Chapter 169
Countless people murmured as they gathered near the entrance of South Earth, in front of the former Vivienne Information Center.
“This many people were accepted?”
“One, two, three, four... This is insane. How many are there?”
“Around thirty thousand, from what I’ve heard. What a master of causing trouble RB is.”
“If he was gonna select this many people, what was with the nuance in his post that he was gonna select a few elites?”
The street was jam-packed with clans and individuals who had submitted reports for Seong-Hwi to review.
“Sheesh, look over there. The Dark Humans are ecstatic.”
“Hah, what the hell is RB thinking to bring that many Dark Humans to Subterra?”
“Could RB have become one of South Earth’s Dark Humans, Team Leader? That would be bad. He has a first-class murder license.”
Jessica, the Crimson Exterminator, who was promoted to the leader of Extermination Team 1 after Kim Seo-Gyeong’s death, straightened the wrinkles on her red dress and said, “Don’t jump to conclusions and wait. The captain is inside.”
However, she was also as confused as her subordinates.
She thought, What the hell are you thinking, Cheon Seong-Hwi? I thought you were on the side of humanity!
She stared with disgust at a group of humans gathered in one place. They were all Dark Humans, exuding bloodlust.
“Kekek! We’re gonna make a fortune!”
“I heard Subtera is a paradise of Karma and items! We might even get an artifact with S-rank potential!”
“Ahhh! We should be thankful to RB. I’ll make an exception for him and kill anyone he wants for free, just once.”
The humans thought that RB’s post on the Network was peculiar. Still, they were also relieved because they believed he would select the best among those who submitted a report showing their contributions to humanity. However, it turned out that not only was it not an elite few, but he had sold a bulk of the tickets to Dark Humans.
“Keh, I thought he was a hero, but... turns out he was a businessman.”
“A report about one’s contributions to humanity? What a goddamn show. He just wanted to earn Coins!”
“I didn’t think he was that kind of person...”
The humans felt betrayed by Seong-Hwi, and a few clans even relinquished their rights to the exploration and left. However, the majority stared at the Vivienne Information Center and waited painstakingly for Seong-Hwi to come out.
***
A few humans were comfortably seated inside the Vivienne Information Center. They seemed to be chatting with one another or remaining silent, but their focus was entirely on the center table.
“Hah...” A dwarf with dark grey hair and beard shook his head as he stared at a human with black hair and eyes.
He was Steel King Bafor, thirty-fifth in the world ranking. He had visited the Capital to make official the alliance between dwarves and humans. He received a warm welcome. He stayed at a high-rise building unique to human architecture and saw humans holding colorful picket signs, cheering Bafor’s name all night. After that, Bafor visited the Vivienne Information Center once Seong-Hwi contacted him about keeping his promise.
“You... never fail to exceed my expectations,” Bafor remarked.
“You flatter me,” Seong-Hwi replied nonchalantly.
Bafor smirked. He had indeed promised Seong-Hwi the right to enter Subterra, but he had imagined Seong-Hwi would go with a few teammates. Hence, he was taken aback by the sea of people outside.
“You have a lot of friends,” Bafor said.
“You know us humans, we love to gang up,” Seong-Hwi remarked.
“You have the capacity for jokes, so you must seriously be thinking of taking all those humans to Subterra.”
“I am.”
Bafor remained silent in thought, then said, “Are you thinking of clearing Subterra?”
“Am I not allowed to?”
Bafor once again remained silent, his eyes filled with mixed feelings. “That’s not it. Rather, I would love for you to, if he wishes it...”
Seong-Hwi didn’t understand what Bafor meant.
Bafor shook his head and continued, “If you’re set on clearing it, you must carry out the purification quest. If you choose to take on the corruption quest... There will be a disaster.”
“There is nothing to worry about. That was my plan from the beginning.”
“Hahaha! I like your energy. Even I failed Subterra’s purification quest. Are you confident?”
Seong-Hwi simply nodded in response.
