Chapter 474 |
Chapter 474
Chapter 474. With All Due Respect (4)
The Angels' Nest. Just giving such a bizarre place a name like that was ridiculous enough to be laughable. For now, the people outside the dungeon summarized the traits of the newly appeared monster as follows.
===[Real-time updates]===
Fair and Square
They show little interest unless the opponent is of the same rank.
Collector Tendency
They have a high probability of abducting Awakened individuals of equal rank when encountered.
For mere monsters, they classified their targets' ranks with unbelievable accuracy. Experts even found themselves admiring this discriminatory ability in disbelief.
Do they have some kind of special sensory organ attached to their bodies?
White. Soft and cozy. A place with sunlight streaming in—something like that.
However, the actual interior of the dungeon was quite different from what humanity had imagined.
"Ugh."
First of all, it was far too dark. There was no sunlight at all—only a repulsive stench she had never smelled in her life, creeping through the air. It felt, metaphorically, like being plunged into a jar filled with an animal's blood.
“Ugh.”
First of all, it was far too dark. There was no sunlight at all—only a repulsive stench she had never smelled in her life, creeping through the air. It felt, metaphorically, like being plunged into a jar filled with an animal's blood.
‘I feel sick.’
The A-rank Awakened who had been abducted by the winged monster frowned. Moreover, this place showed no hesitation at all in inflicting physical pain on humans.
‘And my arm hurts so much...’
The new type of monster had the characteristic of not killing the A-rank it captured, but instead keeping them “very safely” stored.
Rustle.Thick, vine-like tendrils that easily surpassed an A-rank's physical strength were tightly coiled around the victim's entire body. What's more, these tendrils restraining the body were studded with strange needles at intervals of about ten centimeters. Thin, tooth-like needles siphoned blood, and as a result, the captured hunters naturally lost their internal mana at a rapid rate. In other words, the perfect snare for subduing hunters was already in place here.
‘I wish this were all just a dream.’
mana at a rapid rate. In other words, the perfect snare for subduing hunters was already in place here.
'I wish this were all just a dream.'
Of course, no matter how much her arms and legs couldn't move, as long as she kept her wits about her, she should still be able to use her skills.
'By the way, they say the nose gets tired quickly—so why does this disgusting smell still linger...?'
This dungeon had many other traps designed to capture humans as well.
rustle, rustle.Endless. There were so many tendrils that "endless" was the only word that fit, layered and sprawled over one another to form the dungeon floor. From below, the way the tendrils surged and heaved together looked like a swarm of rats packed into a small box. It was, of course, deeply unpleasant.
'If I move even a single step, new tendrils will burst out of the floor. Trying to escape would be completely pointless... Even if Hunters came in, they'd just get caught the same way I did.'
Then, from the perspective of someone who had been abducted, how was this crisis supposed to be resolved? Was the only option to focus on breathing and staying alive for now? But unfortunately, this gate was saturated with dense mana, making even that simple act of breathing difficult
Even if Hunters came in, they’d just get caught the same way I did.
Then, from the perspective of someone who had been abducted, how was this crisis supposed to be resolved? Was the only option to focus on breathing and staying alive for now? But unfortunately, this gate was saturated with dense mana, making even that simple act of breathing difficult.
As powerful magic swirled around—strong enough that even elite Awakened would struggle to endure—it overwhelmed the kidnapped victim with a torrent of sensations: nausea, dizziness, pain, and more. If the Gisimche species were observing this place, the endlessly suffering humans might have appeared precious to them—like bulls that invariably gave birth to twins.
'It's so hard.'
But whether this predicament could really be overcome by blasting the place with bombs from the outside, like the idea that had just occurred... She didn't know.
'My life is doomed.'
The captured A-rank Awakened cautiously opened her eyes.
Keeping her eyes closed the whole time felt impossible, so she reluctantly opened them once. In the brief span of barely three seconds, she ended up seeing every kind of horrifying sight.
Crunch.Crack.Flap, flap...True to its nickname, the “nest” of angels, winged monsters were continuously being born within this space. The problem, however, was that their rate of proliferation was a bit excessive.
‘As expected, I can’t bear to look at this. I should close my eyes again.’
Inside this dungeon, there were not only plants designed to capture hunters, but also an insect-like number of new monsters. These otherworldly beings, which closely resembled humans, tore at what were presumed to be the wings of some original individual, violently creating siblings. It was, quite literally, behavior befitting monsters.
The captured A-rank Awakened went through a flood of thoughts and soon began to cry.
‘Being captured and brought into such a dangerous dungeon, there’s no way even rescue experts could help me...’
Since survivors of dungeon shocks often suffered from chronic PTSD, giving up in this way was all too common.
