Chapter 81

“Hey, Dr. Kim! Check these samples for me! And Dr. Jung, grab the M-1 dye from over there!”

Dr. Park Hyun-jong’s team, Alpha Team, was once again pulling an all-nighter at the lab.

On one side of the lab was a lounge equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, but the Alpha Team researchers rarely set foot in it.

Despite the heavy workload, they were even more passionately dedicated to their research.

Their achievements were still modest, but everything was being systematically organized and prepared. Having such a research team would ultimately grant a huge advantage in future power struggles.

Things were proceeding exactly as Kang Yuseong had intended.

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door of the Alpha Team’s lab.

However, the researchers were so engrossed in their work that they didn’t hear it.

Kang Yuseong, who had knocked, let out a wry smile.

In fact, he had been watching them work from outside the window before knocking.

Honestly, seeing them throw themselves into research as if to make up for all the studies they couldn’t pursue before, put his mind at ease.

“Dr. Park Hyun-jong.”

“Ah, CEO!”

Dr. Park Hyun-jong finally noticed Kang Yuseong and offered a faint smile.

“Could I have a word with you for a moment?”

“Ah, yes. Dr. Kim, please take care of the lab!”

“Yes, Section Chief! Don’t worry!”

After meticulously entrusting the lab’s affairs, Dr. Park Hyun-jong followed Kang Yuseong out.

Kang Yuseong led him to a conference room.

Not just any conference room, but one equipped with the best security systems available.

This meant that any conversation held here could not be leaked outside.

Dr. Park Hyun-jong had followed him with an unsuspecting expression, but then looked puzzled upon seeing something placed on the conference table.

“What is this?”

Kang Yuseong looked at him and said,

“This is precisely why I wanted to see you.”

“Hmm… this is the root of Hell’s Rake Grass… and this is…”

True to a researcher, Dr. Park Hyun-jong quickly identified the items.

It was immediately clear that he had put in a considerable amount of effort during that time.

But when it came to the very last item, he tilted his head in confusion.

A murky, whitish liquid contained in a transparent storage box.

It looked like monster fluid, but its color was so subtle that it didn’t seem to be any monster fluid he was familiar with.

“It’s the fluid of Gainok.”

Dr. Park Hyun-jong’s eyes widened as he stared at Kang Yuseong.

“Gainok…?”

“An AA-rank monster.”

“Ah… is that so? But what do you intend to do with these items?”

“I’d like you to create a potion from these.”

Dr. Park Hyun-jong furrowed his brow slightly.

“A potion… I’m not sure what kind of potion could be made from these ingredients…”

He tried to recall, but there was no way he could know.

Only Kang Yuseong knew the recipe.

“It’s a potion that only works on a specific disease. The recipe is as follows.”

Kang Yuseong relayed the potion recipe he remembered.

Dr. Park Hyun-jong listened seriously, a slightly surprised look on his face, nodding repeatedly.

“However, there’s something you need to be careful about.”

“What is it?”

Kang Yuseong pointed at Gainok’s fluid and said,

“That. To dissolve and process that fluid, a considerable level of skill is required. To an ordinary person, it would be an unimaginable feat.”

Dr. Park Hyun-jong pushed up his glasses and said,

“So that’s why you need me.”

Kang Yuseong nodded.

“Yes, that’s right. You must do it, Doctor. No, you *must* succeed.”

“It seems there’s a story behind this, isn’t there?”

“That’s right. You absolutely must succeed. The deadline is two days. I’m sorry, but everything needs to be ready within that time.”

Dr. Park Hyun-jong frowned.

“Two days…”

“A person’s life depends on it.”

Dr. Park Hyun-jong closed his mouth and silently gazed at Gainok’s fluid.

Then, he slowly nodded and said,

“What needs to be done?”

Kang Yuseong looked at him and said,

“The Steel-Armored Beetle, its gene replication thesis will be helpful.”

“Gene… replication!”

“You need to extract Gainok’s DNA from that fluid. That’s why I said an expert was needed.”

“Hmm…!”

Dr. Park Hyun-jong was a pharmaceutical company researcher, but he also held considerable authority in biotechnology.

Furthermore, the researchers he had led at Future Pharmaceuticals were also people dedicated to DNA and stem cell research.

“Can you do it?”

Dr. Park Hyun-jong remained silently contemplative.

Extracting DNA information within two days would have been impossible in the past.

But with the method outlined in the Steel-Armored Beetle’s gene replication thesis…

Dr. Park Hyun-jong stood for a long moment before nodding.

As he nodded, his eyes shone with a sharp brilliance.

“I’ll have the potion for you in two days.”

Kang Yuseong smiled.

He would get it done.

He had orchestrated all of this precisely because he believed in him.

“I’m counting on you.”

Kang Yuseong turned around.

* * * * *

The development of the potion to cure Gil Hyeok-jun’s daughter, Gil Ji-yeon’s, incurable disease was now in Dr. Park Hyun-jong’s hands. All Kang Yuseong had to do was wait.

In the meantime, he had other tasks to attend to.

One of them was to conquer the D-666 Dungeon.

‘It’s around this time.’

The timing was roughly now.

If he delayed, the government would send an exploration team, and Kang Yuseong would miss his chance to enter. The D-666 Dungeon would be heavily controlled, especially since it was a place that would attract everyone’s attention.

Kang Yuseong chose to move as quickly as possible.

Knowing the location where the D-666 Dungeon would spawn made things much easier.

He packed his gear and set off.

His destination was a remote mountain near Cheorwon, Gangwon Province.

