Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: 94. Gulp
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“Yi Bong-gu. Perfect timing. Good work.”
As soon as Kim Min-jun heard Yi Bong-gu’s report, he put in for leave and headed to Busan.
The dungeon raid had wrapped up not long ago, and his training schedule was light.
Plus, he wasn’t just a regular soldier anymore—he was an officer.
Distance from his post didn’t matter much.
Overseas trips required special permission, of course.
“Gaejwasan, right?”
The closer he got to the location Yi Bong-gu had shared, the thicker the demonic scent grew.
No doubt about it.
It was leaking out from inside the dungeon.
“Damn, that’s one hefty bastard.”
He’d taken down plenty of monsters laced with demonic energy before, but none had carried this much.
“If something like this broke out of the dungeon, it’d be game over the second it did.”
It was a miracle there hadn’t been a dungeon break yet.
Getting from Cheorwon in Gangwon Province to Busan that fast would’ve been impossible with his current specs.
-Kim Min-jun!
As he neared the dungeon, Yi Bong-gu swooped down onto his shoulder in crow form.
“Contact was spotty. You went all the way to Busan? Nice job.”
-Rather than that, Kim Min-jun! Do you know what that thing did?
Yi Bong-gu jabbed a wing at the Night Walker oozing around nearby, griping with clear resentment.
He’d slaved away finding the dungeon, only for his summon to steal the credit.
Ssssh.
The Night Walker played innocent, slinking away like it had done nothing.
-W-what? You’re lying to your master’s face?
“Yeah. Go fight it out over there.”
-K-Kim Min-jun!
Ignoring the childish squabble breaking out behind him, Kim Min-jun pressed on toward the dungeon.
Having burned through all his stored demonic energy, he was itching to absorb some fresh stuff ASAP.
“Huh? That area…”
“Are you with the Hunter Force?”
A group was already gathered at the dungeon entrance, gearing up to go in.
Civilian hunters.
“Unlike those guys from before, these look legit.”
Their outfits were so tactical, civilians might mistake them for soldiers.
No guns in sight.
Firearms weren’t allowed for civilian hunters.
Instead, they carried razor-sharp blades and crossbows on their backs.
“Thanks for protecting the country. I’m the leader of this civilian hunter group.”
As Kim Min-jun scanned the group, a sturdy young man approached.
“Lee Si-woo. You’re an officer with the Busan Hunter Force unit, right?”
“No. I’m from up in Gangwon Province. You have clearance to raid this one?”
The civilian hunters murmured at the mention of Gangwon.
They’d spent a month prepping for this raid—what if something was wrong? Unease rippled through them.
“Yes, we do. Here’s the paperwork.”
The one who’d introduced himself as Lee Si-woo handed over a thick envelope of documents.
“Hmm…”
Kim Min-jun flipped through them silently.
Once, twice.
‘What the hell? These guys are airtight.’
Unlike last time, there wasn’t a single loophole.
‘They found this dungeon three months ago and prepped ever since.’
The dungeon ahead was a sealed type.
It housed a monster brimming with demonic energy.
No way could twenty-odd civilian hunters clear it.
‘If I let these idiots in, they’re all dead.’
What to do.
Propose a bet with money on the line, like before?
“Could you hand this dungeon over to me?”
Unlike last time, he offered a massive sum: 100 million won.
Just yield the dungeon, and it was theirs.
“Sorry.”
Lee Si-woo turned it down flat.
“100 million is a fortune. But for civilian hunters like us, who live by this job, experience matters just as much.”
He explained how even securing raid rights for one dungeon took forever.
Plus, it was a chance to gain invaluable experience you couldn’t buy, and prove civilian hunters weren’t weak—boosting their stats and all.
They were thinking long-term, not chasing quick cash.
“Then how about I tag along just for safety?”
“Yes. We’d appreciate that.”
There was a demonic-energy monster inside.
From the aura, at least mid-tier or higher.
Normally, he’d block them outright, but the civilians had gas masks ready.
‘With gas masks, no need to stop them. They’ll block the leaking demonic energy.’
Still.
Their masks felt better than standard Hunter Force issue. Imagination?
‘I’ve gotten way stronger myself. Twenty civilian hunters? I can babysit them solo, no sweat.’
Whatever was in there, he could smash it barehanded.
“Alright, everyone, relax. The Hunter Force officer’s coming along for safety. Follow his orders to the letter.”
“Yes!”
“Got it!”
After a quick briefing, the civilian hunters and Kim Min-jun entered the dungeon.
[You have entered the dungeon.]
The civilians advanced cautiously, eyes scanning all quadrants.
Not their first rodeo—their moves were solid.
