Episode 67: S-Class Dungeon Dark City (2)
It was finally the day of the subjugation. Upon entering the S-class dungeon, Wangbangsan, where Dark City is located, nearby residents’ traces urgently fleeing could be seen everywhere. The dungeon was formed a month ago. As the random gate phenomenon frequently occurred around the dungeon, it became a ruin where people could not live.
As they arrived at the safety zone within the yellow border, Lee Jun-ho, the successor of Suhomun, took the briefing, “I will briefly explain the situation. After creating the S-class dungeon, Dark City, all twelve parties were destroyed as they attempted to attack the dungeon. An epic monster known as Dark Lich dwells within – since its discovery, the dungeon had been renamed ‘Dark City,’ and it’s been upgraded to an S-class dungeon. It’s inaccessible to civilians now. At first, it was said that there were no survivors, but there were reports broadcast a few days ago that suggested otherwise. Suhomun will put subjugation first, but will proceed with the rescue of any survivors.”
Lee Jun-ho’s voice was calm. His handsome appearance, clear voice, and steady gaze, which seemed to see people truly, created an air of charisma that captivated the audience.
“The subjugation team will be divided into three groups of ten people. I will be at the forefront as the leader of the advance team, and the main university will be in charge of Kang Deok-cheol, and Moonjoo will be in charge of the main university. The S-class dungeon, Dark City, is a place where danger lurks everywhere. What you need to keep in mind…”
As Suhomun’s disciples focused on Lee Jun-ho’s explanation, Kang Min-hyuk knew what this situation meant, “It’s a process of succession.”
The subjugation was part of the official schedule of Suhomun and was always widely covered by a reporter from K Broadcasting Corporation. In a place where many people’s eyes were focused, Kang Deok-cheol put Lee Jun-ho in the foreground instead of himself. It was an attempt to imprint Lee Jun-ho into the minds of the public. It was an attempt to gain trust.
Kang Deok-cheol had finally decided the next successor would be Lee Jun-ho. He was Kang Min-hyuk’s childhood friend and occupied a great chamber of his mind filled with memories. While he was explaining, the pair made eye contact with each other, but Lee Jun-ho didn’t show any emotions. Instead, he turned his gaze away from Kang Min-hyuk. Kang Min-hyuk wasn’t concerned. In the past, Lee Jun-ho always listened to Kang Min-hyuk’s speeches, but now the positions were reversed.
The relationship between the two was bound to be awkward. Kang Min-hyuk rejected the place of the successor, and it was Lee Jun-ho who took it.
“…This concludes the briefing. The subjugation will take place in 30 minutes, so please organize yourselves into your groups.”
Shaking off his thoughts, Min-hyuk moved to the third group with Kim Seong-ho and his party.
* * *
Jeong Pan-soo’s expression was distorted. As a member of his father’s group, he couldn’t hide his annoyance at the appearance of Kang Min-hyuk and his party.
“You have to be joking?”
Guardian gate had mobilized as many as 30 reinforced warriors to deal with A-class monsters for the subjugation. An official letter was also sent to the Korean Magic Association asking for help, and two four-circle wizards were deployed in the first and second groups. The presence of them didn’t mean that the power would change significantly. The problem was that the appearance of Kang Min-hyuk and his party touched a nerve for Jeong Pan-soo.
“Is there a problem?”
Kang Min-hyuk’s reaction was calm. He didn’t care at all what Pan-soo thought of him.
“Problem? Of course, there is. Have you forgotten what kind of seat this is? It’s a place to subdue an S-class dungeon. You should be grateful for your own inclusion, but what is that? Those ‘warriors’ are barely holding a shield! Where are their weapons?! They hunt B-class monsters. Have you finally gone crazy? This is a memorial to your mother.”
Kim Sung-ho’s party was the main problem. At Suhomun, only elite troops were selected to join the subjugation team, but Kim Seong-ho and his party did not fit the criteria. With a combination of Kang Min-hyuk and Kim Seong-ho, some people’s planting would definitely be twisted.
“Jeong Pan-soo. Do you remember? You couldn’t fight me, then, could you?”
“You bastard.”
Jeong Pan-soo’s expression hardened. In the past, they had fought, and Kang Min-hyuk always came out on top.
Kang Min-hyuk’s line often called the Golden Generation, did not include Jeong Pan-soo. He lagged behind the swift developments of his talented peers and progressed more slowly. It had always bothered Jeon Pan-soo, and it had clearly made him bitter.
“Yes, let’s see. Moon Ju-nim commanded me never to help you. Let’s look at your karma for bringing a party like that and see what kind of result it leads to. Being assigned to group three takes you far away from your friends.”
He was right.
None of Jeong Pan-soo’s team felt warmly toward Kang Min-hyuk. They would be cruelly loyal to Moon-ju’s orders, which meant that Min-hyuk would have to protect himself. Kang Min-hyuk smiled,
“Do what you like.”
He was very prepared to protect himself. It was the only way to accomplish his goal. If he thought he would need help, he wouldn’t have participated at all.
Kang Min-hyuk gathered his attention and prepared to subjugate.
* * *
Finally, the teams entered the dungeon. There, the surrounding landscape changed dramatically. It was a lush mountain up until entering, but suddenly, half-demolished buildings spread out in front of it. It was a city in ruins. Whatever civilization was formed in the past had vanished, and no signs of life remained. A dungeon did not always take the form of a cave. Some, including S-class dungeons, were named expandable dungeons. The shape of a cave and a ruined city were not terribly different, but when they appear out of nowhere, amidst unfolding, vivid grasslands or snowfields, the effect was unsettling.
The reporter’s voice chimed through the air, “We have finally entered the S-class dungeon: Dark City.”
The K broadcaster was boldly narrating the subjugation process in real-time. The Suho Gatekeeper was confident in his ability to succeed, so he was glad to have media coverage – it also presented a perfect opportunity to introduce Lee Jun-ho to the world. There was one cameraman in each of the starting, main, and lagging teams, but reporters were constantly scrambling in the starting team. Still, the reporter did not do anything that interferes with the subjugation, so their presence was tolerable.
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