S Chapter 55

‘The flow is good.’

His motivation surged. Just then, he was vaguely formulating a plan on when to save the children and how to subdue the monsters.

Thwack!

It was clearly the sound of air exploding. His mind, which had been dissolving in joy, snapped tight.

“……?”

His brother, who should have been in front of him, was gone. It happened in an instant, leaving no time to react.

“……Ah?”

Just before his brain could register it, his head snapped back. His gaze followed, taking in his brother’s body, slumping down, and the strikingly red blood. It was strange. No matter how many times he blinked, reality wouldn’t set in.

Ah, uh… His lips merely twitched, like someone who had forgotten how to speak. Just then, flap! Flap! He heard a sound that stung his ears. His head turned forward again. A large insect leg was shaking off the blood clinging to it. Its actions seemed almost carefree.

“……”

Regardless of what was what, or what had happened, his suddenly broken mind couldn’t process anything. Shin Jukyeong crawled towards his brother. He forced his lips open and called his brother’s name.

“U-dam.”

It was as cautious as waking a sleeping child.

“……U-dam?”

There was no reply.

“U-dam, ah… U-dam.”

It was a meaningless action. He knew. But his lips didn’t stop, repeatedly calling his brother’s name.

Shin Jukyeong was fully aware that he was in a state of panic. As time passed, the ‘impossible’ situation was becoming a reality, so there was no way he wouldn’t know. He just couldn’t accept it. Denial felt like his only hope.

His outstretched hand carefully cradled U-dam’s cheek. His head fell back weakly, blood streamed down his forehead, his eyelashes trembled, and his breathing was ragged. But he was still warm.

‘He’s breathing.’

…He’s alive.

“Alive, …yes.”

That was enough. That was, enough. Shin Jukyeong rose to his feet. His posture was shaky and precarious. He wasn’t sure if it was due to the poison or trauma, but one thing was certain: he was unstable.

“……”

Shin Jukyeong tilted his head back and exhaled a cold breath. His eyes were tightly closed, his hands limp, his complexion pale. He looked like someone about to die. But Shin Jukyeong had no such intention.

“……Haa.”

His head was cooling. The sensation of all the blood draining to his feet was vivid, yet strangely, his heart was hot. As if he had swallowed both fire and ice at the same time.

“Why do I keep…”

Burning up, then freezing.

Thud!

A monster approached Shin Jukyeong. It had an absurdly large body. Shin Jukyeong raised both hands and wiped his face. Blood traced paths along his fingers. His pale face became stained. It was his brother’s blood.

Shin Jukyeong took a deep breath. Full, as if his lungs would burst. And then he exhaled.

“……Breathe.”

A voice, even drier than his parched lips, popped out. Keep breathing.

“I’ll finish this quickly.”

His muttering was like a sob. He roughly swept back his hair, matted with blood and sweat, and opened his eyes. His exhausted face looked as if he could collapse at any moment. His fatigue-laden eyes, dead black, stared at the Dungeon’s master. They were calm and deep.

The creature snickered, mocking Shin Jukyeong. Its mocking eyes grotesquely rolled. Was that too insolent?

[Kyaaaaaaah!!]

Soon, a massive roar erupted. Now, Shin Jukyeong had only one thing to do.

Saving the children? No. Teaching trash its place? No. There was something more important. It was to prove that he was U-dam’s brother.

“Hey.”

He rotated his bitten shoulder and loosened his heavy legs. His mind, hazy from poison, didn’t matter. He’d been crazy for a long time anyway. Shin Jukyeong slowly raised his fist and asked.

“Did you hit my brother?”

At the appointed time of 7 PM, Hunters gathered around the Dungeon. The atmosphere had long been funereal. Everyone maintained silence, their expressions reluctant. Their hearts were heavy. Of course they were. Even if it was a decision from above, there were still children inside the Dungeon. Whether they were already dead or not, they didn’t want to be the ones to end them.

Haa… Starting with someone’s sigh, they glanced at each other. If they were asked to raise their hands if they wanted to quit, wouldn’t everyone raise them?

“……This is stifling.”

At Hunter A’s remark, Senior Hunter B gave him a look.

“Shut up. Is that something to say in front of people who are about to lose their families?”

