The dungeon's magic is rotten.
If a land like Jeokcheongdo is a naturally formed lake of magic, then a dungeon is more like a stagnant pool of magic that has become rotten due to abnormal causes.
Anyone who steps into a dungeon, unless they have reached a certain level of mastery, will inevitably feel their internal magic being affected by the twisted flow of the dungeon's energy.
The same was true for the Forest of Inmyeonju, a special-grade 6 dungeon.
Moreover, the phenomenon was even more severe in the Forest of Inmyeonju due to the magic-infused spiderwebs covering the entire area.
Because of this, even veteran hunters tended to avoid the place.
Yet, in that very forest, a small shadow—too small to be considered an adult—was sprinting forward without hesitation.
That shadow was none other than Lee Cheol, the youngest illegitimate son of the Soongmu family.
Ssss—
As he ventured deeper into the forest, the chirping of insects and birds gradually disappeared.
The only sound that remained was the faint brushing of spiderwebs, tangled and stretched throughout the area like a web of threads.
The forest had begun to react to the intruder who had stepped into its domain.
—Kieeeek!
Right above his head.
A massive figure was hanging from the densely woven web.
A rank-6 monster, the Inmyeonju.
A giant spider with an eerily human-like face dropped toward Lee Cheol.
"Gasp!"
Boom!
A spiral of compressed magic burst out in an instant, obliterating the Inmyeonju.
—Kiiiiii!
The monster collapsed to the ground, its legs curling inward.
—Kik!
—Kiiik!
—Kiin!
At the same time, cries of monsters echoed from all directions.
Through the web, the entire colony had learned that an intruder had entered their territory and that one of their own had been slain.
—Kieeeek!
Lee Cheol could feel all the Inmyeonju in the vicinity converging on him.
"Hoo… hoo…"
He took deep breaths, keeping only the optimal level of tension in his body.
The Inmyeonju were on a completely different level compared to the lower-ranked monsters he had faced in Jeokcheongdo.
Poison dripping from their fangs.
Thick hides infused with magic, capable of deflecting even steel.
And, on top of that, intelligence that allowed them to coordinate their attacks like a colony.
A rank-6 monster was truly deserving of its classification, and the dungeon lived up to its special-grade 6 status.
"Tch."
Thud!
It took him ten minutes to cut down three approaching juvenile Inmyeonju.
To make sure they were dead, he drove his blade into their bodies for a finishing blow.
Anyone witnessing his actions would have been horrified.
Despite being spiders, the Inmyeonju behaved like ants or bees, communicating through pheromones when they were killed.
'To be honest, this is pure madness.'
Even the combat protocols for this dungeon explicitly stated that, until reaching the core of the forest, hunters should subdue but not kill the Inmyeonju.
Yet, he had killed them.
This was the beginning of my plan.
-Kieeeek!
The forest stirred.
Monsters that had been silently watching me from the depths of the forest were now rushing toward me.
'It's working.'
I swallowed dryly as I gathered my mana.
There was no way I didn't know the habits of the Inmyeonju.
Normally, an Inmyeonju would devour its prey immediately after hunting it down.
However, there was one exception: when the prey was considered highly nutritious. In such cases, instead of eating it right away, they would take it—poisoned and incapacitated—to the heart of the Inmyeonju's forest, their nest.
There, the Inmyeonju would wrap the prey in webs and hang it until its flesh softened, eventually serving it as food for their newly hatched offspring.
'The simplest way to be considered highly nutritious prey is to prove that you possess great power.'
My eyes gleamed as I steadied my mana.
Thud! Boom!
Something massive began emerging from the darkness of the forest.
Compound eyes glowed beneath the shadows, and long legs, as thick as steel pillars, pushed through the trees.
Click! Clack!
Blade-like fangs clashed together with a sharp sound.
"…Finally, the mature one appears."
The presence it exuded was on a completely different level from the juvenile ones that had been lurking on the outskirts.
A fully grown Inmyeonju was undoubtedly at the pinnacle of a rank-6 monster.
Whoosh!
As soon as the creature spotted me, it lunged at an unbelievable speed for something of its massive size.
"Hup!"
Boom!
Aura, shaped like a spear, clashed against the monster's tough hide.
Even though it was a living creature, the sound that echoed was like striking solid metal.
Thud!
At that moment, I stepped forward.
Raising my spear high above my head, I swung it down forcefully.
Chukma.
The extending force of the aura split open the monster's face.
-Kieeeeek!
Yet, even with a fatal wound, the beast did not die instantly.
'As expected of a rank-6 monster.'
I had aimed to completely crush it, but I hadn't managed to deal a decisive blow.
Even so, the advantage was mine.
I took a step forward to finish it off—then abruptly stopped.
-Kiek!
-Krukk!
-Kieeeeee!
A chorus of metallic screeches filled the air.
From the darkness of the forest, dozens of blood-red compound eyes flickered to life.
Faced with an incredibly dangerous situation, I did something unexpected.
I smiled.
* * *
Choi Inha and the other cadets had finished their preparations according to the plan.
"All stations, report when setup is complete."
All done.We're finished here too.
As reports came in, Choi Inha nodded and scanned the forest.
His heart pounded.
Not because of the upcoming battle.
But because he was thinking about Lee Cheol.
'This is insane.'
