NOVEL NEXT Chapter 34
When I opened my eyes, I realized I had lost consciousness.
‘…What happened?’
The last thing I remembered was the Monk shouting in the dungeon.
‘Did the park turn into a dungeon at that moment?’
I have no clue. But the countless presences I sensed tell me this isn’t the urban area. Above all, the vast forest is proof of that.
‘Feels like I’m in the Amazon.’
Since it’s not dark, it seems daylight has arrived. Time has passed more than I thought, so I need to hurry. If the park has indeed turned into a dungeon, then Gu Ma-jun and the folks from the War Temple must have been caught up in it as well.
‘Doesn’t seem like anyone is around, though.’
This is different from the cobalt mine. It’s not intricately mazelike or as dark as caves. Is there really a dungeon like this?
‘Interesting.’
Honestly, I was planning to look for a dungeon anyway. But to end up like this is quite a coincidence.
‘Is this luck?’
A close call. I had no confidence in escaping, yet I survived by getting swept up in it, so I suppose that’s luck.
‘That guy probably hasn’t escaped the dungeon yet.’
Just a simple feeling. Ever since my weak sixth sense transformed into a somewhat reliable instinct, I developed a strange confidence regarding ordinary matters.
‘Not baseless; it’s like my instinct is telling me.’
Like when I found the first-grade believer registration list in the Temple office.
‘First, let’s find Gu Ma-jun.’
The sensitivity of my perception had also improved. The detection range expanded, and I could differentiate presences up to 3km away.
‘But still.’
Despite that, I couldn’t find him. At least, within the differentiable range, there were no presences appearing to be human. Not to mention, my sense of smell.
‘…I need to find him quickly.’
This was an opportunity. Also a crisis.
By the looks of it, those near here must have scattered, meaning Gu Ma-jun probably couldn’t join the Temple folks. If I search urgently, I might be able to kill him.
But what if I can’t kill him?
‘The brats will find out.’
There’s a wolf hindering me. I can’t get caught in this situation before I grow strong enough to confront them. I must kill him before he leaves the dungeon.
***
“Got it. I found him.”
Hong Yu-ri’s confident words brightened the faces of her team members. The end of a long chase was in sight.
“We’ve come quite a ways. What about the car? You can drive, right? Tell Team 2 to follow along.”
“Is it okay inside the car?”
“Stop worrying and just drive!”
“Seriously.”
Can’t entrust the precious vehicle to anyone? Woo Taek’s offer to drive was firmly rejected by the Team Leader.
“Can I step on it?”
“You idiot. Will this junk even go if you step on it?”
“…You’re crossing the line.”
The Team Leader revved the engine to the max with determination gleaming in his eyes. They say people’s personalities change when holding the steering wheel, but the Team Leader had no hesitation. The veins were popping on his forehead as seen in the rearview mirror.
“Hunter exclusive…!”
They sped down an empty road. Designed for hunters to rapidly reach different areas. They could go as fast as they wanted, thanks to the superior eyesight compared to the culprits. The teammates quickly put on their seatbelts, feeling the chill of the moment.
“Team Leader! Let me drive instead!”
“At this rate, Team 2 will miss us… Whoa!”
Utilizing his hunter abilities, they barreled down the road. They narrowly avoided a car that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, closing in on it in an instant.
[Speed: 184 km/h]
Who the heck drives like this in an SUV! I wanted to scream, but Hong Yu-ri crossed her arms and pressed for more speed, practically fanning the flames of excitement. Woo Taek was sure of it. That person was so clueless about how fast they were going as if they were on foot!
‘I really should have driven!’
Spurred by that provocation, the speed climbed to 200 km/h. 210 km… 220 km… even on a curve, there was no sign of slowing down. Rather, the speed increased as he sharply turned the wheel to drift! Tire marks were left on the road, just narrowly missing the guardrail.
“Aaaah!”
Then, the people in the backseat leaned with the direction the vehicle was heading. It was no longer driving; it was racing. The foot on the accelerator was stuck like glue.
“Please! Stop…”
The person in the backseat started talking and bit their tongue, causing Woo Taek to close his mouth. On the contrary, Hong Yu-ri was getting bolder. Seeing them scared just made her more confident.
“Oh come on, scaredy-cats~. Hunters don’t get into accidents anyway, right?”
‘Don’t let someone who hasn’t driven talk like that!’
Finally, when the wild ride came to an end, they were in Daegu.