“Good, then let us begin,” Bafor said as he stood up.
“Oh, please wait a second. Everyone, gather up!” Seong-Hwi called the people in the information center with whom he planned to explore Subterra.
Leo, the Maasai warrior with a red cape, was petting the male lion, Rhodes. Onie Yuki, the short-haired Asian woman with both hands in her windbreaker pockets, was staring intently at Seong-Hwi. Enrique Vidal, sweeping back his blond hair, quickly scanned the others with his green eyes. Seong-Hwi had already developed tight teamwork with these three during the Research in Progress dungeon excavation, while the other five were new.
Evgeny Lazarev, the Doom Sniper, a slender Russian man with unkempt brown hair and black eyes, was reading a mini-book the size of a palm. He was accompanied by fellow pioneering faction members, Ri Yong-Su and Song Ha-Eun. Douglas Montgomery, the captain of the Union’s spec force, was smiling while chewing gum. Lastly, a boy in a black robe remained silent as his eyes were fixed on Seong-Hwi.
Seong-Hwi said, “Let’s do a final inspection of positions before we enter. Avant-garde number one is Enrique Vidal, volante like last time.”
Volante, meaning steering wheel, was a vanguard position that dealt with scouting and detection.
“Beside him is avant-garde number two, Leo. You will be Enrique’s keeper and a standard stopper. You can also switch to a sweeper, depending on the situation.”
A stopper dealt with keeping the enemies at the vanguard, and a sweeper was a tanking attacker. Seong-Hwi trusted Leo to switch positions whenever appropriate.
“Damn, we meet again, Leo. Looks like that son of a bitch is gonna drag us into yet another dungeon. Haha! I’ll be in your care,” Enrique said.
“Same here. I’ve been hearing of Clan Argos’s recent accomplishments to the point that my ears are about to drop,” Leo replied.
“For real? Man, that’s embarrassing.”
Enrique and Leo chatted as they shook hands.
Seong-Hwi continued, “Mid-garde number three is me. I will simultaneously be the commander and the left wing.”
Everyone nodded, knowing he was more than capable of doing so.
“Number four is Chaya Singh Rai, and your position is interno. Can you handle it?” Seong-Hwi said as he looked at the boy in a black robe.
The boy took off the robe's hood, revealing his brown skin, black eyes, and a determined yet baby-faced expression.
“Yes, hyung-nim!” Chaya shouted energetically.
He thought, Finally! I can finally be on the same team as hyung-nim!
Chaya, a member of the Cecil Hotel’s Executionary Corps Team 3, also known as the assassination team, returned to the hotel after receiving a nomination request. A nomination request was a privilege of those who submitted a Green Key to the Cecil Hotel.
Chaya thought nothing of it despite receiving his first nomination request, but he couldn’t help but be shocked after meeting his employer. He was the hottest human as of late, alongside Lee Kang-San, and Chaya’s benefactor, who had saved the lives of his little sister and himself. Seong-Hwi, his employer whom he respected more than anyone, had welcomed him with a smile.
I will meet your expectations! Chaya thought.
Seong-Hwi smiled once he saw Chaya’s eyes filled with determination. He turned to the woman, staring intently at him, and continued, “Mid-garde number five is Onie Yuki. You are Chaya’s keeper and the right wing.”
“Okay. You kept your promise to let me be on your team again a lot faster than I expected. I’ll be in your care, Commander. Oh, here’s the item you requested from Sonya,” Yuki said with a charming smile.
She seemed to have regained her relaxed composure after retrieving her Onie Rikako mannequin. She handed Seong-Hwi a maroon-colored pouch, and Seong-Hwi put it in his pocket without even checking its contents.
“All that’s left is the arriere-garde. Am I number six?” Douglas asked.
“That’s right. Number six is Douglas Montgomery, and his position is shooter. You’ll be the gunner,” Seong-Hwi replied.
Shooter was a ranged attacker position, typically for mid-range attackers.
