Chapter 10
The second phase hadn’t even started yet.
But the mere fact that it was classified as S-Rank was enough to make the pressure weigh heavily on my skin.
I couldn’t stop trembling in fear.
It was despair.
I forced my frozen legs to move, stepping backward, but I only managed a few steps before the boiling slimes blocked my way.
The sole of my shoe melted slightly when it came into contact with a slime.
And the time left was merely—
[Time remaining: 9 seconds]
As the countdown ticked down, I snapped back to my senses.
I had to run now.
“Gasp!”
I hurriedly moved while carrying an employee on my shoulder. There was no time to explain or think.
Staying here would only lead to a meaningless death.
Every time I stepped on the slime, my shoe soles kept melting. My feet were getting hotter. But now wasn’t the time to worry about such things.
I had to get into the dungeon now. If I could just reach the subspace, I’d be safe.
I was just in front of the dungeon gate.
My eyes instinctively turned toward what lay beyond the dungeon gate.
“Waaah!”
“It-it’s okay. Mommy’s here.”
The child’s cry made me turn my head involuntarily.
It was that child from before. That mother.
And not just them.
Other people were trapped there too, unable to move, surrounded by the boiling slimes.
In the distance, I could see hunters hesitating to approach because of the sudden grade increase in the dungeon break.
No, most were running away. I couldn’t see anyone coming this way.
“…Is there no one who can help?”
I asked the staff as if seeking confirmation. I hoped for even the smallest possibility.
Hoping that an S-rank hunter would appear immediately and resolve this situation.
“Ev-everyone… High-ranking hunters are already in other d-dungeons.”
Her voice trembled so much she could barely get the words out.
But the meaning was clear.
Due to multiple gates, the higher-ranked hunters were already raiding dungeons.
There was no way a hunter capable of handling an S-rank dungeon break could come here right now.
[Time Remaining: 3 seconds]
Just 3 seconds. Not much time left.
If I went in now, I could live. The person next to me could live too.
But those people in front of me? They would surely die.
It was an undeniable fact.
[Time Remaining: 2 seconds]
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Once again… I felt so powerless, having to stand by and watch someone’s death. It was horrible.
I still hesitated, unable to take even a single step.
Even though there was nothing I could do. Stupidly.
[Time Remaining: 1 second]
I really had to go.
I moved my heavy feet.
However, I couldn’t enter the dungeon.
In the brief moment I closed and opened my eyes, a system window appeared in front of me.
It was nonsensical content.
[<Quest> “New skills are best when tested!”
: Use the subspace “Slurp!” skill.
▸ Reward: Second Phase Restriction]
It all happened in less than a second. I didn’t even have enough time to fully read it.
As soon as the quest appeared, another window popped up.
[Slurp! Who shall we slurp?
▸ Squishy Slime
*Slurp can only be applied to hunted specimens.]
What was the system thinking?
Then another window appeared.
[There is only one possible target. The target will be designated automatically.
Target: Squishy Slime]
Literally, Slurp!
Kyuu! With a short cry, the slimes were being sucked into subspace gates that had appeared everywhere.
The countless slimes that had emerged disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Only an empty park remained.
[Time Remaining: 0 seconds]
[Insufficient number of monsters to proceed to next phase.]
The message changed as time expired. It was a direction no one had expected.
[The second phase cannot continue. Terminating dungeon break.]
It was the final message.
The large system window of the dungeon break slowly faded away as if having completed its task.
I slowly turned my head in the suddenly quiet surroundings. Everyone was blankly staring at the vanished system window in the sky.
If it weren’t for the melted spots visible on the ground here and there, I might have thought this was all a dream.
That it never happened in the first place.
But this was reality.
It really had ended. We’d prevented the second phase.
The silence was brief.
I could hear people’s cheers. Everyone was rejoicing with tearful voices.
“H-how?”
Some were bewildered. Like the employee beside me who asked.
I couldn’t believe it either. To the point where I wasn’t sure if this was even allowed.
But results were results.
