Seoul Station’s Necromancer Chapter 48:
Chapter 48 – Dungeon Break(2)
Woo-soonghoon didn’t drive his car straight to Daegoo . Woojin was taken to Seoul’s Roused Management Bureau . The building next to the Management Bureau was the headquarters for the Special Defense Brigade . They were a branch of the Ministry of National Defense .
When Soonghoon stopped his car in front of the headquarters, a soldier was waiting in the front for them .
“It’s a pleasure to meet you . I am Lieutenant Che-haesol of the Special Defense Brigade”
“Pleased to meet you . My name is Kang-woojin . ”
After greeting Woojin, Che-haesol looked towards Woo-soonghoon .
“I will be the one guiding you now . Your companion may return . ”
“Go . ”
“Yes, president . ”
Woojin followed after Che-haesol, and he was guided into the headquarters . The Special Defense Brigade was an army unit, but they didn’t seem too stiff . The passerbys wore military uniforms, but it felt like he had stepped into a normal company .
“So, do I have to go greet the general?”
“No . After handling several administrative businesses, we will leave immediately . We don’t have a lot of time, so I’ll brief you on the go . ”
“Sure . Whatever . ”
Woojin was led by Lieutenant Che-haesol, and he had to take several tests . They checked his eyesight, and his blood was drawn .
Woojin had to make several demonstrations of his abilities, and he also gave descriptions of his abilities .
Haesol smiled as she spoke to Woojin .
“Mr . Woojin is quite unusual . ”
“In what way?”
“Normally, Roused don’t like their blood drawn . They also avoid talking about their own abilities . ”
“Is that so? Wouldn’t you have to know what my abilities are to make plans for the joint operation?”
Wasn’t it a standard procedure to find out the allied force’s power?
Haesol laughed .
“I would like it if all Roused thought like Mr . Woojin . . ”
If the Roused cooperated without a fuss, then how great would it be? The army had a very difficult time handling the existences called the Roused .
“All right . We’ll be moving now . I will also guide you to Daegoo . ”
“Ok . ”
Woojin tilted his head in confusion when he saw the offical vehicle on standby inside the parking lot .
“Are we going by car?”
“Yes . We mobilize by car . ”
“Isn’t there going to be a Dungeon Break? Aren’t we in a hurry?”
Woojin thought he would be riding a helicopter . However, he was going by car, so he couldn’t help but wonder . Haesol laughed as she opened the door to the back seat .
“To be precise, the Dungeon Break will happen 2 in the afternoon . I’ll give you the details when we are on the move . ”
“Sure . ”
Woojin took his seat and Lieutenant Che-haesol sat next to him .
“Let’s depart . ”
When the driver started up the car, Che-haesol started explaining the operation .
“All the locals have been evacuated 2 days ago . The inspection for the last stragglers will end today . The Break will happen tomorrow at 2:11 pm . The most common monster that will appear are goblins, and trolls . Moreover, a few ogres will show up . ”
“Uh? You already know what will show up?”
“Of course . The 6 star Dungeon’s Break happens when the attempt at clearing a Dungeon fails . ”
Woojin understood what had happened .
During a Dungeon raid, the Roused used the Return Portal to escape the Dungeon once they realized the Dungeon was beyond their power . When they escaped, they brought back information about what’s in the Dungeon .
“If it is happening tomorrow afternoon, we still have time left . Why aren’t we trying to clear it again?”
“What?”
Che-haesol was taken aback by Woojin’s question . She couldn’t help, but be puzzled when he asked a question about something that should be common sense .
“A return portal can be used 3 times to escape a Dungeon . On the 4th use, the portal itself won’t open . ”
“So?”
“Yes . Hwarang’s Vermillion team failed the Dungeon’s first raid . On the second run, Hwarang and KH combined to make a team, but they also failed . ”
On the 3rd try, we asked for cooperation from the Rank A Roused in Korea, but we failed in forming a team . We used a foreign Roused organization to form a team to challenge the Dungeon, but they also failed . It is impossible to make another attempt now . ”
“Hmmm . ”
“Moreover, all three teams failed at the entrance of the Dungeon . ”
“…?”
The portal can be made to escape the Dungeon, and one had to use the same Dungeon portal to re-enter it . It was a type of save point .
They were able to step in at where the last team left . However, all three team had failed . It meant the difficulty of this Dungeon was unimaginable .
“If it is that difficult, then wouldn’t it be very dangerous?”
Haesol nodded her head in a solemn manner .
“Doesn’t the terrain have a huge influence on the difficulty of the Dungeon? This Dungeon was also largely affected by the terrain . ”
“Do you have any detailed information on the Dungeon?”
“What? The Dungeon will Break soon…”
The Dungeon Break will happen .
The battlefield will switch from inside the Dungeon to the outside . If the Dungeon was the monster’s home field, then the land outside the Dungeon was the earthling’s home field . They would receive help from modern technology that couldn’t be used inside the Dungeon . The humans held a large advantage outside in defeating the monsters .
In the beginning, humans hadn’t been prepared for the Dungeon Break . However, there were almost no civilian casualties now . Still, the property damage was immense…
“The ogres are a problematic since they have high resistance . Still, a 12 . 7mm NATO ammo works on them . ”
“Then why did you call me?”