“Number seven is Song Ha-Eun, the rifinitore,” Seong-Hwi said to a woman who looked like a middle schooler.
“Yes, Captain!” Ha-Eun shouted energetically.
She was one of the most skilled members in the pioneering faction, specializing in binding. Rifinitore, also known as a chancemaker, mostly consisted of binders.
“Number eight is Ri Yong-Su, the targetman,” Seong-Hwi said to an oldish man in his forties, wearing gold-plated armor and a straw hat.
“Worry not, comrade. I’m confident in my taunting skills,” Yong-Su said as he smiled, revealing his crooked teeth.
Like Ha-Eun, he was also a skilled member of the pioneering faction. He was a tank specializing in taunting enemies, or a targetman.
“Lastly, number nine is Evgeny Lazarev, a raumdeuter. You’re the cannon,” Seong-Hwi said.
“Okay. I’ll do as you say, Commander,” Evgeny said as he closed the mini-book.
Evgeny, the Doom Sniper, was an ultra-ranged attacker. One might think his position would overlap with Douglas's since they were both ranged attackers, but Douglas was a gunner who could deal continuous damage, while Evgeny was a cannon that dealt one powerful shot.
“That concludes the breakdown of our nine-man team. My orders are absolute inside the dungeon, so I expect you all to follow them without complaints,” Seong-Hwi remarked as he scanned his teammates.
They all seemed to acknowledge him as the commander.
He continued, “We will generally assume a ladder formation. Subterra is a building-type dungeon, divided into six floors, as well as a labyrinth dungeon with several intersecting tunnels. Whenever we’re in a tight space, we will switch to a single-line formation with Leo taking the front and Ri Yong-Su at the rear. Also...”
Seong-Hwi’s briefing continued for a while, and his teammates stuffed its contents into their brains.
Bafor watched and mumbled, “Humans sure are fascinating. They plan for various combat situations in so much detail and designate roles for each member...”
Dwarves only had two types or orders: attack and retreat. The designation of positions, known as the Paulo formation, was the result of humanity’s struggles to survive in the Mirror World as the most inferior of the races.
Bafor thought, This is worth learning. I should ask the Union to send educators later.
Seong-Hwi reached the end of his briefing. “Lastly... We have two objectives in Subterra. Firstly, to clear the purification quest, and secondly...”
His teammates smiled chillingly as Seong-Hwi trailed off. They were already fully aware of Seong-Hwi’s plan, and the briefing here was nothing but a re-confirmation.
Seong-Hwi smiled the same way as his teammates and shouted, “Pest control!”
***
Bafor removed a green gem attached to the end of Ustrina’s Hammer and infused mana into it. A rectangular pillar, fifteen centimeters wide and thirty-five centimeters tall, appeared.
“Whoa!”
“That must be it!”
The humans, gathered at the entrance of South Earth, stared at the rectangular pillar, but no one approached it. Just then, Seong-Hwi’s team approached the pillar first.
He turned around and said, “Cowards can screw off, but the human development funds you’ve already paid are non-refundable.”
He placed his hand on the shining rectangular pillar and vanished. His teammates also went into the dungeon without hesitation, one after another. Seeing that, the humans who had been hesitating began to swarm toward the pillar.
“Let’s go! Our clan is second!”
“The artifacts go to whoever grabs them first!”
“Let’s hurry up and hunt! We need to get our Coins’ worth!”
Humans disappeared into the rectangular pillar one after another.
“I wonder... if I did the right thing. My choice might negatively impact our allied race,” Bafor muttered as he watched the scene.
Subterra did indeed give astronomical rewards, but there was no such thing as a reward without a price.
Don’t push yourself, Seong-Hwi. You should especially avoid the bottom floor, he said inwardly.
***
[You entered Dungeon: Subterra.]
[Dimension: Trophonius - Primordial Hollow]
[Time: Past]
Seong-Hwi’s team entered the dungeon, arriving in a place known as the Primordial Hollow. Trophonius was the former subterraneans’ home dimension. The subterraneans, longing for their home dimension after being Lost to the Mirror World, settled in a dungeon in the past timeline.
