Chapter 235. The Silent One (2)

Wait, this isn't like usual.

"What did you say?"

"No. Don't go there.

As I looked on in confusion, the person on the other end of the call firmly reiterated their intention. He had blocked entry into the new dungeon.

"Are you saying it's not just that you can't come along, but I can't go?"

"That's right.

Why such a response, though? Kang Changho usually wasn't strict about the contractual hunter duties. He had even accepted a dragon raid in Japan without hesitation, so it was fair to say that he almost never refused requests up until now. Additionally, I had just lied to him about being S-rank to explain the defensive boost from the [Sacred Tree Seedling].

"But as I just mentioned, the difficulty here is only B-rank...?"

Could it be that he's still angry about the time I left the break scene without a word? I thought, recalling the thorny bush incident where I had jumped in to retrieve the corpse of a bank robber. I readjusted my phone in my hand.

But the answer I got was.

"– Oh no way, is our veteran hunter really asking this because he doesn't know?

Kang Changho started to lead the conversation in a dry tone.

"– Well, the new gate hasn't been properly verified, so it's not allowed. If you recklessly enter because it's only B-rank, that strange phenomenon could apply to S-rank as well.

"Hmm."

"– Moreover, you claimed to be S-rank last time, so if you fall into a state like [confusion], who do you think will handle that?

"Well..."

"– If you understand, then don't approach the dungeon first unless it's absolutely necessary, even if a break occurs.

The voice was bright, but it seemed like the expression would be quite displeasing if we were actually face-to-face. However, after listening carefully, there seemed to be some flaws in the logic.

"Excuse me."

I blurted out the question that occurred to me without much thought.

"But excuse me, if you were thinking that way, shouldn't you have stopped me during the Siren raid too? Back then, there was no proof of how an S-rank would be affected either..."

Of course, Kang Changho's tone when he returned wasn't much different from mine.

"– No. At least during the Siren incident, there were cases where fully equipped A-rank Awakened with mind-control resistance gear were able to handle the attacks.

"Ah."

"– Even if we hadn't stepped in, if we had just waited a bit, the A-rank team from Daejeon was about to successfully clear the Mermaid's Pass on their own.

That's right.

"Come to think of it, this Earthling is pretty quick to catch wind of things."

That's excellent information. I listened to the explanation and understood his point without any trouble. But then, as if to say that this wasn't the end, a new sentence followed over the phone.

"– Anyway, for that reason, this dungeon... what was the tentative name again?

"[Nameless Cave]"

"– Okay. Let's postpone dealing with Nameless Cave for a bit. Also, from now on, if a new mental attack type monster appears, never rush in recklessly. I know you're strong in that area.

Honestly, showing confidence in front of dungeon monsters would just be arrogance, wouldn't it?

"– Hmm.

Through the speaker of the phone, the sound of the wind could be heard. I guessed that the person on the other end was probably letting out a half-laugh, half-scoff.

"– By the way, I've always thought this, but Hunter Kim Giryeo really loves watching disasters unfold.

"Does it look that way?"

"– It's been a few days since a big shot named Brooklyn Morgan went missing, and you're volunteering for a gate position that hasn't even been proven.

The voice of my conversation partner gradually lowered. The vocal vibrations of this apex predator resembled the sub sonic frequencies of a large mammal.

"– Since you're an S-rank, you feel itchy when you're not doing anything, right?

If you listen quietly, the voice has a tone that could paralyze your calf muscles, effortlessly threatening its target with its vocal power.

"– So whenever you see something dangerous and new, you just dive right in like that? 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Yes?"

"– Well, I guess when you awaken to S-class, everyday life does get a bit monotonous.

Kang Changho let out a rare laugh before returning to his usual joking tone.

"– But no matter how much I think about it, this dungeon feels off. Hinn, if you really have to go there, at least swing by the gym first. I'll send you the address.

"Suddenly a gym?"

"– There's nothing as healthy for stress relief as sports, right? Actually, I've been practicing kickboxing for quite a while since my school days. Since we're talking about it, I'll teach it to Hunter Kim Giryeo as well.

At this rate, if I make two more jokes, I'm going to end up catching someone.

"– And if you end up sparring without a mouthpiece and break all your fancy teeth, no one's going to be thinking they're bored anymore.

A chilling suggestion. He showed an unexpectedly negative attitude toward the idea of entering the otherworld where the possession phenomenon was taking place.

"Do you understand?"

"No, that..."

"– By the way, don't call this an overreaction. It's not something else, and you probably don't know what it means to get caught up in mental trouble.

"..."

"– Since it's based on self-awareness, if you're not careful, the 10-year contract you set up in advance could end up being completely disregarded.

"..."

"– Let me say it again, don't enter this dungeon until other hunters have verified its safety.

After rambling for a while, Kang Changho abruptly ended the call.

"– Remember that I'm always watching over you.

Tuk.

I stared at the phone screen, which had turned black, without blinking for a long while.

"Watching over you."

Oho. I've only used expressions like that myself my entire life. I've never heard of it from other people, so it's always refreshing when Earthlings do that.

But that's that.

Anyway, what should I do?

"Hmm."

After talking for a while, it seems that if I recklessly enter this gate, it's likely to be a huge mistake.

"Uhm..."

I lifted my head and belatedly checked the association staff in front of me. Since they were all non-awakened, they hadn't been able to overhear the entire phone conversation due to their limited hearing. However, it seemed they had noticed the somewhat aggressive atmosphere, as they all awkwardly shifted their gaze.

"This is how it turned out."

Boasting about investigating the gate, and now ending up in this mess. But well, it can't be helped. In the past, I could have secured the upper hand with threats of self-destruction, but once a certain ambitious person found a second candidate for a sacrifice, the positions between contractors have settled into their rightful places.

