Author: Xerenity

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59. Unexpected Event. Portal Explosion.

“You should not be afraid from just this!”

It was shouted toward the group of scared Awakened.

The owner of that voice was the magician ranker Yoon Jong-sun.

His gaze was focused only on the flying monsters on the horizon.

Without any trace of doubt, he was both bold and brave.

It could be due to the equipment he had on hand.

The Awakened around him felt something else from him though.

The aura he brought with him was something special.

He was strong and sharp like a whirlwind, but gentle as the warmth of the sun.

Around him, two healer classes stood.

It was for attack and defense buffs, as well as support skills that helped him recover a small amount of mana.

Looking at this scene, the Awakened began to whisper amongst themselves.

It was as if they were looking at a celebrity.

A guy who would only show up on TV and news was on the scene for a level 29 portal explosion after all.

“Is it Yoon… Yoon Jong-sun?”

“No way… That can’t be…”

“I’m sure of it. It’s magician ranker Yoon Jong-sun.”

As if replying to the whispers amongst them, he turned around and spoke calmly.

“I’m not sure if this old man can be of any help, but let’s stop them. It’s for our family and friends back home.”

“Ha… huh.”

“He’s the real deal?”

Words that seemed to belong in a novel.

The Awakened were astonished from confirming that this was indeed Yoon Jong-sun.

That only lasted a moment, as they gave out a fierce war cry. It was as if a thousand had rallied to their cause.

The Awakened assembled here did not come out of their own volition.

Even if they were the top 5% of their guilds, the level 29 portal monsters were a force to be reckoned with.

Each probably had their worries and fears about it.

A level 29 portal had never occurred before, after all.

But as soon as Yoon Jong-sun, a ranker that every Korean knew about, appeared, moral was through the roof.

Just from his words and presence alone, those around him regained their fighting spirit.

Yoon Jong-sun looked around to see those eyes that were filled with doubt now filled with determination instead.

With a smile on his face, he looked towards the monsters that were flying towards them.

His level wasn’t revealed to the public, but it was estimated that his level was around 550 to 600.

Korea’s representative top ranker, but he did not have a secondary class.

He had made his way to the top only with the magician class.

Due to the sponsorships he received from the corporate giants, there was a time when he was labeled as corrupt, only seeking money.

However, he only used his strength to assist his nation and his people.

His righteousness was known by many Awakened.

The monsters flew with ferocity.

Their forms could almost be seen with the naked eye now.

Yoon Jong-sun’s calm face seemed to show a small amount of dread.

Casting Silent, he spoke to the healers next to him on each side.

“These are not your average level 29 dungeon monsters.”

Both of the healers who could not find anything special about these monsters flinched at his word.

They both looked towards the monsters, and could not hide their astonishment.

“Something is wrong. General, when we entered the dungeon with you, the monsters were different in size.”

“That’s right. It looks like they’re at least 1.5 times bigger.”

“It’s going to be a difficult fight… Be prepared.”

“Yes!”

“Yes general.”

Canceling Silent, he turned around.

More than a 100 Awakened stood before him.

He could not let the moral fall.

That’s why he had casted Silent so they could not hear.

Most probably never even entered the level 29 dungeon.

And even if they did hunt in there, they would have nowhere enough experience to compare to Yoon Jong-sun.

Looking at them for a brief moment, he spoke.

“This old man is planning to take command… Will you follow me?”

There wasn’t any who would disagree.

After all, the only hope they have of returning home safely was Yoon Jong-sun.

Taking their silence as agreement, he spoke to them again.

“The association magicians are delayed due to the Warp cooldown, and will be joining us in about 30 minutes. Let’s hold on until then.”

An unprecedented level 29 portal explosion.

There was no way that the association would sit still.

Since no one knew what could happen at any given time, ranker Yoon Jong-sun did not use the Warp skill carelessly, always having it ready.

The Warp cooldown was 12 hours long.

And just like the Blink spell, it did not have a skill level, so the cooldown could not be reduced.

He kept it off cooldown to make sure that he was able to get to the places that needed his help promptly.

However, he was the only one who did so, as others did not have a heart burning with righteousness like him.

Unless the rankers were commanded, they only moved quickly for their own benefits.

“Yes.”

“Give us your command.”

“I’ll be your shield, so please be my spear.”

“What do you mean…”

“As you know, the monsters that are coming towards us are gargoyles.”

“….”

“Out of all the monsters humanity has fought so far, it is the most difficult monsters for us humans to take down. If you allow them to attack, your bodies will become petrified, turned into stone.”

“Ha….”

The group began to nervously whisper amongst themselves.

Ignoring that, he spoke once more.

“The petrification occurs at a 50% chance, and even if you avoided that, their offensive capabilities are beyond your imagination. With your average health stats, it would be difficult to avoid being torn apart.”

“…”

“However, my Titan Boots will prevent the petrification. I will also be taking on all their attacks. If you could pour your attacks according to my command, then all of us can return home safely.”

“Understood.”

“Yes.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Finishing his little speech, his gaze returned back to the ocean once more.

And then.

“ORAAAA!”

-ZAP!

As he raised his staff into the air, a powerful light powered out.

Suddenly, it was as if all the gargoyles were targeting only him, and rushed him accordingly.

The skill he had casted was called Crowd Clown.

It was an aggro skill that made all monsters within a large range only target him.

Almost half of the 500 gargoyles who were known as Mage Gargoyles began to pour their attacks on him.

-ZAAAP!

-CRACKLE.

Lightning bolts the size of soccer balls smashed directly into Yoon Jong-sun.

Quickly casting shields, he was blocking their attacks.

Both the healers also began casting buffs and shields on him.

Blocking their fierce attacks, he shouted.

“Frost! Use AoE freezing magic!”

-WHOOSH.

To his command, they all began to cast their spells.

Each had their own skills to use, but all of them were of the frost attribute, giving off a blue glow.

Waiting for spells that had a casting time, he made sure everyone was ready before giving the command.

“Toward the Mage Gargoyles in the rear! Now!”

* * * *

Each time after clearing the level 28 dungeon, at least three text messages came out.

Using the data that was sent from the dungeon clears as a basis, the system determined who would be helpful to the cause, and sent texts accordingly to the target recipients.

