Chapter 475. With All Due Respect (5) |
A dungeon where every [Sadist] spawned immediately suffers from powerful status effects—no wonder the hunters outside were utterly bewildered. But their confusion couldn't stop what was happening inside; within the dungeon, the journey toward escape was still underway.
We need to slow down their regeneration from now on! You, the hostage, stay right next to me and move as little as possible for now.Ugh. Yes. Hunter Kim Giryeo.After parting with the beloved [Hydra] and reducing the saturation of otherworldly monsters, the next step was to directly hunt down the beasts near the Korean gate to minimize the number that could follow afterward. At least when put into words, the plan itself didn't sound all that complicated.
.
.
.
Crack!
A crisp, lively sound rang out. It was the moment he decided he had to clear out this space, half wings, half air. The blonde young man immediately began a tour of the dungeon with the high school student who had joined him.
“That’s the equipment of Hunter Kim Giryeo I’ve seen on the news. But… you’re breaking it and inserting a piece every time you encounter one of those piles of wings.”
Everything was part of the process of systematically destroying the devices that produced the ordinary monsters called [Sadists].
“Sob sob sob, my money…”
The high school student who had been captured during this process was finally able to take a proper look at the dungeon’s internal structure.
“By the way, it seems like the bad smell has finally lessened a bit.”
The floor was made up of wriggling, dark-brown tendrils, and looking up, the ceiling resembled the rural night sky of Earth. Thanks to the winged glow emitted by the [Sadists], there was at least a minimal level of visibility. But the thought that had been nagging me since earlier persisted—what on earth was that round, mound-like thing sitting right in the center of the dungeon?
‘Most monsters hang around the entrance trying to get out. The closer you get to the center of the dungeon, the quieter it actually becomes.’
Some kind of creatures that looked like white eggs half-buried in the ground. The A-rank high school student, walking under Kim Giryeo’s protection, could hardly take their eyes off those objects.
“That’s the boss monster.”
“Yes?”
But after a few seconds, the Archmage’s side gave a shocking explanation.
“The four lying around nearby are elite individuals guarding the boss.”
“What do you mean, lying around?”
“If you look closely, you’ll see a waistline indented like a human’s.”
She just thought it was a regular altar she’d find at any gate.
“That’s a monster too? I didn’t notice it at all.”
The magical energy lingering in the air was so heavy that even the psychic’s usual sixth sense seemed to fail.
–Whew.
As the white, round mound shifted slightly, almost as if it were breathing, the high school students flinched.
“By the way, you must never attack those.”
“Yes, yes!”
“Because their bodies are so soft, they could be affected by your A-rank skills.”
“Hmm?”
But this was unexpected information.
“A boss monster group, and their defense is that weak?”
“Yes.”
“Then instead of taking out the small fry one by one, can’t Hunter Kim Giryeo just kill that thing right away?”
If you kill the dungeon’s owner, the gate is cleared immediately. This is a rule of otherworldly realms that even elementary school kids could understand. Yet, for some reason, the alien mage seemed very reluctant about the action the student had suggested.
“That won’t do.”
This particular feeding box was special in every way.
“The ones over there aren’t ordinary monsters. They’re like counterweights, and at the same time, they’re no different from pillars.”
“What’s that…”
“First of all, with the dungeon filled with monsters like this and the dungeon break still not happening, something’s definitely off, right?”
The A-rank awakened student listened carefully to what he said.
“Then since something unusual has appeared, let’s take a moment to figure out why it happened.”
“Hmm.”
“Perhaps this gate has an unusual explosion switch, which is why it’s remained intact until now.”
“Ah!”
“For example, it might be designed so that the more important enemies you kill, the more unstable the space becomes.”
The sentence Kim Giryeo uttered was unfamiliar, but it wasn’t difficult to understand.
“So, in this gate, does killing the boss actually trigger the break?”
The alien nodded.
“When the space explodes, the [Angel’s Nest] will disappear. Well, in a way, that would count as clearing it… but still I…”
For the record, there was a reason Kim Giryeo appeared so passive. Because of the reversal rule just mentioned, the minions had to be cleared first. But the empty-shelled mage, who had nearly exhausted all their mana, couldn’t perform that task.
