The main body is in the demon realm while the clones are governing other places… or it could be the opposite. Or maybe they are all the main body… Ugh… This is giving me a headache. For now, I need to ask Azraelon. Azra has never even mentioned anything similar till now.
I didn’t want to bring up Azra’s painful past, so I refrained from asking, but I can’t hold it in any longer.
It’s a slim chance, but when I have the leisure, I need to dig into it one by one.
“I should avoid the blue-eyed ones as much as possible.”
My master said that opposing the blue-eyed ones was reckless, and advised that the best option was to make them retreat from our world.
I can’t make a mistake by acting recklessly without proper knowledge, like jumping into a tiger’s den.
“The demon realm…”
“…?”
“Surely no reaction. Then again, Maeng Seong-yong was a student at that time, so he might genuinely not know.”
“When are you planning to execute that operation?”
“Uh… we were planning to send a vanguard in at least three months.”
“That’s fast. Too fast, aren’t you? Are you out of your minds?”
“Do you still say that after seeing the world as it is? In the past year alone, more than five great beasts have appeared on the Korean Peninsula. Of course, most were dealt with by the transcendent beings led by the ‘Sword Master,’ but even that is reaching its limits. As long as guys like ‘Debsorpia’ and ‘Devouring Creeper’ keep coming out, we have no future.”
“… That is true… If we don’t eliminate the root cause, the problem won’t be solved.”
But the root cause is so immense that approaching it would get us burnt to a crisp.
“Are you going to eliminate the perpetrators summoning those great beasts?”
“Exactly! It’s a grand plan! We have the justification to save the world and we’re fully committing ourselves!”
“However, it feels like your enthusiasm is misplaced. Are you perhaps under some mental control?”
I had a hunch and scanned Maeng Seong-yong’s magical energy, but I didn’t find anything out of the ordinary.
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“What?!”
“You’ve become weak enough to be subdued by me. Moreover, the so-called Choi Gang-han, one of the strongest powers in the Association, was defeated by someone below the first Escalon.”
“Kuh… The combat power of those monsters far exceeded our estimates, and their abilities were quite unique. It’s hardly surprising. And our Association still—”
“Oh, the Association? What?”
“…”
His mouth twitched, suggesting he had some secret plan to reinforce their power or an alternative, but he didn’t spill anything even when pressed.
“There’s definitely something going on. At least, there must be someone stronger than Choi Gang-han?”
Did such a monster really exist in the Association?
– Manager Maeng! Huh? Where did he go? Manager! There’s a meeting summon!
“Well… It’s been a while since I saw that guy. I guess I’ll stop here for today. Still, I gained some insights.”
Thud—
“Huh?! Is this the potion?”
As I set the alchemist’s potion on the floor, Maeng Seong-yong immediately recognized its value and scrambled to hoard it.
“A potion from the brink of death…? Hey, can you explain the side effects in more detail—hmm?!”
As soon as Maeng Seong-yong lifted his head demanding additional explanation, Il-wol had already disappeared.
Creeeak—
“Huh? Manager! It’s a meeting summon.”
“… Assistant Ha. Didn’t I tell you that kind of tone is inappropriate in the company?”
“I find it amusing to use it occasionally. But we should hurry. The chairman has already taken a seat.”
“Huff… Yeah, alright then.”
“But why are you sweating so much? It seems you’ve overdone it with your training lately?”
“Shut up. Go ahead, I’ll be there shortly.”
“Yes, you should avoid losing your way again like last time. You know the atmosphere isn’t good, right?”
“I get it, so just disappear.”
“Yes!!”
As I watched Assistant Ha’s retreating figure, Maeng Seong-yong shook his head.
Shame and embarrassment flooded in late because he had charged in recklessly, relying on his recent rapid growth. He should’ve sounded the alarm. Damn…
However, from beyond the immaterial gate, the gaze of the mysterious man watching him was already a deterrent to such realizations.
“For now, I need to tread carefully.”
What happened to him earlier, bound by the pact, couldn’t be spoken of aloud during the meeting. If he shows even the slightest abnormality, Choi Gang-han would instantly catch on and press him for the details.
Getting ambushed by an unidentified hunter in the heart of the Association?
If this fact got out, the position he had painstakingly built in the Association would be uprooted. It absolutely must not leak.
“This is infuriating. I need to figure out that guy’s identity through ‘Rockter’ or something.”
Maeng Seong-yong couldn’t just sit back and let it unfold.
With that, he quickly stashed the small orb on his palm into the spatial pocket and hurriedly moved on.
* * *
It had been so long since I pushed my high-speed flight to the maximum.
All the scenery was receding below me as I rushed forward without taking it in.
Thud—
In less than an hour, I arrived at Udo, the easternmost island of Jeju Island.
“I finally made it. Jumping straight from a B-rank dungeon to the top-tier A-rank dungeon. I must be out of my mind.”
The gate leading to the massive dungeon ‘Nando’ extended hundreds along from Udo to Jeju, and among these, several gates led directly to specific areas.
“I still think it’s best to start from the beginning. For now, I’ll just sample the entrance.”
I didn’t think I couldn’t handle the difficulty of ‘Nando’, but considering the application of Trait [Thievery] and hunting efficiency, delving deep into ‘Nando’ at this point was certainly premature.
