Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Camouflaged Dungeon - 1
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Inside the box was an unexpected item.
'A card in a place meant for rings?'
A single black card.
Kim Min-jun looked at Son Eun-seo with eyes demanding an explanation.
"It's a valuable item, they said?"
"...I don't know the details either. My dad just said it's something precious. He told me to make sure to pass it on as thanks for helping me out during last time's hunter mobilization training."
She gave a simple explanation of the card, just as her father had told her.
"From division commander rank and up, they get items issued periodically. Like a kind of bonus."
"Oh. Do they give them out often?"
"Once a month, at least."
Beyond that, division commander-level officers could receive various items after a simple review from Hunter HQ, depending on their intended use.
'So this is the perk of rank.'
For executives or officers, that meant passing primary screening, secondary screening, and sometimes even tertiary screening to get items.
'The problem is, I have no idea what this one's for.'
Still, it was an item from the division commander himself.
It wouldn't be useless.
'Getting friendly with her can't hurt. Especially since her dad's the division commander.'
Having quickly run the calculations in his head, Kim Min-jun pocketed the card and extended his right hand to Son Eun-seo.
"Huh?"
"From today, we're friends. I'll drop the formal speech, so you do the same."
"...This feels kinda off for some reason."
She wrinkled her nose a bit but still shook his hand.
"Comrades! That was fun!"
"Us too! Let's hang out again next time!"
Before they knew it, playtime had flown by, and it was time to head back.
"Hey, Min-jun! What the hell? You were talking casually with Son Eun-seo?"
"Sergeant Kim Min-jun! So you were working her after all!"
The squadmates swarmed him the moment they exchanged goodbyes and entered the barracks.
"Sergeant Kim Min-jun! You said you weren't interested in girls! How'd you bag Corporal Son Eun-seo..."
"Gwang-sik."
"Corporal Kim Gwang-sik."
"You wanna play rock-paper-scissors until you beat your mirror self, or just shut up?"
"...I'll shut up."
When Kim Min-jun said he'd just decided to be friends with Son Eun-seo, the sergeants shot back that there was no such thing as friendship between men and women.
"Min-jun, there are no friends between guys and girls."
"Yeah. She's into you, that's why."
They clapped him on the shoulder congratulating him, but Kim Min-jun really meant to keep it platonic.
His top priority was always the stars, after all.
* * *
Rustle.
3 a.m.
While he was fiddling with his smartphone, the Night Walker returned from scouting the dungeon.
'Report.'
Rustle.
The Night Walker explained that about 100 kg of mana stones had been found inside the dungeon in Daejeon.
The hunters had now fully cleared the blocked entrance.
After detailed scouting, they planned to form up units to secure the mana stones.
'Mana stones, huh. No wonder they've got so many hunters on this.'
Not 1 kg—100 kg.
Mana stones were something you were lucky to secure even 1 kg of after clearing a dungeon.
They were a precious resource, not easily obtained.
Securing a hundred times that amount at once? No wonder Hunter HQ was going all out.
'So, what about that weird energy?'
Rustle.
The Night Walker replied it hadn't figured that out yet but said it could if sent in.
'Obviously. Anyway, sounds like I gotta get close to find out.'
Kim Min-jun applied for leave to head to Daejeon the next day.
**
"Salute!"
"Oh, Kim Min-jun. Finally taking some leave. Usually it's just overnight, what's up?"
"Craving delivery food so bad, sir."
"That's why you applied at the crack of dawn? I'll let it slide since you're a sergeant. Don't overeat and get indigestion. Safe travels."
"Yes, sir! Heading out! Salute!"
After reporting to the duty officer, Kim Min-jun headed straight for Daejeon.
"Lee Bong-gu. Status update."
-You've arrived in Daejeon, Mr. Kim Min-jun. The Hunter troops have finished scouting the dungeon and are about to start transporting the mana stones in earnest.
In the meantime, Lee Bong-gu had been flying overhead in eagle form, keeping tabs on the hunters' movements.
-It's an empty dungeon with no monsters. Something's definitely inside... but you'll have to go in yourself to know.
"Got it. Any weak spots in their perimeter?"
-I scouted 'em ahead!
Kim Min-jun followed the route Lee Bong-gu provided to approach the dungeon.
"Damn. How many is that? Over a hundred easy."
From the hilltop vantage, he could see hunters carefully carrying mana stones, escorted by others in full combat gear.
'Let's see. That insignia—107th Division, right?'
The 107th Division, where Son Eun-seo's dad was division commander.
'If only a monster horde popped out right there?'
He'd rack up merit points and score brownie points with the division commander.
Kim Min-jun watched them for a while before deciding to move.
He could sense a strange energy from deep inside the dungeon, but it didn't feel dangerous.
"Take your time—no rush! Don't drop 'em! Each one's worth over ten million won!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Got it!"