Haha. Overwhelmed by relief and surprise, I let out a hollow laugh.
“Did you really do that?”
“…. told you, didn’t I? I’m an actual hunter.”
Somehow it had been proven.
That I really had awakened—both to the employee and to myself.
Though it was an absurd ability for a skill obtained from killing just one slime.
The sound of ambulance sirens approached. Vehicles from the Dungeon Management Department followed.
The hunters who had fled earlier were slowly returning.
Though the situation was over, they lingered around, seemingly unable to believe the sudden end of the dungeon break.
“Well then, I’ll be going.”
I gave a slight bow to the staff.
My legs kept weakening as the tension drained away, but I had to force myself to stand.
This was really the last chance. The last opportunity to secretly enter the dungeon.
There were many eyes watching, but the gate was right in front of me, so what could they do?
“What? W-wait!”
The staff tried to stop me again, but I turned away from her. I couldn’t let myself be caught again.
There was no hesitation. My fingertips and toes touched the gate, and soon my head passed through.
The scene inside the gate came into view. It was a dungeon with a deep purple sky.
And then, grab! I felt someone grasp the back of my neck. Huh?
“Gak!”
Before I could get my remaining foot through the gate, I was sent flying. I was pulled out of the gate while being held by my neck.
“Ugh!”
Caught off guard, I couldn’t even properly resist and had to land on my bottom.
What the hell? I jerked my head up while rubbing my backside.
My voice raised automatically at such rude behavior.
“What are you do—hup.”
But my words couldn’t continue.
I thought the staff had panicked and pulled me out. But that wasn’t it.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
It was a voice filled with sharp edges.
Startled, I could only stare up at him.
Snow-white hair changed by his unique characteristic. Sharp-looking eye-smile.
Baek Hwan. Rank 2.
And also, the guild master of the guild Shin Yeoul belonged to.
I couldn’t hide my bewilderment at the sudden appearance of such a big shot.
Though his eyes were smiling, somehow his expression felt cold.
I had a bad feeling.
Baek Hwan grabbed my neck.
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. It felt like being bitten by a snake.
He quietly asked me.
“Where is Shin Yeoul.”
Sweat dripped down my forehead.
The rank 2 hunter was asking me about the whereabouts of rank 1.
What? Ah~ Well, somehow I ended up imprisoning him. Haha.
Say that and my head might roll.
✦✦✦
Baek Hwan.
A title well-suited to his distinctive white hair. ‘Angel’, called God’s proxy.
It was his unique characteristic.
Just like my title was Subspace Administrator.
But what was in front of me now was no angel… more like a devil.
[You’ve frozen from the opponent’s pressure!
*Due to a significant stats difference, all resistance to the opponent is nullified.]
It was threatening from the moment we met.
It reminded me of when I encountered Shin Yeoul in the subspace.
From grabbing the neck to being wary and pressuring me on sight—how similar they were. Was this some guild specialty?
“Uh, um….”
I managed to squeeze out a word.
But my voice wouldn’t come out well under the heavy air pressing down on my whole body.
The employee standing right beside me couldn’t even approach. And the same was true for everyone around.
It was truly a humbling one-on-one with an S-rank.
What should I do?
There were only eight S-ranks in the whole country.
My mind was gradually going blank. This clearly wasn’t a friendly situation for me.
Could he be thinking I did something to Shin Yeoul?
If I had just one minute, no, even 30 seconds, I could explain this whole situation.
It was maddening. In my frustration, my eyes kept turning toward the dungeon.
“Hey. Why do you keep looking at the dungeon? Trying to escape?”
Baek Hwan spoke as if dumbfounded.
“But you know what? Let me give you some advice—that wouldn’t be wise.”
“N-no, I’m not trying to escape—”
I opened my mouth to explain the situation. But before I could finish-
“Save the excuses.”
Crack. Baek Hwan cut off my words and immediately crushed a teleport stone.
“This isn’t the place for our conversation anyway.”
The surroundings changed in an instant.
Huh…?
🌱
Thank you for reading! ♡