It was the same for all the Awakened gathered here.

Those who were preparing to enter again had their phones constantly ring from all the message alarms.

The portal had exploded after 9PM.

It seemed that it wasn’t taken care of, even though it was nearing 12AM.

Unlike the succubi portal explosion, which was taken care of in 1 hour, it seemed that a difficult battle matching the portal level was occurring at this very moment.

Finishing my 16 hours hunting, I headed towards the portal that I casted before.

Using Warp for the first time, I couldn’t help but be surprised.

After I put my foot through the gate, I was sucked in.

In a blink of an eye, the surroundings had changed to the midget’s office.

‘Who knew it would be this useful.’

I felt stupid for not using it all this time.

At least the hunting grounds I went for weren’t that far away from the dungeons.

Exiting the empty office, I grabbed a taxi.

It was to head home.

It didn’t take long to arrive at home.

Mother was watching the TV in the living room.

“Did you come back?”

“Yes. I’m home.”

“What about food?”

“I ate around there.”

“Oh you. You should at least eat a homemade meal once a day.”

Hearing my mother’s nagging, which I didn’t mind at all, my gaze went towards the TV.

It was about the level 29 portal explosion today.

Following my gaze, she spoke.

“No matter what channel I turn to, it’s all about that.”

“How is it?”

“Didn’t you receive any texts?”

“Yes. It did come, but it was too far away for me to go…”

“Yoon Jong-sun or Yoon Jong-sun, apparently he’s at the frontlines blocking the monsters. He’s strong despite his age.”

‘Yoon Jong-sun… I met him at the dungeon where Louvier and Gwidon appeared.’

“Apparently since this is the first level 29 portal explosion, they’re struggling.”

“I see…”

“Go take a shower and rest. You worked hard today.”

“Yes. It is late. You rest as well, mother.”

Even after confirming mother returning to her room, I could not take my eyes off the TV.

After the portal exploded, high ranking officials were swiftly making their way towards the association headquarters.

Countless reporters surrounded them, camera flashes blocking their vision.

Kim Ho Jin’s face appeared as well.

“People from the association, of course.”

* * * *

They had gathered at the association headquarters.

From the vice division leader to above him, all had gathered due to the portal explosion today.

The president of the association, Choi Man Seo, spoke to the man by the beam projector.

“Begin the briefing.”

“Yes. This is the first time a level 29 portal has exploded. Currently in the frontlines, Yoon Jong-sun is spearheading the operation. In 10 minutes, other ranker magicians should be arriving…”

 

Before he could finish talking, the president spoke with ferocity.

“Hey. We already know all that. I’m asking if there is any new information! If we don’t take care of this portal explosion properly, the association will be disbanded, and we’ll all be done for!”

“Yes. This is coming in from some of the association members who are currently deployed. All monsters that have appeared at Jebu Island seemed to be gargoyles from the level 29 dungeon, but seemed to be at least 1.5 times bigger in size.”

“What? Is this true?”

“Yes. Ranker Yoon Jong-sun agreed as well. It is accurate.”

“Oi, head researcher. What’s happening?”

The focus of the room headed from the president to the head researcher, who studied monsters’ weaknesses, ranked them, and came up with strategies to fight them.

Adjusting his glasses, he replied.

“I… This has never been reported before.”

“What do you even do? Do you want to get destroyed by the public?”

“There is one thing I’m suspicious of…”

The head researcher, after shrinking away from the president’s yelling, carefully opened his mouth.

---

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58. Adding a Rhythm to Growth (2)

The Union Lizardman was not a hidden boss, and appeared 100% of the time.

A boss that appears after defeating all the mobs in the dungeon.

That’s why the chance for an item drop was high.

What I wanted to get was the Gauntlet.

Covered in the tough scales of the lizardmen, it was a defensive equipment with amazing properties.

It increased all magic resistances by 20%.

However, despite having a high drop chance in comparison to the hidden boss, this wasn’t a dungeon that was open to everyone.

Only the highest rankers could clear this dungeon, or it was split between a party group.

The Lich King’s armor set gave 20% magic resistance and 20% physical resistance.

In comparison, the Gauntlet only increased my magic resistance by 20%.

Even if it was dropping from a level 28 dungeon, it was far lower in quality than the equipment dropped from the level 23 dungeon.

However, the Lich King was a hidden boss. It could not even begin to compare with the Union Lizardman in terms of both offensive and defensive capabilities.

The lowest ranking Lich King was stronger than the Union Lizardman after all.

The higher level dungeons had greater amount of experience and lots of stronger monsters, but the items you could obtain from the boss were only affected by the boss’s rank, not the dungeon itself.

Suddenly, from within the boss, a bone chilling noise was heard.

“….”

It was enough to give me goosebumps.

It sounded like a pot filled with cockroaches were fighting over food.

The bugs seemed to be susceptible to fire and electricity.

However, attacks like Glacial Field that had a frost attribute only seemed to slow them down, not causing any serious harm to them.

They really were like cockroaches, showing resilience in all types of environments.

With my hand raised to the sky, a huge Meteor Call answered.

Since time was of the essence for my growth, I had to take it down as fast as possible.

Meteor struck directly onto its body.

The weapons and armors stuck onto the mass of bugs fell apart.

If I wasted any more time, it would be able to recover its form.

I had to rip their core cells apart with powerful magic before they began to regenerate.

I ran towards the area where some of them fell apart to.

I had to immediately run toward the center and cast Fire Shock.

The bugs that fell apart were crushed underfoot, the sound of them popping continued as I made my way.

Each bug was weak.

They were being squashed like normal bugs, not monsters.

But as they grouped, they used their synergetic ability to obtain power and defensive capabilities.

That’s why while they were blown apart by powerful magic, it was my only chance to cause some serious damage.

Within a 15m radius, the area was dyed in red flames.

A level 200 Flame Shock was being cast.

The flames consumed not only bugs, but armor and weapons made from condensed mana as well.

All within the range of the spell were removed from existence, almost as if they never existed in the first place.

It was then.

“Kurururu.”

“Guess you need to get hit one more time?”

The bugs that were blown apart began to regroup once more, reforming a body roughly half its original size.

