Retire 256
by Cristae256 Jirisan Fairy (2)
The mana meter serves many purposes.
Because it records the fluctuations of mana at the gate in real time, it’s capable of much more than most people realize. Of course, its primary function is to measure the danger level of a dungeon and prevent dungeon breaks. But that’s not all there is to it.
What we need to consider here is: when else do changes in a dungeon’s mana occur?
When the dungeon becomes unstable?
Then what, exactly, does “unstable” mean?
The range of mana fluctuations the mana meter can detect is surprisingly wide.
Most hunters and civilians tend to think the mana meter only sounds an alarm for dungeon breaks, but to tell the truth, its role is used more often in a different direction.
Namely, in catching hunters who enter dungeons illegally.
The surge of mana that occurs when a hunter enters a dungeon is far rougher than it appears. Of course, it can’t compare to a dungeon break, but it’s enough to be recorded by the mana meter.
Isn’t it better to make full use of the equipment we’ve already installed? The Dungeon Raid Team of the Administration Bureau, true to its name, did raid dungeons, but in reality, they spent more time catching those kinds of hunters.
All of this became possible after the mana meter was introduced. Unlike mana pens, you can’t just slap together a fake provenance.
…The mana meter is just too remarkable for that. Unless I were a master of mana engineering, I couldn’t make sense of the blueprints in a mana clock even if I stared at them for a hundred days. Still, even I know this much: it’s far too complex to just pop out like a mana pen.
Besides, even if I made one now, who would benefit? The mana meter can wait until after I establish the Administration Bureau—no, not me, Hong Seok-yeong! It’s more than enough to think about it after that man invents it!!
“Let’s go in first and search the place thoroughly.”
Hong Seok-yeong examined a badly broken branch before coming to a conclusion.
Of course, even saying this, there might be no one inside. The traces could just as well belong to an officially registered raid team.
“So if I see anyone suspicious, I just catch them, right?”
Han Tae-kyung checked one last time.
Without so much as blinking, Hong Seok-yeong replied smoothly.
“That’s right. There was a tip that an illegal awakened group entered this dungeon. Honestly, I don’t know if they’re still here, but there’s no harm in checking, is there?”
“But is it really okay with just the two of us? Maybe I should…”
The way he tried to maneuver his way into the dungeon was almost refreshing. If Hong Seok-yeong said a dungeon wasn’t safe, then that would be the scary part.
Even if there really were illegal awakened ones inside, and they attacked…
I looked at Hong Seok-yeong. That man didn’t seem the type to hesitate just because it was a human, not a monster, attacking.
“If someone tries to come in from outside, that would be even more troublesome.”
“Hmmmm.”
Han Tae-kyung groaned, then nodded.
“Understood. So I just have to block them?”
After a brief moment of thought, Hong Seok-yeong answered.
“If you see someone who looks really dangerous, just run.”
“This Han Tae-kyung, inheritor of Chae-ssi’s spirit, would never turn his back on an enemy—”
“If it comes to that, just let them come inside the dungeon.”
“Yessir, got it!”
Han Tae-kyung was about to spout some nonsense straight out of his favorite anime, but quickly answered instead.
“I’m counting on you.”
“Good luck in there!”
Han Tae-kyung straightened his sunglasses and saluted cheerfully. Through the orange-tinted lenses, instead of his eyes, the surrounding scenery was reflected. Sunglasses so dark you couldn’t see his eyes, in a mountain forest where the sun was already setting.
Well, with glasses good enough to find a path in the shadows, I suppose this kind of darkness wouldn’t be a problem.
I shook my head and stood facing the gate alongside Hong Seok-yeong.
“…Three people entering.”
Han Tae-kyung shrugged his shoulders.
“Hong Seok-yeong, Woo Hee-jae, Han Tae-kyung. Current time, 4:58 PM.”
Even if he didn’t actually go inside, Han Tae-kyung’s name would be recorded as having entered the dungeon. I looked away from him.
“Entering the dungeon.”
“……”
My first impression of the dungeon…
“……”
It’s much hotter than I expected.
“……”
“……”
Is this really a forest? Not a jungle?
Outside the dungeon, it’s winter.
The cold has eased a bit, but winter is still winter. Every morning, it was a struggle to get Woo Il-rok to put his padded jacket back on after he tossed it off in frustration. He still had some time before his awakening… Well, as long as he’s healthy, that’s enough.
Anyway, unlike the cool weather outside, inside the dungeon it was hot and humid. Sweat gathered beneath my light armor. Considering that an awakened body is less affected by temperature, the actual heat must be even higher than it feels.
Hot and humid.
Trees and thickets, grown wild and without order, blocked our path. Vivid green filled my vision, and my heightened senses caught the scent of grass so sharp and fresh it almost stung my nose.
And yet, just like in any other dungeon, there was no sign of life in this forest. If it were a real jungle, I’d have heard birds or the stir of insects the moment I entered. But here, there was nothing. And there wouldn’t be.
“……”
According to the reports I had—and the ones Imi-seon had gathered—the monsters in this dungeon were golems. Golems that looked as if they’d been roughly shaped from mud and half-baked.
It was written that, being made of something like porcelain, they could be easily destroyed with brute force. Later, when the dungeon was devastated, even the golems were few and far between. If I assume the golems were refugees using this dungeon as an escape pod, maybe they ran out of food. Or perhaps it wasn’t a lack of energy, but a malfunction in the dungeon’s internal system that prevented the ecosystem from sustaining itself.
