As Yeonhwa ascended to the surface to join the patrol team, Shia remained with her hat turned down, preparing for potential ambushes from any lurking doppelgangers or other monsters.
Meanwhile, the numerous civilians trapped in the dungeon continued to chat amiably among themselves, seemingly unaware of the lurking danger.
At least it was a relief that panic had not yet erupted.
If a situation arose where control over the people was lost, it could lead to a significant number of civilian fatalities as they scattered in fear.
“I hope this ends soon.”
“I want to go home…”
“When are the hunters coming?”
“They should be here soon.”
“Ugh… I came out to have fun, and this is what happens!”
“It’s okay. We can grab something delicious when we go back.”
It could be seen as a sense of safety complacency, but the Hunter Association’s response to protect civilians during emergencies had given people some trust, so while they grumbled, there was an underlying belief that the hunters were there to protect them.
Rather than losing reason due to fear, it was preferable to maintain some semblance of normalcy.
Glancing at the civilians, Shia continued to spread her divine power cautiously, searching for any hidden doppelgangers.
‘Nothing. Why is there nothing…?’
With so many civilians around, it would have been an ideal environment for doppelgangers to toy with the hunters.
However, even though the stench of malice subtly wafted through the air, the actual presence of doppelgangers was scarce.
Prepared for the worst, Shia planned to enact a miracle of healing if anyone were to die, but the doppelgangers were surprisingly passive, leaving her at a loss.
Thud!
“…!? What was that?”
What was the sound that just resonated?
Startled, Shia looked up at the strange vibrations echoing through her chest.
Thud. Thud. THUD!
The rhythm intensified.
One, two, three… dozens. Then, over a hundred beats seemed to herald from the ground.
Was this really a heartbeat?
No.
Something was calling out to her.
Shia closed her eyes.
Temporarily sacrificing her sight, her skin and ears heightened their sensitivity instead.
Thud! Thud! Thud! THUMP!
[Kill.]
[Get away.]
[This is ours.]
[It’s ours.]
[Kill anything that blocks us.]
“…!”
They’ve come.
Shia opened her eyes at the sound of countless overpowering desires originating from the surface.
Her temporarily faded vision had started to return to normal, despite her eyes feeling like they were rotting away.
Hinging forward slightly, Shia prepared to burst into action.
WHAM!
“Whoa? It’s Isia!”
“Where? Where?”
“Is that the Gallery Master??”
“No way?! Where did she go just now?”
In 2088, the Hunter Association gained significant influence in the hunter community through the recruitment of numerous Awakened ones with special abilities.
During the first Great Rift, they tried to manage hunters like civil servants, but they were thoroughly chastised by the first-generation Awakened ones like Yeonseo. By now, however, managing hunters was less of a focus for the Association, shifting more toward providing support.
Consequently, various supporting technologies flourished, including Hunter support AI drones and the development of smartwatches that could transmit signals even in Erosion Dungeons, making it the Association’s main task to create a range of hunter equipment.
“Alright. Installation complete… Director! We’ve successfully connected to the Great Dungeon satellite! Once we power up the erosion detection radar and mana concentration meter…”
“What about the drones?”
“Currently, 39 units are fully connected, while the remaining 21 are still in progress. Let me know when you’re ready; we’ll launch those that are connected.”
“Don’t hold back; launch them as soon as they connect. If they’re damaged, we can receive more supplies from the Association.”
Mapo District has been engulfed in an Erosion Dungeon, and the situation has progressed even to inter-dimensional conversion.
With many civilians still trapped inside, rapid recovery efforts were critical. This meant providing maximum backup to the S-grade hunters, Yeonhwa and returnee Isia, who were currently within the dungeon.
It was their mission to quickly relay crucial information about the dungeon’s traps, monsters, terrain, and unique happenings to the hunters’ drones.
“Report all checks on erosion rate, mana concentration, and danger levels.”
“Current dungeon internal mana concentration is B-grade… no, A-grade.”
“What about toxicity?”
“None so far. However, the mana concentration in the air is rising rapidly!”
“Erosion rate… is 91 percent.”
“91 percent? Are you sure?”
“I’ll double-check…”
The erosion rate indicated how much the dungeon had encroached upon reality, transforming the environment into a distinctly different realm.
This was an S-grade dungeon overflowing with doppelgangers.
High levels of mana concentration, erosion rates, and all defensive metrics were alarming.
Yet a 91 percent erosion rate was hard to believe.
