Chapter 17-20: Lightning Queen (1/2)

Chapter 17-20: Lightning Queen

The previous evening.

A bluish twilight welcomed us.

‘Not bad.’

I chuckled at the sight of the sunset.

The first experience had a variety of things.

In the end, the only ones that emerged from the entrance were the three women. Lee Ji-hye and I were carrying the two unconscious women.

Yoon Hyuk-soo……

He walked with the sword sunk in him. It was possible thanks to his high stamina. But he collapsed right in front of the entrance. His eyes were closed like he was sleeping.

‘Things have been resolved.’

Shortly after leaving the dungeon, the two women were transferred to the shop operated by the Mithril Guild. They would handle things for a small fee.

A place for patients was prepared inside the shop. After emergency first aid was completed, they would be taken to hospital.

“What will you do now?”

I asked Lee Ji-hye who was staring at the sky with a blank expression.

“Work hard. I will do my best to live.”

“Do you still plan to continue participating in raids?”

She shook the leather pouch filled with Cores.

“Except for selling my body, there isn’t any other high income jobs for a twenty five year old single woman.”

Somehow I could feel something in her voice. It seemed like she needed money to live a normal life.

Anyway, she hadn’t abandoned the idea of exploring dungeons.

I nodded and asked again.

“Do you intend to join a guild?”

Lee Ji-hye opened her mouth without thinking.

“If I can earn money safely then I will sign up. But the screening of the 5 guilds is choosy.If I can’t join them then is it worth signing up to another guild?”

5 famous guilds existed in Korea.

Each of the were led by Starters and the reliable raids was the biggest benefit. There are various merits but it was a big challenge itself joining the business.

Lee Ji-hye seemed to have applied to all 5 guilds. And failed the steps. It was a pessimistic attitude.

I pulled out a business card from your wallet.

“Take this.”

“A business card?”

“Just mention my name and ask for formal admission. Take it.”

Lee Ji-hye accepted the business card and red the writing in the middle.

“Heaven’s Will….”

“Is there a problem?”

Heaven’s Will was clearly one of the 5 famous guilds.

Lee Ji-hye shook her head.

“No. Rather, what is your relationship with the Heaven’s Will guild master?”

“There is no need to know that.”

“Randalph ssi. Tell me honestly. You are a beginner right?”

“I’ll take care of it.”

I didn’t have the slightest intention of explaining. I just let Lee Ji-hye imagine whatever she wanted. It didn’t matter where her imagination ended up.

Lee Ji-hye was locked in her thoughts.

The scene of Yoon Hyuk-soo and Kim In-pil was haunting her head. Those series of actions wasn’t something a beginner could do.

“Perhaps, Park Eun-taek ssi……”

Lee Ji-hye muttered in a small voice.

Park Eun-taek had thrown his body towards the creatures. As a result, they were able to escape.

However, didn’t he have the ability to easily overpower Yoon Hyuk-soo and Kim In-pil? Then couldn’t he leave the dungeon on his own?

Lee Ji-hye swallowed hard.

She should refrain from any speculation. Anyway, it had already happened and she couldn’t turn back time. Above all, she couldn’t easily deal with the man in front of her. She just imagined it.

Lee Ji-hye emptied her head.

‘Excellent.’

I looked at Lee Ji-hye with eyes filled with praise.

She had the excellent judgement to swallow her words. Her potential was low but she could be the manager of his raids.

“A person absolutely can’t grasp everything. Anyway…I understand. I will get in contact with them.”

Lee Ji-hye said with a sigh.

This was an opportunity for her. It was a solid path to enter one of the 5 guilds. She wouldn’t lose a thing even if it was false.

“But what are you going to do with that diary?”

I pulled out the diary left behind by Kim In-pil. It was a diary designed in an old-fashioned manner and gave off the scent of mana.

I used Mind’s Eye to confirm the details again.

Name: Book of Command Spells (U)

Description- A demon’s book of madness. Those with low intelligence are likely to be infected by the madness. If it is used during hunting, the magic power of the diary will rise depending on the system.

