Into the Dungeon (4)
I climbed into the cargo bed of a Dio Guild truck and headed out to the site.
There were twelve of us inside, including Instructor Nike. Everyone was geared head to toe in state-of-the-art equipment.
The truck rattled along, and the air inside gradually sank into a heavy silence. Bang Su-hwan, who normally did nothing but nap through class, was tense. Lee Ji-jun, who was usually brimming with confidence, was tense. Ha Se-na, with her straight-backed, severe expression, was tense too. And so was I.
I know what’s about to happen, but still...
I clenched my fist and deliberately ignored the sharp thudding of my pulse. Then, out of nowhere, I remembered something a UFC champion had once said.
I’m actually scared when I fight. It’s not much different even if my opponent is a child.
Humans had an instinctive fear of fighting. How could they not? When you’re hurling savage attacks at another person, you never know what kind of accident might happen. Not even the strongest person in the world could ever be completely free of that fear.
And what about a dungeon packed with monsters?
One wrong move, and I could die.
Just as the oppressive atmosphere had me struggling to breathe, the truck came to a stop and the doors opened.
“Get off.”
Instructor Nike took charge of the Dio Guild agents and interns. As soon as I stepped outside, windblown sand brushed both my cheeks. Somewhere nearby, a fierce gust was blowing. The air stank of scorching exhaust.
The truck had stopped in the middle of an eight-lane road. Traffic must have been completely shut down, because not even a single ant was in sight besides our vehicles. Not far away, an unknown object hung suspended in the air.
Three meters wide. Four meters tall. An elongated oval shape, gleaming like the eye of a beast. That was the source of the wind.
Wuuung. Wuuuuung.
A strange, mournful howl spilled out from the sphere. Even looking at it made me feel crushed, as though some invisible weight were closing around my throat. I swallowed the urge to turn and run and forced myself to stay put.
Reality finally sank in.
A Gate.
The entrance to an unknown world, and the exit from which monsters burst out.
“Instructor Nike. You’re here!”
“Yes. Report.”
The on-site agent began his briefing.
“Right now, thirty-five multi-gates have appeared across the Gangnam area.”
The interns all swallowed hard. Normally, one Gate opening in a whole district was considered a big event. Even during the Big Lava incident, only a single Gate had appeared in Eunpyeong District. But thirty-five?
“There are three Gates measured at Ruin-grade, and they’ve all appeared in this area. The representative teams from each major guild are already on their way.”
I did the math in my head. On average, each Gate could support about ten people entering. That meant the number of hunters needed to suppress a multi-gate was...
About 350.
Dio Guild had around a hundred hunters. Of those, once you excluded the dead weight, there were only about thirty who actually got thrown into combat. Even if every one of them were mobilized, it still wouldn’t come close to enough to stop a multi-gate.
Then another truck arrived and stopped nearby, followed by more. Hunters wearing equipment from a different company climbed out.
“Whew. That’s insane.”
“How long has it been since a multi-gate happened?”
The emblems on the vehicles caught my eye: Jincheon and Superior Guild. Along with Dio, they were counted among South Korea’s three major guilds.
The agent continued his briefing. “First, we’ll organize the combat teams according to Gate danger level—”
“Let’s wrap this up and get moving.”
Someone cut him off.
It was a hunter from Jincheon Guild: a thick, solid man with spiky hair and a body built like a seasoned warrior. A massive war hammer rested on his shoulder.
The interns began whispering among themselves.
“That’s Bongseon Heo Jin-o.”
“This is the first time I’ve seen him in person.”
“Man, he’s huge.”
Jincheon Guild used characters from Romance of the Three Kingdoms as their codenames, and Heo Jin-o was Jincheon’s S-class hunter.
As soon as a heavyweight appeared, the Dio Guild agent visibly shrank back.
“We’re in a hurry here. Is this the time for a leisurely briefing?”
“No, that’s not—”
“Good day.”
The one who stepped in front of the threatening Bongseon was Instructor Nike.
“I’ve heard a great deal about you, Heo Hunter.”
“Skip the pleasantries. Let’s assign the Gates.”
“Very well.”
“I’ll take command. I’m the highest-ranked here, so no one has a problem with that, right?”
“......”
“You. Come here. And you, too.”
Bongseon waved one broad hand and started rearranging the site however he pleased. To be fair, he wasn’t wrong. Among us, he had both the skill and the experience to back it up, so no one could stop him. Dio Guild had no choice but to follow his orders.
“What a load of crap.”
Then a voice came from behind us.
“Late to the scene and already acting like you own the place?”
A hunter with a face mean enough to make him look like a mad dog appeared.
Dio Guild’s strongest man.
Na Sang-min had arrived.
He walked over, dragging a silver spear behind him. It was strange. Everyone in Dio Guild who had feared and dreaded Na Sang-min suddenly looked relieved the moment he showed up.
