Chapter 157: Now I Can Face Them

Episode 157

▶ Your surroundings are filled with Dark energy.

▶ Activating Dark energy will slightly increase all stats.

▶ Activating Dark energy will consume Beast Karma Points at a slower rate.

‘Ah… This is nice.’

Kim Jinsung couldn’t help but smile as he entered the dungeon.

It felt warm and comforting, like being in his mother’s embrace… Of course, he had never experienced that, having grown up as an orphan.

‘I wanted to come here often because of this feeling, but I’ve been too busy lately…’

[Why are you only entering now?!]

‘…Ugh.’

Kim Jinsung frowned as a loud voice echoed in his head, shaking his brain.

[Didn’t you promise to come in often?! How dare you make the Demon Lord wait endlessly! You insolent brat…!]

He shook his head slightly at Dantalian, who continued to grumble in an angry voice.

He should be happy to see him after a long time, but Dantalian’s nagging voice only irritated him.

[And why did you bring so many stragglers with you this time?! This will significantly reduce the time we can talk directly!]

‘Hey, be quiet for a second. Let me listen to the rules.’

[What?! How dare you interrupt the Demon Lord, you impudent…]

Kim Jinsung cut off Dantalian’s voice by deactivating the resonance state.

Almost simultaneously, he heard Sergio, the leader of Hunter Team 10, explaining the rules.

“As I mentioned before, this ‘Newbie Showdown’ will consist of two matches. Today, we’ll be holding the first match here in this demon world dungeon.”

Sergio continued, looking at everyone.

“You all know that one of the minimum requirements for operating in a Major Clan is to clear a level 15 demon world dungeon, right?”

‘…Did I?’

“This is a level 20 dungeon. We chose a dungeon with a higher difficulty, considering that you’re all skilled individuals handpicked by the team leaders.

Today, you have to clear this dungeon ‘alone’, without any help.”

The participants’ eyes changed slightly at his words.

Even seasoned Major Clan members found it burdensome to hunt alone in a level 20 dungeon and usually formed parties for raids.

And Sergio was telling them to clear it alone.

“But we didn’t bring you here to put you in danger. We, the team leaders, want to see you compete, not watch a desperate survival show like the Colosseum program.

So we chose the easiest level 20 dungeon.”

Sergio looked at Juan, the newest member of Hunter Team 1.

“Do you know where this is?”

Juan answered immediately,

“Isn’t this the Void Dungeon?”

“Correct. How did you know?”

“I did some research on level 20 dungeons. I heard that places with a predominantly purple environment are likely to be Void Dungeons.”

Juan looked around as he explained. A vast plain with purple soil, grass, and trees stretched out before them.

Sergio nodded.

“As Juan said, this is the Void Dungeon. As you know, ‘Void Spaces’, where Void Worms appear, don’t form unless the rifts are fully opened.

In other words, you’ll be fine as long as you eliminate the Void Rifts as you move. I assume you all know how to eliminate the rifts, right?”

Everyone except Alopsky nodded.

“Then I assume you also know what happens if you’re careless and let a rift open.”

Sergio’s words sent chills down the spines of some participants.

They all knew.

‘Void Spaces’ formed when rifts opened, and the ‘Void Worms’ that emerged from those spaces were immune to normal attacks, making them a disaster for low-level hunters.

“Since you all seem to know, I’ll skip the explanation about the Void. I wish you all the best in reaching the dungeon exit safely.

Now, I’ll explain the evaluation criteria for this dungeon.”

Sergio then explained the evaluation criteria at length, which could be summarized as follows:

1. Defeating the boss of the Void Dungeon would grant the highest bonus points.

2. The process of clearing the dungeon was also important. Participants who actively engaged in battles or showed creative ideas would receive more bonus points.

3. Participants would lose points if they got injured or lost their way and failed to reach the return portal within the time limit.

4. Even if they encountered other participants inside the dungeon, they had to move out of sight within 10 minutes. Otherwise, they would lose points. However, this rule didn’t apply when encountering the boss.

“We can monitor your progress in real-time through the detectors and unmanned cameras installed in your armor.

If you’re in real danger, shout for help. We’ll come and rescue you immediately.

Please don’t be foolish and risk your lives for pride. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!”

“The time limit for clearing the dungeon is 24 hours from now. Let’s begin!”

Sergio announced in a loud voice and asked the participants,

“Anyone want to go first?”

“……”

No one answered, and no one stepped forward.

The first one to go would have a higher chance of encountering a Void Rift and facing danger.

“Why aren’t you going first, brother?”

Luca asked Juan in a low voice.

“You’re always so eager to step forward, but now that you have to go alone, you’re hesitating? Are you scared?”

“Hmph… You think I’ll fall for such a pathetic provocation?”

