Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: Dungeon Picnic (1)
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Early morning. Shield Boundary Zone, Special Response Team headquarters.
The fourth-floor kitchen where Cho Hong was staying.
The Special Response Team and Han Hojo were seated around a large wooden dining table, having breakfast.
-…A fire broke out at an Awakener shop that was selling illegal relics. In this fire, a 28-year-old man named Kim is in critical condition……
Han Manjae, who had been staring blankly at the TV, clicked his tongue and spoke.
“Who the hell hid Boomstones in an Awakener shop? Was it that Scouter terrorist group or whatever they call themselves?”
Yoo Eunho, who had been chewing his rice, shook his head.
“No way. How could they smuggle in hundreds of Boomstones? Besides, they say the explosion was just a coincidental accident caused by the fire.”
“Then?”
“The overseas task force guys are the ones good at that kind of crap. They probably hid items all over the city like that and caused this mess.”
“Not the National Intelligence Service.”
Shin Chaeyoung, who had been quietly sipping her soup, shook her head.
“They estimate three hundred Boomstones exploded.”
“So?”
“That’s not the level those overseas intel teams would pull off.”
“Then who? Military Intelligence Command? They just stockpile them openly in their bases.”
At Yoo Eunho’s question, Shin Chaeyoung quietly turned her head.
At the end of her gaze was Cho Hong, who was ladling more soup for Han Hojo.
“Huh?”
Feeling Shin Chaeyoung’s gaze, Cho Hong blinked.
“Why?”
“It’s not you?”
“What?”
Shin Chaeyoung glanced at the TV and let out a sigh-like breath.
“The only one who’d do something like that is Director Kim Suwoong.”
The moment the name ‘Kim Suwoong’ came up, the atmosphere at the table turned as somber as a funeral home.
Kim Suwoong, who had swiftly ousted Director Park Jeongmin, who had been pegged as the next Association Chairman.
There were all sorts of rumors about how he skyrocketed—secret alliances with various groups, or the government fully backing him to check the Association’s dominance……
The rumors were rampant, but nothing concrete had been revealed about this shadowy figure.
Was Kim Suwoong, who executed secret schemes even his direct subordinates didn’t know about, plotting some incident?
“That’s not it.”
But an unexpected response came from Cho Hong’s mouth.
“The more incidents like this happen, the narrower the Association’s position gets. Why would he do that?”
“Rumor has it he’s tight with government officials.”
“The rumors say that, but… they don’t actually seem that close.”
“Huh? How do you know that, Team Leader?”
When Yoo Eunho, who had been listening, suddenly asked, Cho Hong gave a wry smile and placed a hand on her forehead.
“This is…”
“You read Director Kim Suwoong’s mind?”
“No, there was a time during a meeting when a government report suddenly came in, and I just caught a glimpse of his subtle emotional hue.”
As if recalling that moment, Cho Hong’s eyes deepened.
“He spoke amicably, but his emotions were definitely leaning more toward ‘negative.’”
“I see.”
Shin Chaeyoung, who had been listening quietly, nodded, and then Han Hojo abruptly stood up.
“Thanks for the meal.”
“I’ll drive you before your class starts. Eat slowly.”
At Han Manjae’s words, Han Hojo gave a feeble smile.
“Today’s the day for the picnic.”
“Oh, right?”
Han Manjae scratched his head with a grin and cautiously asked.
“How’s the Awakener school…? Bearable?”
For a moment, Han Hojo’s eyes wavered.
To keep his promise with the snow woman, Han Hojo had sneaked into the Safe Dungeon zone.
Not only had he wandered the dungeon area leisurely, but he had also boldly entered the southwestern forest zone that wasn’t even mapped.
By chance, that scene was recorded by an Awakener’s nanobots, exposing him as an Awakener.
-Our son has a detection skill.
As the Association’s interrogation continued, Han Manjae had made this excuse to hide the All-Seeing Vision skill.
-But the range is narrow, and the kid didn’t want to go to Awakener school… so we didn’t register him reluctantly.
Of course, the Association measured Han Hojo’s abilities strictly, regardless of the excuse.
