Chapter 7

Chapter 7.

 

The interviewer’s eyes widened, and a buzz of murmurs rose from the surroundings.

“Wait, he obtained seven artifacts?”

“Why on earth is someone like that participating in a public recruitment?”

“Every guild would be bloodshot with greed trying to recruit him.”

People waiting in line threw in their own comments. I felt inward embarrassment.

‘I did not do that just to flaunt my luck.’

Furthermore, I had not even revealed all my skills. I had left out Soul Brand’s sensory amplification and tracking abilities because there was no real need to mention them. Yet, the reaction was already this intense.

I turned back to the interviewer and spoke.

“Is my application complete?”

“Ah, yes. It is.”

“Then I will be going.”

“Yes, of course.”

The interviewer’s attitude was completely different from before I had opened my mouth. He seemed significantly flustered.

I tried to leave the area immediately, but I stopped in my tracks when a sudden shadow loomed over me. Someone had stepped up right behind me. Looking up slightly, I saw a man with a massive physique. Although I was not short, this man appeared to be well over two meters tall.

Soon, I heard people whispering around us.

“Isn’t that the Abyss Beast?”

“It is Ma Do-hyuk. They say he carves through anything—man or monster—that gets in his way. Why did he come to a public recruitment?”

“I know, right? He is not the type to get along with a raid team.”

Thanks to the murmurs echoing from everywhere, I was able to identify him. Ma Do-hyuk. He was an Awakened referred to as the Abyss Beast. He was famous for always roaming around alone.

I had also been quite interested in him.

‘Because he explores the Abyss alone, just like I do.’

However, our atmospheres were entirely different. Unlike me, he radiated a wild, rugged aura. He looked as if he would throw a punch the moment your eyes met his.

Yet, the words that came out of Ma Do-hyuk’s mouth were unexpectedly normal.

“I would like to apply.”

“Ah, yes!”

The interviewer scrambled to organize the desk. I watched Ma Do-hyuk’s interview with interest, but they did not ask him much of anything. They simply wrote down his personal information and let him pass. I did not wonder why the procedure was different for him.

‘It is because he is famous.’

Since Ma Do-hyuk’s skills were well-known, there was no need for proof. I turned to leave, but someone caught my attention.

“Excuse me, please wait.”

“Yes?”

“Those who have passed the interview should go up to the grand conference room on the 10th floor of the headquarters.”

“Right now?”

“Yes, there is a briefing scheduled.”

“Understood.”

I hung the access card the staff gave me around my neck and headed into the Association headquarters. It was a somewhat unfamiliar sight to me, as I had rarely visited the Association before.

As I waited in a corner seat, people began to file in. The sixty seats were filled in an instant. I quickly recognized their identities.

‘They are Awakened from the guilds.’

At the very front sat Yoon Chang-ho, the master of Black Water. I could roughly see how things were playing out. About half of the participants were those sent by the guilds to support the Association, and they intended to fill the remaining slots with guest members.

I rested my chin on my hand, lost in thought.

‘The guild support is a bit lacking.’

Normally, they would not take guest members for half of the team. Coordination would be difficult, and if an accident occurred, it would be harder to keep everyone under control.

However, it was unavoidable this time. The schedules of high-ranking guild members were likely already fully booked. I waited while observing the other Awakened.

Quite a while later, someone walked up to the podium and spoke into the microphone.

“Nice to meet you. I am Kim Tae-geun, the Director of the Safety Management Bureau. We will now begin the briefing for the Incomprehensible-grade dungeon raid.”

It seemed the recruitment was already complete, as they had mentioned there were many applicants. I looked at the screen with interest. Three letters were displayed in a large font.

Incomprehensible .

Literally meaning it could not be understood. I could intuitively feel that the difficulty was higher than an Unknown-grade dungeon. If so, wouldn't there be a high probability that an Ultimate Abyss Fragment was sleeping there?

Director Kim Tae-geun continued.

“The raid team will be divided into four groups, each entering through a different path. Once you clear the Guardian within the time limit, you will encounter the final boss.”

