Chapter 62 – Earning Your Keep (Part Three)

In the middle of the excavated cemetery, Il-hyeon and his team stood their ground.

Amid the torn and scattered corpses of a dozen giant spiders, Lee Soo-yeon raised a hand to her left ear.

“Team A, we are now entering through entrance 17. Proceeding with Route D as planned.”

-Yes, confirmed.

The mine had been completely destroyed twenty years ago.

They had to enter through a tunnel dug by the monsters.

It seemed the creatures had spent a long time digging it, as the tunnel was fairly solid. They didn’t have to worry about it collapsing at the slightest touch.

But they had to navigate one of many tunnels in a complex, ant-like warren, making it easy to get lost. They had no choice but to select one of the optimal routes provided by the analysis team.

After passing through the narrow entrance and venturing some distance inside, a large passage appeared.

“Heave-ho!”

Ghost was the first to enter.

His voice echoed down the wide passage, its end out of sight.

The Phoenix descended, illuminating the surroundings. When no monsters were in sight, the other team members and their summons followed.

“Ugh, what’s that smell?”

Ghost covered his nose against the nauseating stench.

The floor of the dark, gloomy passage was slick with green fluid, which occasionally pooled into large puddles.

They were greeted by cobwebs strung everywhere and thick, musty air.

“Vile.”

Il-hyeon, his brow furrowed slightly, nodded and exchanged a look with Ghost.

The functions built into their coats filtered some of the odor, and more importantly, their Awakened bodies made it bearable. But for an ordinary person, the horrid stench would have been enough to make them pass out the moment they set foot inside.

Il-hyeon had been to many sites, but this was on another level.

“This is why I hate going into monster lairs. And a twenty-year-old giant spider dungeon, no less.”

Ghost grumbled.

“Then we’d best finish this quickly.”

Lee Soo-yeon said, taking the lead.

They walked through the pitch-black path, relying on the light of the Phoenix and the flames conjured in the air by the Nine-Tailed Fox.

They moved forward, constantly checking their position and direction with a GPS.

Just as they were growing accustomed to the silence, broken only by the sound of their own breathing, a faint scratching noise echoed from up ahead.

It was a subtle sound, but Il-hyeon and all the team members heard it.

*Shing!*

The four Awakened drew their swords in unison.

The creatures on the other side must have seen the floating flames, as their approach quickened.

*Kiiieeeek!*

A bloodcurdling shriek filled the space, and soon, the monsters came into view.

Giant spiders filled the passage.

Dozens of the massive creatures were rushing toward them in a swarm.

Some crawled along the walls, while others scuttled upside down on the ceiling.

The spiders’ red eyes, likely numbering in the hundreds, filled the space from top to bottom.

The sight was grotesque, and the sound was just as awful.

But the team members, swords drawn, still looked completely at ease.

“There are so many of them.”

Ghost’s lips curled into a smirk.

The wolf, which had been in its smaller form, returned to its true size and stood beside Il-hyeon.

It faced the oncoming horde and growled.

Dozens of intense flames created by the Nine-Tailed Fox enveloped Il-hyeon, while the Phoenix spread its wings above him.

And the rat… watched from the back.

*CRASH!*

The monsters and the Awakened collided.

The wolf leaped forward first, viciously tearing off a spider’s head. Flames erupted everywhere, setting the spiders ablaze.

Lee Soo-yeon and the others skillfully sliced through the spiders’ legs and torsos, ending their lives in single strokes.

Il-hyeon was just as quick, dispatching monsters with equal speed.

It looked like they were all fighting furiously, but in truth, they were holding back from using any major skills, worried it might damage the passage they were in.

This was something they had all agreed upon before entering the site.

Lee Soo-yeon’s slashing attacks and Il-hyeon’s more transformative abilities were practically sealed here.

On top of that, for some reason, Ability interference was severe within the space itself, so neither Ghost’s nor Il-hyeon’s powers could be used to ignore the terrain and descend directly to the core.

In any case, the greatest threat on this mission was the risk of collapse.

The Phoenix primarily used its blue flames that froze enemies, and the Nine-Tailed Fox also refrained from causing explosions, using only its flames to roast the monsters.