I really wanted to cast Iceberg.

But their resilience was insane even within the spell, so it couldn’t cause much damage.

To effectively damage them, they needed to be split apart, but Iceberg could not do that.

Thankfully, both the cast time and cool down of Meteor Call were 1 minute.

So it would only take 2 more minutes before I was able to use my powerful Meteor Call again.

Even if Meteor Call hit numerous numbers of bugs, I could only obtain a single use worth of the skill.

If each bug gave me 1 use of Meteor Call in terms of skill experience, I would have been able to hit level 200 in one go.

Thanks to my Meteor Call, it was completely annihilated.

A massive rank A stone appeared.

Since it wasn’t a hidden boss, it did not drop a skill book.

However…

“Did it drop?”

I saw the form of the gauntlet, unaffected by the glow of the stone.

It was giving off jade-like glow.

And like the rainbow, each scale was emitting a slightly different color.

Even without the defensive capabilities, this gauntlet would be a work of art.

I stopped myself from admiring it for too long, and equipped the gauntlet.

Unlike how the exterior appeared at first glance, it allowed smooth movement without issues.

I looked up at the status window.

*All physical resistances up by 40%.

*All magic resistances up by 55%.

“Huh?”

It was supposed to be up by 60%.

There was a missing 5%.

“Ah. So they are split apart by ranks?”

The Lich King’s helmet and armor was from defeating the red glowing Lich King, so the item drop had the maximum stats possible for the gear.

With a sigh, I settled for less with the mid-tier gauntlet for now, equipping it.

All the other Awakened cleared the level 28 dungeon about 3 to 4 times on average a day, despite the dungeon staying open for only an hour after entering.

If an Awakened hunted for 10 hours, it would make sense that they clear it 10 times.

However, since that was not the case, it meant that it would take that long to recharge their mana.

Unlike them, I could clear the dungeon in 40 minutes, and continue to run without the need to rest.

Thanks to all the skills that were rising up in levels, I needed tons of Awakened Essences.

Now with all the Gauntlet drops I’ll be getting, I could sell it for Awakened Essences, since no amount of money could buy one.

If the highest ranking one drops, I’ll be wearing it of course.

Hunting, growth, and even gear could be obtained with this method.

It didn’t take long for me to arrive at the exit portal of the dungeon with my backpack filled with goodies from the run.

It was annoying, but I casted Silent and Mass Stealth Jutsu before heading outside.

Annoying bugs could be waiting outside too, after all.

* * * *

Since I could run into Awakened who could be trying to enter the dungeon, I made my body as small as possible before heading outside.

Oddly enough, it was quiet and still outside.

Almost as if the dungeon exit took me to another place altogether.

“… What the? Where is everyone?”

There were roughly a 100 Awakened here before.

But within the 40 minutes of clearing this dungeon, there wasn’t enough half the number left.

And the remaining Awakened, instead of making small talk like before, were looking at their smartphone with serious expressions.

It was then.

The smartphone that wasn’t ringing before due to the interference of the dungeon began to shake.

Missed calls as well as text.

It vibrated for about 20 times before stopping.

“What? I shouldn’t be getting this many calls…”

My hand naturally went towards the smartphone.

Checking the message, I knew something big went down.

The message said the following.

-Emergency Situation-

Current time 21:32.

Near Hwaseong’s Jebudo Island beach front, a level 29 portal explosion occurred.

All residents are to evacuate to the nearest Association building immediately.

All magicians in the area are to gather at the designated location.

Address: Hwaseong- si, Gyeonggi-do….

“….”

A level 29 portal and above exploding has never happened to this day.

All the portals that exploded so far were level 28, but there was a text that said a level 29 portal has exploded.

‘An earthquake out of nowhere, and now a portal exploding?’

A level 29 portal required at least 100 Awakened ranging at levels of 300 to 400 to clear it.

And since no physical attacks work on it, only magicians could do it.

However, since humankind can still handle a portal of this caliber, it shouldn’t cause any severe damage before being cleared.

If it was like before in the past, I would’ve ran straight towards it.

A level 29 portal explosion would have massive rewards following it.

However, money was not of the importance to me at this moment.

And the area was far away from where I lived.

The chances of any damage reaching there was low.

“Hopefully they can take care of that stuff. Let’s go hunting!”

-click.

-beep.

* * * *

Hwaseong’s Jebudo Island beachfront.

Countless warp gates were formed.

Answering the call from the association, these were from magician classes.

Since using Warp Gate required you to visit the destination beforehand, many cars were being used for those that have not visited the area before.

Since the portal’s explosion was detected early on, the monsters have not crossed the waterline yet.

Awakened with levels reaching 100 showed themselves already.

Due to the massive reward?

No. If it was an Awakened with enough power to clear the dungeons of this area, it would be more beneficial to clear the dungeon rather than to show up for money they’d receive for responding to this event.

The reason why they still showed was due to their guild.

To clear the high level dungeons, or to get into stronger groups, one would join a guild.

The guild didn’t get involved in things directly most of the time, but they were still under control by the government and association.

It was a group made up of strong Awakened.

It was obvious that it needed oversight.

Guilds with 500 or more members were required to respond to national emergencies as requested with personnel.

Only the top 5% of the guild, the strongest they had to offer, were summoned.

The reason why they were set on a certain percentage was that the ranks of the guild determined how many members you could have.

500 members meant that it was a guild ranking in the middle ranges, rank 4.

Greater numbers weren’t always a plus.

Each of them were complaining.

“Wew. I thought things finally calmed down.”

“Yeah. And now a level 29 portal. This never happened before.”

“…. I don’t know what’s going on anymore.”

That only lasted a moment.

The horizon seemed to be filled with black fog.

A huge horde began to appear, taking up the entire horizon.

The sky grew dark due to how late it was.

To take them down only using moonlight would be difficult.

The military shot out star shells to light up sky.

The area became lit for a moment, and the Awakened who made their stand around the light house and the breakwater became much more nervous.

Towards landfall, monsters easily over the size of 5m were flying towards them.

In sync, they flapped their wings.

Over 500 in numbers, it was a terrifying sight.

One man amongst the group shouted out aloud.

Looking from behind the man, he seemed to emanate a powerful aura.

