Chapter 07
There really seems to be no answer.
"I will speak as the representative."
A man Advancing towards Kang Seon-wook.
Thud!
He touched the blue plate hanging from his waist.
"As you can see, I am a Grade B Hunter. Among the survivors here, it's the highest rank."
The audience fell silent at the man's words.
Me, Kang Sun-wook, and the other survivors.
We naturally focused on his words.
"Sigh."
He let out a sigh and paused for a moment before continuing.
"This place... truly is hell. I've had my share of absurd situation as hunter, but this is my first time in such strange dungeon."
"A strange dungeon?"
"Yes, look. There's no way out."
"Well, that's true."
The guide, Kang Seon-wook, nodded his head.
Even from an expert's perspective, it was clearly bizarre.
"Regardless of which direction you go from the starting point, the result is always the same. This damn cave eventually leads us to this 'door' over here."
Kang Seon-wook frowned, but the man continued without paying him any mind.
"Then, it tightly binds us with a force that makes it impossible to leave. The provisions we brought and the water have already run out. In the end, all we can do here is..., Enter and challenge that door"
Choosing to risk their lives in the challenge rather than starving to death.
The survivors began to stir with mixed expressions.
"That's right. We were really hungry. We wanted to live. If there were even bats living here, we would have ripped them apart and eaten them raw."
Starvation.
"We had no choice but to go into the 'door' together in order to survive."
And Survival instinct.
"But... the clear conditions don't make sense. How do we deal with that?"
"So... an old man with pure white hair...? That guy is insane. There's no way to beat him. Not even D-rank, C-rank, or B-rank Hunters... in front of that old man, we were like newborns."
Despair.
"Ah, thank you for coming."
"A-rank Hunter. Thank you so much. With you, can you rescue us from this hell?"
And finally, a glimmer of hope emerged.
The desperate longing was etched in the eyes of the once lifeless survivors.
It felt like we had arrived in this moment of release as if our survival up until now had been too harsh and difficult, and we were ready to let go of ourselves.
"..."
I couldn't help but feel a bitter taste in my mouth.
Is this the true appearance of the dungeon hidden behind the splendid 'Ranker'?
'However.'
A curious thought arose.
"Um, but..."
Because of that, I asked right away.
"The old man? No, if the boss is that powerful, how are you all still alive?"
It was strange.
In which dungeon does the boss spare the challengers?
They definitely mentioned going inside the door.
So, did he personally kick you guys out?
"That's a good question."
The B-rank Hunter tilted his head slightly with a small smile, that was when it happened.
"I understand. When I arrived as a latecomer, it was the first question I had too."
The man said.
"Surprisingly, the old man doesn't kill people. He just accepts those who challenge him. And he conducts some kind of test."
"A test?"
"I don't know exactly. He just painfully, and oppressively subdues them, and then with a click of his tongue, says 'this guy isn't worth it,' and throws them out of the door."
The man made a horrified expression.
His body even shuddered a bit.
"Hmm, it's seems painful to imagine? But still, he doesn't kill?
"..."
I couldn't quite grasp the explanation of the B-rank man.
What on earth is this dungeon?
"It's a bit strange, isn't it? When you think about it. 'Old man' ultimately refers to an elderly person. In other words, he's still a human being, right? In fact, it's the first time in history that the world has changed and a dungeon boss has emerged as a human."
"...So, you mean he wasn't from a different race like a dwarf or an elf, but definitely a human?"
"Yes, I'm sure. He seemed a bit senile though."
"..."
A real human as the boss?
Does that make sense?
Kang Seon-wook and I looked at the man in silence for a moment.
I closed my eyes.
'Whatever it is.'
In the end, we were trapped here just like them.
To find an exit, we have to open that 'door' and complete the mission.
'Somehow, it's hard to trust Kang Seon-wook.'
He's a hunter specialized in guiding, after all.
Just by seeing him struggle with the energy coming from the 'door,' it seemed difficult to clear the dungeon.
So, what should we do?
The wrinkle between my eyebrows deepened.
"Mr. Kang Seon-wook?"
There was no need to ponder for long.
From far away.
I could sense the popularity of the Ranker, Kisoyul.
* * *
"Hmm... alright."
Having roughly heard Kang Seon-wook's explanation, Kisoyul easily agreed.
"We can Just go in. And Just by looking at the energy, it doesn't seem like those survivors are doppelgängers or traps. And the mission was confirmed through the system. The energy is a bit strong, but... we can't just stand still, right?"
There's no answer that comes from long contemplation.
If that's the case, let's just charge ahead.
That was her thought.
And then.
"Waaaah!"
"We're alive! Three A-ranks and one S-rank!"
"S-rank, is this for real?"
"Hehehe, this is incredible. It's the Blue Guild, right? I'll bow to the Blue Headquarters every morning for the rest of my life. Don't try to stop me."
The survivors cheered at her confident words.
It was a completely different atmosphere from when they looked at Kang Seon-wook and me earlier.
'Well.'
How could A-ranks possibly overshadow the presence of an S-rank?
And not just any S-rank, but one that ranks within the top 1,000 'Rankers'.
Even I felt a slightly calmed by her presence.
"The Porters and survivors, please stay here. We'll handle this."
Her words were trustworthy.
Aside from the success, her composure was admirable.
In fact, assuming the man's words were correct.
Even if we fail, it wouldn't matter.
The boss doesn't kill people, after all.
Given some time, the 'Blue' first division and numerous elite squads would inevitably arrive.
She was the only sister of the renowned archer Kiparang.