He recalled the plan Lee Cheol had explained before the operation began.
I'm going to let them capture me on purpose. I'll use the Inmyeonju's habits to record the footage.
Lee Cheol had insisted on using their behavior to his advantage.
Choi Inha and every other cadet had fiercely opposed the idea.
Recording footage was fine.
But what about afterward?
The key problem was that Lee Cheol himself would be dragged away while poisoned.
"This is crazy, right?"
Kim Han, who had just arrived at the rendezvous point, muttered blankly.
"It's a reckless plan. Honestly, there's not a single thing about it that aligns with the protocols we've been taught."
"No, I mean…."
Kim Han scratched the back of his head.
"This is crazy, but… not one of us strongly opposed it."
"…Guess that makes us crazy too."
Choi In-ha gave a wry smile.
—I'll handle things right after getting caught. I can't explain in detail, but don't worry.
And while I create a huge commotion, you guys infiltrate the forest and finish the preparations. After the video recording, your roles will be crucial. I trust you'll do well.
This plan isn't something Lee Cheol can pull off alone.
The role of the 5th platoon cadets is just as important.
Should they be grateful for the trust placed in them, or should they find it absurd?
Instructor Lee Jung-ho showed no sign of opposition, as if he had known about it in advance.
"The young master believes in us. He already said as much."
Finally, as soon as Kim Bo-seong arrived, he too was asked,
"And honestly, you two also feel that this crazy plan just might work, don't you?"
"…If it's the young master, then…"
Choi In-ha let out a deep breath.
An inexplicable sense of anticipation rose within him.
This madness—it felt like if anyone could pull it off, it would be Lee Cheol.
The die had already been cast.
"Let's stop worrying about the young master. We should be worrying about ourselves."
"We have to live up to his trust."
"It's finally starting."
Choi In-ha, Kim Han, and Kim Bo-seong turned their backs.
—As long as we prepare according to plan, we won't just succeed in completing the mission—we can achieve even more. Trust not in me, but in the three months you've endured. This mission will be easier than you think.
Their gazes fell upon the cadets, who, with eyes shining, raised their weapons in unison.
The preparations were complete.
Now, the true beginning was here.
***
I slowly opened my eyes.
The first thing I saw was a dense, thread-like web wrapped tightly around me.
'…The first step went according to plan.'
I had deliberately collapsed, pretending to be paralyzed by the venom of the Man-Faced Spider while engaging in a controlled battle.
As expected, the creatures hadn't devoured me immediately.
Instead, I had been transported to their nest, wrapped in layers of silk like a cocoon, and suspended high within their lair.
'My condition isn't bad.'
The appearance of an adult specimen had come much sooner than anticipated, and the way they had swarmed in as if prepared in advance had nearly put me in serious danger.
Fortunately, I had only suffered minor injuries and had managed to reach the heart of the nest as planned.
'As for the venom… aside from feeling a little queasy, I'm fine.'
The resilience of my martial clan's body, along with the effects of the Purple Jade Stone Elixir, was more than enough to handle it.
I wasn't sure about the deadly toxins created by renowned poison sects like the Aerial Fortress, but I was certain that a mere Rank 6 monster's venom wasn't a serious threat.
'Alright, then…'
I cautiously scanned my surroundings using only my senses, then slowly activated my aura and employed the Concealment Technique.
Whoooosh—
A hazy aura enveloped my body.
Unlike the concealment technique I had used during the naming ceremony, this was on a completely different level.
The moment the thin veil of aura settled over my skin, my presence began to fade away.
Once I confirmed this, I carefully twisted my body to create some space.
Finally, I was able to move my arms.
'The recording equipment is intact.'
Using my internal energy, I created an opening in the cocoon and slid the recording device inside, starting the video capture.
I then widened the opening near my eyes to observe the situation outside.
'By now, the larvae should have gathered.'
Man-Faced Spiders typically suspend their prey for about 30 minutes to an hour before feeding.
It had been around 15 minutes, meaning the larvae should be gathering soon.
Keeping my body tense, I carefully brought my eye to the small gap.
'Huh?'
The moment I looked to the side, I furrowed my brow.
'How many cocoons are there…? Are they prey? Why haven't they fed the larvae yet? Why are they being stored?'
Countless cocoons hung in the air beside me, wrapped tightly in silk.
'There are too many for this to be today's catch. They should've been eaten long ago. So why…?'
Could this be part of the abnormal phenomenon we were investigating?
I shifted my gaze to examine my surroundings more closely.
And then—I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
'…!'
There wasn't a single larva gathered to feed.
Instead, the entire nest was filled with adult Man-Faced Spiders.
Dozens of adult creatures were densely packed, so much so that the ground was barely visible.
—Kiiik.
—Krrk! Gik!
The adult creatures sat motionless in the center of the nest, their legs folded beneath them.
As if they were waiting for something.
As if they were protecting something.
They remained on high alert, their focus concentrated on one side of the nest.
Slowly, ever so slowly, I turned my gaze in the direction of their stares.
'…What is that?'
And then, I saw it—a grotesque object that had never been accounted for in my plan.
The center of the nest.
There, clinging to a dense web of silk, was a massive purple cocoon.
Thump—
As if reacting to my gaze.
The cocoon pulsed ominously.
SUPPORT ME HERE : ko-fi.com/pokemon1920