Chapter 46

Various emotions radiated from the hunters’ gazes, all simultaneously fixed on Siyoon.

Bewilderment, curiosity, intrigue, shock, and more.

The man standing right before him was no exception.

“…Is that true?”

“Yes.”

Siyoon readily affirmed the man’s question, which carried a note of surprise.

He had anticipated this very situation before arriving.

After all, dungeons had a maximum capacity for entrants.

He had simply been hunting solo all this time, so the limit had never been an issue.

The same held true for newly discovered dungeons.

‘I was planning to enter first anyway, so it doesn’t matter.’

From the moment he accepted this commission, Siyoon’s plan had been set.

It was only natural for hunters to balk at joining the first party when there was zero information to go on.

Siyoon intended to turn this to his advantage by being the first to breach the dungeon.

‘With no information at all, there’s no telling what treasures might lie inside.’

High risk, high return.

The greater the risk, the greater the reward.

The same held true for dungeons.

Rare equipment lay hidden within dungeons.

But unless one ventured into an unconquered dungeon, the chances of obtaining such equipment were slim.

They had already been excavated during prior explorations.

Hence the saying: if you want great treasure, brave an unconquered dungeon.

Naturally, most hunters preferred otherwise.

If established dungeons were well-paved roads, unconquered dungeons were untamed wilderness beyond the reach of civilization.

From the very first entry, everything—the dungeon’s layout, its boss—had to be discovered and pioneered on-site.

In other words, the difficulty skyrocketed.

‘But that much risk is well worth taking.’

There was only one thing Siyoon needed to focus on right now.

The single fact that unconquered dungeons still held their equipment and treasures intact.

Siyoon had to grow stronger.

Preferably as quickly as possible.

Combat experience was important, but equipment and skills were equally crucial.

That was why he couldn’t afford to let an opportunity like this slip by.

Even at the risk of his life.

“I never expected the rumored rookie to be a suicide candidate.”

At that moment, a man interjected.

He was a lean man equipped with a crossbow.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I haven’t said anything wrong, have I?”

The man shrugged and spoke in fluent Korean.

“I imagine you’re scheming to get your hands on the equipment and treasures that can be found in an unconquered dungeon.”

“……”

“Well, it makes no difference to me. Why not put him in the first party as he wants?”

The man replied with cynical indifference.

He almost seemed pleased that Siyoon had volunteered.

But naturally, there were opposing views as well.

“I distinctly recall agreeing to form a well-coordinated team beforehand.”

A man with a sword at his hip spoke with visible displeasure.

“Didn’t we gather earlier than planned precisely for that purpose?”

“He’s asking for it, isn’t he? Is there any reason to stop him?”

“This is a serious job.”

The swordsman’s sharp words drew a scowl from the crossbowman.

“If we were going to throw a team together that lightly, I wouldn’t have come in the first place.”

“Hah, quite the rare pretentious professional ethic for this day and age.”

“Professional ethic. Is that how you see it?”

“So? What’s your point?”

“Given how dangerous unconquered dungeons are, forming a party with the best synergy gives us a better chance of survival. You can’t possibly not know that.”

It was a perfectly reasonable argument.

A pointed remark that took into account the commission’s stakes, the corporate interests behind it, and the hunters’ odds of survival.

Even Siyoon couldn’t find fault in what the man said.

‘He’s right. You can’t just throw a party together haphazardly.’

When hunters formed parties, composition and synergy were paramount.

Consider an example.

A party consisting of two archers and two mages.

With two of those rare mages, would this be a good party?

Absolutely not, without question.

The reason was simple.

When magic beasts closed in, there was no warrior or swordsman to handle melee combat.

In such cases, it would be better to drop one ranged attacker and add a melee fighter.

That was how critical party balance was.

From that perspective, Siyoon was something of an all-rounder.

He could fulfill both ranged and melee damage roles simultaneously.

And his firepower was by no means lacking.