“You should not be afraid from just this!”

---

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57. Adding a Rhythm to Growth

After Kim Ho Jin and his associates left, I entered the dungeon without any issues.

However, when I tried to re-enter the dungeon by presenting my license, the machine replied.

-Invalid ID-

‘What?’

I tried once more, but the result was the same.

The ID was suspended.

‘They already suspended the ID that short span of time?’

I had predicted this ahead of time though.

Because the owner of this ID was nowhere to be found at the level 28 dungeon after all.

It was obvious that the ID would be suspended.

They also changed the identification machine as well.

Due to my ID being suspended, I could not hunt anymore.

I still had my ID with my name on it, but if I used this, it was the equivalent of me admitting that I was the one using the forged ID to enter the level 28 dungeon.

Even if I took breaks between the runs, the bugs would get in the way of using my talents fully.

That’s why the message I sent before entering the dungeon was to the midget.

I was planning to purchase at least 10 of these IDs.

The reason was as follows.

If I kept clearing the dungeon by swapping between the IDs and solo clearing, all the data sent would increase their suspicion and it wouldn’t be long before they suspend all my IDs.

They’re already suspicious of this whole thing already.

The IDs would only be good for one use then.

Then instead of using them one at a time, by using them all at once, it’ll look like I’m entering as a party.

My thoughts were interrupted.

A call from the midget came.

Instead of taking the call at the dungeon entrance, I used blink to get some distance before taking the call.

My stealth was not taken off as well for the same reason.

I spoke as quietly as I could.

I was using the Eye of Insight, but it was possible that there were others observing me without me knowing.

“Hello.”

“Yes. What occasion would it be this time.”

“Just as the message said.”

“How many do you need?”

“How many can you get today?”

“Hm… As you know in this market, there’s not enough money for all the goods out here.”

“Then please get me 10.”

“10?”

“Yes. I’ll be there in 2 hours.”

“Yes, yes. Understood.”

He didn’t seem very happy, and showed it in his reply.

Right before I hung up, I stopped myself and spoke his name once more.

“Ah. One more thing!”

“Yes. What would that be?”

“I need all the IDs to date before 2000.”

“Yes, that shouldn’t be hard.”

“Also make sure they’re all of different classes. That wouldn’t be hard, right?”

“Of course, of course. I’ll see you at the office in 2 hours?”

“Yes. I’ll see you there.”

The reason why I wanted variety in classes as well as the IDs to date before 2000 was that I didn’t want them to have suspicions if this was an actual party or not.

If the date was that far away, most people would’ve quite high in levels.

Even if they entered the level 28 dungeon, it wouldn’t be that suspicious.

After hanging up, I now had 2 hours of leisure time.

I knew exactly what to do with those two hours.

“Hello?”

“Yes. Hyung, it’s me.”

“Hm. What’s up?”

“Out of all the level 28 dungeons, can you find out which one has the greatest popularity?”

“Why? Did your ID get suspended?”

“Yes. About 40 members from the association showed up.”

“Guess they really have their sights set on you.”

“I’ll be counting on you.”

“Alright, I got it.”

“Ah! Hyung, could I meet with you in 1 hour?”

“Sure. But why?”

“Hm. I’ll be visiting you in an hour.”

“Sure. Call me when you arrive.”

“Yes.”

* * * *

After receiving my phone call, Jong Ho went outside of his house to greet me.

Not sure if he was about to go hunting, he was wearing simple clothing that one would wear under their armor.

Recently, he’s been hunting from late afternoon till dawn.

Not sure if he has a specific reason for doing so, but it seemed that the group he hunts with seem to hunt at that time as well.

Seeing me, Jong Ho happily greeted me.

“Yo. Bro.”

“Hello, hyung.”

“What brought you here today?”

“Surprise gift?”

“What. Doesn’t look like much of a surprise with the expression on your face?”

“Wow….”

‘Oh boy. This guy.’

I gave him both Banwol Jincheon that I was holding with each of my hands.

“Use this, hyung.”

Hearing my words, his expression grew stiff.

And with a rare serious voice, he spoke to me.

“Why?”

“I’m going to the level 28 dungeon, so I have no need for a blade.”

“Do you know how much this cost? Do you know how many essences you need to purchase this?”

“Who said I’ll give it to you? I’m lending it to you.”

“Why? Why not hold onto it?”

“To use the ID and the gross fake hand imprints, I won’t have enough hands to hold the weapons.

And they could also make a lot of noise. It’s really annoying, so you should use them instead.”

Hearing my reasoning, a smile appeared on his face.

Guess he couldn’t hide it.

I mean it is a rank M/A Banwol Jincheon after all.

With the current B ranking weapon he was using, it was on another level altogether.

If you factored in the bonus strength stats the weapon provided, it was a weapon at least 5 times stronger than his current one.

With a face full of happiness, he asked.

“Can I really use it?”

“Looking at your expression, it looks like you’re already using it though?”

“Hey you! You’re supposed to pretend that you didn’t see it.”

“Since hyung is a dual wielding warrior, seems it met its master.”

“Yeah… It really is a surprise…”

“You do admit, huh?”

“I admit 100%.”

“Pfft.”

Jong Ho held both weapons with each of his hands.

I went behind him massaged his shoulder.

Jong Ho was confused and asked.

“What are you doing? Are you planning to end your life soon? Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”

“Come on, you’re going to have to stand tall and proud in front of the guys who are about to hunt. You’ll have to be ready.”

“Ah. That’s true. I guess I’ll have to warn them to not let their jaws drop too much.”

“Anyways, I met with you today to give you this. I’ll be going now.”

“Sure. Thank you. If you need it back, just let me know, okay?”

“Yes.”

The day I get back my Banwol Jincheons is the day I’ll be taking down Joker and the radical group.

* * * *

After meeting Jong Ho, I headed to the office to pick up the 10 IDs.

As I asked, all the IDs were dated before 2000, and with a variety of classes.

Giving the price they asked for, I left.

I finally arrived at the Awakened market.

It was to purchase the skill I needed to ensure smooth sailing with my task of leveling.

“Please come in.”

The store assistant welcomed me with a stiff greeting.

“Do you have the warp skill book?”

“Of course.”

