A long time ago, the monsters took over the sea and sky routes, making it truly difficult to encounter people from other countries.
It’s an unfair world where only a few strong individuals with capabilities can wander freely.
When hunters with such experiences gather in one space, the tension rises, and fights are bound to occur.
“Rather, if we couldn’t even communicate, we’d be more cautious around each other. The system translates everything too naturally,” I thought as I tried to divert my gaze from the familiar scenery before me. Suddenly, text appeared right in front of my eyes.
– A small quest is issued while walking the ‘Path of the King’.
– The optimal environment to complete the ‘Life Potion’ has been established.
– Punish the villains by turning them into ‘Mutants’ and obtain ‘Fragments of Corrupted Life Potion’!
– Reward: If you complete the ‘Life Potion’ within the given time, the capacity of the Life Potion will increase significantly.
“Um…?! What’s this?”
– 44:44:44
Then, an artificial message popped into my mind.
“Is the time limit 44 hours and 44 minutes? Can we get a break on the jokes here…”
The system was clearly messing with me.
With such meaningless numbers flashing in my head, it felt undeniable. However, there was no way to escape from this massive system’s grip.
I could only struggle not to stray from the path it had laid out for me.
“Damn it… The reward is way too tempting to ignore.”
The reward was enticing.
Moreover, thanks to the reward details, I caught a glimpse of information regarding the Life Potion.
“To say the capacity will increase significantly… does that mean it’s not merely a one-time item?”
Whatever it was, I had to succeed in this quest without fail.
“But can I fill all this within two days? There are countless hunters entering the ranks for sure, which means there would naturally be bad guys among them. How do I even identify who the villains are?”
Just as that question mocked me, another message appeared.
– A villain close to the Great Evil One has been detected!
“…… Thanks.”
As the message popped up, a red dot on the mental map flashed vigorously, pointedly marking the target. Miraculously, the villain designated by the system was the same foreign man with yellow hair who had just been in a spat with the tattooed guy.
“He looks fine on the outside, but what the heck has he done to be judged a villain by the system?”
Victor Cruel
– An A-rank top-tier hunter from Edinburgh, Scotland.
– To date, he has killed 205 people and brutally raped and murdered 27 Asian women.
“… Raping and murdering women… and this still isn’t considered a Great Evil One? What are the standards for being a Great Evil One? Is it because I’m a ‘Purifier of the Korean Peninsula’ that foreigners don’t count? Can’t we just classify him as a Great Evil One right away?”
– ……..
Of course, the system had no answer.
I had seen enough of how it operated on its whims; nothing surprised me anymore.
Kwaack—!
“Gaaaaah! I-I surrender! Just back off already!”
– That’s not happening. The physical lesson isn’t over yet.
Thunder—
“Gaaaaahhh!! My arm!”
At that moment, Victor Cruel was in the process of smashing the arm of the man he had been fighting with.
“Has the contest already been decided?”
Slap—
Crunch—
The tattooed guy’s arm and leg bent in directions they weren’t supposed to go. It seemed a bit excessive for a minor quarrel, yet no one stepped in to stop Victor.
It was an unwritten rule not to interfere in battles between hunters, and with so many witnesses around, it was difficult for his companions to intervene. Furthermore, there were no hunters nearby who could match Victor Cruel.
For now, he was the strongest in this space.
“He’s strong. A slow starter? His aura feels way stronger than before. He’s probably going to be a bit trickier than Hwang Tae-wook.”
The mechanical devices that extended from Victor Cruel’s body were packed with magic power and various effects.
“A unique class that handles machines… not a dwarf, but maybe an engineer?”
The advanced gadgets gave him enough strength to take on multiple opponents at once.
Creeaaaak— Clank!
Other devices seemed to be hidden in abundance throughout his body.
“Cough— cough…”
Soon, the hunter who fell victim to Victor Cruel was carried off by his guild members to another location.
“Ugh… since I’ve moved from my spot, I’ll have to get back in line.”
He walked toward the end of the line to challenge the hidden dungeon, even though no one commented on his behavior.
I naturally stood behind him in line.
When I fell in place behind him, he briefly reached out with his magic to feel me out before collecting himself and starting conversation.
“Oh? Are you by yourself? Nice full armor. There was a friend of mine who wore full armor as well. Unfortunately, that friend got trapped in cold ice while wearing his armor. Anyway, it’s nice to meet you. Haha.”
“…”
“Haha… you’re a man of few words. If it’s because of my actions earlier, please don’t worry. I just detest unfairness and avoid causing trouble myself.”
“…”
I gestured with my finger to signal him to pull up the line.
“Oh dear, I’ve heard that Koreans are impatient. And it appears to be true! Ah! If you also came from abroad just like me, then my apologies. Haha.”
He moved along the line that had been tugged before suddenly turning his head to the side and humming a mysterious tune.
Following his gaze, I saw a female hunter tying her hair back after having let it down.
Given the nature of hunters, her physique was ideal, but her appearance didn’t seem extraordinarily stunning.
However, when her snowy-white neckline was briefly exposed, Victor Cruel’s magic flared up dramatically.
“Whew— wow. Seems like all the money I spent coming here has been worth it. Just look at that smooth neck and flowing black hair. Truly beautiful. I should’ve come sooner.”
“…”
“We hardly ever get to see such a lovely woman in our country. Everyone seems to eat greasy food, and we end up with a lot of fat pigs. Oops? That was a slip-up! I absolutely don’t mean to insult women there. But it’s the truth. Damn it. They don’t take care of themselves. After awakening, most tend to keep a beautiful shape.”
Suddenly rambling as if his lust had taken over, he seemed to have lost his mind.
“A black-haired fetish… this guy would’ve caused a real ruckus if he were born in my country.”
