It has been 25 years since monsters first appeared on Earth.
During this time, humanity has advanced, and our systems are now well-developed enough to respond quickly to problems as they arise.
When a major incident like a monster wave occurs, the nearest Awakened Center is the first to detect it.
Based on this, a report is sent to the higher authority, the Dungeon Management Office, and the situation quickly spreads to the Hunter Association.
Of course, hunters are deployed first to minimize damage.
However, hunters are not the only ones deployed to incident sites.
“Breaking news! We have a report of a monster wave occurring in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province!”
The announcer delivered the breaking news in a tense voice.
“We will provide more details as soon as we receive them!”
Even in the middle of the night, everyone, without exception, was tuning into the news for related reports.
Reporters who had already arrived at the scene were continuously flooding the airwaves with breaking news.
“…Regarding this breaking news, we have invited Professor Dongseok Oh from the Hunter Academy, who has been researching monsters for a long time.”
The fastest ones not only dispatched cameras to the scene but had already secured experts.
“Hello. I am Dongseok Oh.”
The person who briefly introduced himself was Professor Dongseok Oh, who works at the Hunter Academy.
Although introduced as a monster researcher, he was originally a hunter himself.
Moreover, he was a first-generation hunter from the early days.
Having actively participated on the front lines, he maintained a healthy physique despite his middle age.
Even now, his imposing stature made him seem out of place at the news desk.
“Yes, Professor. It’s a pleasure to have you. I apologize for inviting you during such a critical time.”
The announcer smoothly transitioned into the next question.
“Haha, it’s alright.”
Dongseok gave an awkward laugh and waited for the next question.
“A monster wave has occurred in our country. Could you please explain to our viewers what exactly a monster wave is?”
In response to the announcer’s question, Professor Dongseok Oh opened his mouth.
“Yes, first, a monster wave refers to the phenomenon where monsters surge out of their dungeons. The most prominent theory is that it occurs due to a rapid increase in the number of monsters within a dungeon. You can think of it as monsters escaping from a cramped house to make it easier to understand.”
“Ah, I see. So, as you mentioned, Professor, a monster wave is a phenomenon that occurs when dungeons can no longer contain their monsters. Isn’t the problem ultimately that the dungeons were neglected until this situation arose?”
Dongseok nodded at the announcer’s question.
That is why the government and guilds periodically clear out dungeons.
This is done by destroying the Dungeon Core to eliminate the dungeon itself, or by periodically removing only the monsters to utilize the dungeon.
For example, if a dungeon was deemed too dangerous or located in an inconvenient place to manage, it was simply eliminated.
Conversely, if it was easy to manage or had high intrinsic value, the dungeon was utilized for nurturing hunters or obtaining resources.
Twenty-five years ago, when a cataclysm occurred on Earth, Dongseok believed that humanity simultaneously found despair and hope.
The emergence of dungeons and monsters allowed humanity to advance significantly once again.
The monster by-products, along with resources buried within dungeons, and even flora and fauna that only grew in dungeons, presented humanity with a new paradigm.
In short, dungeons were both a disaster and a blessing for humanity.
“Before blaming the neglect of dungeons, we need to see who was managing that particular dungeon. If the government or a guild neglected their duties, leading to this incident, they cannot escape responsibility.”
It is impractical for the government to be responsible for all of these dungeons.
Therefore, guilds also manage dungeons with government permission.
Of course, the government did not initiate this.
The guilds, seeking to secure their own interests, pressured the government to allow dungeon management.
“Yes, thank you for your explanation, Professor. According to the news, the Association’s Emergency Response Team has also been dispatched. It’s rare for the Association to directly intervene, so it seems they have judged the situation to be serious. What are your thoughts on this?”
“Well, I’m hesitant to speak without an official announcement… but it seems the Association has assessed this monster wave as at least B-Rank.”
Dongseok took a sip of water placed before him and continued.
“Furthermore, it is important to consider what kind of monsters have appeared. Broadly speaking, monsters are divided into two categories.”
Dongseok held up two fingers.
“One category consists of monsters that act solely on their desires. These can be considered primal monsters themselves. On the other hand, there are also those with intelligence.”
“Monsters with intelligence… Professor, if the monsters leading this incident possess intelligence, won’t our hunters face quite a bit of difficulty?”
The announcer emphasized the words ‘our hunters.’
“I cannot say for certain. In fact, intelligent monsters may offer opportunities for negotiation.”
Dongseok continued to explain.
Intelligent monsters have occasionally made proposals to humans.
There have been instances where monsters negotiated with hunters, offering compensation in exchange for their lives to protect their dungeons.
Conversely, there were also cases where hunters initiated negotiations with dungeon lords, pleading for their lives.
Therefore, there is always a possibility of negotiation with an intelligent monster.