“Once I get you outside, I’ll need to sleep and rest for about a day myself.”
“Oh, come to think of it, you just mentioned that you used up all your mana while working in the U.S., right?”
In the dimly lit background, the two vaguely familiar people were having a conversation.
“Hmm.”
“…”
While spreading the [Hydra] blades for a long time, they also encountered other kidnapping victims along the way.
“He was already dead before I came in.”
The fact that he wasn’t alive was a bit of a problem, though.
“Oh, by the way. Don’t look this way.”
“Why?”
“Seeing a dead body can make people’s mental health worse.”
To be honest, she had been uncertain on her own, but thanks to the alien’s remark, the student realized that someone had indeed died. That’s why her expression suddenly became subtly awkward—but—
“…Or not? Did I just say something that goes against social consensus again…?”
The high school student’s focus quickly shifted, triggered by the alien creature’s misstep.
“This person is strange.”
It was an impression that most people would recall if they had ever had a deep conversation with an alien.
‘Hunters face all kinds of threats in strange spaces. I’ve heard that many people end up developing odd personalities because of their work. Could it be that Hunter Kim Giryeo is one of them?’
What followed was a completely new repertoire.
Kang!
Kang!
Kang!
A few minutes passed in silence, and at some point, the dungeon became filled with coarse, clattering noises. Kim Giryeo infected all the original monsters scattered throughout the dungeon with [Venom], then returned to the spot where the student had been held. Now, with enough of the monsters gone to make the walls—dark as they were—somewhat visible, clearing just this area properly would make at least one entrance usable right away.
[A-rank Sadist group]
Come to think of it, if it were PIXY, they’d probably give that horde of monsters a name like this…
Kang!
Anyway, enough with the distractions. Kim Giryeo took out the only remaining striking weapon from the item box and held it in his hand. It was an exploration rod leftover from the company staff distribution, and at first glance, it didn’t look much different from a construction-site steel pipe.
“Just wait a moment. We’re really close to escaping.”
The one who had once been an Archmage began striking the monsters with such an object.
“These foolish creatures… even when they get hit, they don’t react to anything that looks weaker than themselves.”
Swish.
To move more comfortably, he unbuttoned the top of his shirt and let the loose end of his tie hang casually around his chest pocket. A man with dyed hair like that, swinging a metal rod like a baseball bat?
“Hmm…”
The A-rank awakened student, standing like a stuffed sack, quietly assessed the situation.
“I’m pretty sure I’ve seen scenes like this in dramas, during those gang fights…”
But it was the moment the high school student in casual clothes recalled a troubling thought she couldn’t voice. Right in front of her, a new, loud thud rang out.
“Heup.”
When Kim Giryeo’s metal rod struck, the new type of monster’s wings crumpled pitifully, feathers falling in a flurry. Truly devastating power. But if each blow is that strong, doesn’t that also mean the person wielding the rod is using a tremendous amount of force?
“You seem to be hitting really hard. Does your arm hurt?”
The student grew worried. In response, the blonde hunter immediately answered.
“It doesn’t hurt.”
Even without Alphaun-style pain control, it was understandable.
“And anyway, there’s no other way to reduce the monsters. As I briefly mentioned while going through the dungeon, I’ve almost run out of mana right now.”
“Hmm.”
“Anyway, there’s no need to worry.”
Kim Giryeo was currently demonstrating extreme mana efficiency. He selectively strengthened only the essential muscles needed for his swinging motions, then channeled what little mana he had left into the exploration rod. This way, he could smash A-rank monsters like soft tofu without any strain.
“I, is that so…?”
But to a third party unfamiliar with magical studies, this scene did indeed look like backbreaking labor.
Crack, crack, crack.
One young man kept swinging the metal club as if chasing away a bird pecking at the grain. And there she was, a student, watching the whole scene from behind.
“I’m the one resting because I’m hurt and in pain, but it feels a bit awkward not lifting a finger in a situation like this.”
