“Lately, I’ve been regularly leaving Siyoram and going outside.”
Normally, this would be a difficult task. The process of obtaining permission to go out and passing through the gate terminals is complicated and time-consuming.
But right now, the situation is a bit different.
The power of space. And its applied technique, long-range spatial leaps.
While I can’t just fly off to some unknown place, with the right coordinates, sufficient knowledge, and enough magical power, I can jump to the opposite side of the world.
Of course, it’s tough if there’s security on the space, but I can bypass Siyoram’s barriers.
My right hand gently brushed the air. The foggy, solidified air was the outer wall separating the dungeon and the world.
‘It’s hard to interpret.’
Dungeons are typically only understood by entering them directly. While you can gauge the grade of a dungeon from the outside to some extent, you can’t figure out the detailed internal conditions.
That’s why we usually form a reconnaissance team and send them in.
But I have another way.
Using the powers of space and observation, I try to gauge the conditions inside the dungeon from the outside.
‘It’s difficult if the level is high.’
Right now, it’s not working well. With a heavy sigh, I removed my hand.
I gently stroked the purification device in my left hand, tilting my head.
The space around me was filled with walls. Even when I extend my observation as far as I can, the walls of space continue to stretch endlessly.
Dungeons tend to grow larger as their grade increases.
‘A grade 1 dungeon...’
The dungeon right in front of me is a grade 1.
I briefly searched through my memory.
The monsters appearing in a grade 1 dungeon are typically ranked around level 6 or 5. If an alpha creature appears, it could even go down to level 3.
Which means, this is a dungeon where something like a twin-headed venomous dragon could potentially pop out.
Considering this dungeon has had no survivors from its reconnaissance teams, it’s definitely dangerous.
‘But I can’t just leave it alone...’
It might go berserk at any time, so it has to be dealt with.
Before considering the practical reason, there’s something about the artifacts this dungeon produces that I need.
‘The Sea of Light's Pearl.’
The temporary name of this dungeon is Myeongyeong, and it’s a grade 1 dungeon.
In the original story, the byproduct of this dungeon is an artifact, the Sea of Light's Pearl, which negates the curse-like status effects.
The Sea of Light's Pearl is something that’s absolutely essential for the plan I’m working on if it goes smoothly.
This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
“Is there something troubling you?”
While I was taking a breath, I heard a voice from behind.
[It’s not that there’s no progress, but it seems it will take a bit longer.]
I shook my head and turned my body around.
The area around the dungeon was a desolate wasteland, completely devoid of people. Originally, it was an uninhabited area, and with the emergence of a grade 1 dungeon, even those who occasionally visited stopped coming.
If the dungeon goes berserk? The average outcome is that everyone in the vicinity gets slaughtered.
In the midst of this wasteland, a man sat near a pile of rocks.
Maxwell, a member of the Association’s executive body, was still wearing a tailored suit, even in a place with no one around.
I observed him with a strange expression.
[Do you really need to accompany me like this? I feel like I’m just wasting your time, and as a member of the executive, you must have a lot to do.]
“On the surface, I’m part of the Disaster Management Department, so I must accompany the dungeon inspection... though, you don’t have to worry about that.”
Maxwell shook his head.
“Just because I’m in the executive body doesn’t mean I’m alone. In fact, having this kind of rest time amidst my grueling duties is much more appreciated.”
[Oh, is that so...]
“Yes, and wouldn’t it be better to report directly rather than just sending it over?”
Whenever I go outside of Siyoram, I sometimes meet Maxwell to hear news from the outside.
“I watched the Birth Festival. Especially your appearance in the Tower... both inside and outside, there was a lot of talk about it.”
[How was it?]
“As you said, it’s quite shocking.”
[Glad to hear that.]
There was a lot of talk about it. It was shocking.
That response was enough.
At least I had shown my skills, so when I give orders in the future as the deputy of the Association, there will be fewer reactions like “Who are you?”
“But I wonder if it’s really necessary to do that.”
[What?]
“Since you already have the deputy authority of the Association, if you suddenly show up and start giving orders, it’ll still be something that must be carried out.”
Maxwell raised a question. I tilted my head, gently stroking the purification device in my hand.
[But won’t there still be some noise?]
“Well, people who don’t know the situation might think that way.”
[It’s going to be troublesome to handle each one of them, right?]
“?”
When you wield the deputy authority of the Association, you might be busy, but cleaning up the noise and issuing commands is difficult.
The most bothersome part is not the direct resistance at the time of the orders, but the grumbling and half-hearted completion of the work.
