Chapter 128
Chapter 128
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: What Happened in the Octopus Leg Bridge Dungeon (2)
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[Unregistered Awakener, huh.]
A glint appeared in the Heavenly Demon's eyes.
No way were those people unregistered Awakeners like him?
[We manage transportation inside dungeons in real-time and very strictly. They can't even pass through the shield, and if they bring in the wrong vehicle—not meant for dungeons—it could destabilize the dungeon.]
The voice of Nameless, transmitted directly into his ear, was extremely serious.
[This sibling pair is wearing goggles and a nanobot helmet, so we can't identify them precisely. Probably intentional.]
[Why go through the hassle?]
The Heavenly Demon had crossed countless dungeons unregistered up to now.
But Nameless spoke in a heavy tone.
[Didn't the Association announce undercover patrols this time?]
[You think those are the patrol agents?]
[Probably. Or maybe bandits.]
[Bandits?]
[No communications work inside dungeons, so you can just handle things internally. That's why the Association hands out harsh punishments to unregistered Awakeners.]
The Heavenly Demon, sitting expressionless, had his eyes sparkle.
[So there are bandits here too.]
[Yes. Unregistered Awakeners... mostly criminals whose registrations were revoked. They enter dungeons to rob. Dungeon vehicles are especially pricey, so they make prime targets.]
Nameless, whispering lowly, flinched upon noticing the Heavenly Demon's expression.
The Heavenly Demon, listening quietly, was baring his fangs in a feral grin.
[This could be fun.]
[Pardon?]
[Let's see when these small fries make their move.]
Yes. To the Heavenly Demon, Association agent or bandit—it didn't matter.
He just had to sit back and watch what they were up to.
[Fights between small fries are always entertaining.]
The Heavenly Demon flicked his tongue, Blood Flame Radiance flashing briefly.
He looked like a gambler watching bugs fight.
[Y-yes.]
Nameless replied weakly, like a groan.
Screeech.
At that moment, the speeding buggy came to a screeching halt with a loud brake sound.
The small truck following behind also slowed to a stop.
"By the way, we haven't introduced ourselves properly."
The goggle-wearing man who stepped out from the buggy's driver's seat smiled as he spoke.
"I'm Kang Yunho. I work as a treasure hunter."
The buggy's roof was loaded with gear, including foraging bags.
He looked every bit the treasure hunter staying long-term in dungeon zones to hunt treasures.
The short-haired man who got out of the small truck grinned.
"I'm Jang Seongryun. I work as a delivery guy for a pharmaceutical company."
Working for a pharma company made him one of the most successful delivery types.
"So that's why you drive an M903."
At Kang Yunho's quip, the bob-haired woman lightly hooked her arm around Jang Seongryun's.
"I'm I Seolhwa. I work with Seongryun."
"I'm Kang Minju."
The helmeted woman from the buggy's passenger seat, Kang Minju, bowed her head belatedly.
"I work treasure hunting with my brother."
"I see. It's great seeing siblings working together like that. Haha!"
As the four burst into hearty laughter, their gazes fixed on the Heavenly Demon standing there in his duck mask.
"Your name...?"
When Jang Seongryun asked cautiously, Nameless quickly stepped forward.
[I'm Kim Minjun.]
Kim Minjun.
The most common male name registered in the country.
[Our user is the quiet type without much eloquence... so I'm set to handle most responses.]
Nameless joked, trying to ease the awkward air a bit.
[Please forgive me if my responses aren't satisfactory. Haha.]
Jang Seongryun exclaimed as he looked at Nameless.
"Wow, must've loaded it with top-tier language packs and AI specs."
[Spot on. Our user, Kim Minjun, takes on any money-making job that comes his way, so he's loaded. Hot hot hot.]
"You're hilarious."
Jang Seongryun laughed, and I Seolhwa said enviously.
"Kim Minjun must be really rich. Buying pricey nanobots like this, and that unique mask on his head..."
Nameless spoke into the Heavenly Demon's head at the couple's constant money talk.
[These two couples are bandits after all?]
[Who knows.]
The Heavenly Demon smiled faintly, finding the situation amusing for once.
