Chapter 47
Chapter 47
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Camouflaged Dungeon-3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
It was boring just waiting around, so I gave the camouflaged dungeon a few whacks and threatened it to cough up some monsters, but who knew it would actually do it.
‘A Poison Bomber, huh.’
Kim Min-jun sensed the monster approaching and ordered the hunters to fall back.
“Stay about 50 meters away. Not too far, though.”
“Another monster? This is insane… Hold on, that footsteps… They’re way too heavy!”
Thud! Thump!
Heavy footsteps echoed from deep inside the dungeon.
At the sound, the hunters looked like the world was ending, convinced it was an orc.
“Not an orc, so don’t worry. It’s something even more annoying.”
“…Huh?”
“It’s coming. Don’t go more than 50 meters back, like I said.”
No sooner had Kim Min-jun finished speaking than the monster appeared.
It was a Poison Bomber, shaped like a massive soccer ball.
The thing waddled toward Kim Min-jun bit by bit.
“Krraaak! Graak!”
“…We’re all dead.”
“T-that’s a Poison Bomber! You can’t even fight it without a gas mask!”
A Poison Bomber could be taken down with one magic bullet.
Its skin was that weak.
But when it died, deadly poison gas leaked from its body, causing severe hallucinations if inhaled.
‘I think it said you’d end up harming yourself under the hallucination effect.’
That’s why it was a monster you had to handle with extreme caution.
“The entrance is sealed, and it’s not gonna wait around for ten hours.”
Even if they didn’t provoke it, if it self-destructed, the gas would spread in seconds.
Kim Min-jun pondered how to deal with it cleanly.
‘It’s so fragile I could kill it with a flick of my finger, but…’
The poison inside was the problem.
Sure, he could suck it up if he wanted, but with his current specs, there were limits.
Absorbing all that deadly poison wasn’t feasible.
‘I need to rescue these guys without a single scratch.’
That’s why they’d entered this dungeon in the first place.
Bzzz—
‘Hm? What’s that?’
While he racked his brain for a clean way to take it out.
His pocket vibrated.
“This is… the card from the division commander, right?”
A single black card of unknown origin.
The vibrations intensified until a message appeared.
[The Black Card reacts to an unknown energy!]
[The Black Card adapts to the user’s disposition!]
[The Black Card gains effects suited to the user’s power!]
“Oh… no way?”
He had no idea why the dormant card was reacting now, but its effect was perfect for the situation.
[Transformation Card – Dark Knight]
Transform into a Dark Knight for 5 minutes.
During this time, you can use the unique skill Exile once.
Exile: Permanently banish the designated target into a dimensional rift.
Who knew this black card was actually a transformation card.
‘I’ve never even heard of an item like this. And the system’s displaying its info?’
More than that, it was like a dream card fulfilling every guy’s fantasies.
The corner of Kim Min-jun’s mouth slowly curved up.
‘Unique skill: Exile.’
Aside from being a one-use item with only 5 minutes of duration, it was right up his alley.
“I’ll handle it.”
“…Huh? How are you gonna do that alone…?”
“Even you, Mr. Kim, can’t touch it without a gas mask! We’ll all get gassed!”
Kim Min-jun smirked and told the hunters to relax and watch.
Riiip!
He tore the transformation card, and black energy poured out, enveloping his body.
Shhh—
A moment later.
A knight clad head to toe in black armor appeared.
[Ah, don’t freak out.]
The hunters saw his changed appearance and collapsed, legs giving out.
‘Whoa. This is way too cool.’
Glowing black eyes, a black cape.
And a massive sword straight out of a medieval flick.
Even his voice had turned badass.
“Graaak! Graaagraaak!”
He admired his new form for a second.
Then the Poison Bomber, waddling closer, let out a screech and began inflating.
It was gearing up to self-destruct.
[Hey, you bastard. I’ve still got over 4 minutes left—what do you think you’re doing? Wanna take a trip to the Room of Truth?]
Kim Min-jun activated the Dark Knight’s unique skill: Exile.
Swoosh!
He slashed the air with his sword hand, opening a black rift.
The rift expanded, sucking in the swelling Poison Bomber like a vacuum cleaner.
[This actually kills it?]
Impressive power for a one-use item.
Shhh—
Time expired, and Kim Min-jun reverted to normal.
“Aw. That was fun.”
Couldn’t help feeling bummed about the short 5-minute limit.
“C-crazy. What the hell was that?”
“Did that guy just turn into a monster? Was that even a monster?”
“It was like something out of a fantasy movie.”
“One swipe and the monster just vanished.”
Meanwhile.
The hunters, who’d watched the whole thing dumbfounded from behind, stared at Kim Min-jun and the dissolving card in disbelief.