But detection skills depend on the user’s intent. Han Hojo mimicked an F-grade detection skill, ‘Object Detection,’ to match his father’s excuse.
The ‘Object Detection’ skill had a range of about 40 meters. And its effect was limited to just one type of object—the worst possible skill.
It would be perfect for treasure hunting, but Awakeners were Awakeners. There were no exceptions.
In the end, Han Hojo transferred from an ordinary elementary school to an Awakener school.
“Yeah. It’s great.”
Regaining his composure, Han Hojo smiled brightly and nodded.
* * *
Korean Awakener Association Affiliated Elementary School. 5th Grade F-Class classroom.
During break time, Han Hojo, sitting at his desk, glanced at the title of the book his desk mate Lee Jinsol was reading intently.
-[Century’s Awakener Compendium]
The open page listed a very familiar skill name.
-All-Seeing Vision. Skill Grade: SS.
-A skill that allows viewing the activation range of any skill at desired angles and distances. An extremely rare multi-skill manifested in only a handful so far.
-The Awakener with the highest recorded All-Seeing Vision range is Russia’s 1st Grade Awakener, Roman Poluyan. His range is 300 meters, practically allowing full grasp of dungeon surroundings and monsters……
“Huh?”
Han Hojo, who had peeked at the book, widened his eyes.
“Why?”
Feeling Lee Jinsol’s gaze, Han Hojo shook his head.
“Sorry. I was coughing.”
Scratching his head, Han Hojo secretly drew a proud smile. His All-Seeing Vision range was a whopping 1 kilometer.
Three times wider than Roman Poluyan, said to be the world’s best.
Moreover, since skill and physical prowess scale together, the range was likely to expand further as Han Hojo grew.
“Must be nice. Being able to see everything in any range you want.”
Lee Jinsol, reading the book, muttered toward Han Hojo.
“With this skill alone, you could find all the expensive relics in a dungeon. Right?”
“Not really.”
“Huh?”
At Lee Jinsol’s gaze, Han Hojo scratched his head.
“Ah, no. Dungeons are dangerous. What relics can you find with just one skill?”
“What are you talking about? An SS-grade skill owner would have at least 2nd Grade physical awakening. They could clear most low-grade dungeons barehanded.”
“Right. Yeah?”
Han Hojo gave an awkward smile.
The body is the vessel for skills. Thus, skill grade and physical awakening degree are directly proportional.
For example, possessing an S-grade skill usually comes with at least 4th Grade physical awakening.
‘But why did my skill manifest without physical awakening?’
Surprisingly, Han Hojo’s physical awakening was 3%. Practically no different from an ordinary human.
‘Is it because I don’t want to be an Awakener?’
The place that took his mother was a dungeon, and the place his father risked his life working was also a dungeon.
Even without his father Han Manjae’s urging, Han Hojo didn’t want the life of an Awakener making dungeons their workplace.
“Hey, Lee Jinsol. You read even on picnic day?”
Then, a kid with a massive build and chubby cheeks approached behind Lee Jinsol.
His classmate Hwang Janghoon, with 9th Grade physical awakening and the D-grade skill ‘Gluttony’ that could digest anything he ate.
“Mind your own business.”
When Lee Jinsol turned away haughtily, Hwang Janghoon grinned widely at Han Hojo.
“Hojo, they say the Orchard Dungeon we’re going to today has tons of food. Let’s sneak a bunch out.”
“Ingredients from dungeons don’t taste good.”
“It’s for souvenirs.”
“No way. They check at the entrance when we leave anyway.”
“Huh? Really? There’s stuff like that?”
F-Class gathered kids with the lowest-grade manifested skills.
Coming from ordinary families with hardly any Awakener parents, few had experienced costly dungeon trips.
“Hojo, have you been in a dungeon?”
Lee Jinsol, who had been listening quietly, blinked, and Han Hojo nodded.
“Yeah. A few times.”
Han Hojo, who had just transferred and had a somewhat gloomy personality, had barely any friends.
But since coming here, his desk mate Lee Jinsol and Hwang Janghoon had been very friendly toward him.
“A few times? Wow! Your family must be loaded.”
