Ch.31Rescue Operation Is Dangerous (2)

The incident began with a special dungeon trap that was observed during a recent national hunter training program.

“Yes. I don’t know the principle behind it, but there was definitely a restriction on entering the boss room.”

It was a D4-rank dungeon cleared with the cooperation of exceptional rookies who were completing the program at the time.

What happened during that process was an anomaly never seen before, so experts from various countries continued to debate the subject.

“Whatever the case, this precedent is important. Something that has happened once can happen again, can’t it?”

“If restrictions of this form are possible, we can’t rule out the possibility of dungeons appearing with much more malicious constraints.”

“…So dungeons are evolving, is that it?”

Unfortunately, these expert predictions soon became reality.

“Um, you need to explain the situation more clearly…”

[Damn it! What more do you need? Two members of our party are trapped inside the dungeon! For some reason, the other party members can’t enter! Time is of the essence!]

A group that had planned to tackle a C3-rank medium-sized dungeon with a six-person party.

According to their testimony, after two C-rank hunters who were at the front entered the dungeon, the four who followed were restricted from entering.

In other words, two members of the party were helplessly trapped in the dungeon.

[Please help us… They’re practically our youngest members. They don’t have much experience, so it’s unlikely they’ll be able to hold out for long on their own.]

They immediately requested rescue from the Association.

And a rescue team was formed.

However, what followed was something no one had anticipated.

Woong.

Clang!

“Huh?”

“Team leader! We can’t enter either!”

All the C-rank and B-rank hunters assigned to the rescue team were somehow unable to enter the dungeon.

“…What on earth is going on?”

They needed to figure out the conditions for entering the dungeon.

After calmly listing the information, they were able to come up with one possibility.

“Both hunters currently isolated in the dungeon have relatively low levels.”

“Level 18 and level 20. None of the remaining party members or rescue team hunters have lower values than that.”

In other words, the restriction placed on the dungeon might be related to level.

The rescue team immediately sought cooperation to verify this, and they were able to prove that the hypothesis was true.

“Yes, we’ve confirmed that body parts can pass through!”

“What are their levels?”

“Level 17 and level 20!”

After several more tests for detailed verification, they finally discovered the definite condition.

“Level 20 or below. Only hunters level 20 or below can enter the dungeon!”

No one in the dispatched rescue team met that condition.

With that realization, silence fell over the scene.

#

Three weeks had passed since I cleared the C5-rank dungeon and buried Yohan from the Styx Guild underground.

During that fairly long time, I hadn’t entered a dungeon even once.

Song Hayeon was getting so restless that she was about to throw a fit.

Ding.

[Master. Aren’t you going to a dungeon?]

Ding.

[Your break is getting quite long…]

Ding.

[Should I go with another team this week too?]

[Do as you please.]

Song Hayeon left the chat window grumbling about whatever was bothering her.

Regardless, I just continued with what I was doing.

Ding.

[Got time?]

[Right now?]

The message was for Kim Seungmin.

Since inviting him to my home, Kim Seungmin and I had become close enough to speak casually to each other. Only online, of course.

And the reason I was asking Kim Seungmin about his free time was simple.

‘He is good, I have to admit…’

After all, Kim Seungmin was a Challenger.

It’s frustrating, but right now he’s definitely a more talented individual than I am.

To put it simply, I’ve recently been focused on learning the game from Kim Seungmin.

Ding!

[I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can today. I might not be able to for a while, actually.]

[Why?]

[An urgent request came in from the Association, and the situation seems quite serious. Haven’t you heard about it?]

“…I haven’t seen anything like that.”

Perhaps I had carelessly overlooked it. After all, I wasn’t accepting any communications unless they were from people I definitely knew.

Ding.

[Okay. Let me know when you’re back.]

[Yes. I will.]

After finishing the conversation, I tilted my head in confusion as I thought about it.

‘Do they really need help from a C-rank like Kim Seungmin?’

Kim Seungmin was a novice who had just been promoted to C-rank two days ago. I heard his level was even lower than mine, who had been lying low for three weeks.

Yet the Association had sent him an urgent request, which suggested this was no ordinary case.

“…Whatever.”

Click.

【Starting matchmaking!】

Since it wasn’t something for me to worry about right now, I simply continued to immerse myself in the game.

#

Bang!