Even so, I chose to come here first instead of a B-rank dungeon because the recently discovered hidden spaces were strangely intriguing.
“I need to check if it’s a place I can enter or not.”
What I knew about the being that grants me power was exceedingly limited.
So, I wanted to confirm at least one fact through this opportunity.
The island was packed with people from the outer road.
– High-quality potion made from Jeju’s mineral water! Only today at this price!!
– Check out the water dish lunchbox! It’s a flavor you crave when entering Nando! I’ve even precisely prepared it in advance!
“I love water dishes too… Damn it. Stupid Jo Gi-man has caused me to lose the joys of life.”
My frustration towards Jo Gi-man boiled over whenever I saw the mouthwatering food stalls.
“Huff—good thought. Think of Yeon-hee’s ample breasts. Hoo-hoo—”
Having cheerful thoughts was the only way to keep my sanity intact.
“Still, it feels good. I should bring Yeon-hee here sometime. There aren’t many peaceful moments like this in the sky.”
I had heard news that many flying monsters had suddenly quieted down recently, but not encountering a single one on my way to Jeju was quite strange.
“Usually, I would have passed a group of ‘Ethereal Stringers’ several times already. The world is really going crazy.”
If nothing happens, it makes me feel even more anxious.
In any case, before the gate opened, ‘Udo’ used to be one of the places that one must pass through when coming to Jeju.
The emerald waters looked so fresh that it felt like they could pierce my heart just by looking, and the warm weather fully transitioned into spring, accompanied by a pleasant breeze; it certainly made you feel why people came here to heal.
“… What kind of healing does a skeleton talk about? Let’s go.”
I headed towards the entrance of ‘Nando,’ which was already bustling with hunters gathered from all around the world.
No matter how difficult inter-country exchanges may have become, the number of awakened ones yearning to experience ‘Nando,’ which rivaled the fame of the world’s eight greatest dungeons, was endless.
Especially recently, it had become a bit easier to teleport to different continents without crossing the skies, increasing the number of visitors.
The high-quality by-products obtained by defeating the monsters here were also a major attraction.
[Ah- ah- We announce the start of the auction. Hunters wishing to participate in the auction for the Swift Hellacne leather set, please proceed to auction house 34. There isn’t much stock, so please hurry—]
As the announcement broadcasted, a throng of hunters rushed towards auction house 34.
Among the monsters in ‘Nando,’ the Hellacne series was undoubtedly the most popular.
The leather from those monsters was highly valued for perfectly meeting every requirement armor should have.
Especially within this dungeon, its efficiency was unrivaled, increasing its popularity even further.
“Even so, buying through auction is just too expensive.”
There were two types of hunters participating in the auction.
Those who lacked the ability to hunt directly inside the dungeon but were wealthy, or those who had the ability but lacked time. Occasionally, bulk buyers would dive into the auction, but it was rare for Hellacne to be caught so easily.
Even with many people drawn away by the auction broadcast, a considerable number still remained.
“Certainly, this is the most popular dungeon in our country. The energy here makes me feel giddy.”
However, there was an area with even higher population density than the auction grounds.
[Everyone, please maintain order— The line is quickly diminishing. Don’t push forward recklessly. Once again, I repeat, maintain order—]
It was in front of the gate leading to the hidden space, a dungeon within a dungeon.
“… Incredible.”
Weeks had passed since the hidden dungeon opened.
Many attempts had already widely revealed the entrance conditions.
Awakened ones connected to numerous divine beings, and a number of named deities wielding tremendous power were present, but the count of awakened ones linked to undocumented divine beings was also significant.
Such hunters couldn’t resist the burning curiosity.
“Is the god connected to me granting power solely to me? That curiosity is truly special, and confirming that could strengthen my faith and lead to other gains.”
Of course, such instances were extremely rare.
So far, only four hunters have been officially recorded as having passed through the hidden dungeon.
Among them, three had yet to re-emerge from the dungeon.
Yet, the sheer number of people willing to challenge it showed that the hypothesis about hunters losing rational judgment upon awakening was undoubtedly true.
“Hmm… I’ve told Yeon-hee if she doesn’t contact me for two days, to dismiss the summoning. I guess that puts a burden on me.”
I shaped my full-body armor while in a stealth state.
I smoothed the bones to reduce my physique and changed the color to a near-gray.
“That should make it hard to see me as Yeon-hee’s summoned creature.”
As I made my adjustments resembling the armor most commonly used by A-rank hunters, just as I was getting in line.
A certain character that looked like a punk started an issue with a neatly dressed foreign gentleman.
“Why expose tattoos like that? Can’t let old habits go, tsk tsk.”
– You little punk, you wanna die?!!
The tattooed guy spoke just as harshly as he looked.
– Because this is a dungeon in Korea, it doesn’t mean that Korean people can cut in line!
– It’s not cutting in line! I was just saving a spot for a guild member! Are you dumb?!
– Oh, that’s some ridiculous excuse! Life is solitary. Saving a spot? Do you need education?
– Education? Damn, I graduated at least until high school! If you dislike it, why don’t you go to your own country?!
– Is my translation correct? You’re profoundly rude, eh? You might need physical education.
– Fine! Bring it on, you punk!
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