An erosion rate measures dramatic environmental changes, like a flat area morphing into oceans or tropical forests turning into arctic terrains. For reference, A-grade dungeons, like the Kurtala Mountains where wyverns lived or Rotten Mountain filled with razor centipedes, didn’t exceed 20 percent erosion in environmental change barring the presence of monsters.
But 91 percent erosion?
‘This must be a malfunction…’
In previously established dungeons, even with high erosion rates, the alterations were generally slight, usually limited to toxic gas or climate shifts. An erosion rate surpassing 90 percent would indicate that space ceased to be within Earth; the area would already be gone.
If the erosion rate really surpassed 90 percent, the existing structures in Mapo District would have long since vanished, the land overturned, and the climate transformed into something altogether alien.
“For now, let’s postpone any conclusions about the erosion rate. As far as I can tell, aside from a few enlarged buildings, there aren’t significant changes in the terrain.”
“Understood!”
“Hurry, get the drone screens up and send that information to Hunters Isia and Yeonhwa. Any contact with HQ?”
“We’re maintaining incoming connections, but direct transmissions from within the dungeon to the outside seem nearly impossible. The mana concentration is too thick; any signals sent out will scatter.”
“Damn it…”
Unable to relay updates to the outside, support from the Association would inevitably be limited.
While supplies like food and water were continuously sent via transport drones, the risk of casualties among B-grade hunters was significant, so they couldn’t rely on them. They would need to focus on rallying A-grade hunters or higher, but that would take time. Hence, the situation within the erosion dungeon largely depended on Isia and Yeonhwa.
“Director!”
“What now?”
“Attack incoming!”
“What? What kind of attack?!”
Oh hell. This just suddenly happened, didn’t it?!
“It’s doppelgangers!”
“…Crap.”
At that word, the director struggled to compose himself, nearly passing out as he turned to face the outside.
Beyond the barricade of the electric fence at the base camp, countless figures appeared. Had this area not been a dungeon, it would have given off no sense of strangeness.
However, these many figures looked human but were not.
Dressed as police, soldiers, firefighters, security personnel, and civilians in casual clothes, they approached the base camp with black eyes, like puppets.
Of all times right now…!
Yeonhwa, Isia, and even the public hunters had gone out on patrol!
Tap, tap, tap
The slow steps began to quicken.
The indication that these steps were stalking prey was obvious, yet the doppelgangers’ slow approach was an ominous terror.
Instinctively, the director and trainee personnel sensed it.
Ah, we’re going to die.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
“Wh-What do we do, Director…?”
“This is so messed up. Isia and Yeonhwa are…”
“Weren’t they at Hongik University Shelter a while ago…?”
Hongik University Shelter was quite far from here.
Even if a rescue signal was sent now, getting there on time would be nearly impossible.
However, the personnel couldn’t simply flee.
Should they run to the shelter now?
Hundreds of A-grade doppelgangers would lay waste to the shelter, slaughtering everyone inside, including any agents who attempted to flee.
Having reached a conclusion, the command officer bit his lip and shouted.
“Damnit! We must stop them! That’s the Hapjeong Station shelter right behind here! If we run, everyone’s dead!”
“Yes!”
“Open fire!!”
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat!
At the command, agents swiftly pulled out their issued firearms and began to engage the doppelgangers.
They were neither hunters nor Awakened ones, but the agents of the Hunter Association knew how to handle firearms adequately, orchestrating their fire with military precision from behind the barricade.
Nevertheless, these doppelgangers in the erosion dungeon had an average danger level of A-grade.
Even if the doppelgangers took on human forms, their physical capabilities matched those of A-grade monsters, making it nearly impossible to kill them with mere bullets.
“This is futile! They’re dodging everything or the bullets just bounce off!”
“Ah! Even when they hit them, they keep advancing!”
“Of course! Do you think A-grade monsters would die to bullets? Keep firing!!”
Even if most shots landed, they ricocheted away. A few doppelgangers twisted their bodies with incredible agility to evade the bullets entirely.
Occasionally, a lucky shot would hit a head, momentarily halting its movement, but that lasted just seconds.
As the agents’ resistance took them by surprise, the doppelgangers quickened their advance.
[Get away.]
[Get away.]
[We must enter.]
[Kill.]
[We’re coming for you.]
[Kill anyone who blocks.]
“All agents, do not think of retreating! If you back down, all the civilians behind us will be slaughtered! If need be, blow the entrance open so they can’t get in!”