“I’m sorry. I’m just upset myself…”

Hunter A glanced around. He saw police officers holding back and calming down the victims’ families who were screaming in protest. Their cries were not just pitiful, but desperate.

“Please save our children! Please!”

The impossible pleas were repeated. Hunter A felt a tightness in his chest. Though not as much as the victims’ families, he was equally tormented. Why wouldn’t he be? The young lives he couldn’t rescue kept flashing before his eyes. Ah, tonight, he wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly. A sigh automatically escaped him.

Then, a chilling thought suddenly occurred to him: ‘If the children really are alive, will I be the one to kill them?’ Ugh, cold sweat ran down his back. Snap out of it! This isn’t right! Hunter A slapped his own cheek hard.

‘Argh, stop! Don’t think useless thoughts. They can’t possibly be alive.’

Hunter A steeled his resolve. Think rationally. We can’t create more damage.

“Commence Dungeon elimination operation.”

The elimination order was finally given. The Dungeon distorted and condensed. Subsequently, a strange light swirled around it, and its form changed.

“Dungeon clear…”

Someone in the crowd muttered, as if in a sigh. Hunter A, too, blinked with his mouth agape, thinking, ‘What is happening?’ Of course, the situation itself wasn’t unfamiliar. Dungeon clear? It was a sight they saw everyday. There was no reason to be surprised now.

However, it was hard to believe that an ‘unclearable’ Dungeon had been ‘suddenly’ cleared. How on earth? No, before that, who? A problem that even the Association had given up on?

‘What… is happening.’

It was difficult to call this a miracle. Well, if it was a miracle, it was a miracle, but the word ‘shock’ seemed to fit better.

The first to regain their senses amidst the chaos were a newlywed couple. They had found their son among the victims expelled by the Dungeon. They rushed over, shouting his name, embracing their child, and sobbing uncontrollably. After that, the scene became pandemonium in many ways.

“Wooowaaah!!”

Click, click! Cheering citizens and reporters frantically pressing their shutters.

“Hey! What are you staring at blankly for! Go tend to the unconscious victims first!”

“Yes!”

Hunter A followed his seniors, moving the rescued individuals, and thought.

‘Oh, damn… This is a big problem.’

He was grateful that the children were safe, but genuine joy was impossible. Why? Think about it. The Association consisted of experts. Professionals. They had decided they couldn’t rescue anyone and were about to eliminate the Dungeon. But now, a rescue had occurred? And all survivors?

‘We’re screwed.’

From now on, the Association would be unable to avoid various criticisms and condemnations and faced the risk of endless stonewalling. It was obvious that all the victims’ families, including the newlywed couple, would file lawsuits. He would have done the same. For now, there would be no resistance due to the immediate relief of the rescue, but the anger that would soon erupt… would be immense.

Even if it was a decision for the majority, it was a bad move. Someone would inevitably have to take the blame.

‘It would be better not to even utter excuses like, “We didn’t know this would happen.”‘

Unless they wanted to pour oil on a burning house?

Hunter A swallowed hard. They would have to show at least as much sincerity as was due to the four child victims. Otherwise, they’d have to come up with something that the citizens would accept.

For instance…

‘An issue that could completely divert public attention.’

And soon enough, a major issue erupted, just as Hunter A had hoped.

“You’ve controlled the reporters, right?”

“Yes! We have.”

Regional Section Chief Hunter C walked busily, giving instructions here and there. Just then, a subordinate rushed over and handed him a newspaper.

“You should see this.”

His voice was not good.

“Ah, what is it now?”

Hunter C quickly unfolded the newspaper. A large headline greeted him.

“Huh!”

What is this nonsense? He crumpled the newspaper irritably. His chest heaved. If this weren’t a hospital, he would have been yelling at the top of his lungs already. Ah… stress. Hunter C’s face contorted into a deep frown. He couldn’t stop himself from muttering an angry curse. He practically tossed the crumpled newspaper to his subordinate, who was nervously watching him.

“Get rid of it! I don’t want to see it.”

A hero who cleared an unknown Dungeon? The truth the Association is hiding?

‘What the hell. We want to know the truth too!’

You have to know something to hide it, don’t you? Hunter C let out a heavy sigh.