'Being captured and brought into such a dangerous dungeon, there's no way even rescue experts could help me...'
Since survivors of dungeon shocks often suffered from chronic PTSD, giving up in this way was all too common.
'I'm going to die.'
But just as a wave of emptiness was closing in...
...!...!Suddenly, a loud noise erupted.
'Could it be a new Awakened who was captured from another passage?'
The Korean student was already gripped by worry, afraid that the victims would only share screams with each other. Yet, driven by humanity's innate curiosity, she ended up listening closely to the noise—and, to her surprise, the voice that came through spoke these words.
...Korean...Honestly, at first, she wondered if she had heard it wrong.
...Korean.But what the heck was this?
The words, barely audible beneath the flapping of the monster's wings, gradually became clearer.
Is there anyone who can speak Korean...?The figure approaching the A-rank victim was repeating this sentence like a parrot.
'Are they from our country?'
So the captured student tried to respond in the language the other was looking for—but before that, their eyes met, and that happened even faster.
Flap, flap, flap.Flap.For reference, the winged monsters of this gate, no matter how low their aggression, bare their teeth if their personal space is invaded. Yet these ones, in an incredibly docile manner...ignored someone who had emerged after fidgeting with their own wings.
"Finally, I found you."
Indeed, the one who appeared now was Awakened with so little magic that even the monsters overlooked them. Even a rookie A-rank, as a supernatural being, would normally start perceiving mystic energy by "sensing" it. Yet here appeared someone whose mana seemed scarcely above F-rank, right before their eyes.
"Hello! Awakener."
The alien, having mimicked the proper tone of its host, began to speak.
"But excuse me, are you Korean or Japanese?"
It was an absurd question right from the start. Still, in the face of a life-threatening situation, such a misunderstanding didn't matter much.
“But excuse me, are you Korean or Japanese?”
It was an absurd question right from the start. Still, in the face of a life-threatening situation, such a misunderstanding didn't matter much.
“I’m Korean!”
Just when she had given up on everything, she miraculously encountered an S-rank Hunter.
***
Yahoo. As an Archmage, I’ve achieved a few objectives.
“You’re Hunter Kim Giryeo, right? Please tell me I’m not s, seeing things because of my anemia.”
The person inside the gate spoke to me. At that moment, I noticed the dark-brown prison wrapped around her entire body.
‘I’m not too late, then.’
To explain in advance, the main reason I entered the [Angels’ Nest] was to retrieve the golem.
'I'm not too late, then.'
To explain in advance, the main reason I entered the [Angels' Nest] was to retrieve the golem.
If the prototype Dragon Mark II is discovered by people first, it'll be a huge problem!But I had achieved that goal the moment I entered this place. I safely found the golem, which I had roughly remodeled into a lizard-like form, near the dungeon boss.
'Good thing the extra-dimensional space was so open.'
For reference, the golem, cloaked in invisibility magic, was nodding its head in front of the boss.
It was sizing up the attack, as if thinking, "When the hell should I bite?"
That golem had now shifted its behavior to quietly assist other Hunters in battle, so it hadn't caused any trouble yet. Therefore, the prototype itself could be retrieved into the [Item Box] without any issues. And now, having collected my personal invention, I was hastily making my way back to Korea.
"Hmm."
By the way, in a dungeon full of holes like Swiss cheese, how am I supposed to accurately find the way back to my home country?
Hmm.
By the way, in a dungeon full of holes like Swiss cheese, how am I supposed to accurately find the way back to my home country?
'Hmm.'
For starters, this dungeon had as many as 100 passages connecting to Earth. I thought I'd have to poke my head into each one to figure out the layout, but thanks to the person right in front of me, the task became surprisingly easy. Honestly, I was lucky.
Just a moment.
Judging by the trap where the tendrils shot up the moment the kidnapped victim entered, there must be a passage to South Korea somewhere near the Korean.
I'll safely remove those tendrils first, so please don't panic and try to stay still.
T, this?
I grabbed the plant that was binding the victim—and dried it out until it died.
'You nasty vine that bullies Earthlings. As of today, your moisture is confiscated, you punk.'
I grabbed the plant that was binding the victim—and dried it out until it died.
‘You nasty vine that bullies Earthlings. As of today, your moisture is confiscated, you punk.’
I'm not exactly an esper limited to a single element, but if there’s room to spare, it’s best to fight using water, following Earth's rules. In any case, the massive vine lost its vitality in an instant. And at the same time, when I removed the hard root that had been stuck to the back of my fellow mammal's neck......
“Ack!”
The result came out.
“Bear with the pain. I just removed the tracker. Looks like everyone who’s been directly abducted by a monster had one attached.”
“Ah—gasp! When did something like that get there…?”
“Please don’t come any closer with the roots.”