The assistant finished answering me and guided me through the store.

Out of all the skills books filling the store, the assistant brought a tall step stool to reach for the warp skill book way up above.

After using a smartphone to scan the skill book, the book was handed to me.

“It’s the Warp spell.”

“Yes. Can you ring me up?”

“Do you not need any other items?”

“Ah. Please give me Silent as well.”

Warp was a skill that most classes obtained as part of the basic skill set.

It’s a skill book with a 12 hour cooldown.

It made a gate to the location I wanted to arrive at.

I wish that it would let me travel back and forth, but it was only a one way trip.

But for someone who hunts for more than 12 hours a day, it was not a problem.

Silent.

It was a skill that made a barrier which blocked out all the sound around it.

It was to silence the ID terminal when I was trying to sneak in.

‘Guess I’m done preparing. Shall I go?’

Listening to the advice that Jong Ho gave to me about where the most populated level 28 dungeon is, I headed for Hanam.

I wish I could get there immediately using the Warp skill, but it only allowed the user to teleport to a place they’ve been before.

Guess I’d have to use the taxi this once.

* * * *

I finally arrived at Hanam’s level 28 dungeon.

I could not see the regular crowds of people I was used to seeing at the manticore dungeon.

All of them were from guilds or through connections.

Because it was a dungeon that was difficult to clear on just a whim.

About 100 Awakened members were outside of the dungeon, maintaining their gear.

With a party of 8 to 10 per group of course.

The level 28 dungeon was long and had many monsters.

A 10 man party took 1 hour to clear it once.

Most Awakened used up all their mana after one run.

That’s why it would take so long to prepare for their next run.

I had to be hidden while using the terminal.

And not only did I have to use one ID, I had to use at least 8 along with the fake fingerprints.

If it was a low level dungeon that had many people constantly entering and exiting, I would never get close enough.

Stealth only hid my body, not turn me into a spooky ghost or something.

In front of the dungeon entrance, I casted Warp.

The Warp was connected to the midget’s office.

I could connect it to my room, but it was safer to connect it to the office instead.

The gate that was spawned was the shape of a portal before it exploded.

But instead of being purple, it was blue.

Since the skill had a 12 hour cool down, I casted it to start the cool down early.

‘Guess I’m done preparing to return home.’

 

From a corner far away, I casted Mass Stealth Jutsu.

Then I moved toward the entrance, looking around to make sure I was in the clear.

Because I could not progress if a group was ahead of me, getting ready to enter.

It would take a minute, but it was good to be sure.

Other than talking about gear or discussing strategies, they weren’t doing much.

‘Guess I’ll go?’

I stood in front of the terminal, and casted the Silence spell.

It was a level 1 skill, but the range was quite far.

Even if the level was low, it should be able to easily block out the noise from this machine.

As I used the IDs, I kept a good watch around me.

‘Because of all these bugs, I have to live like this.’

After that, I used the fingerprints.

Everything worked as planned, and I was able to enter the dungeon.

* * * *

“Wew! I thought I was going to suffocate.”

Entering the dungeon, I was able to complain aloud.

Since I didn’t have to look out for prying eyes, I could relax.

It should be okay to talk in this isolated space.

With powerful skills in each hand, I charged forward.

Since this run was delayed for two hours, I tried to do it faster.

After killing all the dust lizardmen, I arrived at the end.

The boss was waiting for me.

Union Lizardman was its name.

Eating all the corpses of the lizardmen, and even running off with their armor and weapons, this was the boss of the dungeon.

The disgusting bugs from before, it was kind of obvious I guess.

They grouped up to form the shape of a giant lizardman, hence the name.

With the armor and weapons they’ve taken, they haphazardly put together this frankenstein of a monster.

The inside was filled with bugs that looked similar to water striders, controlling the mass of bugs as if a single body.

It was disgusting, but I had to face it nevertheless.

Because the armor they drop is amazing.

“Please drop this time!”

---

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56. Out of the Way! An Unwelcome Guest of the Dungeon Comes. (3)

The inside of the dungeon was quiet.

It was enough to make me question if this was a level 28 dungeon.

According to the intel, there were supposed to be thousands of monsters appearing.

But from what I could tell, it didn’t seem that way.

It was as if the dungeon was already cleared.

 

The interior was similar to the manticore dungeon.

The difference was that instead of being a wide desert field, there was a winding desert road.

The width of the road was about 30m or so.

The floor was covered with finely ground sand, while the each side of the road stood wrinkly tress, their shells making a wall.

 

“Looks similar to a place I know, yet oddly different to it too.”

 

Finishing my monologue, I casted Mana Shield and shot forward.

Even after running for 2 minutes, I didn’t encounter a single monster or any of their cries.

I didn’t let it bother me, and continued forward.

Because it was normal as usual.

It was then.

“KWAACK”

“KRURU!”

The road was covered with my footprints.

Hundreds of monsters came out onto the road that I passed, howling and screaming all kinds of noise.

Dust Lizardmen, monsters with different sets of equipment and armor appeared.

Monsters that only do melee attacks.

Each swinging their weapons and surrounding their targets.

All of them possessed strength equivalent to a level 100 warrior. Quite troublesome to handle.

They looked similar to lizards.

1.5m  in size.

They proudly showed off their reflective scales.

These scales were so tough that most magic could not even leave a scratch on them.

Not only were they immune to physical attacks, but they had a flat 20% magic damage resistance.

They were breaking the shifting magic and physical resistance pattern the dungeons had every 3 levels.

Kicking up a cloud of dust, they stomped their feet on the ground furiously.

However, Meteor Call had already finished casting in my hand.

Both Meteor and Iceberg had already hit level 159.

Thanks to these guys, these skills will become stronger.

A 10% reduction in cast time as well the cooldown.

 

To the mass of mobs that were staring at me, I casted Eye of the Storm to group up the mobs that were still spread apart.

 

Utility skill Eye of the Storm pulled in all lifeforms in the area together.

The level 100 skill didn’t even cause the mobs to budge.

Those strong gusts, they stood still as if it was a breeze from a fan.

 

“Guess they’re high ranking?”

 

Both Heal Canceling and Lower Resist were the same.

Debuff skills did not work either.