“Oh, this? A friend’s dad gave it to me. Had no idea it was something like that.”
“What does your friend’s dad even do…?”
“He’s the 107th Division commander.”
“Wha—huh?!”
“Th-the division commander…”
At the mention of “division commander,” the hunters decided not to pry further.
“Less than 9 hours left now. Let’s hang in there a bit longer.”
Kim Min-jun clapped their shoulders to boost morale.
**
Meanwhile.
107th Division Commander Son Tae-ho stared gravely at the dungeon entrance.
‘Dragging this out any longer is dangerous.’
They’d tried breaching it with special equipment.
After over 8 hours, all they’d managed was a tiny hole.
No choice now but to use a mana bomb.
‘The soldiers have been trapped half a day. Mostly privates first class and second class, no weapons. We have to use it now.’
He ground his teeth in fury.
‘Damn bastards. Dozens trapped inside, and it takes over 20 hours just to approve one mana bomb?’
It was the Hunter Headquarters’ sluggish response.
Son Tae-ho had contacted them, insisting they rescue the isolated hunters ASAP.
But the reply? Follow the manual.
‘Fucking pricks. If soldiers die, they’ll pin it on me, the division commander.’
Some things never improved, no matter the years.
The commander sighed, then spoke.
“Status report.”
At his order, the officers setting up the mana bomb responded.
“Yes, sir! We can deploy the mana bomb in one hour if we proceed! Civilians in the area have been evacuated as ordered!”
“Phew… Good. What about the blast strength? Can you adjust it?”
The officers looked uncertain.
They were top explosives experts, but they’d never breached a camouflaged dungeon entrance.
‘Mana bombs aren’t even meant for dungeon entrances. They’re for when high-rank ogre-level monsters swarm.’
And this wasn’t your average dungeon.
A rare camouflaged one.
Adjusting bomb strength based on estimated entrance durability? Maddening.
“…We’ll do our best to calibrate it.”
The officers checked variables one by one, fine-tuning the bomb.
-What?! Those guys?
Meanwhile.
Lee Bong-gu, the eagle scout watching outside per Kim Min-jun’s orders.
He panicked at the word “bomb” and reported in.
-Kim Min-jun, sir! Big trouble! Soldiers are planting a bomb at the entrance! The whole area’ll be wrecked! And that radiation they talk about! At this rate, before they blow it, I’ll—
‘Stay put. You mean a nuke, right? I’ll get everyone out soon.’
-Right. Your world really is full of amazing stuff, Mr. Kim.
Lee Bong-gu, prepping to fly in, halted at Kim Min-jun’s assurance.
“Mana bomb ready, sir!”
Time passed, and the officers handed Son Tae-ho the detonation switch.
“Good. We’ll trigger it from 1 km out, per manual. Everyone, evacuate!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Got it!”
Hunters scrambled to withdraw.
‘If even the mana bomb fails… we give up.’
He’d forced approval for it already.
As Son Tae-ho retreated with a heavy expression, a change occurred.
Shhh—
The sealed dungeon entrance began to open.
“Hold! Everyone back! Where’s the medic hunter?! Prep to transport the kids! Get that mana bomb disarmed stat!”
“Y-yes, sir!”
“Right away!”
Sudden development.
The dungeon, unyielding despite all efforts, had opened.
The commander stayed calm, calling for medics and officers first.
“Money’s no object—prep every expensive potion we’ve got!”
“Understood!”
If they were breathing, they could save them.
Everyone watched the entrance anxiously.
Step, step.
“……”
“What?”
Hunters walked out looking fine.
Exhausted, sure, but no visible injuries.
Medic hunters, stretchers ready, were stunned.
“Kim Min-jun…”
He was at the center.
Supporting exhausted hunters with both arms, he emerged and immediately asked for water.
“Sir! Water first! Hunters are showing dehydration!”
Prioritizing them over himself.
“Phew…”
Son Tae-ho finally exhaled in relief.
Details would come later.
But it was obvious: Kim Min-jun had saved every single hunter.
‘I’ll need to talk to that guy privately.’
**
‘Whoa. So this is the division commander’s office?’
Time passed.
Kim Min-jun waited in the 107th Division commander’s office at his summons.
Even on leave, after something this big, a debrief was mandatory.
‘That aside, cleared the dungeon and got nothing?’
He’d smashed so many monsters in that camouflaged dungeon—why no rewards?
Perks of it being camouflaged?
‘Whatever, I got stats out of it, so fine.’
The Hunter Army would compensate, surely.
He’d extracted unscathed hunters from a notoriously deadly camouflaged dungeon.
Wonder what the reward would be.
“Kim Min-jun.”
“Sir! Sergeant Kim Min-jun!”
Kim Min-jun sipped coffee in the office.
The commander entered.