Under the officer's threats, the hunters moved as slowly as possible.
'Man, transporting all that is gonna take forever.'
Raw mana stones were extremely fragile to external impacts before processing.
Load 'em on a truck? Shattered. Cart? Same deal.
Which meant good old manpower was the only option.
'Hm? Hold up.'
Kim Min-jun was yawning and watching when—
He felt the strange energy intensifying from inside the dungeon and shifted his gaze to the entrance.
"Something's about to go down."
No monster presence, but the mana inside was building.
Just as he started to move, an anomaly hit the dungeon.
Rumble!
The cleanly breached entrance was sealing shut again.
Beep—!
Even the mana gauges were blaring warnings.
"Wha—damn it..."
The officers quickly assessed and yelled for the hunters inside to get out.
"Emergency! Get away from there! Forget the mana stones—move!"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
"Inside! We still have a platoon stuck inside!"
"Don't go in—stay back! Follow protocol!"
Chaos erupted around the dungeon in seconds.
The dungeon holding the mana stones turned out to be a camouflaged dungeon.
A rare variant among changing dungeons, with extremely low odds.
'So that's what the weird energy was.'
And the mana stones? Bait.
Decision made, Kim Min-jun launched himself toward the closing entrance.
'Gotta rescue the trapped hunters here.'
Save 'em all in one piece? That's a ton of merit points!
"Sergeant Kim Min-jun, 104th Division, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Company, 2nd Platoon! I'll reopen this dungeon from inside! Just report it to command!"
"Wha—? Why's a hunter from another unit...?"
Kim Min-jun gave his quick report and dove into the dungeon.
The entrance sealed behind him.
**
[You have entered the dungeon.]
"W-What do we do!"
"Wait near the entrance per protocol!"
"Ugh! No weapons! Looks like it's just the transport crew trapped inside!"
Inside, the privates first class and privates were milling about in panic.
'Good thing I came in.'
Camouflaged dungeons were high difficulty.
'Camouflaged dungeons require meeting specific conditions.'
They weren't cleared just by killing monsters.
[Return the mana stones to their original positions.]
You had to satisfy system messages like this to escape.
In other words, the camouflaged dungeon itself was the monster.
"Everyone, snap out of it! Over here!"
Kim Min-jun got their attention and beckoned them closer.
"Huh? Aren't you from the 104th Division? Why're you here...?"
"Wasn't this off-limits to outsiders?"
"Just passing by and spotted it."
"...Huh?"
The hunters stared in confusion for a moment.
"Wonder if brute force works."
Kim Min-jun swung his fist full-force at the sealed entrance.
Boom!
The shockwave rocked the dungeon interior violently.
"Doesn't look like brute force cuts it. Annoying."
The entrance, meanwhile, was unscratched.
"......"
"What kinda strength..."
"Anyone got a radio? Check if it works!"
"Tried since earlier... no dice."
"Ugh... talk about rotten luck."
"Monster shows up now, we're done for."
The hunters looked utterly defeated.
They had nothing but standard-issue military swords.
All privates first class and privates.
Orcs? Forget it.
Even a goblin pack would wipe them.
"Calm down, everyone. I'll get you all out safe."
Kim Min-jun gave a concise rundown of the situation.
"It's a camouflaged dungeon spawned from a changing dungeon. You saw the message, right?"
"Yeah? Oh... return the mana stones to their spots..."
"Exactly. But that's impossible, so wait for the message to change."
His calm demeanor soothed their nerves.
-Hey, you hear me, Lee Bong-gu?
In the meantime, Kim Min-jun tried contacting Lee Bong-gu outside.
-Yes, sir! Mr. Kim Min-jun! You okay!?
'Fine. Report the outside situation.'
-The hunters nearby have pulled back! Word is, they're prepping special gear to breach the entrance soon!
That was highly inefficient.
Sure, with enough time, they'd breach it—but the trapped hunters would starve first.
'Got it. I'll get everyone out here. You keep watch like now.'
-Yes, sir! Stay safe!
As Kim Min-jun ended the call with Lee Bong-gu, new messages appeared.
[You did not return the mana stones to their original positions.]
[The dungeon's transformation begins.]
Rumble!
The dungeon started contracting.
It meant to crush the hunters inside.
"What the hell? Who do you think you are?"
Kim Min-jun hammered and kicked the walls.
Boom! Thud!
He vented his "try me" fury for a bit.
Then, as if conceding, the dungeon halted its changes.
"Whoa... sergeants can do that?"
"Thought we were goners. Never seen anyone stop it by just beating the crap outta it."
"No way. Even an officer couldn't. Anyway, thanks to that guy coming in, we're alive."
The hunters marveled at his brute strength—and sighed in relief.
Ding.
"Finally, a proper message."
The dungeon went still for a moment.
A new message appeared before Kim Min-jun's eyes.