The special job ‘Command Magician’ can be inherited.

‘This…..’

I saw a sneak peak in the dungeon but it was amazing.

A unique rating? In other words, a unique item.

The Heroes weren’t at the level to obtain a rare grade skill or item. That fact that this journal awakened with Kim In-pil was enormous.

I wondered why a human had this item and picked it up from Kim In-pil.

It also have the ability to inherit a special occupation. It was a unique item at a decent enough level.

‘Kim In-pil had something good.’

A treasure like this being in the hands of someone with no power was a sin itself. Kim In-pil obtaining something so precious.

He must have been a command shaman in a past life. Kim In-pil had died and couldn’t keep the treasure anymore.

Those without Mind’s Eye wouldn’t see the enormous value of the diary and would just think of it as ‘japtem.’

I decided to take the diary.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Burn it if possible. That thing, it must have received a curse.”

Lee Ji-hye shuddered. The eyes that looked at the diary was full of disgust.

The experiences she went through in the dungeon had a substantial impact on her. She had replenished the nutrition but the mental blow would take time to recover.

Lee Ji-hye’s shoulders sagged before she turned and said to me.

“I will go and try. An unknown beginner? Is this really the business card of Heaven’s Will?”

“Go and do that.”

“Oh, I should go home and wash first…I also need to go to the hospital. It is difficult.”

“If it is tough then I can give you a ride.”

“It’s okay. I can’t depend on you so much. It is comfortable riding in a taxi.”

Lee Ji-hye laughed and started to descend the mountain. Perhaps the next time I saw her would be at Heaven’s Will guild house.

I gazed in her direction for a moment before turning back to the dungeon.

‘And I haven’t met Yihi.’

She was so busy that she didn’t even realize I entered the dungeon.

Yihi was the spirit of the Dungeon Core. She was in charge of various affairs in the dungeon and made it less bleak. It was possible to Yihi to create characteristics like flowers or a lake on each floor.

‘She is busy.’

Right now, building the foundation of the dungeon was in full swing so it must be hectic. I had handed over some points so that she could create necessary things on the 2nd to 4th floors.

‘From the 2nd floor onwards, rare battle gear can be obtained so I need some precautions…..”

I also left this to Yihi. Crafty places were designed to wake up the spirit of the heroes.

It should be proceeding steadily right now.

‘I have to go back.’

The suit was heavy. I didn’t think I would have to wear it in the dungeon for so long. I hit my neck several times before lightly jogging.

***

South Korea was noisy.

It had been 9 months since the dungeons appeared. The first guild to break through to the 2nd floor of the dungeon appeared.

Heaven’s Will.

The guild master who was a Starter, Kim Yong-woo. Those three characters were spread all over various video and print media.

The public television channel, QBS used a vast amount of funds to get an exclusive interview with Kim Yong-woo. A famous announcer would only get 10 minutes of interview time but it caused an explosive sensation in South Korea.

The contents of the interview were as followed.

-Guild master of Heaven’s Will, I’m sure many people are wondering about Kim Yong-woo ssi. Please give a short self-introduction.

“Nice to meet you. I am the guild master of Heaven’s Will, Kim Yong-woo. As you know, I am an Awakened and one of the Starters. I am 28 years old. Single.”

-Thank you for the answer. Then I will quickly jump onto the next question. The dungeons and Awakened are the hottest thing this year! Does Kim Yong-woo ssi have any idea have this?

“The dungeon is obviously a dangerous place. China and the Philippines have suffered significant damage from the monster waves. But as long as the Awakened are present, the creatures can’t run rampant. When looking at our occupation status window, I think our role is to get rid of the devil that exists at the top of the dungeons.”

-Devil? Are you talking about the devil with two horns?

“Haha. That is everybody’s imagination. Actually, I don’t know what it is. There might be a real god, aliens or humans from an underground world.”

-I can’t possible imagine it. Now, this is the next question. Recently the popularity of the Awakened in the entertainment industry is soaring high into the sky. How do you see this?