*Kiiiek!*

The air filled with a mixture of harsh, metallic screeches, the cries of the summons, and the pained shrieks of the spiders. Before long, the situation was swiftly brought under control.

*Stab!*

Lee Soo-yeon plunged her sword into a monster’s neck.

The last spider, which had been screaming on the ground with its legs severed, finally went silent.

The dismembered corpses of spiders lay scattered across the floor.

So much green fluid had been spilled that it looked as if a river was flowing through the passage.

Toxic smoke rose from the charred spider carcasses, filling the unventilated space.

But the purification systems in their Defensive Coats kicked in, allowing them to breathe without any issue.

“As expected, they’re not strong enough to have survived being buried that deep.”

Lee Soo-yeon commented.

After fighting the spiders head-on, she had a good grasp of their physical specs.

They were definitely not the kind of creatures that could have survived being buried under 520 meters of earth.

It wasn’t just a matter of not being strong enough; they were far from it.

There had to be another type of creature, one that could survive the collapse 500 meters underground, secure a space, and continue to breed.

It was highly likely that it had taken root deep underground where the Gate had been and established a breeding ground.

The core of their mission was to eliminate that creature, get out, and then collapse this place with explosives.

Given the current cycle, they had neither the time nor the manpower to meticulously clear out this vast network of tunnels and all its monsters.

“You take the cores. The cleanup crew can’t come all the way down here to retrieve them anyway. And it’s not like we can carry them all out.”

Lee Soo-yeon said, looking at Il-hyeon.

Il-hyeon was the only one who could use the Ether from the cores on the spot. It was far better to give them to him than to leave them buried underground.

“I feel a little bad about that…”

Il-hyeon scratched his head.

He felt awkward just monopolizing all the cores, especially in front of his teammates.

They also earned income from cores, so if they couldn’t take any from this mission, it was like working for free.

But Ghost just chuckled and shrugged.

“We get paid proper hazard pay for sites like this anyway.”

It wasn’t often that a situation arose where they couldn’t collect cores, but it wasn’t unheard of.

Even if it was only occasional, there were special provisions in place so they wouldn’t have to work for free.

Although it was a dangerous site, it might actually be a great opportunity for Il-hyeon.

Not only was there an enormous number of monsters, but all the cores that would normally be split among the team were now his.

Even if they had intentionally tried to boost him, it wouldn’t have been this good.

“But we don’t have the luxury of taking our time, so just a few…”

Lee Soo-yeon trailed off.

Il-hyeon stomped his foot on the ground, and dozens of rats erupted from below.

Under the command of their leader, who had been watching from the back until now, the summoned creatures began extracting the cores with perfect coordination.

“I guess… that won’t be necessary.”

***

“Thank you. Have a good day, ma’am!”

“Yes, you too.”

The highest-grade coats and weapons available to civilians on the market.

After purchasing the Awakened gear, Hyeon-seo left the store.

She had shown the audacity to pay the astronomical sum in a single transaction.

“The place they said was a must-try was…”

Hyeon-seo looked around as she walked down the street.

Determined to enjoy a delicious meal, she had gone to an internet cafe beforehand to look up the best restaurants in the area and had committed them to memory.

Without a phone, she had to rely on her memory.

“Found it!”

After wandering for a while, she spotted the Chinese restaurant she had been looking for.

She immediately headed inside.

As soon as she opened the door, the delicious aroma tickled her nose.

She found a suitable seat and poured herself a glass of water.

Then she noticed a man at the next table, talking to a camera by himself as if he were having a conversation with someone.

He seemed to be waiting for his food, just like her, but he looked peculiar.

It was strange, but Hyeon-seo soon turned her attention away when a waiter approached. She fixed her gaze on the menu he handed her.

The variety was quite diverse.

“I’ll have three servings of each item on the menu, to start.”

“Excuse me? You must be joking, right?”

“I have a big appetite.”

The waiter was flustered by her absurd request, delivered with a completely serious expression, and didn’t know how to react.

“Pahaha, stop teasing the waiter.”

The man at the next table, Jeong Sang-soo, laughed cheerfully and leaned toward her.