The vampires are similar, since they also settled in a dungeon, Seong-Hwi thought as he examined the tunnel.
“It’s about a hundred times larger than the Namsan Tunnel.”
The tunnel was dark, but it would have been pitch black if not for the shining rocks sparsely embedded in the ceiling. The teammates gathered around Seong-Hwi and assumed the ladder formation as they had been briefed. The sound of wind, resembling the screeches of the Grim Reaper, echoed from the end of the giant tunnel they couldn’t see.
“Urgh, dammit. Yet another dangerous-looking place,” Enrique mumbled as he used his Spy Drone Controller to raise five drones in the air.
Just then, an Akasha Message appeared before everyone.
[Rest to Subterra (Dungeon Quest)
Rank: S
Description: The subterraneans wished to live in their home dimension. However, after becoming Chaos, they are cursed to forever wander underground without rest. Grant them eternal rest.
Condition 1. Defeat all subterranean residents inside the dungeon.
Condition 2. Obtain the object that holds the dungeon together.]
...
[Freedom of Subterra (Dungeon Quest)
Rank: A+++
Description: Cause an outbreak and free the Chaos subterraneans from the dungeon.
Condition 1. Destroy Bafor’s Iron Vein Seal.
Condition 2. Free the Shell of Tellus that Bafor has sealed.]
There were two dungeon quests. The first quest, Rest to Subterra, was the purification quest, and the second quest, Freedom of Subterra, was undoubtedly the corruption quest. The teammates examined the information on the two quests and chatted with one another to decipher it.
“Defeat all subterranean residents inside the dungeon? A subjugation quest, huh?”
“Look at the second condition. It’s also a discovery quest.”
“Hah! Every subterranean used to live in Subterra, right? Who knows how wide this place is, or how many Chaos are lurking inside. On top of that, we have to defeat them all... and find something in the process? What a nightmare.”
“That must be why not even Steel King could clear it. That aside, look at the corruption quest. The Steel King must’ve done something to the dungeon.”
Just then, Seong-Hwi declared, “Advance.”
“Already?”
“People will be right behind us. We have to get in position first,” he replied as he looked left and right, then continued, “We’re putting off the dungeon quest for now. Commence the pest control side quest first.”
“Oh, sounds good to me. Exterminating trash feels way better than the best three-cushion carom I’ve ever hit,” Douglas said as he spat out the gum that had lost its sweetness and chewed a fresh piece of gum.
“A side quest, eh? That’s a great way to put it,” Evgeny remarked.
Ha-Eun said to Evgeny, “The commander sure is vicious, Mr. Lazarev. He takes their Coins for admission, and then kills them for it?”
Chaya glared at Ha-Eun.
“What are you looking at?” Ha-Eun said irritably.
“Hyung-nim is not vicious. He is doing this because he is too kind. He doesn’t hesitate to dirty his hands for others,” Chaya remarked.
“Heh, what the hell are you talking about? Are you the commander’s fanboy or something?”
“What? F-fanboy? I am Chaya Singh Rai, a Gurkha mercenary hired by hyung-nim! Where the hell did you come from, bastard?!”
“I’m a bitch, not a bastard! How dare you talk that way to someone older than you, you brat!”
Seong-Hwi’s team mumbled quietly as they walked along the dark tunnel.
***
The sounds of contorting trees echoed throughout a space filled with green light.
“You... bastard!” shouted a bloody, red-haired male dragon as he was being devoured by a wall emitting green light. He extended his hand and shouted, “How dare you do this... to a consul?!”
The dragon was devoured from head to toe by the green wall. Moments later, a voice echoed inside the empty space.
“I have reached my limit,” the voice said firmly. “It cannot be helped.”
The voice echoed again after a long silence, but this time, it was not to oneself, but to the entire elven race.
“Lock down Elvenheim.”