Without the duck mask, that menacing grin would've frozen the mood solid.
"Anyway, it should be around here."
Kang Yunho smacked his lips as he scanned the area.
Nearby where they'd parked were several piles of rocks that looked like hills.
"I can't quite remember. Minju, can you check?"
"Sure."
Kang Minju, in her round helmet, stepped forward.
"Probably... around here."
She scanned the surroundings, then lightly stroked the ground at the base of a large rock pile hill to the left.
Woooong.
A low vibration hummed, sending out strange concentric waves.
Rumble rumble boom.
At the same time, a bronze door emerged from a section of the rock pile.
'Hoo.'
The Heavenly Demon narrowed his eyes as he watched.
The door appearing from rock was odd enough, but Kang Minju was even stranger.
The power flowing from her hand as she stroked the rock.
It was utterly different from any Awakener power he'd seen.
'She didn't know the entrance beforehand—she found it using her ability.'
[Kim Minjun, we've arrived at the Octopus Leg Bridge Dungeon. It's named for the suction cup marks carved at the entrance, like this.]
Nameless recited dungeon info like a store-bought nanobot.
[Classified as a mobile dungeon for convenience. Rank B. Main monster is the danger level 200 Gkok Gkok Rat. It gets B-rank despite that because of the boss monster at the core, danger level 30,000, the Bead Fox...]
"Enough."
The Heavenly Demon waved them off, still using his modulated girl's voice.
"Thanks for the ride."
He started toward the dungeon entrance.
"Um, Minjun."
Just then, Jang Seongryun stepped forward with a troubled look.
"You're going in alone?"
"Yes."
Jang Seongryun and I Seolhwa nodded, slightly surprised.
To solo a B-rank dungeon meant at least 4th Grade Awakener.
Who'd have thought this crazy duck-masked guy was upper-tier.
"Come with us."
"No."
Even at the curt refusal, Jang Seongryun pressed on undeterred.
"Then at least make a prior agreement before entering."
"Agreement?"
"We might fight over relics. Especially the Bead Fox at the core—its relic fetches a high price..."
The Heavenly Demon replied tonelessly.
"No need for relics. I just need to gather Bang Bang Fruits."
He spun around and slipped straight into the dungeon entrance.
"Bang Bang Fruits?"
Jang Seongryun and I Seolhwa blinked at each other.
"Was there a relic like that in there?"
"No idea."
The giant frame with a duck mask, the voice from the speaker—it was all bizarre.
As the Jang couple turned back flustered, Kang Yunho shrugged.
"Then we'll each go separately."
"Separately?"
"You're delivery folks, right? We're assault treasure hunters."
Assault treasure hunters targeted not just hidden relics but monster drops too.
Solo by nature—hogging all loot—the job only for 4th Grade or higher Awakeners.
"O-our ranks aren't that high, actually."
Jang Seongryun said sheepishly, voice shrinking.
"Could we tag along?"
Kang Yunho shook his head, looking troubled.
"We're after the Bead Fox relic. We let that Kim guy go first since he was after some fruit, but..."
"Then we'll just grab some dungeon materials while tagging along."
"Pardon?"
At Kang Yunho's puzzled look, Jang Seongryun grinned awkwardly.
"Our abilities aren't enough to reach the core materials. If you let us tag, we'll just scrounge peripherals. Please?"
I Seolhwa clasped her hands pleadingly.
"Please. We won't get in the way."
Kang Yunho sighed at their desperate begging.
"What's your rank and skills? For teaming up temporarily..."
Standard procedure for ad-hoc teams: show Awakener ID.
To verify identity and skills clearly.
"Of course. Here."
Jang Seongryun and I Seolhwa projected their IDs as holograms from their phones.
Kang Yunho and Kang Minju examined the floating IDs carefully.
"Hmm..."
Valid 6th Grade IDs, complete with dungeon entry permits.
"Could we see yours too?"
As Jang Seongryun awkwardly asked after closing his screen, Kang Yunho nodded and pulled out his phone.
"Hold on."
As he tried to project the hologram, Kang Minju suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Sorry, but no. Better to go separately."