“…I’m dead.”
It had only been about ten minutes, yet I felt like I was dying. Since becoming a hunter, this was the first time I felt car sickness. I still reduced speed in the city, though.
“Where are we?”
“Suseong District in Daegu. Do we keep going?”
When the Team Leader asked Hong Yu-ri, who had been intently observing the ground, she shook her head.
“No. Let’s get off. It feels nearby.”
After about 20 more minutes, they abruptly halted.
“There it is. Why are there so many people?”
“A disaster alert was sent. A dungeon has appeared in Lee Hyun Park. They advise not to approach.”
“Vice Team Leader, is that the place?”
To Woo Taek’s question, Hong Yu-ri calmly nodded.
“Yeah. Seems like someone’s already gone in there.”
“…This is a headache. Which clan is representing?”
“I’ll check right away.”
***
“This is strange.”
I could understand that this was a dungeon. There’s no place in Korea with so many monsters. But what puzzled me wasn’t the dungeon itself; it was that using magic felt somehow difficult.
“Is the dungeon interfering with magic usage?”
The form appeared to be a single type of forest.
But I had never heard of a dungeon hindering magic usage. Gu Ma-jun couldn’t hide his confusion. …In that case, could it be a side effect of the drug I took?
“No way… Really?”
His eyes soon glazed over, and when he reawoke, he had already forgotten about that thought.
***
“…And so the War Temple has taken over.”
“Wait, doesn’t that seem impossible? It hasn’t even been a day since the dungeon opened! How can they have already handed it over?”
“Some folks from the Temple might have been caught in it, plus it’s close by. Although they say it’s the representative clan, the War Temple has a more significant influence, doesn’t it?”
“Getting in won’t be easy.”
“That’s not our decision to make. Team 2 is coming, after all.”
They rushed to reach the location but had just arrived it seemed.
“For sure, we stepped on it a bit.”
“A bit? More like a lot!”
The first to exit the passenger seat was a massive man. It’s hard to imagine that someone over 2m tall could fit in the car.
“Jin-ha! How could you drive like that? Our team couldn’t keep up!”
“Oh, you made it?”
““Made it” is not the point!”
“Let’s get a briefing first.”
“…You really know how to make someone feel awkward. Now, what’s this situation?”
The Temple folks were already controlling the park. As he explained, the giant nodded.
“Ah~ I see. Just wait a moment.”
Team 2’s leader, the giant, thumped his chest like a gorilla and headed toward the Temple. Watching him leave, Woo Taek rubbed his temples, while Hong Yu-ri sighed.
“Geez. That muscle-brained idiot.”
The two members from Team 2 trembled, and the Team Leader smiled wryly. Finally, when the giant arrived at the Temple, he scratched the back of his head.
“You really don’t have to come along, you know?”
“Vice Team Leader, this isn’t right. We’ll go in first; please wait outside.”
“…No. Seriously, it’s okay?”
“……”
Seeing the earnest faces around him, the giant scratched the back of his head and finally took a step back. Only then could the Team Leader let out a breath he had been holding.
‘We’ve already passed the point of no return.’
A reckless muscle-brain.
As the Team Leader cursed inwardly at the giant, a thought suddenly struck him. Since they had come all the way here, they couldn’t turn back. The Temple folks were keeping a close eye on them. Knocking on the door, a gentle voice replied.
“Please come in.”
The Temple had probably been listening to the commotion outside. Just before entering, the Team Leader cast another earnest glance at the giant. A pleading gaze, begging him to not do anything rash, and the giant nodded, looking uncomfortable.
“Really… there’s no need for this, right?”
“Oh come on, shut up. You muscle-brained idiot.”
“Why are you still so rude?”
While Hong Yu-ri and the giant were bickering, the Bishop welcomed the Team Leader with a warm smile.
“It’s been a while. Bishop, do you perhaps remember me?”
“How could I forget a prominent Team Leader? It’s been a while indeed.”
“I’ve been too busy to visit.”
While it outwardly represented a religion, in reality, it was a multinational clan. This rather kindly old woman was the Bishop of the War Temple. In other words, she was in a position to govern the entire Korean jurisdiction.
“You seem to have something you want to say?”
“Yes. Since you seem to already know, I’ll be direct. We’d like permission to enter the dungeon.”
“What’s the reason?”
The Bishop rested her chin on her clasped hands and smiled gently at him, but it made the Team Leader feel uneasy.
