Viewers Break 30,000 – The Forest Holds Its Breath

Midway through the C-class dungeon Crimson Nest.

The moment I stepped into the entrance of the massive, dark-red forest zone, the ominous premonition that had been choking me turned into harsh reality.

The leaves were soaked in blood, twisted roots of ancient trees crawled over the ground like human limbs.

From the shadows of the forest came low, echoing growls from unidentified beasts.

"Huff... huff..."

I gripped the strap of my backpack tight and froze in place, panting heavily.

The pressure of being in a C-class dungeon was already driving me insane, and this eerie forest's visuals were gnawing away at my last shreds of sanity.

Any second now, frenzied monsters would burst from those red bushes and sink their teeth into my neck.

It was so terrifying my heart felt like it would shatter my ribs and burst out.

But in stark contrast to my utter terror, the blue window floating in the air was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a total madhouse.

The numbers skyrocketed, and finally, the first digit changed.

That was the moment.

"Ugh...!"

Suddenly, a piercing ring stabbed my eardrums, followed by a horrific pressure crushing my body.

It felt like I'd plummeted into deep water dozens of meters down—utter suffocation.

My chest seized up, vision narrowing black at the edges.

I couldn't breathe right, clutching my neck and staggering in place.

What the hell? Why's it so hard to breathe all of a sudden? Panic attack?

I mistook it for some issue from the C-class dungeon's thick mana density messing with my body.

But that suffocation wasn't in my body—it was the prelude to a massive pressure radiating outward from me.

Bzzz—!

An invisible wave started from under my feet, surging like a tsunami across the entire Crimson Nest forest.

The wind died first.

Then even the insect chirps vanished.

The eerie rustling wind cut off sharp.

The creepy bug buzzes stopped dead.

Even the beasts' growls in the dark switched off instantly.

A perfect silence where not a leaf twitched, every sound evaporated from ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the world.

"...Huh?"

I blinked wide-eyed, scanning around.

All the terrifying noises pounding my ears just moments ago—gone.

The whole forest was dead silent, like it was holding its breath before a massive predator.

This feeling again?But why's the entire dungeon gone this quiet?

This calm-before-the-storm hush terrified me way more than before.

Lips trembling, I kept glancing around nervously when I noticed something off with the party members arrayed in formation ahead of me.

While the blue window's chat exploded, the veteran C-class party members stood frozen like statues.

The massive tanker up front gripped his huge shield with trembling hands, readjusting it.

His broad shoulders visibly hunched.

"M-Minsu-nim..."

The tanker swallowed dryly and whispered cautiously to me.

"Is this... the phenomenon where the forest yields first?"

"Huh? Yields? What..."

"No, forgive me. How dare I presume to judge a hunter's profound arts. I'm just in awe."

He nodded to himself in rapture, not even giving me time to respond.

The healer beside him had his hands clasped in prayer, gazing up at me with reverent eyes.

Even the mage leaned on his staff, legs buckling as he gasped for breath.

"Can't measure by rank. No monster in here dares make a sound toward the hunter."

"Hey, wait. What are you all talking about?"

"It's gotten quieter all of a sudden, and that's even scarier. Isn't this an ambush?"

I asked with a genuinely tearful face.

The sudden silence meant monsters were biding their time to swarm us all at once, obviously.

But the party took my scared voice as casual scouting talk.

"Haha! Even Hunter-nim jokes around. Laying down this silence and pretending to worry about ambushes."

The tanker bellowed a laugh and bowed 90 degrees at the waist.

"We'll guard the rear. The front's already clear."

Words weren't getting through.

When would they realize I was legit shaking in my boots, legs about to give out?

In the end, I let out a deep sigh of resignation.

We started crossing the blood-red forest wrapped in suffocating silence.

In a normal C-class dungeon, grotesque monsters should've swarmed every 10 meters.

But on our path, not even an ant showed.

Or more precisely, they were pretending not to be there.

Rustle. When I absentmindedly stepped on a twig, presences fluttered in the forest shadows.

Too scared, I whipped my head around.

Behind a big rock, a C-class monster Blood Panther hid.

Eek!

I jolted and sucked in a breath. Expecting razor fangs to flash out any second—but the Blood Panther was a mess.

It lay flattened behind the rock, eyes rolled back, foaming at the mouth.

Overwhelmed by the pressure pinning it down, it'd passed out.

Even its tail area reeked of piss.

I glanced up at a tree—ghoulish birds that supposedly sucked human blood dangled limply from branches, playing dead.

Every monster I eyed convulsed, slammed its nose to the ground, and trembled in submission.

"H-Hey, what's wrong with these guys?"

"Are they sick or something?"

I pointed cautiously, and the party erupted in admiration.

"Not sick! They're begging for their lives under Minsu-nim's gaze!"

"C-class ecosystem's top predators crumbling first before that existence... What impossible sight is this?"

The tanker muttered in a daze. They weren't even thinking of attacking anymore.

Monsters parted like the Red Sea with every step I took, so the party just trailed behind, savoring this miraculous stroll.

This feeling again.

I bit the inside of my cheek.

The problem was, this time it wasn't just a hallway or boss room—the whole forest was silent.

This level of quiet is a whole other issue.

I felt strength slowly returning to my trembling legs.

Still suffocating, but at least no monsters charging— I'd survive.

For a second, I wondered if the Hunter Management Bureau had cleared a safe zone ahead.

"Phew..."

Tension easing, an unwitting sigh of relief slipped out.

That faint sound made the entire forest flinch and recoil even further.

Like that, we reached the forest's deepest part without a single fight or swinging a weapon.

"Minsu-nim. We're here."

The leading tanker halted cautiously and stepped aside.

The rest of the party split left and right, opening the path for me.

Like knights escorting an emperor to the throne room.

Before my eyes yawned the massive cave mouth, formed by grotesquely intertwined blood-red ancient trees.

Thick roots blocking the entrance writhed like living snakes.

From the deep darkness beyond, a faint, horrific roar vibrated the air—heavy with menace.

Grooooar—!

The mana pressure from the C-class dungeon's master.

The instant it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hit my skin, my body froze up again on reflex.

B-Boss room...

Tears welled up. The forest monsters had parted ways luckily,

but dungeon bosses were different. They never let intruders who invaded their domain live.

I clutched my backpack strap and inched backward.

"H-Hey! Boss fights are usually handled by the backup party, right? I'll just guard the gear out here... You guys go ahead!"

My desperate plea got a kind, sturdy smile and headshake from the tanker.

"You joke so well. How could we dare intrude on Hunter-nim's hunt?"

He set his massive shield on the ground and politely extended an arm toward the boss room entrance.

"Please proceed. We'll quietly admire your overwhelming 'mercy' from back here."

No, please don't admire—just tank up front!

My inner scream scattered futilely into the heavy silence.

With the party stepping aside behind me, I ended up alone at the threshold of the massive boss room.