Chapter 97

Inside the damp cave, heavy with moisture, the distant drip of water echoed from the ceiling.

Plink.

As another droplet fell, the creature coiled beneath it slowly raised its head.

Shrrrr...

It was a serpent that had yet to ascend into a dragon, its entire body covered in glimmering scales. It flicked out a blue tongue, tasted the air of the cave, then settled back into sleep.

“It seems its sleeping pattern is similar to that of humans.”

Then, without warning, figures emerged from the gloomy passageway that had appeared empty moments before.

The voice belonged to a man in a gray raincoat.

“If it didn’t sleep for six hours at a time, it might grow a little faster.”

Soo Yehwi of the Rakshasa Temple stepped slowly into the light.

Raising that single serpent had required an extraordinary amount of effort.

The first challenge had been finding somewhere to conceal the boss monster. That was when he discovered a method of erasing a dungeon’s entrance.

I like this place. It’s spacious.

This had originally been an E-Class gate ruled by an amphibian-like boss.

Now, however, the creature had been stripped of its status as the dungeon’s master and confined to a cramped chamber in a pitiful state.

“Croak! Croak!”

Once the Imoogi had finished growing, Soo Yehwi intended to kill the original boss and reopen the exit leading into the city.

I need to protect it carefully until then.

And that was far from his only concern.

The numerous boss monsters brought in as feed also had to be managed with care.

More importantly, he himself had to survive inside this den of monsters.

“Achoo!”

Soo Yehwi sprinkled yellow powder over his head once again.

It was a concealment item designed for use against monsters, suppressing both bodily scent and sound.

“Cough.”

Still, would this operation truly be completed on schedule?

He had promised Assemblyman Kim that the terrorist attack would be carried out before the following spring.

Yet while he had been occupied with countless preparations, winter had already arrived outside.

The Imoogi had still not produced the results he wanted.

Hehehe.

To make matters worse, the interference of a certain evil spirit had turned him into a wanted criminal.

If the Association hadn’t suddenly tracked me down, I could have prepared more thoroughly. Now we’re running short on feed.

There was no doubt about it.

That man must have been plotting something again.

Until now, only one person had ever managed to trouble him so deeply.

“Kim Kiryeo.”

“How suspicious.”

For a brief moment, curiosity and disgust surged within Soo Yehwi’s heart.

Yet the disturbance quickly faded.

His unwavering faith always allowed him to recover his composure.

“Do not worry, everyone. I will bring enlightenment to this society.”

Soo Yehwi pressed his palms together as though in prayer and activated the PIXY analyzer strapped to his wrist.

The device scanned the Imoogi and displayed its reading.

***

[???]

[Grade: ??]

[Description: No registered information available.]

***

Soo Yehwi checked the panel on his wrist and broke into a broad smile.

“Aha!”

In truth, his promise to Assemblyman Kim no longer mattered.

It seemed Heaven itself did not wish for its servant to become a liar.

***

The scene returned to the park.

“To sum it up, the situation is extremely bad.”

We’re in serious trouble.

No matter how many internal conflicts existed within the religious order, the Rakshasa Temple would ultimately follow the brainwasher’s deranged ideals.

“Yes. I can’t say for certain, but the likelihood of a major incident is very high.”

Nothing good ever comes from being reincarnated on Earth.

An enormous cult was being controlled by a brainwasher, and of all people, that brainwasher happened to be a lunatic determined to slaughter hunters.

Should I leave Korea?

I pressed a hand to my forehead and gave the possibility serious thought.

Fleeing overseas.

It was an idea that had already crossed my mind three times this year alone.

***

The following day.

As the weathercaster on television announced a cold morning, I rose from my seat and hurriedly grabbed my coat.

“Haah...”

Perhaps I should begin with the conclusion Seonwoo Yeon and I had reached yesterday.

For the time being, we had decided to find some way to uncover the Rakshasa Temple’s plan.

When preparing for a large-scale disaster such as a terrorist attack, even the smallest advance warning could drastically reduce the number of casualties.

Heukh.

Of course, my desire to flee overseas remained as strong as ever.

But once visas and all the other complicated international regulations became involved, I was left with no choice but to stay and defend Korea through tears.

It feels like someone is holding a knife to my throat and ordering me to be patriotic.

Still, there was at least one small consolation.

I rather liked the new season.

“Phew.”

Having once lived in the freezing depths of the sea, I left the house in a good mood. The current temperature reminded me of the waters of my homeland.

It was my first winter since coming to Earth.

Unfortunately, events did not proceed as smoothly as I had hoped.

“I’m sorry.”

“What do you have to apologize for, Seonwoo Yeon?”

“Still, I’m sorry...”

Our plan had fallen apart from the very beginning.

“I never imagined the higher-ups wouldn’t even pretend to listen...”