The marks on the chests that appeared if the skills hit were nowhere to be found, after all.

Resistance was a major factor, but monster level and ranking were to be reckoned with as well.

 

“I’m curious as to see what will happen.”

“Take this!”

 

The size of the Meteor was enough to block out the sky.

With one swift movement of my hand, it collided against them.

 

The entire dungeon shook from the destructive force.

The massive shockwave from the noise rang throughout the dungeon.

 

The flames from the meteor was enough to consume even the very sands it blew into the air.

The hot winds from the destruction came towards me.

The remains of the meteor covered where the lizardmen used to be.

The flames continued to burn fiercely, and a message followed.

 

[20,000,000 experience obtained.]

.

.

.

[Level up.]

 

“Shit!”

 

I had barely taken care of half the monsters.

I had leveled up from 1/5th of my experience bar being full instantly.

Each monster offered 20 million points worth of experience.

And the numbers of monsters were not just hundreds, but nearly a thousand.

I heard that people leveled up all the way to 500 from this dungeon alone, but I didn’t know it would be this good.

Even high level Awakened have to form up 5 man parties to get in, so they only get 4 million worth of experience per kill.

But I was keeping 20 million experience to myself.

 

Leveling in the level 18 dungeon, I was able to level up 12 times faster than the average Awakened.

But now I was running the level 28 dungeon that only one person was able to solo run in the entire world before.

Perhaps 20 times? Over even greater than that seemed possible.

I was overcome with goosebumps after confirming the sheer amount of experience I’ve obtained from them.

I was only surprised for a short moment though.

-crack

My Mana Shield was shaking with great intensity.

I was at least 30m away from them.

However, in a blink of an eye, they had caught up and were attack me.

If it was another shield, it would’ve come apart and the attacks would’ve reached me.

If these mobs had this much destructive force, they had to be taken care of immediately.

The reason why about half of them were able to survive was surprising though.

They had come together to form a defensive formation, blocking the damage of the Meteor Call.

That’s why they were able to retaliate.

“KYAA!”

Their sharp beak like mouth had drool spilling out of them.

When the drool landed on the ground, smoke was formed, the scent of sulfur thick.

It was obvious that it was highly acidic.

“Don’t spit at me!”

-CRACK!

A huge iceberg started to form, enough to swallow up the dungeon that was nearly 40m wide.

The ice broke apart and reformed nonstop.

Even as their bodies were being crushed and torn apart, the lizardmen continued to resist.

All the monsters I’ve met so far had been instantly taken out from the sheer amount of damage the Iceberg did, but these monsters…

I was able to reconfirm just how strong these monsters were.

[Iceberg’s skill level rose.]

“Is it finally level 160?”

The cool down and cast time had become 1 minute each.

I was able to cast this destructive spell every 2 minute.

I used Holy Missile and Explosion to get rid of the stragglers.

The sand was painted in blood, the red matching the glow of the Bloodstones.

I collected all the stones and stood up.

I had to take down more lizardmen, after all.

Behind me, I could hear strange noises.

-crunch. -crunch.

“Ah! Right. The janitors.”

I turned around quickly to make sure I didn’t miss this strange scene.

Bugs the size of my fist appeared, eating away at the corpses of the Lizardmen.

Almost like how thousands of locusts eat away at the crops, they came in droves, attaching themselves onto the corpses like waves.

Covered in black, it didn’t even make a minute before everything but the armor and weapons of the lizardmen to remain.

Even dragging away the bones, they hid themselves into the sands once more.

“A lot more disgusting than I thought…”

* * * *

The dungeon’s road seemed to be without an end.

I was curious what kind of ability Choi So-Hyeon had to be able to clear this dungeon by himself.

After taking down the boss, the exit gate appeared.

I was very thankful for one thing.

Other dungeons had the exit open up in the center of the dungeon.

To move all the way to the center in this enormous room was a task in itself.

Thankfully the gate appeared at the end of the dungeon.

“Wew. With just one run, I already leveled up once and have 77% of my gauge filled.”

It was a high class dungeon far beyond my expectations.

Before I left through the gate, I casted my Mass Stealth Jutsu.

-sha sha sha sha

Casting it above my head, the air shimmered and swayed, like a disturbance on a surface of a pond.

Including me and everything that came in contact with me were hidden from view.

If I didn’t have Eye of Insight, I wouldn’t know what I was holding onto.

“All right. Shall I exit?”

* * * *

 

It was already 5 pm.

Maybe it was due to the dungeon being so bright, but the outside felt darker than usual.

I didn’t have time to waste. I had to hunt some more.

I was about to use the ID scanner when…

‘Who are these people?’

The level 28 dungeon was famous for its rare visitors.

It was to be expected, as there were not many who could clear this dungeon as it was only possible to clear with a party.

However, the dungeon had roughly 40 people surrounding it at this very moment.

About 20 of them were equipped with armor and weapons.

The rest had clean uniforms, using hand gestures to communicate between one another.

I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of a combination was this.

It was because I saw a granny staring directly at the entrance of the dungeon.

‘Seems like either the radical faction or the association.’

However, I could tell they were from the association.

It was because one of the people in the group was  Se-Jin Kim.

I was focused on the grandma once more.

Yoon Jong-sun also had the look of a retired grandpa.

Most rankers had quite the age on them.

That grandma looking at this direction must also be very high leveled.

I felt that she was a cleric.

Because to see hidden targets, you needed Eye of Insight.

My monologue ended there.

The person next to the grandma spoke.

 

“Honored lady. It’s about time that he would be exiting. Please give us the signal if you see him.”

“Yes. Understood. He doesn’t appear to be out yet, though.”

“Not yet? Do you see anything?”

“Don’t worry. My Eye of Insight is nearly level 100.”

“Of course. I trust you.”

‘What are you saying with me right in front of you?’

The bag on my shoulder.

In my hand I held my ID and the finger imitation.

I was sure that the cleric ranker could not see me.

‘Glad I Awakened my stealth skill. The essence wasn’t a waste.’

Should I just leave out of their sight?

No way. If I do that, they’d be 100% suspicious of my existence and dig deeper to find me.

Just in case the stones in my bag made a noise, I carefully moved my ID to the machine.