“What? I’m not really sure…”
“When will we arrive there?”
“We’ll arrive around 7 . You can have some dinner then you can rest at the hotel . We’ll move to the area of operation at 10 in the morning tomorrow . ”
Woojin rubbed his chin . If it’s ogres, it might be worth trying…
“Are the information about the Dungeon a secret?”
“Mmm . It’s not . Information about Dungeons are usually released to everyone on principle . ”
Even if the bloodstone companies are deeply involved with wanting to clear the Dungeons, foremost, it was a work done to protect cities, and nations . Monopolizing of information happened, but it was extremely rare .
“Can you find some for me?”
“Mmmm . All right . ”
Lieutenant Che-haesol called somewhere, then she answered Woojin
“You’ll be able to read it immediately when we arrive there . ”
“All right . Thank you . ”
Woojin looked out the window for awhile . Then he leaned his seat back, and he closed his eyes . It was a luxury car, so it was very comfortable . Moreover, the driver drove the car very smoothly .
When Woojin crossed his arms and closed his eyes, Lieutenent Che-haesol didn’t speak to him any further .
*
“We’ve arrived . ”
“Thank you for your hard work . ”
Woojin’s eyes opened almost at the same time as when the car stopped . He looked outside the window, and he saw a very subdued and quiet city . It reminded him of a ghost city .
“Where are we?”
“We are in front of the command and control center . ”
Woojin glanced up, and he saw a sign for a specialty coffee shop .
“After we meet the commander, we’ll go to the hotel?”
“Yes, sir . There are other Roused dispatched here . Would you like to greet them??”
“I’ll do that . Where is the data?”
“Ah . It’ll be delivered here soon . ”
“If you are going to give it me, please print it out . ”
“Yes . We’ll do so . ”
Woojin entered the cafe, and the 50th divisional commander was waiting for him . It seemed he was notified Woojin was coming . The divisional commander requested a handshake .
“I’m the 50th divisional commander . I’m manager Lee-joonae . ” (TLN: he’s speaking in a dialect)
“My name is Kang-woojin . ”
When Woojin copied Lee-joontae’s accent, his eyebrows twitched .
“I’m reassured by the fact you came here . After you hear my brief overview of the operation, you can go greet the other Roused . ”
“Understood . ”
Contrary to manager Lee-joontae’s words, his faced indicated that he wasn’t too thrilled with the other allies joining up with his troops .
The divisional commander left since he showed his face to Woojin, and the other Roused scattered around the cafe caught Woojin’s eyes .
“I am the Operation command assistant, Major Kim-joonyong . I’ll be explaining our operation . ”
Kim-joonyong started explaining about how they will clear the monsters tomorrow . They will set a line centered around the Joonjuk station, and they’ll lay down a concentrated fire when the monsters come out . Then they’ll fortify the 2nd and 3rd lines .
The air force planes will deal with the flying monsters, and they will also lay down support fire . All the civilians had been given eviction orders, and they had all been evacuated .
After the 1st barricade was destroyed, the Roused was in charge of blocking the monster from reaching the 2nd line . When the 2nd line was breached, the Roused had the autonomy to hunt the monsters by themselves .
“We’ve read the Dungeon Energy, and I think we will be able to protect the 2nd line . However, we don’t have any information on the final monster, so please be ready for the a variable . ”
The Dungeon raid finished in the early stages, so they didn’t have any information on the final monsters .
“A more detailed instructions will be delivered tomorrow at 10 am . ”
“Yes . Thank you . ”
“Then please go greet the other Roused . .
When Woojin turned his head, he saw every Roused staring at him . If one discounted the military and guild association, the total number of Roused participating in this operation was 480 .
Amongst them, there were 30 Roused who were at least Rank B .
An upwards of 20 people that were part of that group was inside the cafe . The rest were resting in the hotel .
Korea’s 11th Rank A Roused .
There were a lot of people curious about Kang-woojin .
Moreover, there was also an acquaintance there .
A bobbed-haired beauty walked towards Woojin .
“Glad to see you . ”
“All right . ”
“We’ve seen each other before . ”
“Where?”
“Seoul National University’s 6th exit . ”
“…?”
Woojin expression indicated she was talking nonsense, so the bobbed-haired beauty introduced herself while frowning .
“I’m the team leader of Hwarang guild’s Vermillion team . My name is Lee-yunhwee . ”
Surprisingly, Lee-yunhwee was the Roused representative of the Hwarang guild . She would be participating in the operation .
“Ok . Nice to see you . ”
After a brief greeting, Woojin received the bundle of documents brought to him just in time by Haesol . A rough map of the Dungeon, information on the monsters that showed up, and a detailed information of the Dungeon was spelled out in the documents .
“Thank you . ”
“Yes . If you need anything else, please talk to me . Your hotel room number is 502 . ”
After receiving the key, Woojin skimmed over the bundle of documents . Then he rolled it up, and he stabbed it into his pocket .