The Association and the police.

Do you know how they responded when we reported that a cult was preparing to trigger a large-scale Dungeon Break?

—And?

—What exactly do you expect us to do about it?

Naturally, they had expressed it in somewhat more polite terms.

But the meaning had been the same.

The testimony of a single ordinary citizen was nowhere near enough to mobilize government institutions.

“I think we’ll need to gather more evidence before filing another report. The police seem willing to act if we can provide something concrete.”

“Evidence in a situation like this...”

“Would mean locating the missing Imoogi.”

And there was another problem.

At this point, I had no choice but to admit it.

The Rakshasa Temple’s research had been truly impressive.

Their invention, the Closed Gate Passage, blocked all attempts at tracking far more effectively than I could have imagined.

By destroying the entrance, did they turn the dungeon into a completely isolated space?

In the end, both Seonwoo Yeon’s [Searcher] skill and my magical detection failed to determine the Imoogi’s coordinates.

Thus, our efforts that day ended without any meaningful progress.

Tomorrow would probably be the same.

And the day after that.

Keugh.

So what were we supposed to do now?

Was I simply meant to sit still and wait helplessly for the disaster to happen?

My only fallback was a single bodyguard, and even he was merely a human who could be caught off guard by an uncontrollable Dungeon Break.

Fifteen boss monsters have vanished across the country. How can those idiots still sit there doing nothing?

The date of the attack.

Its location.

The danger posed by the evolved Imoogi.

Every crucial detail remained uncertain.

There was nothing we could guarantee.

Ugh.

So I decided to reduce that uncertainty, even if only slightly.

It might be humiliating, but I would struggle until the bitter end.

At least then I would have no regrets later.

***

The next morning.

An unfamiliar visitor appeared at the headquarters of the Korea Magic Tower.

The young man speaking to the receptionist wore knee-length shorts and an old sweatshirt, giving him a thoroughly shabby appearance.

Yet for some reason, he carried an air that made him difficult to approach.

“W-welcome. What brings you here today?”

The man answered the receptionist’s question with a cool gaze.

“I have an appointment with the CEO. Do I need to climb through that maze again?”

A faint trace of concern entered his voice.

No matter what, he had no desire to destroy the Magic Tower’s elevator a second time.

A little while later—

“Ah, Kiryeo-ssi! Welcome.”

They soon reached the top floor.

Kim Kiryeo bowed his head slightly before taking a seat at Esther’s invitation.

“I’m sorry I only just saw your message. I was at the Nonsan Gate until late last night.”

Tap.

A steaming cup of black liquid—the drink all aliens despised—sat on the table before him.

But that hardly mattered.

What he was about to say would be far more unpleasant than the coffee.

“Anyway, why did you suddenly ask to meet me? Hmm? What happened to our Kiryeo-ssi?”

Kim Kiryeo pretended to take a sip, using the gesture to steady himself.

Dealing with a curse mage was difficult.

It was even harder because, throughout his entire life as an Archmage, he had never lowered his head to anyone.

In my homeland, I never bowed to anyone except my superior...

Even so, Kiryeo did not retreat.

Whether the curse mage disliked him or not, preserving his life took priority.

“I came to ask you a favor.”

What kind of favor could a lowly F-Class hunter possibly ask of her in order to survive?

Kiryeo soon voiced his request.

“First, I’m not trying to force you, so please hear me out without taking offense.”

It was the bare minimum precaution needed in preparation for the Rakshasa Temple’s attack.

“Could you refrain from raiding gates for a while?”

Esther’s eyes widened.

Of all the things he could have asked, he was requesting that a hunter stop hunting.

“What...?”

“To be precise, I’d prefer that you avoid entering any dungeon that would keep you inside for too long.”

Kim Kiryeo set down his coffee cup.

“I’ll explain why.”

He immediately told her everything.

A brainwashed awakened person had been stealing A-Class monsters and using them for some malicious scheme.

Kiryeo explained the entire chain of events without hesitation.

“The missing Imoogi and the cult...”

As she listened, the smile gradually faded from Esther’s face.

Her expression became serious.

“So you want me to reduce the number of gate raids I accept, in case you can’t reach me when the attack occurs?”

“Yes.”

“But when you say ‘for a while,’ how long are we talking?”

“Until December.”

“December?”

“Yes.”

“The cult leader predicted in a speech long ago that a great natural disaster would occur at the end of this year. I only learned about it this morning.”

Let’s see.

December.

Cult leaders attempting to prove their supernatural authority by making their own prophecies come true had existed even before the era of Dungeon Shocks.

Understanding dawned on Esther’s face, and she nodded at once.

“All right. I’ll adjust my schedule.”

To be honest, Kiryeo had been prepared to kneel before the S-Class hunter if necessary.

But she had accepted his request without the slightest resistance.

That easily...?