So far, around thirteen dungeons had been discovered in Japan. Out of those, five had already been cleared by Slayers. The striking part was that a single guild had monopolized three of those five clears.
Of course, these were dungeons without entry limits, so around twenty guild members could enter all at once. Still, the fact that a single guild managed to clear three dungeons was something quite remarkable.
It wasn't that other guilds hadn't tried. They had. But while other guilds were still challenging their dungeons, this guild had already conquered three. By comparison, it was safe to say they were extraordinary.
Currently, there were eight dungeons left.
Those dungeons were under strict surveillance and management, making them inaccessible. Hyunseok clicked his tongue, thinking he had underestimated things.
The atmosphere was completely different from Korea. From what he learned, both the Japanese Slayer Union Ichigo and the government-affiliated Monster Management Bureau thoroughly oversaw and regulated the dungeons.
It was only natural. A dungeon was like a treasure trove, clearing one yielded massive rewards. That kind of thing had to be tightly controlled.
This was the difference between Japan and Korea.
Korea did manage dungeon entry too. They did post conscripted soldiers to block civilians from entering and to keep watch over Slayer movements. But honestly, it was little more than a formality.
The fact that Hyunseok had cleared five dungeons in a row overnight, and that this was only discovered by morning, showed just how lax Korea's dungeon monitoring system was.
Japan, in contrast, enforced far stricter entry restrictions. It was no easy matter to get inside.
In the end, he spent the entire day wandering around without finding anything. Well, to be precise, it was more like sightseeing disguised as a wasted effort. The difference between having money to burn and not having it was huge, and right now, Hyunseok was enjoying a very leisurely state of mind.
"This place is tough to get into. If you're not Japanese, they won't even let you near."
Hyunseok muttered in frustration.
Korea had monitoring too, but not this strict.
"Well, I guess this makes sense. Even if not everyone can clear dungeons, there are definitely people who can. If another country swoops in and steals them away…"
He realized that if someone like him came to Korea and cleared dungeons unchecked, the loss for the country would be massive.
Of course, since what he had achieved was deemed an "impossible feat," the odds that anyone else could repeat it were slim to none.
Just then, word spread that Japan's most famous guild Ichigo, the same guild that had cleared three dungeons, had been trapped in one for twelve days without emerging.
If even Ichigo, arguably the strongest guild in Japan, couldn't clear it, then no other guild could hope to.
Where Korea had five major guilds of roughly equal strength, Japan had just one, Ichigo. Their overwhelming strength eclipsed all other Japanese guilds. In such a situation, Japan urgently began forming a rescue team.
But few locals volunteered. After all, if Ichigo themselves had gone missing, who would risk their life entering? Besides, Japan had plenty of monsters roaming outside dungeons that still dropped Green Stones. Hunting those alone was profitable enough.
On the internet, rumors circulated that Japanese monsters were weaker. But that wasn't established fact.
In reality, only Slayers licensed by the Ichigo Union, the official Japanese Union, were permitted to hunt Japanese monsters. For foreigners, the licensing process was notoriously strict. That made it very difficult for outsiders to hunt in Japan, and even if they did, they couldn't openly talk about it.
Because of this, some Japanese Slayers traveled abroad, particularly to nearby Korea, to hunt. But reports said they struggled quite a bit.
Interestingly, there was a growing perception among other nations that "Korean monsters are strong." Whether true or not, that was the impression.
Anyway, with Ichigo trapped for twelve days, the Ichigo Union, Japan's national Union, named after the guild that spawned it, appealed to Slayers worldwide for help. They reached out to other national Unions, which were beginning to take shape around the globe.
Separate from the Japanese government, the Ichigo Union already had an organized structure, allowing them to request aid quickly.
In Korea, Jongwon's "Eradication Squad" was evolving into a Union-like body, but not yet established enough to count. So, Japan's plea was relayed to Korea's Five Great Guilds instead.
Vice-Leader Park Sunghyung of I'UET promptly called Jongwon.
"Hello, this is Ha Jongwon speaking."
—"You heard about Japan, right? I heard you're there now?"
"Yes, I am."
—"Is Hyunseok with you?"
"Yes, he's here with me."
Jongwon was startled. Back when orcs first appeared, and again when dungeons were being cleared, Sunghyung had never said anything outright. He'd only half-jokingly asked, 'Were you with Hyunseok?'
Was he pretending not to notice Hyunseok's unusual power? Or just teasing? Jongwon couldn't tell.
Park Sunghyung said,
—"Can you volunteer for the rescue team? Go in ahead of us and check things out. See if there are survivors."
"You mean us?"
—"We'll be flying over soon. Just enter first and assess the situation."
"What if I die?"
Sunghyung chuckled.
—"So, are you saying no?"
"No, I'll do it. Should we just clear the whole thing while we're at it?"
—"Go ahead, then."
"Understood. We'll head in now."
They were planning to go anyway. With Hyunseok, a walking cheat code, by his side, Jongwon had nothing to fear. All he had to do was enjoy the ride.