Jang Seongryun waved his hands as if realizing something.
"Ah, no need. You don't have to show."
He scratched his head with a friendly smile.
"Forgot high-rankers hate revealing skills. We're the ones pushing—sorry for the rude ask."
He bowed politely—no more to say.
Kang Minju looked resigned, and Kang Yunho nodded helplessly.
"We won't take responsibility for any incidents."
"Of course. Thank you."
"We'll take point—follow carefully."
"Yes."
Jang Seongryun bowed smilingly. But the Kang siblings didn't notice.
Before entering, Jang Seongryun had subtly pressed a button on his wrist-mounted phone.
* * *
Crush.
The Heavenly Demon lightly punched, turning six loitering Gkok Gkok Rats in front of him into bloody pulp that flew away.
The Octopus Leg Bridge Dungeon interior looked like any other stone-walled dungeon.
Except every set distance, three branching paths appeared.
[The Octopus Leg Bridge maze hinges on path choice. Monster types, numbers, and time to core and exit all vary by selection.]
Nameless on the Heavenly Demon's shoulder eyed the dark forks, sensors gleaming.
[Two paths have monsters or traps. One leads straight to the core unhindered.]
"Isn't it a maze?"
[Yes. Entrance shifts change internal layout and forks, but accumulated map data predicts the safe path with 87% accuracy.]
Ignoring Nameless's chatter, the Heavenly Demon strode into the middle path without hesitation.
[Heavenly Demon? I haven't even computed yet?]
Yet no traps or monsters appeared as he walked the fork.
He'd picked the safe path at a glance.
[You always surprise me. How'd you know?]
"Instinct."
[Pardon?]
"Trapped spots feel off."
Truth was, the Heavenly Demon had the most experience with mechanisms and formations in the martial world.
Righteous experts, unable to win in open combat, endlessly set complex arrays and traps before him.
Childish nonsense to him—he just smashed through.
[You're picking the shortest path to the core, not the Bang Bang Fruits spot.]
As Nameless nodded, grasping his intent,
"..."
The Heavenly Demon halted, tilting his head.
Like listening intently to a faint distant sound.
[Heavenly Demon.]
"Quiet."
Deep in thought, he suddenly punched the fork's wall.
Wooong wooong!
Cunningly controlled power—the wall didn't crumble, just hummed lowly.
[What are you doing?]
No answer. He dashed ahead with movement arts.
Having nailed the safe path again, he punched another wall.
Wooong wooong.
Vibrations continued awhile, then a faint groan echoed from somewhere.
Screeeeech.
[What is this...?]
No reply. He kept wall-punching relentlessly.
Wooong wooong. Screeeeech.
Hearing the repeating vibrations and groans, Nameless's sensors flashed.
[Because of the Awakeners behind us?]
"Yes."
The Heavenly Demon pictured the Kang siblings and Jang couple.
"If they're after me, they'll track my exact path."
[True, none of those four were ordinary.]
"Especially those two—they had shady eyes."
His eyes burned red as coals, lips curling.
"By core arrival, something fun will happen."
Inside the Octopus Leg Bridge Dungeon.
Kang Minju, helmeted, pointed at the middle path.
"This way."
Nanobots were essential for maze dungeons.
Even geniuses with perfect memory or path memorization faltered against shifting mazes.
"Past here, we'll reach the core."
Her orb-shaped nanobot computed flawlessly—straight to core, no traps or monsters, like a stroll.
"Wow, helmet nanobots are solid. Computes faster than ours."
Trailing behind, Jang Seongryun now had a cube-shaped mini nanobot on his shoulder.
"New model?"
"Yeah. Picked one up recently."
Kang Yunho and Kang Minju exchanged odd glances.
Even as pharma delivery, Jang's gear was too lavish.
Custom casual nanosuit, M903 truck, latest nanobot.
"Ah, inherited some family wealth. Haha."
Feeling the suspicion, Jang Seongryun scratched his head.
"Blew it all on gear, though."
"I see."
Kang Yunho nodded, about to speak—
-Kiiiiiuuuu!
A low beast cry echoed from afar.
The Bead Fox inhabiting the core.