“A good phenomenon. The Awakened are still people. We suddenly went through a change but we still have emotions. I hope you look at us without any discrimination.”

-I understand. Then I will finally get down to business. 12 people have succeeded in capturing the 1st floor?

“They are the elite 12 members of my guild so capturing the 1st floor with a strategy wasn’t that difficult. It was more difficult finding a way. We spent a whole week finding the path to the 2nd floor.”

-Amazing. I know how scary the creatures in the dungeons are from looking at the videos. They are horrible looking and cruel so it is unbelievable that you can easily hunt them. Are there many differences between the 1st and 2nd floor?

“Orcs appear. The size is 1.5 times larger and it has the nose of a pig. The thick muscles and tough leather means that we almost died several times. Other than that, treasures are hidden all over the place. A scroll that allows you to jump 500m at once, a leather pouch that allows items twice the size to enter, potions 10 times more effective than grinding up Cores, a sword with a rare rating…that is all on the 2nd floor.”

-Wah! The descriptions are really eye-opening! Does that mean the 2nd floor is a treasure trove?

“It could be seen that way. But we have to be careful. The orcs are really scary. They frightened me during my encounters with them. If I met them alone then I would instantly flee.”

-The creatures are so ugly that I don’t even want to see them in my dreams. Heaven’s Will guild master Kim Yong-woo, can you please say one final thing.

“Don’t panic if you one day awaken. I hope you think of it as a blessing. And there is a chance for everyone to receive a blessing. We are the protectors of humanity and also contribute to humanity’s development. The dungeon is a very dangerous place but humanity can use the knowledge to take on step further. It is over.”

The video went up on YouTube and the interview spread all over the world. It achieved 300 million views and foreign news media aired it with subtitles.

The thought of treasure being found in the dungeon in South Korea naturally made people go crazy.

Due to this, South Korea became even more aware of the Awakened. They were looked upon very favourable, except for the sports industry.

Heroes. The guardians of humanity.

The power of those words was beyond imagination. The Cores were used to cure some terminally ill patients and was successful in giving the Awakened a good image.

There were also devices that utilized the actual Core and there were heated debates about the importance of the Awakened.

Foreign celebrities were among the travellers heading towards South Korea. The only thing on their mind were the treasures unearthed in South Korea.

Korea became the subject of the world’s interest!

At its heart was Heaven’s Will.

And behind that…a man by the name of Randalph Brigsiel.

***

There was a strange atmosphere during the meeting at the guild house of Heaven’s Will. A total of 45 people were staring blankly at the man at the entrance.

There was silence for a while. Even the sound of saliva being swallowed died. There was tension in their faces.

1 second felt like an eternity.

The man moved. The man that held the room’s attention opened the door to the guild master’s room.

After a while, the silence was broken. They could barely keep their senses.

“My house, my house.”

“I can’t lose my composure. What is his identity?”

“Just because he succeeded in the raid. Anyone could…this dirty South Korea.”

Little by little, there was the sound of complaints. Most of them were from people that just joined the guild. They dreamed of going on a formal raid but the guild chose depending on their performance so far.

“Sunbae-nim. Is that guy really that good?”

Eventually, one of the new members couldn’t tolerate it any longer and asked a muscular man sharpening his weapon.

He was one of the 12 elite members that attacked the 1st floor in Heaven’s Will.

“How many times have I told you? He is someone who defeated the orcs. If it wasn’t for him then we would have been wiped out.”

“I can’t believe it. He doesn’t look like it….”

The muscular man frowned.

“I assure you, no one here can beat the orcs in a one on one fight. That man did it. He took on 2~5 of them alone.”

“Does that mean even Sunbae-nim can’t win against the orcs?”

“The orcs are enemies that protagonists in fantasy novels often face. The kobolds and goblins aren’t their opponent. I would lose 8 out of 10 times if I fought them.”

The people who heard it couldn’t believe it.

