novel
| ← Ch.029 | Ch.031 → |
TL: Uncle Choi
Editor: Bait
[Current Stop is Pungsan. Pungsan Station. ]
Hearing the announcement, Kim Woo-jin looked out the window of the Gyeongui Central Line train heading to Ilsan.
As the train left the station, a clear view of everyday life in Goyang City, Ilsandong could be seen.
'This place will be in ruins within 2 years as well. '
The scenery of Ilsan going through Kim Woo-jin's head was the image of a city devastated by monsters and surrounded by tanks and artilleries to remove those monsters.
It wasn't just an imagination.
'Was it a twin-head ogre?'
In 2025, Ilsan essentially lost its ability to function as a city due a twin-head ogre, which had escaped from a 6 floor dungeon.
And such occurrences were happening all over the world.
'Not for much longer. '
Monsters coming out of the dungeon gate in the present were still threatening, but even the general public with firearms were more than able to mitigate and deal with the damage caused by those threats.
The same held true in 2025. There was no monster mankind could not kill.
The only problem was that firearms alone were no longer enough, they needed the firepower of several artillery or fighter units in order to kill them.
It was then that the world realized the importance of strong, talented players, and powerful items. Leaving a dungeon with 5 or more floors unattended was virtually like losing the territory itself.
Of course, there were those who knew that much earlier.
All the players who are currently over level 100 knew the truth.
It was impossible for them to not understand.
If you have faced a monster from a 3 floor dungeon, it wasn't hard to imagine what would happen if such a monster were to run outside. It was just something one could naturally tell, even without a thought.
'If you know what's going to happen, you won't be able to stand still. '
This was the reason why high-level players including Park Yong-wan, who were reluctant to work for the public good, risked their lives and enter the dungeons. They had no other option. They had to frantically raise their levels and secure items in order to survive.
Because they knew a hellish period was coming. When one cannot survive in the world without getting stronger.
'They couldn't just brush it off and think about it later. '
At the same time, it was also the reason they did not look back and acted as they pleased.
Why wouldn't they when they know that it will be a lawless world in two or three years?
Why would they worry about tax investigations or hearings that will take place in 10 or 20 years? Likewise, there was nothing wrong with selling out one's country when the order of the world was about to collapse.
It was such an era of lawlessness and darkness that helped the Messiah Guild to shine even brighter.
Due to being in that Messiah Guild, Kim Woo-jin did not have to worry or think about difficult things.
He liked how things were back then. However, that did not mean that he wanted to experience the same story.
It was just that Kim Woo-jin saw the truth.
'I need to prepare enough power before the world becomes like that. The power to withstand the threat of the Messiah Guild. '
If he still remains weak when the rules of the world start to change, then the Messiah Guild will eat Kim Woo-jin alive.
[Current Stop is Ilsan, Ilsan Station. ]
With that reality in mind, Kim Woo-jin arrived at his destination.
After getting off at Ilsan Station and walking a little further away from the station, he saw a large area of farmland filled with greenhouses.
Kim Woo-jin's destination, the dungeon gate, was inside the most desolate greenhouse.
With its ripped up plastic covers and collapsed interior, a greenhouse welcomed Kim Woo-jin.
That was all.
It was just there without a single person waiting in sight, only the dungeon gate lay there imposingly.
'He said that it devoured three parties already, right?'
It was an unfitting treatment for a dungeon gate, which has already eaten three parties.
After devouring as many as three parties, the dungeon was very likely to be shunned by players.
Moreover, because the dungeon was infested with difficult monsters like kobolds, players with common sense would be even more unwilling to choose this dungeon.
In other words, it would remain untouched and spit out monsters without rest until players similar to those from the Messiah Guild, who don't care about the risks, came to clear it.
Since that's the case, there was a need to prevent monsters from suddenly escaping out of the dungeon and inflicting casualties to the surrounding population.
Of course, no matter how many people died, a small problem like that was of no importance to people who were busy thinking of more ways to make money.