‘She’s hard to read.’
“We are pursuing a wolf. The entity is the Alpha, a special breed of Worg that lived in Jirisan…”
“I understand. So you’ve tracked that wolf all the way here.”
Even before he finished his story, she seemed to respond with a knowing gaze. No, she must have known beforehand.
“We’ll refrain from interfering with the dungeon as much as possible. We will hand over all byproducts.”
“……”
“We’re only after that one wolf. Is that acceptable?”
“Well, while I understand the intent of your efforts day and night…”
The warm smile turned cold in the Team Leader’s eyes, yet the Bishop’s expression remained unchanged.
“Is it necessary to do this? Given that you’ve entered the dungeon, I believe our Temple can handle it.”
That was a reasonable statement.
There’s no need to take the risk of letting another clan in the dungeon. Even I would have refused in that situation.
‘…But we still have to get in.’
From the wolf’s actions, I couldn’t feel at ease. Even if it might be in the mountains, if I looked at its past movements, I knew just how clever it was.
‘It clearly has intelligence. A high level of it, too.’
Moving along places without people means it avoids humans. If it is avoiding people that are not hunters, it signifies that it knows hunters might come if it touches them.
Furthermore, it even collaborated with hunters to take down Aranea. It wasn’t just instinct; it was rational thought. A sign of advanced cognition. Would such a creature be easily caught? The Team Leader couldn’t help but feel skeptical.
‘It might become something unmanageable like the purple black tiger or the Disease if I don’t act quickly…’
It must be killed beforehand. This might be the last chance. If it leaps over the threshold once more…
‘Just imagining it sends chills down my spine.’
Imagining what kind of entity a monster with such intelligence might become if it jumped the tier is hard to fathom. A thinking, plotting monster!
‘…What method can I use to gain permission without offending the Temple?’
This was an opponent that couldn’t be swayed with money, prestige, or power.
‘But I can’t just back down either. What do I do?’
Given the situation, I stood as the representative of the clan. There was far too little time to think. Should I perhaps just trust the War Temple and wait?
“If you don’t have anything to say, please leave. This position is busier than you think.”
The definitive dismissal made the Team Leader anxious. And at that moment, the previously closed door to the Bishop’s room opened with a loud bang.
“Team 2 Leader!”
“Why did you take so long?”
“Are you out of your mind?!”
All was lost. Alarmed, the Team Leader might have dragged him out, but the Bishop tilted her head.
“Could it be the Sword Sage?”
“Old lady. It’s been a while. Are you still doing fine in the Temple?”
“Goodness! If I knew the Sword Sage was coming, I would have gone out to greet you.”
“Stop with the theatrics. So, I’d like to go into the dungeon.”
“But… No, alright. If it’s what you wish, then…”
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. The Team Leader, who couldn’t keep up with the sudden turn of events, shrank back.
“Done. But it’s tough to get everyone in; only five can go.”
“…How did you do that?”
“What about?”
“Am I supposed to believe you didn’t already know? You convinced the Bishop in one go!”
The persuasion went beyond that; it was a free pass. Just what kind of relationship did he share with this muscle-brained idiot?
“Ah~ Back in the day, my brother and I helped her out a bit.”
“You should have mentioned that beforehand!”
“I clearly said it was okay, yet you went in without asking!”
“…Damn it.”
As I muttered a curse under my breath, the giant laughed heartily.
“Anyhow, let’s go in now. We need to catch the Alpha, right?”
“Phew. Thanks to you, things got easier. I appreciate it.”
“Hahaha. Now do you believe in this brotherly figure?”
“…Only a tiny bit.”
***
[You have consumed a Speckled Creature. Experience and fullness have increased.]
Thanks to the forest or the vastness of this dungeon, various species of beings reside here. Mostly monsters, though.
‘This isn’t the time for distractions.’
I need to find Gu Ma-jun as soon as possible, but there are no traces of him. After running through the forest, it seemed like a giant circular area with a diameter of about 30 km. I’m not sure if the paths diverged or if he’s hiding his scent.
‘This reminds me of a movie.’
Like Jurassic World. There was a scene where the protagonist hides under a car and covers themselves with oil to mask their scent while being chased by dinosaurs. Could similar behavior be used to hide his scent? Or did he go for a mud pack or something?
‘He couldn’t have possibly escaped.’
I found it hard to believe that he had already slipped away from this vast dungeon. Maybe if luck was on my side and we kept missing each other, it could be plausible. But…
‘Blindly running out isn’t an option.’