He made no attempt to hide the bulge beneath his waist, what a madman.
“The method of feeding an Evolved Creature to create a Mutant and then killing it for the fragments… looking at this guy, I feel like the hesitation I had for a moment was just foolish.”
My resolve solidified; all I needed was to determine the timing and place.
Geeeek—
The mechanical devices all over his body seemed to have a visual distortion effect, so they were completely invisible to the naked eye.
The strength appeared undeniably as solid as steel, and based on what I saw during the fight, the response speed of those machine devices was much quicker than that of Victor Cruel himself.
“Surprisingly, he seems specialized in defense. Still, I don’t think it will be too hard to work on.”
I could have cut off his neck at any moment, but there were just too many eyes watching. Of course, I had changed the appearance of my armor, but being in full armor meant I had already limited the potential tactics, so I needed to be as careful as possible.
“I’ll head into the gate and wait for my chance.”
All I needed to do was judge whether I met the entrance conditions for the hidden dungeon, the line quickly dwindled.
– Would you like to enter the Dungeon ‘Difficulty’?
After Victor Cruel entered, I followed closely behind him.
Whooosh—
“Whoa…”
From the moment I entered, I could definitely feel a difference from the dungeons I had entered before.
“It feels so tight. The pressure of the space is immense.”
Clack—
Although it was said to be a sea dungeon, not every area was flooded with water.
The start was a solid floor.
The blue space, widening sharply in a fan shape, would eventually transition into an environment fully opened to all sides.
Though the sky was clear, dark clouds loomed heavily, as if it were about to rain at any moment.
The density of the air was also much heavier than that of the previous dungeons, making it difficult for hunters entering for the first time to even breathe comfortably.
“Ssshh— ah— feels good. I think there’s even a slight salty scent? Hahaha.”
Victor Cruel seemed unaffected by the environment and still babbled on without care.
Hunters capable of entering ‘Difficulty’ were mostly equivalent level hunters, and yet he didn’t hesitate to reveal himself like that.
His confidence was astounding.
“Foreigners really are different.”
I rarely saw Westerners, so every action he took felt fresh to me.
“Yes, next challenger please step forward.”
In front of the hidden dungeon stood five A-rank hunters belonging to the Hunter Management Bureau.
While most A-rank dungeons were overseen by top-tier guilds, the ‘Difficulty’ dungeon was directly managed by the state.
Of course, there were guilds managing hunting grounds in an indirect manner within the dungeon, so it’s not wrong to say the burden is shared.
Victor Cruel hastily made his way toward the gate leading to the hidden dungeon, guided by a staff member.
“Phew—”
Even he, who had been endlessly talking, now wore a tense expression for this moment.
After about 20 seconds passed, his face turned pale, and his body shook as if he had jumped into icy waters in mid-winter.
“It feels like he’s being rejected…”
Ziiing—
“Ugh! Damn!”
Boom—
As Victor Cruel was pushed back from the gate of the hidden dungeon, he shook off the chill engulfing his body.
“Whooo— Whooo— ‘Bellastright’, you tricked me?!”
It appeared that the god connected to Victor, presumably ‘Bellastright’, was not only supporting him.
“Don’t laugh! Which bastard are you playing with instead of me? Tell me!”
In a fit of rage as if he had been betrayed by a lover, Victor Cruel directed his fury toward the god connected to him.
In a way, I found a sense of respect for him.
He was treating a Divine Being with such irreverence.
“A rapist saying that is beyond ridiculous. He gets slapped by the Divine Being because he does such terrible things.”
I shook my head as I positioned myself according to the instructions of the approaching staff member, standing before the hidden dungeon.
“Seo Kang-jun Hunter. Please feed magic to the identification card… Yes, confirmed.”
Having already arranged for a forged ID through Helen, there were no issues with identity verification.
In this dungeon, my activity name would be Seo Kang-jun.
Whether that person ever existed or not is something I didn’t know.
“You only need to put in your wrist.”
Nod—
Swoooosh—
Reaching toward the gate leading into the dungeon within a dungeon,
The smooth jelly-like sensation wrapped around my arm, sending warmth throughout my body.
“Warm…? Do people react differently? Or is it because I’m a monster?”
While I was lost in idle thoughts, a rather courteous message appeared in a different handwriting than usual.
– The great ■■■■■■ has confirmed that he will bestow power exclusively upon you.
– Will you enter the ‘Shattered Goddess’ Worldline’??
Clearly, it was a phrase granting me entry.
Though the term “Shattered Goddess’ Worldline” resonated with some déjà vu, overwhelming emotion took precedence.
“… Oh! Just as I thought! You’re favoring only me!”
I tried not to fret, but indeed, I felt uneasy.
If it turned out that they were supporting someone other than me, I would probably feel a hint of disappointment.
At the same time, I questioned why this great being, who even had the system treading carefully, was only vested in me.
“Whatever it is, it’s truly touching.”
“What’s happening?”
Noticing my lack of reaction, the staff member inquired cautiously.
He looked a bit expectant, seeing as I was reacting a lot differently than Victor.
But as I pulled my arm back, I waved my hand dismissively.
“Oh, no. You shouldn’t be disappointed. Everyone’s getting the same results. If you want to leave immediately, just turn left.”
The staff member returned to his businesslike demeanor, calling forth the next challenger.
“No need to rush.”
Though entrance to the hidden dungeon was possible, I didn’t rush in.
Having confirmed I met the conditions, I could challenge it again anytime.
“First, I need to deal with my prey. There’s a time limit after all.”
Fortunately for me, my target, Victor Cruel, hadn’t gone too far.
He was moving ahead at a leisurely pace.
“Why isn’t he leaving? Surely he isn’t thinking of exploring alone?”
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