The muscular man was considered as the top 5 powerhouses in the guild. Yet he said that he could only win 2 out of 10 times. They still weren’t convinced that the orcs were so strong.

All members of the guild wanted to participate in the 1st floor invasion. They had quietly waited for the top members of the guild to get some results.

But among them, a man they didn’t know had participated in the raid. He didn’t participate in any guild meetings so their nerves were scratched when he appeared.

Of course, the man was well known within the guild. They were aware that the guild master had gifted him with a Bugatti Veyron.

In contrast to their snobbish words, each one of them felt their spirit being crushed in front of a giant and felt a crushing pain in their stomach.

No matter how proficient they were, they had never seen something like him. The man proved his skills to the 11 people participating in the raid. And they kept repeating ‘excellent and ‘strong’ in regards to him.

Even an orc was no match. It was no wonder there were complaints.

“Skills are secondary. Is he making a personal raid group within the dungeon? He brought in a female manager and a woman cleaning the toilers…rather than a raid group, it is like he wants to create a flower garden.”

There was another problem.

The guild gathered the optimal personnel as needed to form raid groups. Now the man was creating a raid group with fixed members of the guild.

Making a raid group would create a fuss.

The separation of powers would affect the guild. The guild members wouldn’t just belong to the guild anymore. They could refuse the guild master’s commands and only move according to the direction of the raid captain.

There were many members that made a fuss.

Lee Ji-hye had been brought in as an outside manager. And he had taken a newly entered girl away. The guild’s new hire that had only been there for a month was snatched away like a falling fruit.

The man’s behaviour was just making a mockery of the guild’s traditions.

Thus there was talk that he planned to make his raid group a flower garden.

And the crucial cause of this turmoil…the fact that both women were beauties was to blame.

The muscular man stopped polishing his weapon and clicked his tongue.

“The leader has given his approval. We are not a mere guild.”

“I want to hear your thoughts.”

“This might not be a bad thing for the guild. He definitely has the skills. A skill with the rare rating is definitely worth investing in. I also believe in the results he has produced so far.”

“If Sunbae-nim says so. Ehyo!”

The guild members sighed as the muscular man shrugged.

“Think about it. We’ve cleared the 1st floor and established ourselves as South Korea’s number 1 guild. That means you will get benefits. The dungeons have appeared for 8 months and now you will have some opportunities to play. Why are baby chicks acting so impatient?”

There were standard requirements.

A much smaller number of monsters now existed on the 1st floor of the dungeon. Information arrived that they were disappearing here and there. The reliability was 99.9%. It was good news.

“Our chance has come?”

All the guild members hoped to explore the 2nd floor of the dungeon. They didn’t think the chance would come easily.

The personnel who participated in the raid all received tremendous rewards. The various treasures found on the 2nd floor transcended the rewards received by killing the creatures on the 1st floor.

The muscular man smiled.

“In the near future, 3 raid groups filled with 12 people each will be formed to explore the 2nd floor.It was originally scheduled to be announced a week later but it should be okay for me to tell you this.”

“Heok! Really?”

36 people would be mobilized for 3 raids filled with 12 people.

All the people who heard the story had wide eyes. The muscular man turned his head and calmly said to everyone who was listening to the story.

“So raise your skills. I’m saying this to all of you. Life is a battle. If something goes wrong then it will end at once. If you want to gain some achievements then build up your skills.”

“Ah…..”

“In that sense, do you want to participate in a 10 day special training?”

Flash!

Hands started to move like lightning.

“Me!”

“I’d like that very much, special training!”

The muscular man’s eyes shone.

“Express hell training. You can’t mess around. If you’re not good enough then you will die. Do you still want to go?”

It was like cold water had been poured on a wildfire.

Hell training. He aimed to show them the real hell.

“Those who want to go, follow me.”

The muscular man stood up with his weapon.

He was one of the 12 members who participated in the raid with Randalph Brigsiel. He was convinced that only the strong could live in the future.

He had been moving at a lukewarm pace. Continuing to the 2nd and 3rd floor of the dungeon. He didn’t stand a chance with his state right now.