“So that’s why you weren’t pinned to the ground, Hunter—because that thing wasn’t there?”
“Probably.”
Thud.
The dungeon floor did not pursue humans, instead aimlessly grasping at some of the roots scattered around.
‘So many Earthlings have been hurt. But I’m absolutely terrible at healing others.’
Now that the victim could finally move freely, I immediately began the rescue efforts.
‘Well, it’s fine anyway—there’s only one nearby passage. Ten to one, that must be the entrance to South Korea.’
Strange dungeon or not, the top priority was to get this victim out. So I led my fellow Earthling and briefly approached a nearby passage—but—
“Aaaah! Mom!”
What on earth is going on now? This happened the moment the kidnapped victim approached the nearby gate.
The winged monsters had the trait of no longer recognizing someone as an enemy once the tracker-root attached to them was removed. So even when the Korean moved, they had only stared off blankly and acted indifferent—but at some point, they suddenly all displayed aggression at once I ended up expending a burst of mana in the process of protecting the Korean.
“H, heuk.”
“Don’t be alarmed. I took them all down.”
Of course, I still had enough mana left to breathe. The problem, however, was the recent behavior shown by those Apostles.
‘It wasn’t because of this Earthling being A-rank. Because of the difference in stride length, I was definitely the one who approached the gate first.’
I thought.
‘Then those things must have detected me, hiding my abilities down to dust-level, and informed their countless nearby allies of it. Looks like any prey that’s already entered the nest isn’t allowed to get out...’
I thought.
'Then those things must have detected me, hiding my abilities down to dust-level, and informed their countless nearby allies of it. Looks like any prey that's already entered the nest isn't allowed to get out...'
At this rate, returning to Korea would be difficult.
Crunch.Crunch.Rustle.Judging by the number of monsters pouring out—at least ten every second—it was obvious. The creatures here had such extreme reproductive power that they could only be compared to cockroaches. So in a situation like this, how were we supposed to force our way through the enemy lines and escape?
'There are too many monsters.'
All hunters in the world fundamentally had the following duties.
[FAQ for Becoming a Proper Hunter]
[Q. I've been detected by too many monsters! Can I just run outside the gate?]
All hunters in the world fundamentally had the following duties.
[FAQ for Becoming a Proper Hunter]
[Q. I’ve been detected by too many monsters! Can I just run outside the gate?]
[A. No. A monster’s hostility usually persists even after you’ve crossed the passage. (See Association Rule #10 for Citizen Safety)]
If one shirks this responsibility, the hunters gathered in Korea might be forced to deal with all the monsters that poured out at once—unfortunately. And normally, at this point, this Archmage would have come up with the clean alternative of clearing the gate...but...
'I'm doomed.'
Even that was difficult to execute at the moment due to certain circumstances.
“Wh, why are the monsters acting like this? Is it because of me? Then... would Hunter-nim go outside for now?”
“No.”
She looked quite young. The Korean’s selfless desire to send even a stranger to safety was truly admirable.
Although we’d only just met, I liked the person beside me. So I racked my brain, trying to find some way—any way—to get the monsters’ hostage out alive. The winged creatures in this place reproduced far too quickly; it was impossible t
She looked quite young. The Korean’s selfless desire to send even a stranger to safety was truly admirable.
Although we’d only just met, I liked the person beside me. So I racked my brain, trying to find some way—any way—to get the monsters' hostage out alive. The winged creatures in this place reproduced far too quickly; it was impossible to simply clear out a manageable number and make a run for it. Which meant I had to fundamentally deal with their greatest advantage: that overwhelming ability to multiply.
CreeeakWhen I turned my head, I spotted a mass nearby. It was something with about 29 massive wings clustered together at a single point.
'At the very least, in my current magic condition, it isn't something I can recklessly destroy.'
Furthermore, the underling monsters—who at least somewhat resembled humans—were tearing at every side of that wing-covered hairball, using the severed pieces to spawn entirely new entities.
"...."
In other words, that was essentially a factory for producing monsters. Meanwhile, in my item box, that longsword—so full of memories—was always kept.
[Hydra]. To be precise, it’s an epic-grade weapon imbued with the technology of some magical planet, whose blade constantly emits deadly poison...
'If I use this, I should be able to reduce the monster saturation.'
It was then. I carefully took an artifact with a green blade out from my belongings. However, to carry out the plan that had just come to mind, I would have to make a rather heart-wrenching decision.
'There are as many as thirty wing masses in this dungeon that produce monsters......'
To drown the monsters scattered across separate landmasses in lethal poison, there was no choice but to cut the blade of [Hydra] and embed the fragments into each individual mass. In fact, exposing the cross-sections of the blade would significantly amplify the poison’s potency anyway. However, once the blade was broken even once, this weapon would no longer be repairable on Earth.