How many hunters had fallen to him during the raid on Haind?

Simply counting them told the story.

But that was only from Siyoon’s perspective.

To those who didn’t know him, his capabilities would seem ambiguous at best.

Hunters who tried to fill two positions were often mediocre at both.

That was an objective fact.

The swordsman’s sensitivity likely stemmed from this very concern.

“Then why don’t you join the same party?”

The crossbowman said with a mocking sneer.

“The balance works out perfectly. A swordsman and an archer. Wait, no. Is Mr. Lee Siyoon a martial artist?”

“All that yapping is deafening.”

Another man cut in at that moment.

He wore a hood that obscured his face and wielded dual reverse-grip daggers.

“And who are you to—”

“I’m joining the first party too.”

“…I don’t mind, but. Is that alright?”

The man with the curved sword—the first to speak to Siyoon—asked.

The dagger wielder replied.

“I’d rather go in first and die than be stuck with that loudmouth.”

“I’ll join the first party as well.”

The swordsman, who had been arguing with the crossbowman, also expressed his intent.

“I don’t see eye to eye with that archer, so working together would be difficult.”

Eudeuk.

The crossbowman ground his teeth at the swordsman’s words.

The already sour atmosphere turned frigid in an instant.

It wouldn’t have been strange if he’d loosed a bolt right then and there.

In the silence thick with tension,

The man with a mace and shield broke it.

“If there are no other volunteers, may I take the last spot?”

“Hmm…”

The man with the curved sword shook his head with a sigh.

“No, there’s no problem. That makes four of us selected.”

He then turned to look at the two hunters who had remained silent.

“Does anyone have any objections?”

“None. It’s their choice, so who are we to interfere?”

“I have no complaints or objections either.”

The two other hunters responded to the curved swordsman’s question.

He finally turned to the crossbowman and asked.

“And you?”

“Haa… Fine. Do as you please.”

Looking thoroughly exasperated, he pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned back against the wall.

It was a hastily formed party, but the decision was made nonetheless.

Dual reverse-grip daggers, a sword, a mace and shield.

And Siyoon, capable of both melee and ranged combat.

A somewhat peculiar party had just taken shape.

* * *

Just before setting out, the four introduced themselves.

“Good to meet you. I’m Jang Taeju.”

“You can call me Seo Eunhyun.”

“Jin Baekseon.”

These were, in order, the names of the man with the mace and shield, the dual dagger wielder, and the swordsman.

“Lee Siyoon. Let’s work well together.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you. They say you’re skilled enough to skip the certification exam.” “Is your weapon a firearm?”

Taeju showed a flicker of interest in Siyoon.

He seemed curious about Siyoon’s abilities.

Eunhyun cut the conversation short at an opportune moment.

“Introductions are done. Let’s go in.”

“What are you talking about? We should strategize first here and…”

“No. It’s better to go in, coordinate briefly on the fly, and then adjust through actual combat.”

“Isn’t that too dangerous?”

Baekseon objected to his suggestion.

“Coordinating through live combat with zero information? That’s…”

“I understand your concern, but right now this is more efficient. Trading a few words here won’t paint much of a picture. Fighting once and then thinking on our feet is far more intuitive.”

Eunhyun’s argument had its own persuasive merit.

They currently knew little about each other’s capabilities.

In this situation, mere conversation wouldn’t give them a clear picture.

Neither person’s opinion could be called wrong.

It was simply a difference in perspective and approach.

But at this rate, they would never make progress.

“We should go in first.”

Siyoon interjected at the right moment to settle the dispute.

Both men turned their gazes to Siyoon simultaneously.

“It seems you’ve forgotten, but the second team isn’t just sitting idle while we go in first.”

While Siyoon’s first team progressed through the dungeon,

The second team would stand guard here and formulate their strategy.

With time to learn each other’s abilities, they had the luxury of preparation.

This was also one reason hunters were reluctant to enter first.