'Actually, this worked out perfectly!'
Jongwon cheered inwardly.
'Feels like Sunghyung has figured something out… but oh well. Hyunseok's power will be revealed sooner or later anyway. Just hope he doesn't think I spilled the beans.'
He worried Hyunseok might think he'd tattled about his abilities.
"Hey, Hyunseok. Just got a call from I'UET…"
❋ ❋ ❋
Tokyo.
Ha Jongwon led the way. A man, likely from Ichigo, blocked their path, saying something about restricted access. But then, another man rushed over, said something hurriedly, and waved them through.
The newcomer introduced himself.
"Hello? I am Yamamoto, Rank-7 Slayer of the Japanese Union Ichigo. Nice to meet you."
His Korean wasn't fluent, but it was understandable. Clearly, Ichigo had rushed to dispatch a Slayer who could serve as interpreter.
"I was told you're the advance party from I'UET."
"That's right. We've received the briefing. Please guide us immediately."
They hadn't actually been briefed in detail. But they didn't need it, Hyunseok was with them. With the entire map laid out before him like a cheat, who needed an observer?
"Understood. Time is critical. Please follow me."
A notification chimed in Hyunseok's ears.
[Would you like to enter the Apprentice Dungeon? Y/N]
He selected Y and stepped inside.
The surroundings were quiet. As with all dungeons, it resembled a cave, with torches burning along the walls. Another notification rang out:
[Due to excessively high stats, dungeon difficulty will be increased.]
[Safe zones and recovery areas within the dungeon are revoked.]
In other words: This dungeon is weak, but you're too strong, so here's a penalty.
This was already the eighth time Hyunseok had seen such a message. It popped up every time he entered a dungeon.
"Perfect. This place is weak too," he said calmly.
Jongwon felt both relief and frustration at how casually his friend dismissed a dungeon that had Japan's strongest guild trapped.
"Hyunseok, I'm counting on you."
"Stay alert though. Don't get careless."
"Of course, man. Don't forget, I'm a pretty famous Slayer in Korea."
"Oh, right. You are."
Hyunseok chuckled. It was easy to forget sometimes, but Jongwon really was an elite among Slayers. Perhaps calling him a "veteran" was a stretch, monsters hadn't even been around for a full year, but compared to others, he was definitely experienced.
Minseo shivered.
"This place feels eerie…"
"Minseo, stay right behind me."
"Okay."
Minseo was a support-type Slayer. Unlike combat Slayers like Jongwon, one hit from an orc could kill her outright. She had to stay cautious.
They walked for a long time searching for Ichigo members.
Clashing weapons echoed ahead.
"Uwaaaah!"
Screams, battle cries, and violent tremors shook the cave. Japanese voices cursed— "Chikushou!" and "Baka!" signaling total chaos.
'Damn. Right, we can't even communicate properly.'
Because Hyunseok entered, safe zones had vanished. Normally, even in Easy Mode or depending on dungeon type, dungeons provided safe zones and recovery points, often with fresh water. Survivors usually relied on them.
But with Hyunseok's entry, those vanished. Monsters must have swarmed them.
'Even with healing spots, twelve days would've drained them completely.'
Hyunseok spoke.
"We'll sort out explanations once a translator comes. Jongwon, watch Minseo."
"Got it… wait. Holy shit. This guy's… insane."
Before Jongwon even finished, Hyunseok had already expanded his battle field and charged ahead like a sports car.
In the blink of an eye, he dove into the orc horde, fists flying.
Seven orcs surrounded the Ichigo survivors. For a dungeon, that was high-tier. Of the Ichigo party, 18 remained alive, with 2 already dead. Under normal circumstances, 18 Slayers of Ichigo's caliber could handle seven orcs. But after twelve days of exhaustion, and the sudden loss of safe zones, they had nearly lost hope.
Just as they were ready to give up, someone rushed in.
And then the unbelievable happened.
Even as they watched with their own eyes, it was hard to believe.
Hyunseok rolled his neck casually, like warming up. Behind him lay the corpses of three orcs. Corpses only lasted about three seconds before vanishing.
The fact that three were visible meant he had killed them all in under three seconds.
Yu, reputed to be Japan's strongest Slayer, gaped.
"This… this is impossible…"
Hyunseok grinned.
"Sorry, I'm Korean. I don't speak Japanese. We'll talk later once the interpreter comes. For now, let's clear this place."
He briefly considered using English, but decided even that was too much effort. Better to finish fast before they could interfere, and then he could rightfully claim the rewards.
Meanwhile, Minseo wisely recorded the entire fight on video, evidence that only Hyunseok cleared while everyone else just watched. At the time, she hadn't thought deeply, only that it might be useful. But this recording would later prove critical when negotiating rewards with Ichigo Guild and Ichigo Union.
In the footage, Ichigo's guild members, the very guild considered Japan's strongest, and the parent of Ichigo Union, stood dumbstruck, staring at one man.
An hour later, astonishing news spread.
(End of Chapter 15)
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