Chapter 59 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Heavenly Demon and Shin Chaeyoung (2)
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Vroooom.
With a deafening roar of the exhaust, the silver truck kicked up clouds of dirt as it charged forward.
The dungeon truck, Gugongsam, had several times the power of a standard truck. Plus, its tires could adapt to any road conditions, allowing it to navigate even the roughest terrain with ease.
Shin Chaeyoung floored the accelerator, racing through the dungeon zone, and for the first time in a while, she felt a rush of freedom.
"Nice."
Most Awakeners were the same—they didn't like entering dungeon zones unless they were working. Healers who had to activate their skills to treat the injured felt it even more acutely.
But Shin Chaeyoung actually enjoyed being in dungeon zones even when she wasn't on the job.
With her cynical personality that always viewed the world coldly, she loved the bleak, desolate atmosphere of the dungeons, which reeked of an apocalyptic vibe.
Ring ring ring.
Just then, the cellphone strapped to her arm rang. It was Cho Hong.
-Chaeyoung. We've got an injured person.
She stopped the truck and glanced at the screen. A red dot was blinking on the map.
"Stadium Dungeon, huh."
-Yeah. That's right.
"Good timing. I'm nearby, so I'll head over now."
She hit the accelerator again and yanked the wheel hard.
D-Grade Dungeon, 'Stadium.'
Unlike typical dungeons, it perfectly replicated modern architecture both inside and out. Shin Chaeyoung stared intently at the approaching Stadium building.
If not for the orange seed-like objects sparkling all over the structure, it would've been indistinguishable from a city building.
Screech.
Shin Chaeyoung parked the Gugongsam truck in front of the Stadium Dungeon and spoke to the screen on her arm.
"No one's here."
-Really? Did they go back inside?
As Cho Hong's voice came from the screen, Shin Chaeyoung furrowed her brow.
Communication cut off inside dungeons, so rescue signals had to be sent from outside.
That meant there were only two reasons the injured would've gone back in:
Either they called for rescue and then re-entered to help their comrades, or a Hidden Monster had suddenly appeared near the dungeon.
After a moment's thought, Shin Chaeyoung said,
"I'll head inside now."
-Wait. I'll send Eunho right over.
"That might take too long. It's just a D-Grade Dungeon anyway."
-It could be a Hidden Monster.
"If it is, I'll come right back and call."
Cho Hong pondered briefly on the screen before nodding.
-Get out immediately if it's dangerous.
"Got it."
Shin Chaeyoung nodded and entered the dungeon without hesitation.
Inside the Stadium Dungeon, orange stones—Rebound Stones—were scattered everywhere, just like the ones attached to the building's exterior.
"This is where they mine Rebound Stones."
Rebound Stones could be ground into powder and used like cement, a unique dungeon material.
They enabled super concrete with dozens of times the strength of regular cement, so they were mainly used for building houses or interior construction.
Creak.
She opened the large glass doors at the entrance, revealing a wide lobby with long corridors branching off in every direction.
Scanning her surroundings carefully, Shin Chaeyoung spotted drag marks leading toward the second-floor stairs.
The trail of blood and fluids stretched long, as if someone had forcibly dragged an injured person.
'Dangerous.'
Her cells screamed a warning at the sensed threat.
Awakeners rarely died in low-grade dungeons like D-Grades from regular monsters.
'It's a Hidden Monster after all.'
Shin Chaeyoung glanced at the clock on her screen and hesitated.
'Eunho should be here in ten minutes at most.'
Decision made, she headed up the second-floor stairs.
She was confident she could hold out alone for ten minutes against a monster with a hazard rating around 5,000.
Boom!
Suddenly, an explosion echoed from far down the corridor, kicking up dust.
Grrrrowl!
"Fall back!"
A low monstrous growl mixed with human screams. From the frantic voices, it sounded like an Awakener team was locked in a desperate fight with a monster.
Shing.
As she sprinted, Shin Chaeyoung flicked her right hand down, and a monomolecular cutter blade popped out from her wrist-mounted portable device.
"...!"
Reaching the large lounge on the second floor, Shin Chaeyoung froze in shock.
A grotesque monster with a shark-like body and two legs was tearing into people.
Its reptilian, glossy skin oozed sticky fluid, and its razor-sharp teeth spun like a chainsaw.
A Hidden Monster with a hazard rating of 9,500—Landshark.
But that wasn't the only reason Shin Chaeyoung was stunned.
Thud thud thud. Rrrrrumble!
Boom! Bang!
The five or six Awakeners fighting the Landshark wielded modern firearms like machine guns and grenades.
"Are you insane? Stop that!"
Shin Chaeyoung shouted, and the Awakeners firing wildly turned to her in surprise.
They all had youthful faces, barely out of their teens—maybe just over twenty at most.
In that instant, the Landshark switched targets, charging at Shin Chaeyoung with its massive jaws gaping wide.
Rrrrr.
Its furiously spinning saw teeth clashed with her monomolecular cutter, producing the screech of metal on metal.
"Ngh."
Shin Chaeyoung pushed back with all her strength, shoving the Landshark away, then swung her monomolecular cutter like lightning.
Blinding flashes erupted in sequence as the razor edge sliced across the Landshark's body in an instant.
Groooan.
But despite the cutter that could slice concrete walls effortlessly, not a single scratch marred the Landshark's hide.
"R-Run away!"
The young Awakeners who'd watched the clash abandoned Shin Chaeyoung and fled heartlessly to the upper floor.