'Hayashi Konsuke, he's better than a bastard like him. '
In other words, Oh Se-chan was not such a wretched person.
It wasn't a misunderstanding.
"He's doing a good job keeping it clean. '
A dungeon with a kill count of three parties should have traces left by the party in the vicinity.
Otherwise, there should have been traces of the monsters coming out and escaping.
Unexpectedly, the surroundings were clean.
Not to mention monster footprints, there weren't even tire marks from cars.
This meant that this place was strictly monitored and cleaned.
Kim Woo-jin smiled.
'What a funny fellow. '
Kim Woo-jin never saw a broker that cared about managing a dungeon in a such way.
'To the point of wanting to meet him. '
For the first time, Kim Woo-jin wanted to meet the man named Oh Se-chan.
Other than that, there wasn't much to consider.
No matter how many people died in this dungeon, how difficult it was, or what kind of monster the Kobolds were, it didn't matter to Kim Woo-jin.
As mentioned before, clearing shunned dungeons like this was what Kim Woo-jin did before returning to the past.
'To do that, I'll have to clear this dungeon first. '
Therefore, Kim Woo-jin entered the dungeon without hesitation.
- Kim Woo-jin entered the dungeon. He went in alone. It looks like he's going to try to clear it alone.
- "Is that so? Then contact me when he comes out."
- Yes.
The man who put down the smartphone as the call ended was a young man.
He appeared to be in his mid-20s, but his shaved head, thick horn-rimmed glasses, muscular body, and nervous temperament made his age a mystery.
"What happened?"
A middle-aged man with blond hair and blue eyes asked the question.
In addition, the middle-aged man's question was in Russian.
Obviously, the reply was in Russian as well.
"A strange lunatic wants to trade with me. I'm testing him."
The middle-aged man tilted his head back when he heard about a new client.
"Lunatic?"
"Can you believe that he asked me to pay for his transportation?"
The old man smiled bitterly in response.
"Trying to extort money from you? He must be someone who doesn't not know you."
"Yeah, I'm sure he doesn't know me. But such person told me that he wanted to do business with me through Park Yong-wan."
In front of the name Park Yong-wan, the middle-aged man immediately erased his smile.
"Do you mean Park Yong-wan from the Phoenix Guild?"
"Was there any other son of a bitch named Park Yong-wan that I know of?"
"If he's someone from Park Yong-wan's side, wouldn't it be better for you to not take it?" Unlike the playful young man, the middle-aged man inquired seriously.
Only then did the young man speak in a serious tone as well.
"He's not on Park Yong-wan's side."
"Are you sure?"
"If he was someone from Park Yong-wan's side, there wouldn't be a need for him to become a customer like this when he could just trade with me through Park Yong-wan. Well, I can look into it more after he passes the test."
"What are his chances of survival?"
"Well... it's a C+ rank dungeon with a level limit of 20, entry up to 4 people, and a clear condition of killing 100 kobolds. I would say since he entered it alone, his odds are not too high."
Hearing this reply, the middle-aged man spoke in a surprised tone.
"He went in alone? Into a dungeon with kobolds?"
The middle-aged man knew what kind of monsters kobolds were very well.
"It's dangerous."
"Yep, it's very dangerous."
The young man, Oh Se-chan, knew it as well.
"They are very dangerous monsters with a sense of smell on par with dogs. They have systematic movements like wolf packs, a sense of companionship, and the ability to use complicated tools like bows. If he faces them like he's going against a group of orcs or goblins, he's going to be in a worse off than being in hell."
He knew how dangerous kobolds were and that one needed to approach hunting them differently than hunting a group of orcs or goblins.
He also knew that watching an unprofessional player enter a dungeon with kobolds without proper preparations was no different than watching a suicide unfold.
"He must be very skilled."
The middle-aged man knew that Oh Se-chan would never assist a suicide.
"I don't know."
"You don't you know?"