Hesitantly.
The A-rank awakened student couldn’t stand the awkwardness any longer and finally spoke up.
“Can I help you?”
“No.”
But the alien responded with a coldness as if it had a blade in its tongue.
“She’s a human who got hurt that badly—let’s at least let her rest as much as possible until we escape!”
Of course, only its words and face were cold—inside, it really meant no harm. The mage on this side was intelligent and perceptive enough to pass as a human with a little attention. Still, habits aren’t something that can be easily changed. This being maintained a blank expression in most situations.
“I don’t need your help.”
It was this blank expression that amplified the companion’s awkwardness.
“Really? I’m an A-rank after all. But… you really don’t need any help at all?”
“Yes.”
Eventually, silence settled in. Unfortunately, in the terrifying backdrop of the dungeon, even a small awkwardness could sometimes swell into unease. So the student spoke up, trying to calm her negative feelings.
“Then… while those birds are being dealt with, could I ask just one question from the side?”
“What question?”
The fortunate part was that the person in front of her was an S-rank Hunter. With the influence of other media declining and TV broadcast ratings soaring nowadays, honestly there’s no other celebrity quite like Kim Giryeo. So it was only natural that her curiosity about him was endless.
“What are the main advantages of being a Hunter? I mean… it’s just that today’s the first time I’ve ever met someone who’s actually working in the field.”
Moreover, since she was a high school student, she specifically brought up a question about career paths.
“Huh? What? You’re a pretty high-level awakener, but you’re not a Hunter?”
But what kind of answer was that?
“I’m a student!”
“A student?”
“Oh. I guess you didn’t realize because this isn’t a school uniform for attending classes. What I’m wearing is my Cheongin High casual uniform—it even has the school emblem.”
“So many school uniforms these days.”
She had been thinking him of for consistently using polite speech, but was it just that he had simply misjudged her age?
‘And as soon as it was confirmed that I’m young, he immediately switched to casual speech…’
The Earth minor found herself caught in a subtle mix of feelings at this point. Of course, the alien couldn’t detach such small changes in a mammal’s expression at all and continued speaking.
“The advantages of becoming a Hunter, huh.”
Money, money, money. It was one of those moments when he wondered if it was really okay to repeat such words to a budding youth of South Korea.
“By the way, my parents are completely against me taking up hunting as a job.”
Where else in the world could there be a career counseling session this bizarre?
“But I want to be a hunter, if possible.”
As the S-rank Hunter pounded the white monsters with a metal bat, the high school student spoke up cautiously.
“It’s hard to keep up with the high cost of living on a regular salary, you know.”
“Is this really something that should be coming out of a teenager’s mouth…?”
“But when a high-level awakened like me actually works as a Hunter, I hear you can make billions in a single job. Isn’t that right?”
Somehow, the conversation eventually steered safely toward money. But wasn’t it a little awkward to feel pleased about that?
“That’s right. Honestly, in this line of work, since the discovery of new materials is practically monopolized by certain ranks, it’s only natural that everyone’s income is high.”
Let’s say it’s dangerous. Kim Giryeo took down an approaching [Sadist] and, during the brief pause in his swinging, spoke seriously.
“But still, don’t pursue hunting as a career.”
Because this market is going to disappear from Earth soon. He gave the advice conscientiously, so that humans wouldn’t sadly lose their jobs.
“If they tell you not to, then don’t.”
However, the alien’s flat tone struck a different note to the high school student.
‘Seeing someone near the top of the industry speak like that… I guess being a Hunter really is a job full of hardships?’
The person in front of her was an S-rank Hunter who had probably earned enough to buy a building. Yet, someone of that stature not only refrained from recommending the profession but actually criticized it and advised her never to do it.
‘But… even though Hunter Kim Giryeo dislikes his job so much, he still shows up on-site every time?’
In fact, the number of members in a fan cafe for an S-rank Hunter usually grows along these lines.
Author's Thoughts: Hi, from now on, I will update this novel 3 chapters/week. Thank you for all your support so far:)