“So, why stick to being civilian hunters? Any reason?”
They’d reached the midpoint and called a break.
Kim Min-jun tossed the question at Lee Si-woo.
Pure curiosity.
Why go through the brutal vetting process?
“It’s about money, sure, but mostly protecting civilians.”
Gulping down water, Lee Si-woo listed the Hunter Force’s pros and cons.
“The Hunter Force packs serious power. You can see it in the number of dungeons they clear yearly or how they handle emergency gates. But units are stationed on the outskirts.”
By the time they rolled in after an incident, it was too late.
Victims were inevitable.
“But civilian hunters have no restrictions on where we live or operate. If a gate pops in the city? Five minutes. No, three. That’s what we train for.”
“Fair point.”
Kim Min-jun nodded readily.
That flaw was a real Hunter Force weakness.
“It’s the nature of military structure. No helping it. Outposts are on the edges because that’s where dungeons and gates spawn most. Manpower limits too.”
“Uh… I’m not criticizing. I know how hard you guys work.”
Lee Si-woo waved his hands frantically.
Kim Min-jun chuckled.
“Once I get my mugunghwa pinned, you won’t have to worry about that.”
I’ll fix that vulnerability somehow.
“Let’s move out!”
The short break ended, and the raid resumed.
“Leader!”
As they pushed on in silence, a teammate signaled a halt—something felt off.
“No monsters… not a single one.”
“This is weird.”
They’d passed the center, heading for the end.
Not even a glimpse of one.
Totally different from their intel.
“According to schedule, we should’ve been swarmed by red boars by now…”
One civilian hunter pulled out the survey data, double-checking.
Pah!
Kim Min-jun grabbed the guy’s shoulder and shoved him back.
“Eek!”
“What the—why’d you—”
“Look here.”
The civilians protested the sudden move.
Kim Min-jun pointed at the dungeon floor.
“That’s…”
“Spiderwebs?”
Sticky white threads clung where the man had stood.
A spot that’d been clear moments ago.
Shiiieeeek!
Before they could process, a savage screech echoed.
Not a red boar cry.
“Everyone. If you want to live, put on your gas masks and fall back.”
“Huh?”
“The thing in this dungeon is a giant human-faced spider.”
“G-giant human-faced spider?”
Most of the civilians blanched and retreated at his words.
No clue why the masks, but Hunter Force orders—they obeyed.
Chrak! Shk!
The eerie sounds grew closer as time ticked.
Sure enough, the monster that emerged was a giant human-faced spider.
“Damn, you’re huge. You eat all the other monsters?”
Giant human-faced spider.
Named for the human-like pattern on its belly.
Orc-sized, agile.
It spat webs with insane adhesive power whenever it could.
Tricky without a flamethrower.
Demonic energy bloating it?
It was nearly three times bigger than usual.
“W-what the hell, it’s massive!”
“We’re so dead!”
The civilians bolted for the exit but quickly despaired.
Sealed dungeon.
No way out till the monster dropped.
“Kim Min-jun! It’s dangerous! Get back here! We push with numbers!”
Lee Si-woo yelled at Kim Min-jun advancing solo—suicide, he thought.
“Keep those masks tight. Don’t worry about me.”
Ah.
That insane demonic energy.
Jackpot.
Ta-at!
Kim Min-jun grinned wide and leaped atop the monster.
He plunged his hand into its belly.
“Kreeeeek!”
Blood gushed like a fountain.
It thrashed wildly, shaking the dungeon like an earthquake.
“Delicious. Thanks for the meal.”
He sucked up every drop of demonic energy inside in seconds.
A massive haul, unlike anything before.
[Demonic Energy stat has increased by 1!]
The system message made his lips curl.
‘Perpetual Engine’s turn now.’
He funneled all the absorbed energy into his Perpetual Engine.
The organ, which had been sluggishly producing demonic energy, exploded into overdrive.
[Perpetual Engine stat has increased by 1!]
[Perpetual Engine stat has increased by 1!]
Messages piled up.
His body filled with demonic energy—homegrown, not scavenged.
“Time to go flashy.”
He’d held back on black magic skills for a reason.
Some demanded huge reserves.
‘Good. Civilians are at the entrance. Let’s dazzle ’em.’
A wave of his hand summoned hell imps with glowing red eyes.
Way more than before.
And bigger.
Ttak!
They swarmed the monster seamlessly.
A finger snap, and boom—massive explosion.
‘Feels good. This is black magic.’
The monster vaporized, leaving scraps.
A beast that’d take two Hunter Force companies to drop—gone in a blink.
Ding.
A message popped up before Kim Min-jun’s eyes.