Kiparang couldn't just ignore her sister's disappearance.
"Well, then, let's go. Everyone, get ready."
Kisoyul tied her hair up.
She checked her dagger and hung a medal on her waist.
The other A-rank hunters also loosened up with determined expressions.
"The old man said it's a test, right? Let's see if we can pass that test."
"Wow, just hearing about it sounds tough. I wonder what kind of reward we'll get if we succeed?"
They confidently opened the door and went in.
But it didn't take long...
"Aaaah!"
"It hurts! Damn it, it hurts!"
The A-rank hunters, now covered in bruises, came flying out like a waterfall-
"...?"
Kwaaang!
Ranker Kisoyul, too, was flung out in a bloodied state and collided with the cave wall.
Then, the fierce 'door' closed quietly, as if nothing happened.
"Holy shit..."
I gaped in disbelief.
What kind of existence a Ranker was?
It's The idol and ultimate goal of all hunters!
But That Ranker was incapacitated in less than ten minutes...
Compared to the earlier confidence, it couldn't have looked more pathetic.
The hopeful survivors who had been expecting something were now watching the current situation with stunned faces.
Kisoyul...
"...This can't be real."
She muttered with a thoroughly shattered expression.
Then she looked at me.
"Mr. Porter."
"...Yes?"
"Hand me one high-grade potion from your bag. I'm going to try again."
Wait, this young lady?
"She's going back even after taking such a beating?"
"Are you sure it's okay?"
"Yes, what the survivors said is true. The old man didn't actually kill anyone. He just subdued them painfully."
"So?"
"I'm curious. Let's wait and see. Whether I'm worth it or not."
Worth as timber.
Is it a way of judging if someone is a valuable talent?
It's a phrase usually used when a master in a particular field is looking for a disciple.
'In that case...'
Could it be that the old man couldn't find a person with exceptional talent?
"Anyway, hand it over quickly."
"Yes... Be careful."
I handed her a potion for now.
And so, the journey of endless challenges began.
* * *
Time passed.
"Heh, heh!"
As if to prove she didn't become a Ranker for nothing.
Kisoyul's tenacity was impressive.
Even though other A-rank hunters had given up, shaking their heads in resignation.
"Wow, she's really ticked off, isn't she?"
She unleashed even more fury.
Even though her clothes were torn and tattered, she didn't pay it any mind.
"What's the problem exactly? What's bothering you so much?"
"This cunning old man. I thought he was just good with a sword, but he also handles a spear too? What the hell is he?"
One day passed, two days passed, three days passed, four days passed...
Her challenges didn't stop.
"Uwaaaa!"
"This old man! What's his identity? Does he use magic too? How did he create something so impossible to break through!"
Even a Ranker, and a combat-type Ranker at that, challenged, but the dungeon was so formidable that it left them powerless.
"...."
I shook my head vigorously.
It wouldn't matter if she failed?
No, let me correct that.
This was a really big problem.
Even if Kiparang personally came to rescue her, it would be a problem.
I've never seen it myself, but that's how much the gap between the old man and her seemed.
There were signs.
And I had a feeling.
Even if five Rankers, not just two, teamed up, it seemed like they couldn't beat the old man.
Does that mean this dungeon is SS-rank?
"Alright. I'll admit it."
She nodded her head.
"The old man is strong. Really strong. One thing's for sure, as long as there's a life at stake, i will endlessly challenge him."
The look in Kisoyul's eyes still held a spark of determination.
"Wow..."
I was genuinely impressed.
Is this what they call the mindset of a Ranker?
Do you need this level of determination to break into the top 1,000 in the world?
Honestly, I envied it a bit.
Being able to train endlessly in a dungeon without the burden of life.
Is this what the Dark Lord meant by the "fate" in the dungeon?
However, as time passed...
The problem began to reveal itself slowly.
"...Is the flow of time in the dungeon different from the outside? Why isn't the rescue team coming?"
"Hey, Seon-wook? Our emergency rations are running out. We've been rationing them, but at this rate, there won't be anything left to eat."
"It feels like... It's been more than two weeks already, hasn't it?"
"I'm exhausted. It's too frustrating."
As they continued to fail to clear, the survivors started to struggle.
"We're all going to die. In the end, we were all fated to die. Sob, sob, sob."
One of the lower-ranked hunters even lost their mind and started wailing.
And not only that.
"I'm frustrated too."
Even though I was just a porter, I came to this dungeon to improve.
Although I did train my skeleton from time to time.
But wouldn't it have been better to explore other dungeons during this time?
And honestly, it was terrifying.
If, by any chance, we really had to remain trapped like this?
With our rations running out, and no rescue team in sight?
"I can't let that happen."
I clenched my fist.
And then I approached Kisoyul, who was taking a moment to rest.
Thinking about it, all the hunters here.
They're all people who entered and came out of the 'door'.
'Except for me.'
It felt too unfair not to challenge.
Opportunity should be equal, after all.
Just because she's a Ranker, does that mean she gets to monopolize the opportunity?
Especially considering that even after quite a long time, she still hasn't cleared it.
'Well, the probability is low, but...'
The old man might be looking for talent, right?
"...?"
As I approached, Kisoyul looked at me with a puzzled expression.
An expression asking what business I had as a porter.
She definitely looked exhausted.
So, with my lips tightly pressed, I said to her.
"Kisoyul, Miss."
"Yes, what is it? Mr. Porter."
"I think I should give it a try too."
"Yes?"
With my declaration,
A strange silence passed through the field.
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