At Hwang Janghoon’s envious mutter, Han Hojo shook his head slightly.
“No, a relative knew someone.”
Since both his father and mother were Association Awakeners, Han Hojo could nag them anytime for dungeon trips.
And that day, because he threw a tantrum wanting to go to a dungeon, his mother died.
‘It’s all my fault.’
Han Hojo, who had matured too early because of his mother’s death. He constantly blamed himself deep down.
“Alright, the bus is here.”
Then the classroom door opened, and the teacher waved.
“Line up by number and head to the vehicle.”
Grade-exempt dungeon ‘Orchard.’
This dungeon, shaped like laid-down logs, was grade-exempt with no monsters at all.
It also grew unique plants and fruits inside, making it an essential picnic course for the elementary division of Awakener schools.
“Wow.”
As soon as they entered the entrance, the kids exclaimed in awe.
Flowers and plants over 3 meters tall, enormous trees piercing the sky, car-sized fruits hanging from them……
It felt like arriving in the land of giants.
“Alright, you have 30 minutes of free time. Look around as much as you want.”
At the teacher’s shout, the kids scattered with cheers.
The supervising teachers were 7th Grade Awakeners, but for safety, 4th Grade Awakeners from the Association guarded the interior and entrance tightly.
“Hojo, look at this. It’s amazing.”
Deep inside the dungeon, Lee Jinsol pointed to a yellow flower that seemed over 5 meters tall.
Swaying lightly in the breeze from somewhere, it looked just like a galloping giraffe.
“This is, um… what is it.”
Lee Jinsol, checking her ‘Dungeon Plant Guidebook,’ smiled brightly.
“It’s Giraffe Flower. They say it’s used in medicine too.”
“Yeah.”
“And that one… Giant Peach Fruit! But it doesn’t taste good, so you can’t eat it.”
Watching Lee Jinsol explain each one from the book, Han Hojo’s expression darkened.
His mother used to explain everything like that too.
Seeing Lee Jinsol smile innocently, Han Hojo suddenly missed his mother terribly.
‘That’s why I didn’t want to come.’
“Hey! Hwang Janghoon! Are you crazy?”
Then, spotting Hwang Janghoon eating a fallen Giant Peach Fruit, Lee Jinsol yelled.
“Why are you eating that? I said you can’t eat it.”
“It’s fine! I can digest anything, remember?”
“Idiot, it numbs your tongue.”
“What?”
Sure enough, Hwang Janghoon, who had eaten the Giant Peach, stuck out his tingling tongue.
“Wha, why ish thish? My tongue feels numbsh.”
“It’ll take 30 minutes to wear off. No poison, so just stay put.”
“Wha shuck? Ishn’t lunch shoon? Sho boring.”
Looking at the sulking Hwang Janghoon, Han Hojo shook the Giraffe Flower in front of him.
Rustle.
He picked up a yellow Giraffe Flower petal that fluttered down to the ground and held it out.
“Janghoon, chew this.”
“Huh? Why?”
“It’ll un-numb your tongue right away.”
Hwang Janghoon chomped the petal from Han Hojo’s hand. As he chewed, his numb tongue really started to recover.
“Wow! It really worked fast! How’d you do that?”
“No big deal. The awakening agent in Giraffe Flower petals neutralizes the toxin in Giant Peach Fruit.”
“Hojo, thanks! Now I won’t starve at lunch.”
Hwang Janghoon grinned and grabbed Han Hojo’s shoulder, shaking it.
But at that moment,
“……!”
Han Hojo’s pupils dilated sharply.
Sensing an unprecedented danger, his All-Seeing Vision activated forcibly.
“Dodge!”
Han Hojo yanked Hwang Janghoon backward with all his strength.
Boom!
With a earth-shaking explosion, a massive hole formed where Hwang Janghoon had stood.
“Wh-what is this?”
Hwang Janghoon yelled, staring at the hole at his feet. It was deep and dark, bottomless.
At that instant, with a rumbling sound, the dungeon shook, and chaotic screams erupted from the entrance.
“Aaahhh!”
“There’s a monster in the floor!”