Tap, tap.
“……”
“……”
Hong Seok-yeong gave my shoulder a light tap, then moved his hand. It wasn’t hard to read the hand signals he made with the hand not holding his spear.
The dungeon wasn’t high-ranked, and taking down golems wasn’t difficult, but who knew what might jump out at us in here? Or what we were even supposed to be looking for? So we’d agreed in advance to move as quietly as possible.
I nodded, gripping my sister’s sword, and signaled back in kind.
‘Check the north first, where the core is.’
‘Stop if we find signs of hunters along the way.’
I went over what we’d discussed before entering the dungeon, then moved forward quietly.
To be honest, I have to confess—this kind of… leisurely… no, I shouldn’t call it leisurely. Reconnaissance, maybe? Searching for something? Tracking? I’m not sure what to call it.
Anyway, I’d never done this sort of delicate work before. When I entered dungeons in place of Han Tae-kyung, who was under disciplinary action… well, even I have to admit, I used some pretty brute-force methods. I just pushed my way to the core. It was only possible because the dungeon wasn’t high-ranked.
Even in the mud dungeon, I didn’t use that approach, but that was only because I’d heard enough from my sister to be sick of it. This place, I’d never even heard about from her… If it were just a matter of clearing it, it would be easy.
I looked at Hong Seok-yeong walking a few steps ahead. For someone nearly fifty, his physique was unbelievably well-honed. The way he slung his favorite spear over his shoulder as he walked, you’d believe he was just out for a stroll in front of his house.
But if you looked closely, it was different.
A frame that should stand out wherever he went moved as lightly as if it weighed nothing. Even the grass under his feet was left unscathed as he passed. Apart from swaying gently as if stirred by the wind, it remained untouched. If I weren’t seeing it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe such a skill was possible.
Not that I was really surprised.
My father taught me everything. Of course, I know how to walk without leaving a trace.
What surprised me was something else.
“……”
Hong Seok-yeong raised his loosely clenched fist. The signal to stop.
Where he pointed, a branch with fallen leaves caught my eye. If it were me, I would have missed anything suspicious and just walked right past.
As I shrugged, Hong Seok-yeong wedged his spear under his arm for a moment and moved both hands. The standard hand signals hunters use can’t convey this much detail. This was sign language. My father always emphasized the importance of hunters communicating silently in situations like this.
‘Artificially removed traces.’
…Is that so?
I looked closely at the branch Hong Seok-yeong indicated. Compared to the other branches nearby, it had lost a lot of leaves… Was that it?
Maybe it was obvious I didn’t understand, because Hong Seok-yeong added an explanation.
‘The dungeon’s internal ecosystem doesn’t change. In a dungeon with no herbivorous monsters to eat leaves, it’s odd for leaves to fall.’
“……”
I’d never thought of that before.
Hong Seok-yeong pointed out a few more trees nearby.
‘Looks like someone marked a path. Since it overlaps with the direction of the core, we’ll follow it.’
I simply nodded, leaving the judgment to him.
I thought I’d learned everything from my father, but there’s still more left.
…He probably didn’t teach me this on purpose. I bet he taught my sister, though.
When I nodded to show I understood, Hong Seok-yeong started moving again. This time, however, his pace slowed even further. It wasn’t fast to begin with, but now it seemed almost too slow.
My brief confusion was soon resolved. Hong Seok-yeong, apparently unbothered, tucked his spear under his arm and kept moving his hands in constant explanation.
‘There are raid team traces mixed in, so we have to distinguish carefully. There’s a difference between marks left openly because there’s nothing to hide, and those hidden so they won’t be noticed.’
So he’s decided to just explain everything to me.
I considered telling him to stop wasting time and just get on with it, but in the end, I listened quietly to his explanations.
It might come in handy someday. Besides, it’s easier to understand with examples than just hearing about it. Hong Seok-yeong pointed to a clearing where the trees had been cut down haphazardly.
I moved my hands as well.
‘Isn’t this where the raid team took a break?’
Hong Seok-yeong grinned broadly, as if proud. It was a strange feeling. My father used to smile just like that when I got something right.
…For someone who founded a school, he wasn’t especially talented at teaching others, nor did he particularly enjoy it.
‘There’s another one over there.’
‘The direction still overlaps with the core.’
‘That’s because we’re almost at the core.’
Hong Seok-yeong shrugged and gripped his spear. From here on, it meant he’d be on guard again.
Even if he hadn’t—
…Thump. Thump.
A faint vibration was coming from beneath my feet. I shivered for a moment, remembering what happened in the centipede dungeon.
No, at least there won’t be any bugs here.
Thump!
The tremors, growing stronger, finally drew close. From between the thick trees, a golem’s head, with crudely punched holes for eyes, nose, and mouth, suddenly burst out.
Clang!
Hong Seok-yeong’s spear pierced its head in an instant. As befitted its glossy appearance, the sound of shattering porcelain rang out as the golem’s head fell.
According to the records, destroying the head like this would stop the golem, but…
Crunch.
“Hm.”
The headless golem rose to its feet. And behind it, more golems followed. One, two—so many they couldn’t all be counted at a glance.
I gripped my sword at once.