It was to make them think that the scanner was broken.

I was carrying out my plan to confuse them right before their eyes.

“Beep. Please present your fingerprint.”

Unlike how it was when I entered the dungeon, the sound from the machine felt much louder than before.

Hearing that noise, all 40 of them began to talk amongst themselves.

Then the man standing next to the elderly spoke.

“Lady! Is there anything at all?”

“Yes. I think you made a mistake today Mr. Kim. As you know, there isn’t stealth that I cannot detect. There is no one at the entrance.”

“No. Impossible! Please check it again. Lady!”

Ho Jin, filled with frustration, looked about despite not being able to see.

Then the elder spoke.

“I’m sure that the machine is faulty. Then shall we end it here?”

“Yes! Of course. Sorry for taking up your time despite your busy schedule, lady.”

“Ohoho. It’s enough that I get to see a young’un such as yourself, filled with energy and rearing to go. Please take care of the rest.”

“Yes! Thank you for your hard work.”

The elder finished talking and was heading to the car.

Kim Ho Jin couldn’t help but wear his suspicions on  his face.

He continued to stare at the entrance of the dungeon.

Our eyes finally met.

He was staring at the dungeon, and I was staring into his eyes.

After a long while, he called his subordinates.

“Did you check the ID?”

“Yes, dept. head.”

“Yeah, who is it?”

“Yoon Hyun-se. Awakened date is year 01, month 03. Busan is his where his residency is.”

“First check the list of missing. Send a team over to check if the machine has a problem.”

“Yes. Understood.”

“If you find him, contact me immediately.”

“Yes!”

“Please present your fingerprint.”

While Kim Ho Jin was busy giving orders, the voice of the machine crackled out once more.

-beep

Without hesitation, I brought the fake finger towards it.

The dungeon entrance formed.

I didn’t know who this ID belonged to, but once they found out the owner, it would be impossible to use it again.

‘Hm…’

Sending a text message to someone, I entered the dungeon once more.

---

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55. Out of the Way! An Unwelcome Guest of the Dungeon Comes. (2)

I obtained the skill book and new ID, as well as the thumb to go along with it.

By thumb I mean one that’s made of silicone for thumbprints.

Instead of taking a week, it only took 4 days instead.

They said they were able to get it easier than they expected.

Who knew the very goons that I hated so much would be this useful to me.

It seemed that fate can give benefits far beyond one’s imagination.

From Jong Ho, I asked for additional information regarding the executioner class.

Since it was a rare class, the information of their skills could not be found on the app or on the internet.

The fight would be easier if I could, at least to some degree, predict his attacks.

Most of the skills for the executioner used martial arts, especially hand to hand combat for single targets.

A human weapon, literally speaking.

Other than the skills that were beyond ranking, I was able to get the gist of them.

* * * *

Running around the level 23 dungeon, I continued to use the Mass Stealth Jutsu on the ghouls.

The faster the skill level rose, the faster I could get back to my secretive growth regime.

However, the more I used it, the more I thought that this skill was broken.

A skill that made all living organisms within a certain radius vanishes from view.

Most skills other than attack skills cannot be used on monsters usually.

Heal, buffs, or enchant type spells could not be casted on them.

The only form of skills that worked were the ones that inflicted harm on them.

But oddly enough, the Mass Stealth Jutsu worked on monsters as well.

Inside the dungeon, hundreds of ghouls were present.

A little flicker above their heads appeared, and then suddenly all of them vanished from view.

I was still easily able to see them using Eye of Insight, however.

Thanks to this mechanic, I was able to level it up to level 105 in 4 days.

It was only possible because I gave up sleep and leveling to invest in this skill.

I even used the remaining Awakened Essence on this.

The Awakened Mass Stealth Jutsu could not be identified by the Eye of Insight.

It was a skill I used, but due to how high level the stealth ability was, I could not see it anymore.

Thankfully, the hidden targets would be revealed if they tried to attack me.

The ghouls appeared once more as they tried to attack me.

The Eye of Insight was an aoe skill, so someone from the association could be level 100 with it.

To be undiscoverable, the price of one essence shouldn’t be that much.

No cool down or cast time, but with the mana cost of 1500 per use.

The Mass Stealth Jutsu could be said to be a skill just for me.

“Skill book, ID, and information on the skills done. Guess the only thing left is to hunt?”

What I needed most right now was my defensive capabilities.

If he was at the tier of a major, he would definitely have skills above ranking.

The Mana Shield that I thought was the ultimate shield becoming useless. Who would’ve thought.

My offensive capabilities on the other hand, I had enough as both Meteor and Iceberg was nearly level 200.

Ah! Almost forgot my Formless Sword Aura.

There were some skills and defensive items that I was eyeing for.

To find them, I headed towards the level 28 dungeon.

Everyone remembers. Korean Choi So-Hyeon was the first person to solo clear a dungeon, and it was the level 28 dungeon.

However, humanity could fight up to the level 30 dungeons if with a party.

No information exists on the dungeons beyond though.

According to the information I received, there was a reason why it was so difficult to solo clear dungeons beyond level 28.

It was due to the sheer size of the dungeon!

And the amount of monsters to match it.

Of course, the toughness of the monsters was part of the reason why.

No matter how strong an Awakened might be, there is a limit to their mana.

What about a warrior who doesn’t require mana to do basic attacks charge forward?

No. Within the level 28 dungeon, physical attacks do not work.

Monsters that drop insane amounts of experience points.

And the chance for some rare loot to drop from the boss.

There was no reason to hesitate at all.

I scanned my ID card.

Following that, I used the silicone thumbprint to finish the identification process.

-Dungeon is being activated.-

* * * *

“Report.”

Joker’s angry voice filled the dark room, giving it a heavy atmosphere.

This was to be expected, since Jin was one of his top ten subordinates.

He trusted him obviously, and his skill wasn’t that bad to boot.

But that Jin he trusted could not be contacted for 3 days.

That was after he left to take care of Min-Cheol.

Suppressed by Joker’s aura, he quaked in fear as he continued his report.

“Yes! Joker. We were still unable to find any traces of Jin.”

“UAHHHH!”

The S ranking bloodstone that Joker was holding in his hand.