As Dongseok was discussing this, the announcer interrupted him.
“Ah! We have a breaking report. The Hunter Association’s Emergency Response Team has arrived on the scene. We will now connect to the camera at the site.”
The screen, which had been showing the announcer and Professor Dongseok Oh, switched to a live feed from the monster wave site.
Hunters belonging to the Emergency Response Team were gathered there.
And in front of them.
– I wish to negotiate with you.
The entity leading the monster wave spoke.
“As the Professor said, the word negotiation has come up. It seems to be a being with high intelligence.”
However, the hunters rejected the proposal.
Dongseok watched the screen without a word.
The monster that proposed negotiation seemed to say something else, but it was inaudible.
Instead, the hunters pushed the reporters back, causing the camera view to slowly zoom out.
“Ah, it seems the hunters are about to attack!”
One of the hunters from the Emergency Response Team made a move.
Light emanated from his entire body.
‘Hunter Mirae Lee.’
Dongseok mused for a moment while watching the screen.
Mirae Lee.
She was a graduate of the Hunter Academy, and Dongseok himself had personally taught her during her student days.
‘With her involved, this should be over soon.’
Her current rank is B-Rank.
However, Dongseok thought otherwise.
Even if she were an A-Rank Hunter, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
Her abilities were top-notch.
That’s why she joined a top guild, and now, by her own choice, she had joined the Emergency Response Team.
‘An attack utilizing Holy Power…’
Furthermore, many of the monsters comprising this monster wave were Undead.
There were even those who appeared to be Death Knights and Liches.
They all possessed the attribute of darkness.
‘Darkness is vulnerable to light.’
Mirae’s ability is an attack utilizing Holy Power, which is of the light attribute.
‘So, she had something to rely on.’
When the monster first proposed negotiation, the Emergency Response Team refused.
Indeed, the current situation was delicate.
If they accepted the monster’s offer of negotiation, the Hunter Association would be branded as traitors to humanity.
And if they refused the negotiation?
If refusing it resulted in significant damage, they would still face criticism.
In such a situation, the Emergency Response Team opted for a direct approach.
With Mirae at the core, the surrounding hunters supported her with buff skills.
“Professor, how do you see the current situation?”
Even amidst this, the announcer’s questions did not cease.
Perhaps she needed certainty.
“Well, that was just a grand statement. It seems this monster wave will likely be resolved now.”
Even though a Death Knight is an A-Rank monster, it is difficult for it to exert its full power alone.
Therefore, Dongseok viewed the current situation optimistically.
“As expected. Ah, the hunter’s attack has just begun!”
The announcer’s expression brightened.
The Holy Power attack launched by Mirae headed towards the monsters.
A massive explosion and thick smoke spread.
“Still, it’s a relief. The monster wave is repelled without much damage—”
The announcer stopped speaking.
“……”
Dongseok also stopped speaking and just stared at the screen.
No, everyone in the studio fell silent.
“Huh?”
The scene that appeared after the smoke cleared was shocking.
The hunter’s attack was blocked.
And the entity that blocked the attack was a Death Knight.
But that wasn’t the main issue.
The giant shield held by the Death Knight.
And the Maid Outfit hanging in front of the shield.
Amidst everyone’s silence, only the Maid Outfit fluttered, asserting its presence.
* * *
After the broadcast, the hunter community, Hunter Net, went into an uproar.
It was utter chaos.
「Maid Cafe appeared in Anyang!!」
(Photo of a Maid Outfit fluttering.jpg)
That was Desu Maid-chan lolololololololololololol
┗ Japan has unleashed poison on Korea! Japan must apologize! Japan has unleashed poison on Korea! Japan must apologize! Japan has unleashed poison on Korea! Japan must apologize!
┗ Monster turned into a maid ㅗㅜㅑ
┗ Denakh-hyung, something is weird over here…
┗ Gay gay gay……
「Hunter Association is a paper tiger, right?」
Press ‘like’ if the Association President is incompetent as hell lol
Likes: 674 Dislikes: 1
┗ Seriously, what does the Association even do? They just extort fees from us, so incompetent.
┗ Right lol Is that what you call losing? LOL LOL LOL
┗ Association President dislike real-name system lololololol
「Seriously, they can block that attack?」
Is it possible that the Maid Outfit is a super cheat item?
┗ Oh
┗ Oh…
┗ It’s plausible, isn’t it?
┗ Looking for a Death Knight subjugation party (1/10)
┗ 10 people will get subjugated lolololol
「But who is the hunter next to the monster?」
Why is that guy with the monster?
┗ Huh? Now that I look at it, you’re right?
┗ What is it? Isn’t that guy sticking to the monster?
「OMG lolol That Death Knight, that crazy bastard」
(Death Knight blocking all hunter attacks.gif)
Blocks so well? What’s that guy’s real identity?? ㄷㄷ
┗ I’m scared…
┗ Ahahahahaha, go Korea’s downfall!