Ha Se-na muttered, “Who would’ve thought I’d ever feel reassured seeing that psychopath?”
Bang Su-hwan and Lee Ji-jun laughed as if they agreed.
This was what they called belonging, I supposed.
It was ridiculous that guild factions were splitting apart even in the middle of a multi-gate crisis, and yet each guild still clung together with a stubborn sense of solidarity.
Na Sang-min stopped in front of Bongseon.
“This is exactly the time to follow rules and procedures. What, you think you can just do whatever you want? Is that how it works? Heo Jin-o Hunter. Is Jincheon always like this?”
Bongseon’s expression soured at the sneer. “Rules and procedures? Hah. Those are probably the least fitting words I’ve ever heard from you.”
“‘You’? Who are you talking to like that? You want your ass kicked?”
“Why? Planning to cause trouble again and run off to another guild?”
“You son of a bitch.”
The two S-class hunters from different guilds glared at each other and growled like dogs ready to bite. Anyone could see they weren’t on good terms.
“That’s enough.”
Someone else stepped in.
He was a long-haired man with a golden bow slung over his back and a lavish, immaculate outfit. Beside me, Lee Ji-jun pursed his lips.
“Oh. Balkan.”
Superior Guild used the names of major peninsulas around the world as codenames. Balkan Shin Hyunseung was Superior Guild’s S-class hunter. Lee Ji-jun had once been in Superior Guild before being demoted from his expected rank and transferred to Dio, so he knew exactly who Balkan was.
Lee Ji-jun let out a snort. “Look at that. The stars of Korea all gathered in one place.”
Balkan spoke. “This is not the time to fight. It is time to unite our strength.”
He sounded like he was scolding children, but no one objected. That was because he was completely right.
Na Sang-min and Bongseon both curled their lips, then took a step back. The Dio Guild agent watching all this stammered, “Then, um, I’ll resume the briefing.”
To summarize, a multi-gate had appeared on Dosan-daero. There were Crisis-grade, Collapse-grade, Ruin-grade, and Apocalypse-grade Gates, and among them, three of the Gates on Dosan-daero were Ruin-grade. It was a higher-tier incident than the Big Lava case. Each guild’s S-class leader would take responsibility for one Gate apiece.
“Team Leader Lee Yu-seol, follow Deimos. Hey, you there, and you too. And...”
Na Sang-min pointed out several people. For a moment our eyes met, but he quickly looked away. None of the people he chose were interns.
Of course not. In a place where your life was on the line, there was no way he’d bring along rookies who would only drag down his feet.
“Nike, you’re coming too.”
“Hunter Na, I’ll be leading the interns.”
Instructor Nike raised a hand. Na Sang-min glanced at our side, clicked his tongue, and said, “Fine. Then there’ll be eight of us total. We move in.”
Na Sang-min disappeared with the seasoned hunters.
“We’re going too!”
“Follow us!”
Jincheon and Superior Guild also headed into the Gate.
What was left behind was me, six interns, and Instructor Nike.
Instructor Nike stepped forward. “The Gate we’ll be entering is Crisis-grade.”
A Crisis-grade Gate was the lowest of the Gate classifications, and generally speaking, even a C-class hunter could clear one without much trouble.
“Since I’ll be going in with you, there shouldn’t be any major issues. Come this way.”
With Lee Ji-jun, who had once been rated A-class, and Instructor Nike, a genuine A-class hunter, our party was ridiculously overbuilt.
The problem was...
Choi Yongki: F-
On paper alone, I was clearly the stumbling block.
Did that hurt my pride?
Not at all.
Honestly, this is a relief.
I had a reason for needing to enter the Crisis-grade Gate no matter what during this dungeon raid.
If it hadn’t worked out, I would’ve thrown a fit or sneaked in somehow. Lucky break.
I tightened my resolve and started toward the Gate.
“Form up.”
At Instructor Nike’s command, we took our places just like we had during training.
“Ten seconds until entry. Nine! Eight!”
My heart pounded as I stared at the unfamiliar passage flickering before me. This was my second life, but it was my first time stepping into the inside of a Gate.
“Go!”
As I fed mana into my body and thrust out my foot, the world around me was sucked into a realm of light.
A large bird flapped overhead and flew away.
This place is...
It was a tropical rainforest so dense it seemed to swallow the sky. As I made my way over the slick, muddy ground, a damp smell of grass rose slowly into the air. It felt almost like I’d been taken on an overseas trip, but one look at the strange vines twisting everywhere and the brightly colored insects with far too many legs crawling across the leaves was enough to tell me this wasn’t Earth.
“Ugh—”
Bang Su-hwan looked like he was motion sick and vomited. While I thumped his back a couple of times, Instructor Nike pointed ahead.
“Get a hold of yourselves! They’re coming!”
The moment he spoke, something emerged from the brush.
Small, green figures.
Goblins.