Anyway, if what Kang Changho said is true, then my body is a 'being with potential for further growth.' To think that such an individual could be left to die purely out of pride, all while discovering a ambitious person found a second candidate

"Is there possibly a wizard here who can use a spell that predicts the future?"

Shrug.

I snapped out of my thoughts and returned to reality. Then, I told the association staff.

"Everyone, I'm sorry, but something urgent has come up, so I have to cancel this schedule."

"Yes?!"

"Please call another A-rank team with a good mentality and investigate this gate."

Despite the initial plan failing apart, there was still a sense of composure in my movements. At this point, it didn't matter; I could always just find another way.

***

An hour later. At a blue gate in Seoul. As if to prove that this was a restricted area, there were bright orange plastic barricades lined up in front of the passage.

But a moment later.

Thud!

"Huh?"

One of the folding barricades suddenly lost its balance and fell over. A staff member from the Hunter Association, who was typing an email to send to their superior while holding a tablet PC, immediately stood the fallen object back up upon seeing it.

Why did it fall when there was no wind?

"Did I place it wrong on the slope?"

He tilted his head, running through the possibilities in his mind. But the guess he murmured didn't quite match reality. This fluorescent barricade hadn't fallen due to wind or a slope—it had been tipped over by a clear physical impact.

Swoosh-

A creature that had remained invisible until now dispelled the spell on its body the moment it crossed the blue passage.

"Ack!"

Blond hair and sambagean eyes? Doesn't this look familiar in many ways?

"Maybe it's because it rained not long ago. The ground was so slippery I almost slipped for real—gave me a damn scare."

Kim Giryeo had illegally entered the gate using a disguise magic.

That's right. After much deliberation, he had decided to completely disregard the knight's oath he made with Kang Changho—all for the sake of achieving his goal.

"Remember that he always says he's watching over me!"

Haha! What a joke. In any case, he climbed up without even knowing who was really watching over him.

In truth, from the very first day the contract was signed, he'd always been in a position to sneak into gates without reporting it. The only reason he hadn't done so until now was because he hadn't had the resources to use stealth magic. But now his lungs were healed, and back when he was busy collecting corpses, he'd even gone as far as installing illusion-type decoys in his studio apartment to mask his movements—so really, there was nothing holding him back anymore.

By now, in the [Dragon's Eye], Kim Giryeo's internal magic would likely be seen quietly settled in his residence. Even if he were to come directly to the studio apartment, break down the door, and try to confirm his identity, the illusion magic he had applied could buy him plenty of time.

"It's darker inside than I expected."

The man, wearing a smirk full of pride, soon began his dungeon exploration. As he opened his palm, light magic activated smoothly and naturally, like the breath of a creature. However, despite being a grand wizard's spell, there was something off about it, as if the structure of the magic itself had many gaps.

This place was the nest where the alien creature had fought a full-scale battle against the First Magic Master of Alpha... It could very well be lurking here. Even though the concept of souls might be difficult to differentiate, it is better to pay attention to such small details, if possible. He walked through the cave, using an imperfect spell crafted from Earth's primitive magic, mimicking it perfectly but with a rough structure.

"Hmm."

And by the time the deliberate waste of mana, like breadcrumbs, adorned the path he had walked, he reached one-third of the way into the otherworld.

"Huh? What is it?"

The blonde man tilted his head back and began muttering with a disheartened expression.

"Haa..."

It hadn't been long since he entered, but he had already figured out the true nature of this gate. With Kim Giryeo's ordinary eyesight of about 1.2, it was difficult to see clearly. However, if he closed his eyes and focused solely on the flow of magic, the shape of the enemy began to slowly emerge at the edge of his senses.

It had a shiny gleam on its back, like the cubic stones often found on crafted rings. The creature was small, with a body no bigger than a grain of rice, yet it exuded a certain certainty despite its monstrous nature.

"Yeah. No wonder the possession rumors came in so quickly. Well, logically speaking, reaching stage 2 of the occupation should take much longer than 8 years."

If translated into Earth's language, the insect responsible for this incident would likely have a name similar to 'Silent Bug' or something of the sort. In reality, there was no direct involvement from the poison creatures in this dungeon; it was simply a monster with seemingly psychic abilities that appeared, leading to the misunderstanding.

The Silent Bug. The name itself already carries its meaning. It is an enemy that typically attaches itself to the rear skin of animals, causing them to exhibit strange behavior.

"Seeing the native insects from my homeland, I can't help but feel oddly nostalgic."

The creature wriggled.

Giryeo casually observed the faintly glowing mana stone embedded in the side of the cave. On the top of the mana stone, if you looked closely, a milky-white insect was slowly crawling. However, the mute beetles were incredibly sensitive to changes in mana concentration, so if they crossed over from this B-class gate to Earth, which had a relatively thin atmosphere...

"So that's why the awakened person who escaped the cave ended up fine again. The monster couldn't survive the environmental change and died naturally. The reason the potion didn't work is because, with the cursed creature attached, they kept getting caught in the new hallucination magic."

What was I even saying? He let out a small sigh and slipped one hand into his pants pocket.

At this point, there was no need to bother with pretending to be a primitive sorcerer anymore. After a quick glance, he realized this place didn't have a mind creature keeping an eye on the food box. When he left, he planned to enhance his night vision and make a sleek escape his own way.

"Uhm?"

But then—the archmage from another world abruptly canceled the spell he'd been weaving.

A warning light suddenly flashed within the keen senses etched into his soul. A new surge of magic had just appeared—right outside the gate, and far too close for comfort.

He peeled back the thin flesh of his own body and gradually widened his eyes.

"This is..."

A hunter. S-rank hunter, Kang Changho! Damn it. What is this? And this dungeon, it's a one-way, straight path with no where to escape?