episode_0071

The external threat currently facing humanity refers to monsters.

Internal conflicts among humans are not uncommon.

However, unlike the chaos before the Great Cataclysm, the world did not engage in large-scale battles and fights on a global scale.

The reason is simple. There was no room for it. Even in the so-called era of peace, it was the same.

Even now, somewhere, they praise the arrival of a peaceful era after passing through dark times and periods of chaos.

It was understandable.

Compared to the chaos of over 40 years ago, there was a stark difference between heaven and hell.

It was natural for people to die at the hands of monsters. However, it was rare for thousands to be slaughtered by a horde of monsters in just one night, as it used to be.

The appearance and collapse of dungeons were dangerous. But it was rare for dozens of dungeons to explode consecutively, ravaging the surroundings and spewing out hordes of monsters.

I haven’t seen any news about a high-ranking monster rampaging and destroying an entire city. In the past, it was quite a common occurrence.

In many ways, peace had been restored unlike before.

Among the factors that led to the arrival of such peace,

The Cradle was an essential presence, and in the eyes of those who wished for chaos to fill the world, the Cradle was one of the most irritating elements.

The Cradle, which had been established over a hundred years ago.

Naturally, there were numerous schemes to reverse this.

According to the original records, there were invasions by monster armies and schemes by renegades on the verge of exploration.

None of these schemes were successful. Not a single exception. All schemes were thwarted.

The Cradle’s defense level was renowned worldwide.

Even the Golden Warrior, who exceeded the standards in terms of specs in the 11th round, found it extremely difficult to penetrate the Cradle. It was on the verge of failure.

The defense was so strong that they had to destroy about half of it and flee.

Thinking about it, a large proportion of the reason for stepping into the Cradle was due to this.

The endlessly confusing first day.

Regardless, there was a belief that it would be safe once they entered this place. They thought they could grow and gain time to think, so they took a step forward.

‘The Cradle…’

On the way to the gate terminal for an outing.

In other words, it was a temporary step to leave the Cradle.

Playing with the tip of the sky’s wing, they felt a strange resonance.

It was even more so when they thought about the name, the Cradle.

A Cradle. A device for rocking and soothing a baby to sleep.

A Cradle is a baby product. Naturally, there are no sharp or dangerous elements.

Rather, it serves as a fence to protect the baby from threats and separate them from the outside world.

Then, am I a baby crawling out of the Cradle with my arms?

The metaphor seemed trivial. Treating oneself as a baby felt embarrassing. But compared to real strong individuals, wouldn’t I be at a baby’s level?

Just Professor Atla alone could easily handle me like a baby.

‘I have set my goal.’

I was undoubtedly safe in the Cradle. And I had grown at the fastest possible rate within realistic limits, gaining time to think as well.

‘I will break the curse.’

I can’t live like this. It’s inevitable that people will die someday… but…

…Except for some special cases like immortals, it’s inevitable that people will eventually die, but I didn’t want to live constrained by the joy of life.

So, I strengthened myself to break the curse, and now I am about to leave the Cradle temporarily to find a way to bypass the curse of silence.

‘Am I being hasty?’

It’s only been a month now. I haven’t lived that long, but it’s not a long time to properly prepare for something.

Maybe it’s okay to invest a little more time. I might get stronger in a few months than I am now…

Sometimes I feel impatient when I think about it. Is it because of the curse of not knowing when I will die?

I didn’t realize it, but there seemed to be another reason.

Before that thought could finish, the structure of the gate terminal entered my spatial perception.

*Sigh…*

Simultaneously, tension rose steadily. A cold sweat trickled down my neck.

I still couldn’t forget the events at the gate terminal.

The day when I clumsily confirmed the gate with spatial perception, observed something, and felt the imminent danger of my head exploding.

‘Is it…’

Will it still be like that now?

In the past, I would have turned off spatial perception, relying only on hearing and touch to find my way.

I didn’t want to gamble with my life. If anything, the probability of death might have increased as my spatial perception improved.

But my thoughts have changed recently.

Spatial perception is the ability I have used the most and become most familiar with.

As a result, my understanding of spatial perception has increased over time.

*Phew…*

I exhaled and moved forward. I transformed the wingtips of the sky cloak into a coat-like shape.

The surrounding space enveloping the gate terminal came into perception. I crossed it.

Facilities including the lounge with few people were visible. I crossed it.

I did not engage spatial perception. I moved forward.

And then, a whirlpool of blue came into view.

‘……’

The space undulated. It was the essence and flow of space that surged towards the center like a whirlpool and then pushed back to the edges.

It felt similar to the entrance of a dungeon yet different.

It was also similar to the spatial movement of the vice-captain I felt earlier but different.

While the methods were different, the result was that spaces with intersecting coordinates were connected.

But that wasn’t the important part.

I prepared myself with a deep breath.

The sense gained from understanding spatial perception. Now, I might be able to perceive it a little.

I reluctantly accepted the information I had been pushing away.

The space between spaces. I brought back the information from the void gap.

…

…And nothing happened.

‘?’

I tilted my head and operated spatial perception.

I felt a gap. A space between spaces. It felt abnormally filled with mana.