The D-666 Dungeon was set to appear right there.

Vroom-

His car glided along the road.

* * * * *

Gangwon Province was one of the regions where recovery from the Mega Shock was significantly delayed. The roads leading there had originally been completely cut off, but the government had spent several years restoring them, making it possible to travel by car once more.

Outside the car window, a considerable number of vehicles passed by in the opposite direction.

These cars weren’t heading to see the scenery of Gangwon Province as tourists used to; they were likely going for dungeon hunting.

Kang Yuseong drove his car towards Cheorwon, Gangwon Province.

Upon arriving, he slung his backpack over his shoulders and ascended the mountain.

The D-666 Dungeon was located in a rather deep valley, requiring him to go far in.

Whoosh!

Kang Yuseong had already completely transcended the physical limits of a human.

He scaled the mountain like a flying squirrel, heading towards the valley.

‘Hmm…’

He wasn’t entirely sure of the exact location and was prepared to wander, but the wild mountains of Gangwon Province weren’t going to make it easy for him.

‘Roughly… this way!’

Kang Yuseong unfolded a map and slowly traced it with his finger.

His finger hovered over the D-359 Dungeon before moving upwards.

Due to its latitude, it was expected to be found north of the D-359 Dungeon.

Since he had passed the D-359 Dungeon earlier, his latitude seemed correct.

Night had already fallen completely, and the surroundings were steeped in pitch darkness.

An eerie aura, as if ghosts might appear, hung in the air, but Kang Yuseong paid it no mind.

Instead, he meticulously scanned his surroundings.

His Eye Power was so developed that he could perfectly distinguish objects even with faint starlight, so he didn’t really need a flashlight.

And one more thing.

‘Thieving Eye!’

Whoosh!

Strangely, near dungeons, beasts and swarms of insects vanish.

It was as if some aura emanating from within pushed them away.

This characteristic could now be very useful to Kang Yuseong.

As Thieving Eye activated, he saw the abilities possessed by countless living creatures.

The hind legs of a grasshopper, the wings of a hornet, the heat-sensing ability of a snake…

Observing the abilities of numerous animals, Kang Yuseong dashed through the mountains.

Many of those abilities were quite useful, but now was not the time to steal them.

Far away in the pitch-black darkness, one spot!

Because there, a gaping hole was visible.

A place where no trace of beasts, no movement of insects could be seen!

Whoosh, whoosh!

Kang Yuseong sprinted rapidly.

* * * * *

Thump-

Kang Yuseong felt Thieving Eye flicker and then disappear, causing him to halt his steps.

Although he would have to wait an hour for Thieving Eye, a skill far more accurate than night vision goggles, to reactivate, Kang Yuseong had already found his direction.

‘There it is!’

Over there, that place emanating a strong, eerie aura.

Kang Yuseong intensified his Eye Power and looked in that direction.

Located deep within the mountain valley, where even starlight couldn’t reach, Kang Yuseong moved forward without hesitation.

Hooong-

And there, he arrived before a dungeon, its gaping maw a pitch-black abyss.

Click-

He turned on his flashlight.

Under the flashlight’s beam, he checked the map and cross-referenced it with his watch, which displayed the latitude. It seemed this was roughly the correct location. And there were no traces of anyone having entered or exited here.

Kang Yuseong smiled triumphantly.

‘Found it! D-666.’

Inside here, there was an entity with necromancy abilities.

Kang Yuseong had to find it.

Currently, the corpses Kang Yuseong summoned were merely disposable.

However, the Necromancer he had encountered in the past commanded powerful summons.

They weren’t just ordinary corpses.

These summons had been through countless battles.

And their strength, as Kang Yuseong had personally experienced, was expected to become a formidable asset.

Since he had already plundered the Necromancer’s abilities, evolving them was one of Kang Yuseong’s tasks.

And this task could not be done with others.

In fact, Kang Yuseong didn’t even know what kind of entities resided here.

This was Kang Yuseong’s problem.

Click-

And he would definitely solve this problem.

Just as he always had.

Kang Yuseong, having twisted his flashlight off, glared into the pitch-black darkness before stepping directly inside.

* * * * *

Whoosh!

The place he entered, as if sucked into the darkness, was as utterly dark as the outside.

And it was filled with an extremely eerie and cold air.

‘Was this dungeon type originally like this? Or…’

Kang Yuseong’s eyes gleamed sharply as he looked around.

It was the first time he had seen a dungeon of this type.

There had been similar types, but wasn’t this simply a place completely submerged in darkness?

Even the Black Dragon Murka’s lair wasn’t like this.

If so, it might not be a matter of the dungeon type.

‘Has the entity already begun… its encroachment?’

A Necromancer’s abilities are fundamentally darkness, or dark magic.

Magic that is fundamentally different from that of Magic Users, who draw upon elemental power.

Therefore, it’s not at all strange that it has a close relationship with darkness.

If this place isn’t just an ordinary dungeon, but a Necromancer’s secret habitat…

If it has appeared on Earth for some reason.

‘Second Shock!’

Perhaps, the entity living here might also be flung out of the dungeon as it collapses due to the Second Shock. That would mean an immense catastrophe could begin.

From the start, this entity was one that governed death rather than life.

Even this mountain alone has numerous graveyards.

Furthermore, Cheorwon is a place where countless remains of soldiers who died during the Korean War are buried.

It might not be, but regardless, this place needed to disappear for various reasons.

Thump.

Kang Yuseong moved further inside.

Whoosh-

A single, unpleasant and eerie gust of wind brushed against his cheek.