‘It’s worth a shot . ’
Woojin left the cafe . Lee-yunhwee, who had been by his side, clenched her fists as it trembled in anger .
“Did he just ignore me?”
When Lee-yunhwee started to shake, the members of the Vermillion team quickly came over to calm her down .
“Please calm down . ”
“Kids these days lack self-awareness . He probably thinks he is the best since he is a Rank A Roused . ”
“Hehe . Team leader should be patient . His high nose won’t last long . ”
Lee-yunhwee fanned her red face .
“Ho-ooh . ”
She took out her phone to find her oppa’s number, then she pressed the call button .
[Hello?]
“Why did you call him here?”
[Who are you talking about?]
“The **** who stole the Dungeon last time . ”
[Huh huh . Mr . Kang-woojin? I want you to observe him . Moreover, I want you to build up some goodwill with him . I purposefully brought him in to participate in this operation . ]
“What if I don’t want to be friendly with him?”
[Ah . Why are you being like this again? Just observe him closely . Try to see what ability he uses, and how well he controls his power . See if he has any unusual habits . ]
“Hooo . Why didn’t you assign this to someone else?“
Hwarang’s guild master Lee-sahngho spoke after he cleared his throat .
[I’m not asking you as your oppa . I am ordering you as the Hwarang’s guild master . Gather as much information on the Roused Kang-woojin . ]
Lee-yunhwee’s brow furrowed when she heard his serious voice .
“I’m quitting the guild . Keep up the good work, **** of an oppa . You always make me do the annoying assignments . ”
[Uh uh? Why are you being like this again, Yunhwee? Oppa is… . ]
Ddoo-ooh .
She ended the call in a temper . Lee-yunhwee exited the cafe’s entrance with a frown on her face .
“Uh? Where did he go?”
Lee-yunhwee couldn’t locate Kang-woojin, so she asked a soldier near her .
“Where did Mr . Kang-woojin go?”
“He said he wants to look around the site, so he went there . ”
Wasn’t the Dungeon going to break loose tomorrow anyways? Why would he want to go there?
“Do you mind if I use one of your vehicles??”
“What? Yes, sir . We’ll prepare one soon . ”
Lee-yunhwee got on the military owned vehicle in front of the hotel, then she headed towards Jookjun station’s 3rd exit . There weren’t any cars on the road, and she drove by tanks from time to time .
When she got closer to the subway station, she saw barricades, tanks, and machine guns placed in buildings . When she arrived at the first line, it was filled with soldiers on-guard .
After exiting the vehicle at the 1st line of defense, Lee-hyunhwee walked towards the problematic subway station, which was 4 blocks away . The surrounding high-rise buildings had been demolished for a better line of sight . However, they hadn’t cleared the debris, so the surrounding was cluttered with debris .
The Dungeon entrance had been protected from the effects of the explosions, and Kang-woojin was standing in front of a strangely colored portal .
“Hey . ”
“What?”
Lee-yunhwee face crumpled at Kang-woojin’s answer . She always heard from others she was rude, but it felt weird meeting someone who was more rude than her .
“Why did you come here?”
“Why would I come to a Dungeon? I’m here to clear it . ”
Yunhwee was surprised by Woojin’s words .
“You are mad . ”
Woojin laughed .
He wasn’t crazy . This place had a lot of EXP and Achievement Points . It was crazy to make the 3 battle lines outside, and it would be crazy for him to share the monsters with the soldiers and the Roused .
Lee-yunhwee realized Woojin wasn’t making a joke with his laughter . She approached him .
“A . . are you crazy? What can you do by yourself? If you go in, you won’t be able to use the portal again . ”
He wasn’t going to use it . He won’t use the portal to exit the Dungeon . He’ll break through the barrier using the the Return Stone .
“Hey . Hey . Try thinking logically . Even if the monsters pop out, we can kill all of them if we work with the soldiers . So why do this? Are you thinking about making a noble sacrifice for your line? Hey, wake up . No one will care what you did if you die . ”
What nonsense . He wasn’t making a sacrifice for his line . (TLN: family line)
The monsters will be sacrificed for his benefit .
Lee-yunwee was surprised when Woojin took a step forward .
“Are you really crazy? You’ll die if you go in!”
“Ah . You are being really noisy . ”
Woojin tilted his head as he looked at Lee-hyunhwee’s ghastly face .
“A small fry will always live like a small fry . ”
Woojin took another step, and he was swallowed up by the Portal .
The portal emitted a loud light as it pulsed .
The portal will disappear in 30 seconds .
“Wa-ah . You crazy son of a bitch!”
Lee-yunhwee suddenly screamed out loud .
“Wa . Bat **** crazy **** . That completely **** **** . ”
She had only met him for couple of minutes, but he made a very strong impression on her . This was the first time she had met someone like him . Moreover, his sneer at the end filled the inside of Lee-yunhwee’s head .
Think logically Lee-yunhwee . Don’t be impulsive right now .
“That crazy son of a **** . Ah ah . That **** should really be killed with a bullet to the head . ”
Portal will disappear . 5 seconds, 4 seconds, 3 seconds .
“That crazy son of a **** . ”
Lee-yunhwee threw her body towards the portal .