a forest teeming with unfamiliar vegetation beneath it.
“Ugh…”
“Man, why does dimensional travel take so long? I feel like my stomach’s turning inside out before we even start.”
The Hunters who had entered before me were already hunched over, vomiting on the forest floor.
“Something’s not right.”
Jo Gwangsu, the first to recover, muttered as he wiped his mouth.
He looked around with a confused expression.
His sharp, slanted eyes met the blood-red sky.
“This isn’t the ‘Main Gate.’”
“I-I know. Weren’t we told the Main Gate was supposed to be at nighttime?”
Another guild member muttered with an anxious face.
Yes, that was supposed to be correct.
Yoon Suhyeok had said so as well.
-‘The Main Gate’ is nothing special. You just have to hunt down the Pigmallets roaming the dark plains. It’s a field you can clear as long as you have good night vision, a search skill, or even just a flashlight.
But the scene unfolding before my eyes was a billion light-years removed from a dark plain.
The sky, as if on fire, was blindingly bright.
The setting was a forest filled with lush vegetation, not a barren field.
“I don’t get what’s going on. I’ve heard of dungeons that sometimes change their structure, but the Garden of the Abyss isn’t supposed to be one of them…”
It was right after Jo Gwangsu muttered those words.
[Welcome to the Garden of the Abyss ‘Lake.’ Your mission will now be presented.]
Suddenly, a new status window popped up in front of me.
It seemed to be the same for the others, as the Hunters were also staring ahead with grave expressions.
[Too many Pigmallets have been massacred by the hand of greed. The Pigmallets have now given up on moving from the site of the slaughter. Their forsaken fate is in your hands!]
[Until nightfall, protect the Pigmallets from the hands of the slaughterers.]
[Success will grant passage through the current dungeon, the ‘Lake,’ and entry into the ‘Depths.’]
“Wh-what is this? Not the Main Gate, but the Lake right away?”
A Hunter muttered in a trembling voice.
That wasn't all.
A single sentence below that threw the Hunters into even greater confusion.
[Failure will result in the death of all challengers in the garden.]
The death of all.
“D-Death? H-how can they just spring this on us?!”
“L-Leader Gwangsu. Let’s just give up now, right? The mission hasn’t started yet, so if we declare a midway withdrawal now, we should be able to go back!”
“The rookie’s right. We were just planning on farming a bit at the Main Gate and getting out cleanly!”
“…We can’t.”
“Leader, something’s wrong here! Even setting aside being teleported to the center, what in the world are those slaughterers?”
The members of the Indomitable Guild shouted, their faces pale.
Jo Gwangsu’s face was just as white.
But even in that situation, he shook his head.
“We can’t.”
“Leader!”
“You crazy bastards, a midway withdrawal isn’t working! That option isn’t even showing up!”
“What…”
At Jo Gwangsu’s roar, the guild members froze stiff.
“I knew something was off the moment we entered, so I tried it right away. But it’s no use, it’s not working at all.”
“That’s impossible…”
At that moment, a giant hologram window appeared in the blood-red sky.
[Current Pigmallets remaining: 130]
And in an instant, the count began.
[Two Pigmallets have lost their lives to a ‘Slaughterer.’ Current Pigmallets remaining: 128]
“Wh-what kind of messed-up situation is this!”
Even as the countdown began, the Hunters were in a panic, running around in confusion.
Amidst them, Jo Gwangsu, who had been gritting his teeth, shifted his gaze.
It landed on me, crouched under a bush, observing something intently.
“H-Hey, you.”
“Yes?”
“Do you have any, uh, good ideas? The situation doesn’t seem to be going well for individual play…”
Not going well, he says.
He’s certainly right about that.
To be precise, it’s just become a lot more annoying to play solo.
“There is a good way.”
“What is it? Let’s all work together to get through this. We’re comrades who entered together, aren’t we?”
And what happened to the smug guy who told me not to think about piggybacking off them?
The current Jo Gwangsu was shrunken and small, a far cry from a guild leader.
And to the tail-tucked, terrified Jo Gwangsu, I spoke in a low voice.
“But for this method to work, you all have to follow me, absolutely.”
“?”
The mouths of the Hunters, including Jo Gwangsu, fell open blankly.
“You have to believe and follow whatever I say. Can you do that?”
“Now, wait, that’s no different from handing over the guild’s entire authority…”
Jo Gwangsu’s voice, which had started to rise in protest, was drowned out by the countdown echoing from the sky.
[Four Pigmallets have been turned into roast pork by a ‘Slaughterer’! Current Pigmallets remaining: 124]
Amidst the ashen-faced Hunters, only I wore a relaxed smile.
A single status window was floating before my eyes.
[A special item has been provided by the Dream Lord’s Castle.]
A pixelated status window that only I could see.