It’s a stone that most blacksmiths would have difficulty processing.

However, in Joker’s hand, the stone was ground to dust like tofu.

The glow of the stone illuminated one side of the room, and the reporting subordinate laid on the ground, groveling and trembling in fear.

“I apologize! I’ll call in additional members to find him for su..”

“Begone.”

“…..”

“Just like what you’re thinking, Jin is dead. Guess the tiger cub has gotten a lot stronger than we thought.”

“What do you mean…”

Joker’s face was painted with rage as he spoke.

But with it, there was an unfathomable smile with it.

And he continued.

“Assign someone new to lead the group that Jin once led.”

“Yes! Joker!”

“Soon, the one will be moving soon. I will judge the one who killed Jin after.”

“Understood! Joker!”

After that, the messenger fled the room.

Then.

“Ku.. KUHAA..KUAHAHAHA!”

Joker laughed with insanity.

The rage that filled him was nowhere to be found.

He spoke as he looked at the powder of what used to be a bloodstone.

“Yes..more! Be further drunk in your strength! When the day comes to fight, I will be offering you as a sacrifice to the one!”

* * * *

The association’s Awakened special governing sector suddenly became chaotic.

It was because data was received that someone had entered the level 28 dungeon.

However, this happened from time to time, so there wasn’t much of a panic.

It could just a simple data error, or perhaps malfunctions with the scanner.

After 40 minutes later, yelling mixed with cursing filled the room.

The Awakened with the same ID had re-entered the dungeon.

“Ah shit! What is this?”

“It’s gotta be an error with the scanner?”

Then. One of the many people standing by the computers yelled.

“The data does not match with Choi So-Hyeon.”

They had compared the data with the only solo clearer of dungeon level 28.

Another responded after hearing that.

“What kind of insane person would be clearing a level 28 dungeon in 40 minutes?”

“No way. Lots of rain fell this week. I’ll contact that maintenance team.”

Throughout the chaos, the department head Kim Ho Jin quietly observed the situation from the end of his table.

Only for a moment though. Then he spoke.

“Contact the association hunters.”

“Huh? Wouldn’t it be better to check if it is a machine error, chief…”

“That could be the case if the data for re-entry didn’t come. Perhaps someone with a death wish going into his last dungeon.”

“First, we’ll be contacting the other association members near the area.”

“Hunters first! I’ll be going to the scene as well.”

“Yes!”

“And hey! Se-Jin Kim, come to my room.”

 

Focusing only on the task at hand at his post, Se-Jin Kim stood up at once and replied to the summons of the chief.

“Yes! Understood.”

After entering the room, Se-Jin was busy trying to read the mood of the room.

A new blood who just came in, how many times would they talk with the department head…

Chief Ho Jin broke the silence.

“How are you doing recently?”

“Yes. I’m getting used to it quickly.”

“Good. It must be quite the confusing for you right now. Glad to see you’re giving it your best.”

“Oh ahaha. Thank you.”

“But I heard you were taking the Kim Min-Cheol case?”

“Yes. That’s correct. I am taking care of that.”

“Nothing strange to note with that?”

Ho Jin was asking Se-Jin with a different look in his eyes.

It wasn’t the look of a high ranking official looking at their employed.

It was the look of a prosecutor asking a criminal.

To his question, Se-Jin replied with an awkward smile.

“Yes. For now… I have only observed him entering the dungeons, and there was nothing special to note.”

“Really? What does it look like to you? Do you think he has a fake ID?”

“From what I saw, other than the unusual speed in growth, there was nothing else to note…”

“Do you know the ruckus going outside?”

“Yes. About the level 28 dungeon?”

“Yep. But you know. I feel like the two of them are the same person.”

“Huh? Kim Min-Cheol and the person entering the level 28 dungeon?”

“Of course. Well, we can confirm it when we get there.”

“….”

“Please continue to do your best. Even if the civilians continue to swear and ignore us, if the association continues to change, we’ll be able to receive acknowledgement someday.”

“Yes. I’ll do my best.”

“Okay. You can leave now.”

Leaving the room, Se-Jin could tell.

That chief Kim Ho Jin already knew what Se-Jin knew about Min-Cheol.

He didn’t ask directly, but Se-Jin could feel it.

That this short talk wasn’t an encouragement between fellow workers, but a warning.

* * * *

“We’re almost there.”

“Okay.”

As the level of the dungeon rose, the amount of dungeons lessened.

A level 28 dungeon meant that it was not discovered for 28 years while it stayed in place.

Kim Ho Jin and his escorts met with the hunters, deploying en mass to the level 28 dungeon entrance.

The data continued to arrive from there.

“I requested for about 20 or so, but how did it go?”

“Yes. They’re on their way.”

“He could be in stealth. How about the summons for a cleric ranker?”

“Lady Hwang Young Hee is coming along as well.”

“Good. It’s a dungeon with low entrance rate. Far from the association. And he’s incredibly skilled. Focus on keeping yourselves alive only.”

“Yes.”

They drove up the long mountain trail for quite a while.

Finally, the vehicle arrived at the entrance of the dungeon.

With a cigar in his mouth, Ho Jin spoke.

“How long since he entered again?”

“Entered at 14:21. 30 minutes has passed.”

“Okay. In 10 minutes, we should be able to see him.”

As Ho Jin finished speaking, the association hunters as well as cleric ranker Hwang Young Hee arrived.

“Lady, thank you for coming.”

“Ohoho. Mr. Ho Jin, it’s been awhile.”

“Hope you’ve been well?”

“An old woman like me passes time without knowing how much time has passed.”

Hwang Young Hee was a level 520 cleric ranker, ranking 3rd out of all Awakened.

Unlike the simple neighborly grandma she appeared to be, she was a skilled cleric who mastered 7 different cleric skills.

The reason why she was summoned was to use the Eye of Insight.

One of the first generation of Awakened, she was nearing the time to use the Awakened essence for it.

Out of all the Awakened in existence, it is said that no stealth skill could go past her.

It was then.

“Chief! It’s 14:30. He’s about to come out.”

“Okay. Lady, we’re counting on you.”

“Oho. Of course.”

Finishing her reply, her expression turned serious as she casted the skill.

‘Eye of Insight.’

---

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