“And didn’t we all accept the risk when we took this commission?”

“That’s not what I… No, I suppose I’ve been dragging this out too long.”

Baekseon shook his head and said.

“Let’s go in.”

After exchanging opinions, the group immediately approached the rift.

As they drew closer, the landscape visible within the rift—as if spacetime itself had been fractured—struck them with an eerie chill.

The moment they stepped fully into the rift, blinding light sent a wave of dizziness washing over them.

As the overwhelming light forced their eyes into narrow slits—

Jjireureureu―.

The cries of unidentified insects echoed from all directions.

Siyoon scrunched his face at the humid, stagnant heat and looked upward.

“This is…”

Shafts of light filtering through a chaotic tangle of branches and leaves.

Vines of every kind hung draped like towels, growing rampant regardless of position.

All manner of undergrowth jutted up unevenly, making movement difficult.

The sewer dungeon, known as an unconquered dungeon, was none other than a tropical rainforest.

* * *

When one thought of a typical tropical rainforest, dense forests and diverse vegetation came to mind.

But a dungeon’s rainforest was a different beast entirely.

Aggressively sprawling undergrowth and vines as thick as rope.

The densely packed trees had trunks with a circumference equal to three grown men combined.

Carnivorous plants the size of a person lurked here and there.

A dungeon in every sense of the word.

A space both bizarre and chilling beyond compare.

Moreover, each breath drew in humidity and a sweltering heat that seemed to steam the very lungs.

His leather coat reacted immediately.

[ Currently equipped: ‘Graphote Leather Coat +6’. ]

[ Automatic temperature regulation function is active. ]

[ Temperature is being optimized to match the surrounding environment. ]

As the coat recalibrated, the suffocating heat soon dissipated.

The humidity, however, lingered, still clinging to his skin.

Siyoon immediately Enhanced his entire body, sharpening his senses to their utmost.

With no way of knowing what dangers lurked ahead, he needed to be prepared.

“A rainforest, huh.”

“Of all things, it had to be a rainforest.”

While Siyoon surveyed the interior, his teammates, having gathered their wits, looked around.

Even as a generous understatement, the rainforest was far from a favorable environment.

Damp, sticky breezes and suffocating heat.

And all manner of insects on top of that.

Even so, it was still better than extreme environments.

Dungeons existed where lava flowed like rivers, or where everything was frozen solid like the Arctic.

“Thank goodness it’s not an extreme climate.”

“Agreed.”

Taeju muttered, sharing the same thought as Siyoon.

Even with automatic temperature regulation, such environments made movement grueling.

The extreme conditions themselves harbored all manner of dangers.

“We should explore the interior first.”

“Taeju takes point, with Baekseon and Eunhyun following behind. I’ll handle perimeter watch.”

“Understood. Will do.”

Siyoon swiftly assigned roles.

Dawdling in a place like this was suicide.

With zero information to go on, they needed to gather intel as they explored.

Sabak.

The party pushed forward, hacking through the undergrowth.

The ground was choked with tangled roots and undergrowth as thick as a person’s torso, making advancement difficult.

Eunhyun and Baekseon, following behind, had no choice but to slash through the stems as they moved.

“Thank goodness we brought equipment with temperature regulation.”

“Without it, we’d have been steamed alive by now.”

The one silver lining was that every party member wore equipment with temperature regulation.

No one was suffering from the heat.

But that didn’t make their current situation any better.

They were essentially dropped into the middle of a rainforest.

How long had they been walking?

“Halt.”

Siyoon, who had been keeping watch on their surroundings, brought the party to a stop.

His Enhancement-sharpened senses had detected a massive presence.

Just as Taeju, at point position, was about to voice a question—

Kuung―!

Heavy footsteps shook the ground.

Siyoon scanned ahead with sharp eyes.

What emerged through the swirling leaves was a magic beast resembling a massive ancient tree, standing roughly ten meters tall.