A video played, showing thirty people being deployed to each of the blue dots marked in the north, south, east, and west. The scale was larger than I expected. Since the Guardians were roughly at the level of a boss from an Unknown-grade dungeon, just how strong was the red dot in the center—the final boss?

I narrowed my eyes.

‘Will I have time to look for the Ultimate Abyss Fragment?’

It seemed impossible to do so during the middle of the raid. In that case, I had to do what I did in the Abyss of Collapse. Once everything was over, I would stay behind alone to search. Even if it was cleared, the dungeon would not disappear immediately.

Director Kim Tae-geun’s explanation followed.

“We will now proceed with the raid team assignments. The core guilds have been determined, and the guest members will be assigned randomly.”

Numerous names appeared on the screen. I was at the very end, belonging to Raid Team 4, which was assigned to the south. However, the core guild for my team happened to be the Raiders. It was a situation that made everyone, not just me, frown.

‘Their reputation is quite terrible for one of the top four guilds.’

Still, it was not a situation to worry about too much. Their notoriety was high, but this was an Association-led raid. I figured they wouldn't be able to act like complete jerks here.

When the explanation ended, I immediately stood up. But then, an unexpected name caught my eye.

‘Ma Do-hyuk? He is on our team too.’

It probably was not intentional, but Team 4 felt like a collection of troublemakers.

***

The day of the dungeon raid.

I reported to the Association headquarters. Since the raid team would enter the Abyss after checking the headcount here, I arrived on time. Fortunately, everyone was present with no one missing.

Soon, the raid team entered the Abyss. Watching the path being carved out so quickly, I felt a strange sense of nostalgia.

‘It is fast when a lot of people gather.’

This was a scene that perfectly illustrated the advantages of a guild. Since the extra personnel were fighting in our place, the main raid team could enter the dungeon while maintaining full strength.

Yoon Chang-ho, the master of Black Water, was serving as the overall Raid Leader. As we approached a specific area with a key, a stone gate suddenly appeared.

Click! Rumble!

[You have entered the dungeon, ‘Fusion Abyss’.]
[Defeat the Guardian and activate the Fusion Device.]
[Destroy the Crimson Core that has gone berserk due to negative fusion.]
[Grade: Incomprehensible]
[Limit: 120 people]
[Reward: Unknown Artifact]

The raid groups moved in their designated directions. My team, Team 4, entered through the far right.

‘The internal structure is very unique.’

Thick pipes stretched complexly along the walls, and steam hissed out occasionally. Every time it did, a peculiar smell stung my nose. Strange mechanical devices and valves were everywhere. It felt as if I had stepped into a steampunk world.

I quietly focused my mind.

[‘Soul Brand’ detects traces of a fragment.]

‘Yes!’

I cheered inwardly. To be honest, I knew the probability was high. This was a massive, Incomprehensible-grade dungeon. If an Ultimate Abyss Fragment wasn't here, where else would it be? I had expected it, but I was still genuinely happy to actually find it.

I turned my gaze to where Soul Brand was leading me.

‘The signal is faint. It is incredibly far away.’

Still, I could roughly tell the direction. I would be able to find it later. I calmed my racing heart. My chest throbbed at the thought of opening an Ultimate Abyss Fragment. Of course, to do that, we had to succeed in the raid first.

I observed the Raiders Guild, the core of our team.

‘They are surprisingly normal.’

They were a shameless guild that would abandon guest members without a second thought if things got rough. However, I didn't see anything unusual for now.

The Abyss Beast, Ma Do-hyuk, who was said to cut down anything that annoyed him, was also coordinating well with the team members. It seemed rumors were just rumors after all.

I focused solely on the raid.

“I will take the one on the right.”

“Understood.”

I relayed my intention to Ma Do-hyuk, who was in the same melee dealer position. Then, I cut through a monster that suddenly leaped out.

Fwoosh! Slash!

“Kik! Ki-gigi...”

The monster, which was covered in mechanical parts, collapsed instantly. It was sliced in half as soon as it was struck by Abyss Refinement. Perhaps that sight was impressive, because Ma Do-hyuk stared at me for a moment.