‘I’ve been too complacent with my skills. It has been a few months at best….’

An example of the strong becoming lazy.

But there was a strong man in the guild he wanted to follow.

A wall.

And he would go beyond that wall.

‘Huhu!’

The muscular man, Kim Tae-hwan.

He was a man who would laugh while jumping into hellfire.

***

“The outside is quite noisy.”

I said to Kim Yong-woo after hearing the noise outside from the sealed room.

Kim Yong-woo just laughed while raiding my proposal about establishing a raid group.

“There are multiple times when they are noisy. Thanks to Randalph-nim clearing the 1st floor, you are now a perfect target. The time of your proposal….”

“A festival.”

There were no festivals in the Demon World. They divided the spoils of victory and enjoyed the atmosphere but they didn’t have any idea of the concept itself.

In that sense, a human festival was very lively.

“Are you interested? In fact, I would have rented a huge hall sooner or later. It is pretty fun.”

Despite being a miser, Kim Yong-woo wrote something down. He was using his position as a guild master.

I shook my head.

“That’s okay. Rather, just make sure that there is no problem with the proposal passing.”

Kim Yong-woo scanned it and roughly shook his head.

“You don’t want it formally?”

“Still, it is good to get things straight.”

“Hrmm…there is no problem with the proposal itself. I’ve already heard about an independent raid group that only focuses on attacking dungeons.”

It was the first time I submitted official documents but the story of the raid I was creating had already spread through the guild. The speed at which the issue spread through the guild had spread beyond imagination.

Kim Yong-woo looked at the proposal and muttered.

“The raid name ‘Devil Hunters’…somehow it reminds meof the black flame dragon.”

Devil Hunters. The name of the raid group would be reduced to D.H.

The name was a reminder of my goal to get rid of all the demons in the dungeons and to become the devil.

“There shouldn’t be any changes.”

“I think it looks great. Should I seal it now?”

Kim Yong-woo who had his attitude changed asked him. I nodded and Kim Yong-woo immediately stamped the proposal.

This was the moment that the raid group Devil Hunters was launched.

“How are you going to fill the other group? One manager and one new member. You are walking down a very hard path. Wouldn’t it help to recruit more influential people?”

Right now I was thinking about the future of the raid group. I intended to make the strongest raid group but had only found one appropriate person for it.

“My methods will take a bit of time. But I am confident they will become the strong raid group. It won’t be bad from the guild master’s position.”

It wasn’t bad for a guild to have many strong members.

Kim Yong-woo handed the proposal to me.

“I’m at your disposal. I am Randalph-nim’s faithful servant. I will follow Master-nim.”

“I never expected this when I rescued you.”

It was really surprising. I had been wandering the dungeon when I came across Kim Yong-woo and decided to help him. I hadn’t hoped for something like this.

Kim Yong-woo just grinned.

“Studying and social experience, I just used every chance I received to do well. Isn’t it thanks to Master-nim that I broke through the 1st floor? I don’t think my choice was wrong this time.”

Kim Yong-woo.

He thought he was an elephant. But he realized that he was lower than an ant. Instead, he decided to stand next to the elephant.

This was the secret of his life. Otherwise he wouldn’t have become the guild leader of one of Korea’s top 5 guilds.

I received the proposal and said.

“As long as you’re not pretending in order to stab me in the back, I will help you. I hope you made the right choice.”

“Ahh! Don’t say that even as a joke.”

Kim Yong-woo waved both his hands.

“Only you know whether it is a joke or not.”

I gave him advice just in case he was prepared to betray me. It was in order to properly scare him.

I turned my body.

The proposal was stamped so now I was going to plan my raid group.

“Will you participate in the festival?”

Kim Yong-woo asked before I opened the door.

“I will make a decision at the time.”

“Then I will send you the official documents when the schedule has been determined.”

“Thank you.”

“It is natural.”

Kim Yong-woo’s eyes blazed with his loyalty.

I ignored him and opened the door of the room.