Ch.68The Sea Journey Is Dangerous (2)

When I stepped outside, the sun was already setting. Since I had planned this trip with plenty of time to spare, we spent the first day grilling meat and preparing various dishes to set the mood.

“Master, what level are you now?”

“Th-thirty-seven.”

“You’re already close to 40…”

Between Song Hayeon and myself, our levels weren’t low compared to those around us.

However, Seoha right beside me was already level 61. I imagine all S-rank hunters would be at least level 65, wouldn’t they?

This meant I might soon have to confront opponents with nearly twice my level.

It was undeniably a dangerous proposition.

‘Still, I need to investigate Lee Jicheol.’

He was currently the most suspicious element. Whatever the case, using him as a key to find new clues seemed highly probable.

“What are you thinking about so intently?”

Looking at Song Hayeon who casually threw the question at me, I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

Tsk.

Whoosh.

After briefly activating my ring, I began to scold Song Hayeon who was munching on dried squid.

“When are you planning to rank up at this rate?”

“…If I rank up here, I’ll literally become S-rank, you know?”

“Is S-rank such a big deal? It’s not like you’re planning to stay in the minor leagues forever.”

To be honest, Song Hayeon was growing at a decent pace, but I was the one getting impatient.

Still, since I took her in as my disciple, I should at least make her strong enough not to get beaten up wherever she goes, right?

“In gacha game terms, you’re already out of the main team. You’ve already been pushed out of the first party. Keep this up and you’ll be completely discarded.”

“What? Why? Don’t discard me!”

“Then do better.”

Watching us bicker, Gwak Minji, who was roasting marshmallows nearby, asked:

“What about me?”

“Umm…”

While Song Hayeon crossed her arms and pondered deeply, I picked up a marshmallow, skewered it, and casually replied:

“You’re like a cost-control unit.”

Honestly, Gwak Minji no longer had a place as a combat asset. She was still running dungeons with Kim Seungmin’s party, but her growth was slow, and she hadn’t gotten much stronger despite leveling up.

It was evidence that her talent as a hunter was just about that level.

“…Then why not just let me go?”

At my blunt assessment, Gwak Minji narrowed her eyes and grumbled.

I offered an additional comment as consolation.

“But you’re still the best at managing games.”

“Oh great. How thrilling.”

And so, the first night passed quickly.

#

The very next day, after waking up, we went to the nearby downtown area for a light breakfast.

“37 minutes…”

I had certainly resolved not to use the ring for trivial matters, but before I knew it, I had become addicted to its convenience.

Still, it had been a long time since I’d eaten normally at a restaurant. Justifying it as a worthwhile experience, I lay down in the back seat of the car and deactivated the ring’s effect.

Of course, I didn’t forget to place a silence curse on myself in case I acted inappropriately.

Rattle rattle rattle.

Clunk.

“Oppa, we’re here. Wake up now.”

“Okay…”

As I got out of the car, nodding off, the now-familiar ocean view greeted me.

And for some reason, Song Hayeon was busy preparing to enter the water.

“…What are you doing?”

“Since we’re here, I should at least get in the water. When else would I get to play like this?”

“It’s not even summer?”

“If I raise my mana a bit, it won’t even be cold.”

She wasn’t wrong, but I thought she was quite energetic. Shaking my head, I turned to see Gwak Minji and Seoha also starting to prepare.

“…”

“What? Am I not allowed to go in?”

“Like Song Hayeon said, it’s a rare opportunity. Do you want to join us, oppa?”

There were quite a few people setting up on the beach, probably because it was the weekend. Feeling somewhat dejected, I went into the tent alone and started killing time on my phone.

Ding.

[What are you doing?]

An internet gaming friend who uses the name JP. Perfect for meaningless conversations when bored.

But unlike his usual prompt replies, he hadn’t checked my messages for several days.

“Did his account get banned or something…”

I didn’t think our relationship would last long, but we’d been gaming together since I first returned to Earth, so it felt a bit disappointing.