'Because among these mammalian aliens, there isn’t a single skilled blacksmith.'
As expected, I had no choice now.
"Ugh."
As expected, I had no choice now.
“Ugh.”
Setting aside the Earthling beside me who was on the verge of tears, if I couldn’t reduce the number of enemies, I wouldn’t be able to get out of here either.
My magic was running low. Realistically, I was in no position to wipe all of them out right now. So, with a heart-wrenching resolve, I reinforced only my fingertips and began to break the Hydra’s blade.
At that moment, I felt a strange gaze coming from somewhere around the item box in my pocket—but it wasn’t important.
Master. You separated bone and skin from a talking being like me in a single second, so why are you staring at that cheap green sword with such moist, sentimental eyes?Anyway, why does something like AI have the ability to feel resentment...?
For a moment, the situation shifted back to the outer environment of Earth.
“Shoot! Shoot and hit!”
“Tch. What’s so fast about that?”
“That’s not the problem right now. The part we should be most worried about is that there was an S-rank among the monsters!”
As can be inferred from all this commotion, humanity on Earth was quite unsettled by the newly emerged threat.
[Fair and Square]
If the opponent is not of the same rank, they don’t pay much attention.
Originally, it was just a makeshift skill name intended to somehow lessen the terrifying image of the new monster. Yet, surprisingly, the traits assigned by the World Hunting Federation to these monsters applied accurately even to a few S-rank individuals.
In other words, these monsters were rank-obsessed, honestly targeting A-ranks with A-ranks, and S-ranks with S-ranks.
“By the way, those winged monsters... we really shouldn’t call them angels anymore, right?”
“The dungeon name itself is fine, but if we actually call that thing that looks like a human an ‘angel,’ it could cause confusion. So, the relevant religious institutions requested a change of name.”
“What kind of confusion are you talking about?”
“Hey. If it were you, would you feel good seeing the name of a religious symbol you believe in slapped onto things that go around killing people? Of course not.”
However, the creature that was ultimately finalized under the name [Sadist] was not truly fair and square at all. Choosing opponents of the same rank might have been fine, but...
But that monster’s fighting style usually involved dozens of them surrounding and beating down a single hunter, didn’t it?
But that monster's fighting style usually involved dozens of them surrounding and beating down a single hunter, didn't it?
'How pathetic!'
Boom!Chaos surged rapidly across Korea, China, and the United States alike. The winged monsters appearing worldwide gradually expanded their influence. Their ability to multiply seemed nearly infinite, yet every time humanity attempted to take action, it came at a cost.
The cost of hunters' medicine. The price of [Infinite Power Cores] that barrier mages must use.
Anyway, during a process where one side ends up spending tens of millions of won, even hundreds of millions, unilaterally, it's hard to say how long this tug-of-war could last.
(It's exploding again!)
(Barrier.......)
Unfold again!In the countries where morning was still holding, hunters stared blankly at the sky. A monster spilling out of the gate was blocking part of the sunlight with its wings.
'What an awkwardly unfolded polar night.'
Even in Korea, the barrier that had been painstakingly maintained developed cracks, delaying the hostage rescue operation. With monsters popping out like insects, there was no way to enter that pocket dimension. However, at that moment, only trying to control the number of monsters with long-range skills...
"Hmm?"
Regardless of the country, the frontline superhumans were the first to notice the anomaly.
'What the...? I've been too exhausted to use my skills at full strength, but why does it feel like the number of monsters keeps steadily decreasing?'
First, the number of monsters spilling out of the gate was unusual. And upon closer observation, the enemy hadn't taken to the skies at all for some time.
'What the... I've been too exhausted to use my skills at full strength, but why does it feel like the number of monsters keeps steadily decreasing?'
First, the number of monsters spilling out of the gate was unusual. And upon closer observation, the enemy hadn't taken to the skies at all for some time.
'They... are suddenly walking.'
The creatures, blessed with those magnificent wings, began lowering their posture one by one.
Rustle.Moreover, what was that behavior, scraping the ground every now and then like a person hungover? The hunters outside, who were facing the monsters, tilted their heads in puzzlement at the sight.
'Could it be a new pattern of the monsters?'
Until just a moment ago, the otherworldly monsters had been rampaging wildly, but suddenly they staggered like pigeons that had eaten something bad.
Kuweeeek."Now it's even vomiting."
Kuweeeek.“Now it’s even vomiting.”
“The liquid coming out of its mouth is rainbow-colored. Then that must be the monster’s blood, not vomit.”
The archmage’s minor actions had instantly broken the momentum of the terrifying enemies.
Author's Thoughts
Hi, from now on, I will update this novel 3 chapters/week. Thank you for all your support so far:)