“You’re not denying that you’re scared?”

“You can’t even tell the difference between being scared and being cautious. You’d be better off observing where the boss might be, like me, instead of wasting time with provocations.”

“Pfft! As if you can see it just by observing! How can you find the ‘Boss Direct Road’ that even the seniors have trouble finding?”

“I’m just following what I learned from the seniors in Team 1. I guess Team 2 didn’t even teach you the basics?”

“…Are you insulting the seniors in Team 2? Say that again!”

“You’re getting defensive, so it must be true.”

“What?! I can’t listen to this anymore!”

Luca couldn’t hold back his anger and was about to charge at Juan.

But he suddenly turned his head, sensing someone approaching.

A participant was walking towards the front, coming into everyone’s view, including Luca’s.

‘…Alopsky?’

‘Isn’t that the Russian guy who joined Team 6?’

Alopsky continued walking forward, seemingly oblivious to everyone’s gaze, without looking back.

Only after he had completely disappeared from sight,

“…One thing’s for sure, that’s not the direction of the boss.”

Juan’s quiet voice was heard.

“The first to depart is Alopsky, the newest member of Hunter Team 6! Everyone else will follow in different directions at 10-minute intervals!”

Sergio’s loud voice echoed towards all the participants except Alopsky.

* * *

A while later,

the filming crew and evaluation team were busy working at the dungeon entrance, where all the participants had departed.

“Monitors and screen setup complete.”

“Are all the unmanned cameras working properly?”

“Yes, all ten of them are working fine.”

They could now monitor the current view and location of all the participants in real-time through ten monitors and one large screen.

“They’re all scattered for now.”

Sergio muttered to himself, looking at the large screen.

The screen, displaying the entire map of the dungeon, showed ten dots representing the locations of the participants, spreading out in all directions.

“Team Leader?”

The PD called out to him.

“What do you think the outcome will be?”

Sergio thought for a moment and replied,

“It’ll probably be a fight for first and second place between Juan and Luca. They’re the only ones among the participants who know how to defeat ‘Void Worms’, not just the ‘Void Rifts’.”

“Ah~!”

“But you never know.”

Sergio continued.

“There might be another participant who gets lucky and reaches the boss first without encountering any ‘Void Worms’.”

“Hmm… But wouldn’t they be unable to defeat the boss if they don’t know how to defeat ‘Void Worms’?”

“Usually, yes.”

Sergio replied, recalling his past experiences.

“But you never know what might happen. Historically, the ‘Newbie Showdown’ has always been full of unexpected variables.”

* * *

Meanwhile,

[What?!]

Dantalian’s shout echoed in Kim Jinsung’s head as he reactivated the resonance state.

[You still don’t know how to defeat Void Worms?!]

‘Yeah.’

Kim Jinsung replied nonchalantly, and Dantalian said in disbelief,

[Why do you not know something that even other Middlers know? It’s been a while since you entered the New Continent. Haven’t you even studied that much?]

‘I didn’t bother because I have you.’

[…What?!]

Kim Jinsung explained to the dumbfounded Dantalian,

‘Why would I bother studying when I can just ask Dantalian, the most knowledgeable Demon Lord I know?’

Dantalian’s tone suddenly changed at Kim Jinsung’s words, which subtly contained praise.

[…Ahem! Of course, it’s easier for me to tell you… Ahem! Hem! But it’s not good to rely on others for everything! Hem, hem.]

Kim Jinsung chuckled inwardly at Dantalian’s coughing fit.

He was always so weak to praise.

‘Tell me that first. Can I defeat Void Worms with my own power now? You said you only performed first aid last time because I wasn’t strong enough.’

[That’s right. You were too weak back then, and the Dark energy in the dungeon wasn’t that strong either. The ‘quality’ was lacking, so I just overwhelmed it with ‘quantity’ and sent it to another dimension.]

‘What about now?’

[Hmm… I think it might be enough now… But we need to compare it directly to be sure.]

‘You mean I should open the Void Rift in front of me?’

[Yes. You know where the rift is?]

‘I resonated with the Dark energy in the dungeon before we departed.’

Kim Jinsung currently knew the locations of all the ‘Void Rifts’ and the boss monster in this dungeon.

There was a Void Rift 100 meters ahead of him.

[Then go ahead and open it.]

Following Dantalian’s instructions, Kim Jinsung walked forward without hesitation.

As he approached, a purple line appeared in the empty space ahead.

The dimensional rift grew larger, transforming into a purple eye shape, and then began to expand, creating a circular ‘Void Space’.

Familiar purple-skinned monsters emerged from within the purple circle.

‘It’s been a while, Void Worms.’

Kim Jinsung thought to himself, looking at the Void Worms, whose numbers had swelled to over a hundred in an instant.

—