“”””Yes!””””
Even as the barrage of gunfire intensified, the doppelgangers sped their strides closer.
Understandably, the director never expected to stop a horde of A-grade doppelgangers with their skills or firepower. They knew the lives of civilians in the shelter hinged on their shoulders.
Yet the doppelgangers steadily advanced despite the bullet-proof barriers. They only paused briefly at the electric barricade, a few doppelgangers pressing against it as tightly as they could.
Zzzztt!
“Oh my God… they’re using their bodies to leap over the barricade…”
“What do we do, Director…?”
Damned intelligent monsters are the scariest!
The trainee personnel had already realized their lives were forfeit.
With the electric barricade and bullets utterly ineffective, even a short siege was impossible.
“Blow the shelter entrance! Not a single one of those bastards can come in…!”
[Good job.]
“Huh…?”
At that moment, an angelic voice, draped in a sacred aura, danced inside the ears of the trainee personnel like a tickle.
How did Shia get here? She stood right among the agents.
“I-Isia Hunter!”
In such a dire moment, her voice was incredibly welcome, causing tears to well up in a few agents’ eyes.
How had she known to come here, all the way from such a distance?
But they couldn’t ponder that now.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Shia moved forward, her holy boots echoing as she raised her hand toward the doppelgangers just about to leap over the barricade.
Under different circumstances, she would have taken her time.
Why had you come here? Would you taste good? Would eating a doppelganger that transformed into a human, taste like human meat?
She might’ve playfully hunted and cooked them by now.
However, given the current circumstances…
[Miracle.]
Shia clenched her hand toward the sky without hesitation.
[Holy Body Destruction!]
The compressed divine power erupted like a colossal, translucent veil of annihilation aimed squarely at the doppelgangers.
As the divine power resonated with the agents and the doppelgangers, the white energy cleaved the ground and swept through buildings while violently shredding the horde of approaching doppelgangers into pieces.
KA-BOOM!!!
The first to be obliterated were those attempting to cross the barricade.
What appeared to be human arms and legs were crushed, yet no blood emerged.
Instead, a thick, dark liquid oozed out, resembling slime.
Infuriated, the surviving doppelgangers began to swarm toward Shia like a black tide.
[Kill.]
[Kill.][Kill.][Kill.][Kill.][Kill.][Kill.][Kill.][Kill.]
[Get away!][Get away!][Get away!][Get away!]
“Not all of you are dead yet?”
Against all odds, they withstood her attack.
Perhaps possessing an amorphous body made them resistant to her nullifying miracle or had her earlier obliteration aroused rage.
Some even ran like beasts, smashing their limbs into buildings and walls.
But that didn’t concern Shia.
Another boom!
[Kill.]
[Kill.]
[Get away. Get away!]
[Get away!!]
Watching the frantic doppelgangers sprinting toward her, Shia muttered softly.
Ah, this wasn’t a place for you to be…
Once more.
[Miracle – Holy Body Destruction!]
KA-BOOM!!!
Not enough.
[Miracle – Holy Body Destruction!!]
KA-BOOM!
One more time.
[Miracle – Holy Body Destruction!!!]
CRUNCH!
The pulverized remains of the doppelgangers formed a horrific spectacle, akin to smashed mud.
A moment ago, they resembled humans in shape, yet as consecutive Holy Body Destruction miracles rained down, the hundreds of A-grade doppelgangers became indistinguishable, like mixed mercury.
“…………….”
The agents watching the scene turned into speechless statues, their jaws hanging in awe.
But soon, they bowed their heads deeply in gratitude towards Shia.
“Thank you!”
“What about the other shelters?”
“After deploying the drones, they confirmed that only this location was under attack! The barrier you manifested is still intact on the drone feeds.”
“That’s a relief.”
THUD!
Shia glanced at the writhing remains of the doppelgangers and harshly stomped on them with her boots.
To her, drained of amusement, these monsters were not delicious treats or delicacies but merely vile products that threaten and kill humans.
“What was their motive? Did you provoke the doppelgangers?”
“We… I can’t recall anything. They shouldn’t have attacked us just because they detected our communications. Perhaps they felt their territory had been violated…”
An unexpected swarm of doppelgangers suddenly attacking was certainly an unusual event, but the reasoning was unclear.
“Not expecting human logic when it comes to dungeons or monsters, but we have too little information…”
THUD!