After spending hours playing mobile games in the tent, feeling gloomy, I noticed the outside becoming noisy.

Flap.

Gently pulling back the tent flap to look outside, I saw citizens gathered in one corner of the beach, pointing toward the sea.

Murmur murmur.

“What is that?”

“…It doesn’t look like a normal wave.”

“Doesn’t something seem strange? The movement of the water surface…”

The atmosphere seemed ominous.

Hurrying to the front while avoiding the crowd, I saw my companions with equally stern expressions.

“Wh-what’s happening?”

“I don’t know. Suddenly the current started acting strange…”

Unlike the others who merely sensed something wrong, Seoha seemed to have an inkling of what was happening.

“We need to evacuate everyone.”

“What?”

“It’s probably a dungeon break. Monsters will be coming soon.”

As if to prove her words, suspicious shadows began forming beneath the water’s surface in the distance.

It was the beginning of an unexpected emergency.

#

At the same time, the detection center in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province was in complete chaos.

“G-gate break reaction! Near the coast of Sokcho, Gangwon Province.”

“…An underwater dungeon.”

This happens occasionally.

A dungeon seed forms under the sea, goes undetected by people, and eventually breaks—a troublesome situation.

Exploration teams patrol the three coastal areas to prevent this, but the vast area makes perfect surveillance impossible.

“Don’t panic. Follow the manual. First, send support requests to nearby stationed guilds.”

“Yes, sir!”

Whether fortunate or not, most such cases are resolved without major damage.

Land-based monsters take considerable time to reach shore, while sea-based monsters have limited mobility on land.

Moreover, awakened military personnel and hunters from nearby guilds are stationed around the three coastal areas.

Therefore, there should be sufficient time for civilians to evacuate.

However, the subsequent report made even the situation management room’s chief express shock.

“T-team leader! The reaction is alarming!”

“…What do you mean?”

“The estimated number of monsters greatly exceeds the average. It’s a large-scale dungeon! Estimated rank between B1 and A3! A-and the speed at which they’re moving…”

At those words, Joo Mincheol, the situation management room’s team leader, rushed to the monitor to check the reaction himself. Then, in dismay, he slammed his fist on the desk.

Bang!

“Damn it all!”

“This is, indeed…”

Creatures capable of moving freely both in water and on land. That was the only way to interpret their behavior pattern.

This made the situation extremely urgent. Though it wasn’t peak vacation season, there were still plenty of casual visitors, and being in a rural area meant limited available forces.

Moreover, if it was an A-rank large-scale dungeon…

‘A d-disaster is coming.’

Both human casualties and property damage would undoubtedly reach unignorable levels.

In a situation verging on panic, Joo Mincheol desperately shouted to his staff:

“Communicate the severity of the situation as quickly as possible! Deploy all available forces! No, even unofficial routes are fine. Send support requests to all hunters whose whereabouts are known in the vicinity!”

It was truly a desperate situation.

But just then, as if heaven itself was helping, one subordinate exclaimed excitedly:

“We’ve received support contact from hunters in the area!”

“How many?”

“Two A-ranks and two B-ranks! The representative is Baek Seoha from the Cheongbaek Guild!”

“W-what did you say?”

This was incredibly surprising news. Baek Seoha was among the highest-ranked hunters in South Korea. Was she coincidentally near the broken dungeon in this situation? And even accompanied by another A-rank hunter and B-rank hunters?

While everyone was shocked, the staff member checked the communication and continued reporting:

“They’re already on site, guiding civilian evacuation and forming a first line of defense!”

This was literally hope.

In an instant, they had found a reliable ally in the worst-case scenario.

Joo Mincheol brightened and desperately encouraged his staff:

“We must deploy forces while the monsters’ advance is delayed!”

They could no longer handle the situation with their power alone.

Everything that would unfold from now on depended entirely on her and her companions.