"Not that way!"
Shin Chaeyoung yelled, but the panicked group ran the opposite direction without looking back.
Snap!
Distracted for a split second, the Landshark chomped down on the monomolecular cutter in her hand.
Crunch. The blade snapped in two inside its jaws.
"Tch."
Tossing the broken cutter, Shin Chaeyoung pulled a pitch-black bead from her pocket.
A magic tool that could blind monsters momentarily—the 'Orb of Darkness.'
Bang. Black powder scattered, dyeing the bloodshot Landshark's eyes pitch black.
Groooaaar!
Blinded, the Landshark roared madly, snapping its jaws wildly.
Seizing the opening, Shin Chaeyoung retreated swiftly and dashed toward where the Awakeners had fled.
"This way."
Rounding a long corridor corner revealed a door leading to stairs.
But the iron door was locked tight, and in front of it stood the trembling Awakeners, guns trained ahead.
"Fuck."
"Huh huh huh."
Tears and snot streamed down their faces—they looked so inexperienced, it was hard to believe they were even Awakeners.
"You from the Association?"
A young man with purple-dyed hair spotted her and asked in a quavering voice.
"Where are the other Awakeners? You came alone?"
"You called the medical team."
"What?"
"You sent the medical team signal. You guys."
The young man's eyes widened at her words.
"So? You came alone?"
"Yeah."
"Hey, fuck! You kidding? We sent an injury rescue signal, and you crawl in solo?!"
He hurled the screen-phone strapped to his wrist and bellowed.
"The rescue signal wasn't working, so we hit the medical team button! Signals don't go through in dungeons! We risked our lives to get outside!"
They'd been chased by the Landshark and hit the medical button instead of rescue in their panic.
Staring blankly at the ranting young man, Shin Chaeyoung realized something.
"You guys aren't Awakeners."
The group, including the young man, gripped their guns clumsily and wore mismatched Nano Suits unfit for combat.
"W-What? We're all 4th Grade Awakeners."
"4th Grade? With guns like that?"
"These are from an S-Grade summoning skill. Summoned dungeon firearms."
Shin Chaeyoung snorted at the absurd excuse.
"Wearing tanker-exclusive Nano Suits meant for Awakeners with hardening skills?"
"W-Well, they function the same anyway."
"Sigh."
Shin Chaeyoung let out a hollow breath.
"Rich kids sneaking into the dungeon illegally to play soldier."
The young man bristled at her contemptuous mutter.
"How would you know we're rich brats?"
"Even so, it doesn't make sense. Some things money can buy, some it can't. How'd you even get in? Awakener phones need personal ID authentication."
"Hmph. What would a beggar like you know."
Even facing death, arrogance gleamed in the young man's eyes.
"The black market sells anything. Even phones with fake IDs registered."
"Black market?"
"Yeah. Know how much these Awakener phones cost? Over twenty million won."
Shin Chaeyoung narrowed her eyes.
She knew they dealt in banned relics, but fake Awakener IDs too?
'Something's off.'
Only now did she question Strategic Planning Director Kim Suwoong's cryptic orders.
No matter how much of a thorn she was, building a house in the Shield Boundary Zone and stationing the Special Response Team?
'Did he know about this?'
It felt like Kim Suwoong had anticipated various incidents in the dungeon and positioned the team here.
"Even if you're not Awakeners, didn't you know you can't use guns in dungeons?"
The young man smirked rottenly at her words.
"These are real S-Grade weapon summoning skill dungeon firearms."
"What are you talking about."
"They sell 'em on the black market. Dungeon guns too."
Her eyes narrowed further.
An S-Grade weapon summoning Awakener selling on the black market? Utter nonsense.
"Even if that's true, you can't use those weapons."
"What? Bullshit."
"You need at least an F-Grade weapon summoning skill to use summoned weapons. And..."
Shin Chaeyoung eyed the gun in the young man's hands with icy disdain.
"That's a standard rifle. That's why the Hidden Monster showed up."
"W-What? No way. It's definitely..."
As the young man panicked and shook his head,
Grrrrrowl.
The Landshark's roar echoed from afar.
The sound grew closer—it was tracking their trail straight here.
'Can't fight it head-on.'
Scanning around, Shin Chaeyoung kicked the locked door.
Bang. The metal door crumpled, revealing a dark passage bricked up inside.
Peering in, she saw torches on the walls and felt the damp air.
'Was there a place like this in Stadium Dungeon?'
She couldn't hide her surprise at the ancient corridor.
It stretched long like a secret passage to some medieval underground plaza.
"It's blocked!"
The fleeing Awakeners soon reached a wide open space.
Like a small colosseum, it was sealed on all sides with no exit in sight.
Shin Chaeyoung slammed the wall with full force, but it didn't budge—like it was made of the dungeon's metal.
"Damn it, no way out!"
The group, including the young man, trembled in terror and despair, knowing the Landshark would soon rip them apart alive.
"Wait."
Shin Chaeyoung spotted faint light leaking from the left wall.
Up close, there was a tiny gap.
Grind.
She wedged her fingers in and yanked hard. A heavy iron door slowly swung open.
"A safe zone... maybe."
Beyond was a secret room about four pyeong in size, completely sealed.
Like the common safe zones in large dungeons for hiding from monsters.
"Let's hide here!"
The young man and his group rushed inside without checking for threats.
"What the hell is this?"
But once inside, they faced a big problem.
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