At that moment, a massive flower of ice bloomed amidst the towering buildings.
“…Is that Binggu?”
However, the ice had an oddly eerie black hue.
[Ice Bloom Infection]
The blooming ice began to spread rapidly, originating from the dungeon’s copied sewers beneath a smaller building. It swiftly frozen the structures and earth around it. Before long, the icy path reached the vicinity of Shia and the trainees.
What the hell?
Could it be… that this thing attacked us?
Quickly piecing together her judgment, Shia once again summoned divine power as she extended her hand.
[Miracle – Orphan’s Sanctuary]
As the white veil spread, the infecting ice halted upon contact with Shia’s power.
Yet, everything in the vicinity, including the ground, walls, and the remains of the recent doppelgangers, were devoured and consumed by the ice.
“Um, the ice…?”
“Isn’t that Yeonhwa Hunter’s ability?!”
“Are you suggesting Yeonhwa Hunter attacked us…?”
“Come on, you idiot! She was likely fighting outside and lost control over her abilities!”
Shia tilted her head slightly as she examined the ice present within her sanctuary.
It was cold.
It was dark.
It was black.
And it smelled delicious.
What in the world?
Why does it evoke my appetite?
I’d never salivated over the smell of monsters before.
But why?
Why this unsettling feeling?
At least she had erected a barrier, purchasing them more time to endure.
Confirming the safety of the agents out of the corner of her eye, Shia stepped beyond her sanctuary onto the ice-draped ground.
Crunch…!
‘This ice is hostile towards me?’
The moment her boots touched, they froze instantly.
Not just the earth and buildings; the air outside her sanctuary was frigid enough to cause immediate hypothermia even to an ordinary person, making Shia’s boots ensnared in freezing ice that sought to envelop her.
Of course, she could resist using divine power, yet beyond comprehension was why Yeonhwa’s ice would aggressively target indiscriminate victims—including Shia herself.
According to the trainees, while fighting monsters, Yeonhwa may have failed in controlling her abilities, but as an S-grade hunter, such a breach should be implausible, right?
As Shia moved towards Yeonhwa’s energy, she quickly found her at the center of the ice invasion.
With icy blue hair and a functional yet revealing hunters’ outfit, Yeonhwa was now revealing her presence.
“Binggu!”
“………”
In response to Shia’s call, Yeonhwa turned her head after a delay.
Her eyes hidden behind strands of hair, but the intricate lower face was unmistakably Yeonhwa.
Shia, typically with a bright face, approached and patted Yeonhwa’s shoulder.
“What’s happening? Were there monsters attacking?”
“…. So it was you.”
“Huh?”
[So it was you.]
With a speed beyond comprehension, a black figure lunged for Shia, slashing with its blade.
CLANG!
Shia instinctively blocked the attack with an arm fortified by divine power.
Yet even in this moment, the frigid aura of the weapon gnawed at Shia’s skin and flesh, gradually freezing her arm, which had collided with the attack.
Clank, clank!
“Ow, ow… that’s cold!”
[How fascinating.]
Clank, clank, clank…!
The air became increasingly colder as Yeonhwa’s weapon clashed against Shia’s arm, both competing for strength.
Upon observing closely, Yeonhwa’s features were consistent yet wholly different.
No, it was not Yeonhwa.
What stood before Shia was something that pretended to be her. Black eyes twitched, fixated on Shia.
Thick black liquid spilled from those eyes like tears of blood.
[I purposely drew close, ensuring you wouldn’t recognize me until I was right beside you. I never expected you’d manage to block this with just one arm.]
“I-I knew all along.”
[What makes you say that?]
“You didn’t react when I called for Binggu.”
If it was the Yeonhwa Shia knew, she would typically pout, protesting that she disliked being called that. If not that, she’d immediately turn her gaze upon hearing the name.
[……Binggu. Yes, Binggu. I will remember this.]
“No, no need to remember.”
Smash!
[Ugh…!]
Shia unleashed a miracle, releasing divine energy from her arm, propelling the entity mimicking Yeonhwa away.
The impact shattered her frozen arm, yet the Corpse Saint’s flesh rapidly reconstructed, mending the damage in mere moments.
“You will die here. Demon King.”
[Oh, calling me the Demon King… how amusing.]
The creature, donning Yeonhwa’s face, shrugged its shoulders.
[That’s not incorrect.]
With a twisted smile, it wasn’t Yeonhwa at all.