They wore worn-out armor and carried swords and shields in their hands.
“Kieee!”
Without even a signal, the battle began. The first to lunge was Lee Ji-jun. He drew a knife made of blood and, without hesitation, drove it straight into a goblin’s heart.
Bang Su-hwan and Ha Se-na joined in as well.
“Kekek!”
Then one of the goblins on the side charged at me. I clenched my fist. Not to use Judgment of the Superhuman.
It was time to use the technique I’d been waking up before dawn to practice over and over again.
Let’s go.
I thrust out a fist loaded with mana. With a wet crack, the goblin’s neck bones snapped and its head twisted ninety degrees.
It didn’t shatter its skull into pieces or blow its head apart the way Judgment of the Superhuman would have, but it was more than enough to kill it instantly.
There.
I didn’t need a hero’s power. I didn’t need to spend a single won from my Awakened Balance. I could stand on my own and face it head-on without relying on anyone else.
There was no need to rush. If I kept building my strength steadily, someday...
I might even surpass a hero.
The hopeful thought filled me with confidence.
Lee Ji-jun snorted. “See? I told you that fox-looking bastard was hiding his strength.”
Bang Su-hwan gave me a thumbs-up.
Instructor Nike didn’t join the fight. He stayed in command instead.
“Don’t let your guard down. Stay focused until the end!”
He was giving us the chance to gain real combat experience.
The battle ended in an instant. I took down five goblins, and the others finished off more than twenty between them. Contrary to our worries, everything was going smoothly.
No, to be honest...
...This is too easy.
My first Gate experience was going far more smoothly than I’d expected.
Instructor Nike checked the device that detected mana inside the dungeon. “Let’s finish this in one go. Over there.”
Following him, we pushed through the brush and came out in front of a huge cave.
“Woooaaaah!!!”
As we drew a little closer, a thunderous roar echoed out from inside. A moment later, the ground seemed to tremble faintly, and a two-headed orc burst out of the cave. Its tusks jutted past its lips, and the doom hammer gripped in one hand looked plenty threatening.
It’s the boss monster.
Once again, Lee Ji-jun volunteered as the damage dealer. He grabbed his Blood Knife and charged in at incredible speed.
Slash.
He left a gash in the orc’s thick skin, but he didn’t land a fatal blow.
“Tch. I was hoping to one-shot it.”
Now it was the rest of the interns’ turn. The wounded orc seemed furious enough to burst a vein, and it charged forward, shaking the ground beneath us.
Bang Su-hwan blocked its body with his huge shield, and the others piled on together. As the wounds on the orc’s body gradually multiplied, the monster began to backpedal.
Then it turned tail and ran.
“Hah. Trying to flee?”
“Like hell!”
Two interns, emboldened by their success, rushed after it. The orc hesitated, then suddenly spun around and swung the doom hammer it had been holding.
It had been pretending to flee, baiting them into its trap.
The interns hanging in the air were helpless.
Dangerous.
Riiip.
In an instant, a long vertical line appeared across the orc’s body.
“Guhh—!”
A heavy thud followed as the bisected monster collapsed. Behind the fallen orc stood Instructor Nike, shaking the blood off the blade in his hand.
“I told you not to let your guard down.”
Everyone looked shocked.
I didn’t even see him move.
As expected of a high-rank hunter.
Once the final boss died, a blue field opened up in front of the Gate. Paaat. That meant all we had to do was step outside. Mission complete, clean and perfect.
“Good work, everyone.”
Lee Ji-jun shook out his hair with a slightly bored expression and grumbled, “You should’ve sent me to the Ruin-grade Gate. What was the point of making me come to a Crisis-grade one? Tch.”
Only then did the interns let out sighs of relief.
“No one’s hurt, right?”
“Whew. A Crisis-grade Gate isn’t so bad.”
Instructor Nike hesitated in front of the Gate, looking like he was torn over something. “...Before we escape, we’re collecting the loot.”
A multi-gate had erupted and was actively threatening humanity at this very moment, but guilds were profit-seeking organizations all the same. As long as capitalism ruled the world, they had to secure whatever monetary gain they could on their own.
“First squad, dismantle the orc carcasses. Second squad, collect goblin blood.”
“Yes, Instructor.”
The interns dispersed obediently.
I pretended to follow the order too, but while walking I quietly looked around. The chance has finally come.
There was something I absolutely had to do the first time I entered a Gate.
Right now, no one knew it yet, but in just a few years an enormous secret hidden inside Gates would be revealed.
And I’m the only one who knows it.
I raised a hand. “I’m going to take care of something. I’ll be back shortly.”
“Hurry back, Hunter Choi.”
I slipped into a shadowy patch of grass and headed off in another direction. Waiting for me there were three gifts.
A treasure that would bring immense wealth.
A fortuitous encounter that would let me grow even further.
And last of all...
“An encounter with a dragon.”
I finally came to a stop and looked up.