It was a very blatant gaze, filled with confidence. I let out a hollow laugh to myself.

‘Is it a look that says, “So what if I’m staring?” He really is something else.’

With an attitude like that, unnecessary misunderstandings were bound to happen. It was natural that his reputation would be low if he argued with everyone. I could see how he earned the nickname Abyss Beast.

Of course, I paid him no mind.

‘What is the point of showing off useless bravado?’

To me, finding the Ultimate Abyss Fragment was much more important. Perhaps because only skilled individuals had been gathered, the raid proceeded smoothly. As we smashed through mechanical monsters and advanced, we quickly reached our destination.

[You have encountered the Guardian of the Abyss Dungeon, Gear Crusher.]
[Time Attack begins.]
[Activate the Fusion Device within 30 minutes.]
[If you fail, all sections of the dungeon progress will be reset.]

Ping! Tick-tock!

With a sharp sound, a crudely shaped clock began to run. Soon, the Gear Crusher rose with a thunderous roar.

Clang! Clatter!

It was a mechanical monster about ten meters tall. Its right hand was a hammer, and its left was armed with something like a cannon. The only saving grace was that it was fixed in one spot. However, its arms were long enough to cover the entire battlefield. Every time it swung its hammer, it caused total chaos.

I instinctively threw my body forward.

‘I have to dodge!’

But I couldn't even shout a warning. That was how urgent the situation was.

Rumble! Boom!

The Gear Crusher’s right arm swept across the floor. If I hadn't jumped at the right timing, I would have been crushed. I quickly turned my head.

‘What happened to the backline?’

The physical abilities of healers were somewhat lower. If things went wrong, they could have been wiped out. That attack just now had been that powerful.

Everyone seemed safe, perhaps because they had pressed themselves tightly against the wall. I let out a sigh of relief.

‘This changes things. The raid will be much more stable.’

Furthermore, the backline was putting in work. While the tanks drew its attention, powerful long-range attacks poured in. I noted Choi Hyun-ki, the guild master of the Raiders.

Known as the Violet Magnum, he was a magic-type Awakened who fired beams of light from a purple orb. As expected, his long-range firepower was top-notch. At this rate, it seemed the raid would end smoothly—until something unexpected happened.

[Gear Crusher deploys Oil Cannon.]

Bang!

A mass of liquid was suddenly fired from the cannon on its left arm. The entire backline fell within the attack range because they had been gathered closely against the wall.

Splosh!

Soon, the Awakened individuals trapped in the liquid floated into the air. I couldn't help but be horrified.

“They all got caught?”

Absurdly, the entire backline had vanished. Without them, the tanks and melee dealers would not be able to hold out. Soon, a catastrophe occurred on the frontline.

Thud!

“Aaaah!”

The main tank was sent flying far away, and the sub-tank was instantly crushed. Following that, the melee dealers began to take hits. The raid team had collapsed. At this rate, it was a guaranteed wipe-out ending.

I ran forward without a second thought.

‘I have to stop it somehow!’

My figure began to sprint, stepping onto the Gear Crusher’s body. The ultimate movement skill, Wall-Walking Steps, was deployed.

Thud-thud-thud!

As I suddenly soared upward, the Gear Crusher’s head turned rapidly. The creature also seemed quite flustered, as I was running across its oiled metal plates without any trouble.

Hiss!

Along with a burst of harsh steam, its hammer was raised high.

[Gear Crusher deploys Heavy Pressure Strike.]

Roooooar!

The hammer, enveloped in a crimson energy, flew toward me. It had incredible speed and formidable power. It was a moment of absolute crisis. However, at the final second, my racing figure dropped straight down.

I had canceled Wall-Walking Steps and jumped down. With the boss monster’s skill deployed right in front of me, I grit my teeth.

‘Please, don't miss.’

If the attack landed correctly, my plan would work.

Swoosh!

The massive hammer grazed my waist. It was a hair-raising moment. The Heavy Pressure Strike passed me and slammed right into the Gear Crusher’s own head.

BOOM!

[The Gear Crusher has been stunned by the Heavy Pressure Strike.]