A considerable amount of time had passed, so the Temple and representative clan must have overwhelmed the outside area. Exiting the dungeon was simple, but relying only on D-grade stealth would likely get me killed.
‘Is there any good method?’
Even the War Temple would come in, so the situation is precarious.
‘Top priority: Gu Ma-jun. I need to keep growing while searching for him.’
“Cock-a-doodle-doooo!”
A chicken?
A creature flapped its wings and approached, pecking with its beak. I dodged, but nearly got hit. It was clearly behaving like it saw me as food.
‘What is it?’
[Cockatrice]
[Length: 5.27m] [Height: 2.51m] [Weight: 770kg]
[Strength: 241] [Agility: 360] [Health: 215] [Magic Power: 145]
‘Ah~ You know the Cockatrice!’
If you’ve read a few novels, you’d know this monster. While it couldn’t stack up against the big three major monsters like Goblins, Orcs, and Ogres, it was relatively famous. Looking closer, its tail resembled a reptilian tail rather than a chicken. And it had teeth, too; its red tongue was out, flicking like a snake, which was quite peculiar.
‘So it was said to be born from either a snake or a lizard?’
Regardless, it had a legend surrounding its birth.
‘It’s big, but light weight.’
Birds have air sacs that make them lightweight, right? The Cockatrice flapped its wings and soared high into the air. Surprisingly, it was a flying chicken.
‘…This is real, isn’t it?’
While its agility of 360 caught my attention, considering its other stats, it wasn’t that threatening. Yet that was just a misconception I would soon realize.
“Cluck-a-doodle-dooo!”
It inhaled deeply, then suddenly let out a breath. To my horror, it appeared to be visibly gray. I ducked away in fright. In retrospect, I could see that the spot I was standing on had turned gray.
‘Did it just petrify me?’
No, it hadn’t petrified me yet. But the petrified grass and flowers were slowly crumbling into dust.
‘…This could be dangerous if I get hit!’
Even with all the damage reduction, I couldn’t take it lightly. The power of that petrifying breath was more formidable than I could imagine… but when will it come down?
‘Wow! That’s super cheap!’
The creature stayed in a safe spot, spewing its breath. Once its magic was depleted, it wouldn’t be able to do it, but…
‘That bird is harmful!’
I didn’t plan to dodge while waiting. Using my tentacles, I climbed up a tree. Before long, I reached the top, and just as I did, the Cockatrice opened its mouth.
‘Whoa! Scared me!’
Not having seen it during the ascent, I jumped down in fright. The creature cackled.
“Cack! Cack!”
‘You’d better wish for your demise.’
Once more, I climbed the tree and leaped just before reaching the top. Utilizing my momentum and spring, I managed to grab it before it could release its breath. The creature wobbled multiple times but shot back up only for me to bite down on its wing, sending it spiraling down.
“Cluck-a-doodle-doo!”
If it was going to fall anyway, it might as well throw a tantrum. The upside down Cockatrice flipped its body mid-air, stretching its legs. With sharp claws and a coiling snake tail. However, since it was falling and I was on top of it, there was no contest as to who was at an advantage. With my foot planted on it, I jumped once more using my spring.
‘It feels like I’m about 10m above ground.’
As the Cockatrice landed on its back, it couldn’t even scream out as it writhed in pain. Had its spine collapsed?
“Grrr—”
As I sat atop it, this chicken filled with agony had fear written all over its face.
[Your Threat (F) Level 7 skill reached its maximum proficiency. Threat (F) Lv.7 -> Threat (F) Lv.8]
‘Perhaps it’s due to the title? Seems like it’s growing pretty well…’
That seemed applicable to other dungeons as well.
“Cluck! Cluck-a-doodle-doo!”
It flapped its wings like a fly madly. It seemed desperate to survive, yet why dive into such a reckless attack?
“Cluck-a-doodle-doo…”
[You have consumed a Cockatrice. Experience and fullness have increased.]
[EXP 49602 / 57128]
‘This is nice!’
While I didn’t level up, I gained a significant amount of experience. It was approaching leveling up.
‘If this keeps going, I’ll hit level 10.’
You see, there were conditions to meet.
‘…Wait a second.’
While I was distracted fighting the Cockatrice, I sensed a presence encroaching.
‘Shall I go check it out?’
I have to find Gu Ma-jun, regardless of whether it leads to food or danger.