┗ Wow, isn’t that guy an S-Rank monster?
┗ Idiot, Death Knights are A-Rank, what nonsense are you talking about?
┗ Real
Lee Kanghyeon, who was busy with the General Goods Gacha, also logged into Hunter Net.
“Wow. What in the world is happening all of a sudden.”
Emergency text messages were continuously coming in due to the monster wave.
In this situation, it didn’t feel like the atmosphere was right for playing games and pulling gacha.
Kanghyeon Lee checked the posts on Hunter Net.
Most of the posts appearing in real-time were related to the monster wave.
Among them, posts related to the Death Knight were overwhelmingly dominant.
“This is crazy.”
Seeing the Death Knight blocking the attack sent shivers down his spine.
“Wow, that guy is truly a crazy bastard.”
At the same time, Kanghyeon Lee burst out laughing as he looked at the shield the Death Knight was holding.
“Kekeke. What is that.”
The Maid Outfit attached to the front of the shield caught his eye.
The combination of the Death Knight and the shield looked completely out of place, creating even more dissonance.
In fact, most of the real-time reactions were discussing the Death Knight and the Maid Outfit.
“No matter how I look at it, that guy must be the dungeon master, right? What do you think, Maru?”
Kanghyeon Lee spoke while looking at Maru.
If a monster had such an impact, it must undoubtedly be the dungeon master.
“Huh?”
Maru, who always responded in some way when he spoke, was silent this time.
“Maru, why are you like this?”
As Kanghyeon Lee turned his head, he saw Maru standing still.
Maru was simply staring intently at Kanghyeon Lee.
“Why are you just staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?”
As Kanghyeon Lee continued to speak, Maru finally reacted.
“Clack-clack-”
If it were in the past, Kanghyeon Lee wouldn’t have understood Maru’s words, but now it was different.
With the acquisition of Traits, he began to hear monsters’ words.
“Huh? ‘It’s Master’?”
In response to Kanghyeon Lee’s question, Maru spoke again.
“Clack-clack-”
This time, Maru pointed to the Death Knight Kanghyeon Lee was looking at.
Then he pointed back at Kanghyeon Lee.
“Clack-clack-”
Hmm?
“That Death Knight is me…?”
Kanghyeon Lee shook his head, then something flashed in his mind.
“No, surely not.”
In response to Kanghyeon Lee’s question, Maru nodded.
“…It’s not, right?”
Kanghyeon Lee quickly launched the game.
Then, he clicked on Azmo’s dungeon.
“Crazy!”
Azmo’s dungeon was empty.
Even the Death Knight and Lich were nowhere to be seen.
Just in case, he searched all the dungeons but couldn’t find them.
“Haa…”
Kanghyeon Lee stared at the news with a stunned expression.
He saw the Death Knight blocking the hunters’ attacks with a shield adorned with a Maid Outfit.
He had forgotten because all the Maid Outfit designs were similar.
The Costume Selection Ticket he received as a reward for his first Real Money Purchase.
Kanghyeon Lee had chosen a Maid Outfit from it and gifted it to Celia.
Later, a Dress appeared, so he gifted Celia again, and told her to use the existing Maid Outfit as she pleased.
However, this was the result.
“This is quite something.”
He, the owner of the Death Knight, who was exuding an insane presence with a Maid Outfit attached, was apparently himself.
Just in case, he touched various parts of the screen, but there was no way to summon them back after they had left the dungeon.
Someone needed to control them.
In the current situation, he had to go himself.
As Kanghyeon Lee pondered for a long time.
– An Urgent Mission has occurred.
An alarm popped up.
– Rescue Azmo and Betta!
– Reward: Dungeon ‘Illusionary Temptation’ Location Transfer Ticket
It was an Urgent Mission.
It was to rescue Azmo, the dungeon administrator, and his subordinate officer, Betta.
For now, with the Death Knight and Arch Lich, there was no problem.
However, if the current situation continued, the government would issue a mobilization order for hunters as a last resort.
No matter how strong they were, there was a limit to how they could respond to the numerous hunters rushing at them.
Eventually, they might be subjugated.
Of course, people would also get hurt or die in the process.
But this incident was also a matter of Kanghyeon Lee’s life.
“Let’s sort this out quickly.”
They were valuable assets that protected Kanghyeon Lee’s dungeon.
It was a dungeon that was literally connected to his life.
If the Death Knight and Arch Lich were subjugated, it would create a large void in Celia’s dungeon strength.
He didn’t know how that void would affect them later.
Therefore, he had to make a choice immediately.
“Before things get any worse, isn’t it enough to just bring them back?”
He didn’t want to incur any losses.
On the other hand, if they caused more damage here, it would be irreversible.