"Yep, at the very least, he hasn't even reached level 20. He has no experience clearing 2 floor dungeons and he has been a player for only about a month now. But someone who doesn't even know me contacted me through Park Yong-wan. He even asked me to help him pay for the transportation costs. Considering everything he's done, he is not the type of person who is looking for a easy way out either."
"There's a good chance he's an assassin who's after your life."
"Assassin?"
"An unknown expert approaching someone while mustering public attention, one can often see that in movies with assassin protagonists."
Oh Se-chan laughed mockingly at the middle-aged man's remarks.
"I don't care about that. Most of us will die in 10 years anyway. I'm sure it would be more of headache to be alive in 10 years. And if I die, Gorbachev, you won't at a loss, will you? Since everything in my name will be yours."
Hearing Oh Se-chan's words, Gorbachev smiled bitterly.
"One's skill is the only thing that matters. Even if he is a man who is trying to kill me, it's okay as long as he is skilled. All I need is a monster who can come back smiling even if he's put inside a hellish dungeon. That's why I set the deadline at 5 days."
Gorbachev shook his head when he heard that the deadline was only 5 days.
"It looks like you really need a monster."
"Yeah, unless you're a monster, it's impossible to kill 100 kobolds in 5 days."
Oh Se-chan's eyes glistened as he spoke.
'With that kind of monster in my hands, it's more than enough to end this game. '
Gorbachev got up from his seat when he saw Oh Se-chan's hopeful eyes.
"Alright then. I'm going to do my job now."
Oh Se-chan waved when he heard Gorbachev's farewell.
"I'm sorry I couldn't see you off to the airport. You know how my situation is."
"If you're sorry, why don't you upgrade my flight seat to business?"
"I'll see you off at the airport. You don't mind if we take the subway, right?"
"... I'm good."
At the foot of a mountain with endless rocks and trees.
Keung! Keung!
A kobold was patrolling the mountainside alone.
The appearance of a kobold did not fall short of the expression "monster."
Head of a dog walking on two legs instead of four, and holding a sword and shield in its two hands. It looked even more eerie than an orc or a goblin.
However, a kobold's physique, which neared at most 1. 4 meters tall compared to an orc's two meters tall muscular body, did not seem threatening.
It looked weak enough that a warrior-type player might think they could easily fight it one on one.
In fact, hunting a kobold one on one was quite feasible for a player with levels higher than 10 and enough hunting experience.
Because of this, most of the players would try and hunt the kobold if they saw a lone patrol without hesitation when hunting kobolds for the first time.
However, not many of such stories were told.
For only few of the people who hunted kobolds in that way ever came back alive.
That was certainly the case...
Kobolds never missed the scent of blood of its kind; and to take revenge for their kindred they would pass through fire and water. In a way, blood of kobolds were like a curse that resulted in inevitable death.
Seug!
That's why Kim Woo-jin, who appeared behind the Kobold, wrapped its neck with a wire in his hand.
Kekk!
The kobold let out a silent scream with his mouth wide open.
Then Kim Woo-jin slowly waited until the Kobold's heart stopped beating.
Soon, the kobold died with his long tongue hanging out.
'The sacrifice is secured. '
It was the moment when he got a sacrifice without shedding a drop of blood.
In fact, Kim Woo-jin didn't have to approach this in a such way.
With his current combat power, it was possible to kill 100 kobolds even if he was engaged in a brawl. To exaggerate a little, he could even pour the blood of kobolds on his body and kill the kobolds that came after him.
'All I have to do now is to dig a trap. '
But Kim Woo-jin did not do that.
If necessary, he would happily have a slaughterfest.
However, it was not Kim Woo-jin's style to engage in an exhausting battle when he didn't have to.
While having overwhelming strength, producing even more overwhelming results was Kim Woo-jin's hunting style.
"Summon skeleton soldier."
In order to do that, Kim Woo-jin summoned a skeleton soldier.
"Black bone."
[The Power of the Underworld Flows Within the Skeleton Soldier. ]
A skeleton soldier with black bones rose up.
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