It was slightly different from regular mana. It was a dense concentration of mana comparable to the inside of the tower, relatively pure and clean.

Other than that, I didn’t feel any peculiarities. My brain didn’t feel the shock of breaking. I didn’t feel something immense.

There was just mana.

‘What is this.’

The result was anticlimactic compared to my preparation.

I stared blankly at the gap, and feeling like I would waste time if I stayed like this, I proceeded with the procedures at the desk.

“Identity verification complete… Your destination is set to the Edinburgh Gate Terminal. Is there any change?”

[No, it’s the same.]

The process was simple. Thanks to having prearranged entry approval, a simple verification was all that was needed.

As a result, there was no waiting time. I immediately headed towards the swirling gate.

‘…Sigh.’

I stared at the gap again. Still, there was no piercing headache. Something feels strange…

It’s a creepy feeling. Even though I feel like I might have missed something, I couldn’t think of anything specific.

I pushed my body into the gate. A dizzying sensation of crossing the void enveloped me.

First, I arrive at the Edinburgh Gate in the Scotland region.

Taking the subway northward, I search for the hidden piece I remember. Finally arriving in the small city of Shifnaha located to the north, I search for the necklace of confession.

It was a reasonable plan.

***

Ordinary superhuman groups form what is known as a clan.

A clan refers to a group of various superhumans who gather together to organize for their own interests and safety.

Clans are profit-seeking organizations that sometimes violate ethics or rules in the process.

The clan “Guardians of the North Mountain” in Shifnaha was no different.

They did not commit any serious crimes. They did not commit any heinous acts that betrayed humanity.

They simply postponed dealing with a Grade 4 dungeon.

The internal structure consisted of caves, with standard 7th-rank monsters like Red Hounds and Redleaf Dogs.

There were no traps involved. It was a simple dungeon where only Redleaf Dogs appeared.

Redleaf Dogs were ordinary creatures with no special characteristics.

Even a low-level hero could defeat several of them alone, and a party led by mid-level heroes could easily handle them.

There was no need to go all out and destroy the dungeon when it was profitable to maintain it.

Many clans had set up such “breeding grounds.”

It was not a strange occurrence. It was a common one.

But why were they in this situation?

– Crunch, crunch!

“Ah, ahh…!”

Low-level hero, Gerard McRae, writhed in pain, clutching his empty sleeve. The excruciating pain and dizzying sense of loss overwhelmed his senses.

A chilling sound echoed in the cave, ringing in his ears.

Gerard raised his trembling eyelids and looked towards the source of the sound.

The Guardians of the North Mountain were not easily defeated.

The number and rank of their members were adequate. The only flaw was the lack of a strong representative for the clan, but there were many skilled individuals in the mid to high ranks. Managing a dungeon like this was simple.

A mid-level hero. A grade that could belong to the extermination force of a large clan, and a skilled individual who could hold a position in a clan below that.

– Crunch!

Mid-level hero, Robert Brand’s neck was bitten by thick teeth. His flailing limbs trembled and then stiffened.

His head, detached from his body, rolled into the gaping mouth amidst the darkness.

The sound of chewing echoed. It was the cause of the previous chilling sound. Blood gushed like a waterfall from the severed neck.

– Gulp…

Blood swirled with rough breath. The monster’s hands lifted Robert’s lifeless body. Blood poured out from the inverted corpse. The monster opened its mouth again, swallowing the blood.

The monster seemed to be gulping down human blood like a beverage. The blood that had not been swallowed yet stained its fur, but the monster’s fur was already soaked in a dark red color.

Standing upright with two legs, the creature had a physique that could easily be mistaken for that of an adult man, with thick muscular skin visible through the tangled red fur.

Redleaf Dogs walked on four legs, not two. They were larger than common dog breeds but not overly gigantic.

Like that, they weren’t powerful enough to chew and swallow numerous high-ranking heroes.

The Association analyzes monsters and their species, then categorizes them into standard grades.

From the lowest 8th grade to the highest 1st grade.

After analyzing the strength of the monsters, they recommend which grade of heroes and hunters should subjugate them.

But they always emphasize not to be complacent.

They say it’s just a standard, and there are always exceptional individuals.

‘A variant…’

That must be such an exceptional individual.

A being born beyond the limits of its species, receiving the backing of a living dungeon.

As darkness gradually crept in from the edges of his vision, the monster took a step.

The corpses that had been in its grasp had long been depleted.

The beast’s breath drew near. Even though his consciousness was fading, he felt a tremendous hunger in that breath.

Gerard had a premonition of how his body would be used.

– Thud

“Ack…”

A giant hand enveloped his torso. Only his foot and face caught in the grip of the giant hand were exposed in the air. With a dizzying pressure, his body floated in the air.

A foul breath hit his face. Soon, the thick jaws opened wide. Various pieces of flesh and bones were visible between the teeth.

‘You damn bastards…’

It was an absurd end.

He knew that many heroes with the profession met an unfavorable end, but he never thought he would end up like this.

Even though he was called a hero, to end up as mere monster feed.

‘Not to worry about being a breeding ground and all…’

With belated regret.

– Crunch!

Gerard’s upper body was swallowed whole.

It was a final moment of agony without feeling.