The fortunate thing, if anything, was that they hadn’t caused significant damage to the hunters.
Rather, they had been focused solely on defense.
– Measuring Urgent Mission difficulty.
– The difficulty of the Urgent Mission does not match the current Dungeon Master, Kanghyeon Lee’s level.
– To adjust the difficulty, all causality will be temporarily excluded.
– Entry restrictions to the dimensional gate between Dungeon ‘Evil God’s Nest’ and Dungeon ‘Illusionary Temptation’ will be lifted.
“?”
Lifting dimensional gate entry restrictions!
It was welcome news for Kanghyeon Lee.
However, he had no intention of making the same mistake again.
The reason Azmo caused this incident was ultimately his own fault.
“From now on, I will manage all monster waves.”
He learned a hard lesson that monster waves should never be released freely.
He decided that he would at least set up safety measures.
Furthermore, one more thing.
“No, how could the Death Knight and Arch Lich leave?”
Didn’t they always talk about causality, causality, whenever they tried to do something?
Therefore, even if the Death Knight and Arch Lich were dispatched, he thought they couldn’t leave the dungeon.
That thinking was too naive.
“Well, I can’t figure it out either.”
Whether a loophole was discovered or some conflict occurred, it was something to be figured out later.
For now, that was not important.
First, taking this as a lesson, Kanghyeon Lee immediately issued an order to Celia.
– Bring Azmo and those foolish guys back into the dungeon.
Of course, there was an important point he emphasized.
– Absolutely! Do not cause any more trouble here. Quietly rescue them. No matter what.
Now she was the only one he could rely on.
“Maru.”
Kanghyeon Lee called out Maru’s name.
“Let’s go out too!”
* * *
【Rescue Azmo and bring him back】
Celia, who was working, lifted her head.
It had been a long time since Master had given her an order.
【Minimize damage during this process】
“I obey the Great One.”
Celia bowed her head.
This mission was a rather tricky one, a comrade rescue.
As per Master’s orders, damage must be minimized.
Of course, a minimal plan must be made before commencing action.
“Shadow.”
As Celia spoke, a shadow appeared from behind her.
“Please relay a message to Irena.”
Princess Irena of the Sail Kingdom.
But now, she was on Celia’s side.
“Before I return, tell all the people of the Kingdom to refrain from entering the mountain range. I trust that anyone who disobeys will be punished accordingly.”
The shadow bowed its head once and disappeared.
At least, humans would not be able to enter the mountain range through the Sail Kingdom.
Furthermore, there was no major problem even without her.
Shadows had been dispatched to Princess Irena, and Skeleton Knights had also infiltrated the Kingdom in disguise.
Of course, for those who had received Master’s favor, there were limitations on the areas they could access, so the Skeleton Knights borrowed the strength of the Merchant Guild.
This was possible because the Merchant Guild was also somewhat influenced by Celia’s power.
Celia immediately summoned the Goblin Lord.
“Mr. Goblin Lord. Assemble the troops from now on. You will accompany me. Of course, a detachment must be left to scout the forest.”
Upon receiving Celia’s command, the Goblin Lord immediately summoned his scout unit.
“Denver.”
Celia called Denver, who was roaming the dungeon.
He was once an adventurer, but now, having become a Ghoul, he was part of the dungeon.
“Go to the surrounding dungeons and inform everyone.”
Celia commands four dungeons.
There were more dungeons, but the Great Master merged all but four into one.
It was an ability that could be called a miracle.
“Set all dungeon perimeters to maximum. From now on, all beings entering the area will be considered enemies.”
She specifically instructed the Nagas in Sector 4 to maintain maximum vigilance.
As soon as Celia commanded, the Nagas emerged from the lake and began to monitor the surroundings.
Even with this, there would be no one daring enough to invade the dungeon, but Celia conducted a final check.
The core at the center of the dungeon.
And she glanced at the entity guarding that core.
An entity cloaked in a large robe.
“Well, with this, there should be no worries.”
Celia turned her gaze away.
Now, she had to depart to carry out Master’s orders.
Celia called the Skeleton Knights who were guarding the area around her workspace.
Clack-
Just then, the Goblin Lord also completed all preparations.
Armed goblins lined up beneath him.
Celia nodded at the sight.
They belonged to the scout unit guarding the forest around the dungeon.
Therefore, special high-quality equipment was purchased through the Merchant Guild.
They should not be thought of the same as ordinary goblins.
“Now, let’s go to fulfill Master’s command.”
A distorted space appeared before Celia.
It was a dimensional gate.
Specifically, it was a dimensional gate connected to the ‘Illusionary Temptation’ dungeon on Earth.
Celia and the Goblin Lord began to enter the dimensional gate.
Following behind them, the Skeleton Knights and goblins also headed into the dimensional gate.