After the damage is done, it’s difficult to resolve things by just going and killing the culprit.
So, I showed my abilities in advance.
Basically, “I’m this kind of person. I’m qualified enough. If you mess around, I’ll kill you...”
“Haha...”
When I explained it, Maxwell suddenly let out a laugh.
[Why are you laughing?]
When I asked with a puzzled look, Maxwell shook his head while adjusting his tie.
“No, I think Hero Lee Ha-yul has some similarities with Hero Clyde.”
[Really?]
[Happy?]
[Hmmm...]
Maxwell’s flattery made my head brighten for a moment. It felt like my affection for him had increased.
[Hmm, is there any special news?]
“Not much good news, I’m afraid.”
Maxwell smiled wryly, shaking his head before opening his mouth.
“The dungeons and monsters are steadily increasing, as usual. Also, the monsters leaking out of the Demon Realm are rising. Plus, there have been several cases of dungeon berserk outbreaks, like Shipnaha.”
‘Hmm.’
I calmly nodded at Maxwell’s words. There was no good news.
The biggest issue was the dungeon berserk outbreaks without any warning signs.
In modern times, most dungeons are treated as minor accidents because we can predict where they’ll appear and when they’ll go berserk.
But what if we can’t predict those signs? Dungeons would turn into nightmarish disasters like they were in the past.
‘The Tower Master’s facility for observation was the Observation Tower.’
The Observation Tower has various duties.
Detecting the appearance and berserk outbreaks of dungeons. Detecting high-level monsters leaking into the world and locating vicious criminals. Monitoring the borders of the Demon Realm, which is like a powder keg of monsters.
The tasks of the Observation Tower are so vital that it’s no exaggeration to say that it’s a pillar that holds the world together.
In the original story, the Observation Tower doesn’t function properly a few years later.
‘It’s because the Tower Master is absent.’
The Tower Master of Observation is absent from the tower. I discovered this by visiting the tower a few times in the original story.
Why did they leave the position vacant?
I didn’t know in the game, but now I understand the reason.
The Tower Master granted me the power but is enduring the constraints at the tower. That’s why they don’t have time to manage the Observation Tower.
“Normally, that’s all the news. As for other news... A special-grade dungeon was discovered in the Changhae family’s domain, which has been dealing with a chain of dungeon berserk outbreaks.”
[What?]
I was surprised at Maxwell’s calm words as I was quietly organizing my thoughts.
[A special-grade dungeon?]
“Yes, it was just discovered yesterday.”
A special-grade dungeon. It’s a type of dungeon that is hard to categorize between grade 4 and grade 1, a special kind of dungeon.
“I heard that they put a few prisoners in, but all of them failed to return alive. Most of the prisoners died within five minutes of entry, and even the superhuman prisoner who lasted the longest died after 15 minutes.”
[The fact that they didn’t immediately return after entry means...]
“Yes, it seems there are restrictions on entry and exit.”
Of course, entry and exit restrictions. It’s a filthy condition that essentially blocks the reconnaissance and forces a direct assault.
The dungeon in front of me also has such restrictions, and even though prisoners were shoved in, not a single one returned.
I confirmed it myself by interpreting the space.
[That’s going to be troublesome for the Changhae family.]
“Yes, but since no signs of a berserk outbreak have been observed yet, they’re focusing on addressing the existing berserk outbreaks first.”
[I see. Thanks for letting me know.]
After thanking Maxwell, I stroked my chin and started thinking.
‘A special-grade dungeon in the Changhae family’s domain... This is a new detail that wasn’t in the original.’
It’s not that surprising. Even with the simulations the Tower Masters put so much effort into, errors are bound to happen.
‘Should I head back soon? Or should I explore a bit more...’
I have two main reasons for going outside.
One is to explore the dungeon, Myeongyeong, where the Sea of Light’s Pearl might be.
The other is to roughly identify the location of the hidden entrance.
The second one yielded no results. As expected, I’ll have to spend a lot of time thoroughly investigating it.
The first one is showing some progress, but it’s not entirely efficient.
I was also told to limit my outings by the Tower Master. If there’s nothing to do, it’s probably better to go back...
‘Huh?’
While I was lost in thought, something in my head snapped. My eyes instinctively widened.
The magic I had set up was broken. Where was it?
‘Inside the mansion... The laboratory?’
More specifically, the barrier surrounding the hateful potion that was about to begin concentrating.
My complexion immediately hardened.
I was screwed.