Hyeon-seo stared blankly at the man, not understanding what was going on.

“Even I’d have a hard time with that much food.”

“I’m sure you would. But I’ll be fine.”

“Hah…”

Jeong Sang-soo flinched at her words, then laughed.

Hyeon-seo had unintentionally provoked him and wounded his pride.

Even so, Jeong Sang-soo kept glancing at the screen set up on his table.

– lololol

– You just got owned.

– Look at that confidence.

– What a bluff.

A flood of comments scrolled across the screen Jeong Sang-soo had been watching.

He was a streamer who ran a personal internet broadcast.

And he was a popular one at that, known for his title as the man who could eat the most in the world, despite his slender appearance.

He didn’t have a unique constitution or a naturally high metabolism.

The reason he could eat such an enormous amount of food was his Ability.

Jeong Sang-soo’s talent as an Awakened was practically nonexistent, no better than a civilian’s, but he was one of those rare cases who possessed a very unusual Ability.

The name of Jeong Sang-soo’s Ability was ‘Gluttony’.

As the name suggested, it had absolutely nothing to do with combat.

But he didn’t envy other Awakened.

Using his natural gift of gab and the Ability he’d been lucky enough to acquire, he started a personal broadcast and gained immense popularity.

For him, this was far better than working in that other world, risking his life with some mediocre ability.

A brilliant idea struck him, and he quickly made a proposal.

“You seem pretty confident… so how about a competition to see who can eat more?”

“A competition?”

Hyeon-seo hesitated for a moment at Jeong Sang-soo’s sudden offer.

“What’s wrong? Lost your confidence already?”

“Ha, alright then, let’s do it. So what’s the wager? You’re not suggesting we compete for nothing, are you?”

“Oh, a bet? I like it. Is there something you want?”

As the situation grew more interesting, he became even more enthusiastic.

The unexpected turn of events was also getting a great reaction from his viewers.

“Pay for my meal here and for the things I bought shopping today. Sound good?”

Hyeon-seo, who was starting to feel like she had spent too much of what wasn’t even her own money, stated her terms now that a bet was on the table.

Unaware of what she had bought, Jeong Sang-soo readily agreed.

“Of course, that’s no problem. My condition is… you appear as a guest on my broadcast just five times. I’ll pay you for your time, too. I run a personal broadcast, you see. You don’t recognize my face, do you? Haha.”

“Hmm… the things I bought today were a little expensive. Are you sure that’s enough?”

“Oh, that’s more than enough. Since we’re competing, is it okay if I get you on camera for a bit?”

“Sure, whatever.”

With her permission, Jeong Sang-soo slyly turned the camera, and an explosive reaction flooded the chat.

– Ooh!

– Wow, a goddess.

– Who is she? Did you set this up beforehand?

– She’s challenging Sang-soo to an eating contest. Idiot…

– She’s definitely going to be a guest.

‘I hit the jackpot.’

As things turned out better than he could have imagined, Jeong Sang-soo covered his mouth with his hand and grinned.

To him, a man earning a substantial income, the cost of a few designer outfits was nothing.

Besides, the idea of him losing was simply absurd.

‘She talks a big game and seems confident, so she’s probably an Awakened, but that doesn’t mean much.’

Judging by the woman’s attitude, she seemed to be an Awakened.

When one becomes an Awakened, their energy consumption increases, and so does their appetite compared to ordinary people.

But that alone was far from enough to make her a match for him, whose Ability was in a completely different league.

“I won’t go easy on you just because you’re a woman.”

“Of course not.”

Hyeon-seo said, puffing her chest out confidently.

All things considered, the most important factor right now was the woman’s appearance.

Her face, which could rival a top celebrity’s even without a hint of makeup, was more than enough to captivate his viewers.

Just from the initial reactions, quite a few people were already clamoring for her to be a guest ten times, not just five.

And, being a man himself, he also wanted to pursue a personal relationship with her if possible.

While Jeong Sang-soo was excitedly planning things out in his head, Hyeon-seo offered her thanks in advance.

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy the meal.”

A small smile played on Hyeon-seo’s lips.

Unfortunately for him, his plan was flawed from the very beginning.