“How are we going to handle this situation?”

A middle-aged man slammed his hand on the table during a meeting about the special dungeon that had appeared in Yongsan three days ago.

“That’s why I opposed it from the beginning! There were too many uncertainties!”

“Certainly, though it’s hindsight, the current situation cannot be considered good at all.”

After the dungeon entry conditions were revealed, the Association formed a rescue team of promising rookie hunters level 20 or below who volunteered.

“Public opinion is already on the verge of tearing us apart. If we’re not careful, the situation could become irreversible.”

The eight-person rescue team sent into the special dungeon had been provided with high-grade equipment and artifacts by the Association, but they had failed to clear the dungeon despite being inside for three days.

No matter how difficult the upper C-rank dungeon was, it was only medium-sized.

The fact that there had been no news of clearance for three days meant it was practically a failure.

“Damn it, what the hell is in there that such a force couldn’t make any progress?”

Everyone present shared that sentiment. Honestly, even those who had opposed forming the rescue team never thought that combination would fail to clear it.

“…Whatever we say, we can’t put spilled water back in the bottle.”

“Are you suggesting we think about future measures?”

“Measures my ass! What else can we do? All we can do is wait quietly for a break to occur.”

Indeed, if a rescue team assembled with maximum force had failed to clear it, there was no other option. Unless all the monsters in the dungeon crawled out into reality after the clearance deadline passed, there was nothing they could do.

“Preparations for a break have already been made. However, the problem is…”

“The survival of the two initial missing persons and the eight hunters who entered later, correct?”

It was a cold statement, but the two initial missing persons could be considered effectively dead.

However, there was a high probability that survivors remained among the subsequent team of eight.

And among them were several exceptional rookies who had been evaluated as future leaders, including Kim Seungmin and Seo Yuna.

Losing them would truly be a great loss.

“They’re individually skilled, and with the equipment we provided, I don’t think they would have fallen easily.”

“But if that’s the case, supplies would be the problem.”

From the beginning, they entered the dungeon with the purpose of clearing it. Naturally, they would lack supplies such as food to endure until the break period.

Amid the somber atmosphere, Seo Injae, the confidant of the Hunter Association President who had been silent all along, quietly spoke up.

“Perhaps there’s still a card we can play.”

“What do you mean?”

Everyone’s attention turned to Seo Injae.

Enduring their gazes, Seo Injae carefully continued.

“There’s that hunter who set a world record in the registration test. I hear she hasn’t exceeded level 20 yet.”

“That’s certainly…”

The room stirred at Seo Injae’s words. Everyone knew who he was referring to.

“…The Returnee.”

“Judging by her achievements so far, I think it’s fair to say she’s already beyond C-rank level.”

“In the dungeon where restrictions were first discovered, she practically defeated the boss alone, didn’t she?”

If her testimony was all true, and she possessed skills beyond her registered rank, she could indeed be a new card to play.

After observing the reactions for a moment, Seo Injae calmly proposed his plan.

“Of course, we’re not sending her in with the goal of clearing it. But if we provide her with some support, I believe she can use her undead to transport much-needed supplies to the rescue team.”

“You’re suggesting she join them with supplies and hold out until the break period?”

It certainly made sense.

If the members of the rescue team were still alive inside the dungeon, it was a perfectly feasible plan.

But the risks were also high.

There was a small possibility that the rescue team was already all dead, and the environment inside might not be suitable for long-term survival.

As these doubts were raised, Seo Injae spoke again.

“The rescue team is still alive. And so are the two hunters who were isolated earlier.”

“…How do you know that?”

Calmly rising from his seat, Seo Injae shared his terminal with everyone using the projector.

Whirr.

Whoosh.

“We just received contact.”

Specifically, from Shin Yuha, known as the Magician, one of only three S-rank hunters in Korea.

“Her divination indicates that all hunters are alive as of this moment.”

Though not exactly a prophet, she could also use her special ability of divination to perceive situations beyond normal awareness.

And her statement essentially implied that the rescue team had successfully joined up with the two isolated people.

It would have been nearly impossible for two hunters level 20 or below to survive for days in a C3-rank medium-sized dungeon.

In other words, they were still not giving up and moving forward.

If they were all still alive and hadn’t given up, the Hunter Association had no choice but to help them.

“……”

It was the moment when the Association’s new policy was determined.