BRH 20

Kwaang-!!

A deafening roar erupted as hard objects collided, sending dust scattering in all directions. Ha Do-heon didn’t even glance back, smashing through the wall and fleeing the building. He pumped his legs like a madman, tearing through the alleyways.

If Moon Tae-yi possessed an ounce of common sense, he wouldn’t chase after him for the sake of some survivor left in a derelict building. He had to believe that. He just had to…

But what if he… lacked common sense?

Ha Do-heon felt the presence hot on his heels and was filled with dread. At this rate, he’d be caught for sure, and his face would be exposed for all to see. There was no other choice. Ha Do-heon gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.

[Aberrant Cell Release 1%.]

He focused the Aberrant Cells on his legs, boosting his speed. He wished he could just go home, but Moon Tae-yi would undoubtedly track him down. That meant Ha Do-heon had only one place to go.

He leaped over walls and rooftops with incredible speed. Ordinary people wouldn’t be able to catch even a glimpse of Ha Do-heon’s legs, no matter how hard they stared.

He finally arrived at his destination, panting for breath. It was the bustling district of Hoehyeon-dong, as lively as Hongdae even at night. In other words… the Yakum Dungeon commercial district, swarming with Hunters.

“Hey, what’s that?”

“Crazy, I can’t even see his legs!”

“Perv, it’s a pervert!”

Each time he paused on a building, people shrieked and pointed, but Ha Do-heon was too terrified of Moon Tae-yi’s pursuit to even register that they were talking about him.

And then, he finally reached the Yakum Dungeon-.

[Entering ‘The First Nurturing Dungeon Designed by ■■’.]

[The name of ‘The First Nurturing Dungeon Designed by ■■’ has been changed to ‘Yakum Dungeon’ due to oral tradition.]

[Please specify the number of entrants for ‘Yakum Dungeon’.]

“One person, one person! Hurry, quickly.”

There’s a monster coming after me!

At the entrance of the Yakum Dungeon, Ha Do-heon frantically pounded on the iron door’s handle. He didn’t have time to pay attention to the unfamiliar messages. The dungeon, having confirmed the number of entrants due to his urgent pleas, opened its doors. Ha Do-heon didn’t hesitate, throwing himself into the blinding light.

Kwaang!

Like a snake swallowing its prey, the Yakum Dungeon devoured the challenger and sealed shut without a gap.

“Hah… haah…”

Like a man who had battled fierce currents and finally reached land, Ha Do-heon collapsed onto all fours as soon as he entered the dungeon, gasping for breath. His limbs trembled as if he had run thousands of kilometers.

Unlike dungeons that appeared in the city center, the Yakum Dungeon separated challengers into teams and assigned them to different rooms. That meant that even if Moon Tae-yi entered the dungeon, the chances of him encountering Ha Do-heon were close to zero.

Why? Because the Yakum Dungeon never allowed challengers to meet. Moreover, the first floor of the dungeon had 3,000 different terrains.

With one of those 3,000 terrains randomly assigned, the probability of Moon Tae-yi finding Ha Do-heon was slim.

“Ah, I left Lime behind…”

Lime could find its way home, so there was nothing to worry about, but the Hunter he had entrusted to Lime was the problem. Still, Lime was a sensible monster… wouldn’t it take him back to the memorial hall?

The problem was…

“What about me?”

Ugh…. Ha Do-heon buried his face in his hands, imagining the terrifying Moon Tae-yi waiting for him outside. He was trapped in the dungeon, unable to go anywhere.

If Ren were here, he could create a Gate to his apartment, but they were out on a mission for Ha Do-heon, away from the Boss Castle.

Ah… so this is how karma comes back to bite you. My life….

“…I have to go home.”

After crouching on the ground for a long time, Ha Do-heon finally stood up, as if he had made a decision.

Alright, I’ll break through this and go to the Boss Castle!

He hadn’t entered the Yakum Dungeon as a challenger since his regression, but who was Ha Do-heon? He was the Boss of the Yakum Dungeon.

Unlike his aimless wandering in his past life, the current Yakum Dungeon had a structure where he could reach the Boss Castle by clearing only 10 floors. The five gates on the 10th floor were even his subordinates, so he could pass through without fighting.

“Let’s just go to the Boss Castle… just to the Boss Castle.”

He resolved to clear the dungeon in the shortest possible time. Okay, no more than one minute per dungeon. As soon as he cleared the dungeon and reached the Boss Castle, he would use a ‘Gate’ to quietly return to his apartment, hug Lime, and sleep soundly.

That’s it.

Ha Do-heon, who had regained his energy, strode into the dungeon with determination. As he disappeared into the dark cave entrance, a framework began to rise from his back.

However, Do-heon didn’t know that that day would be the day of the most shameful dark history in Ha Do-heon’s life.

---

In a dimly lit conference room, the personal information of six people was displayed on the wall by a beam projector. The people seated in the conference room were research institute staff, key figures, and related personnel, all of whom were staring at the data with serious expressions.

“These six are the most likely candidates to be designated as raiders in the Namyangju Upgraded Dungeon. Among them, there is one Hunter who has participated in all the dungeons with recent fast clears and high survival rates. Please look here.”

The man pressed the remote control of the beam projector, and the personal information of one man was arranged with a photo. It was a surveillance photo taken by Hunters who had recently been tailing him.

“The subject’s name is ‘Ha Do-heon,’ and according to the personal information registered with the Hunter Management Bureau, he is 23 years old this year. Dungeons that include Ha Do-heon Hunter are usually cleared quickly and have a particularly high survival rate. Of course, most of them are Rank 2 dungeons, so please understand that survival rate here means ‘degree of injury.'”

The man, Hui-seong, asked for understanding. Strangely, he was wearing an eyepatch and a mask that covered one eye at this serious meeting, but no one cared.

“I heard there was a ‘weapon’ found in the dungeon. What are the results of the analysis?”

“The analysis is already complete.”

Hui-seong pressed the remote control to switch the screen to the next page. Ha Do-heon’s photo was pushed back, and a photo and personal information of a menacing-looking B-Rank Hunter filled the screen.

“The owner of the weapon was B-Rank Hunter Jang Yi-seok, who belonged to the raid team. However, as a result of the investigation, Jang Yi-seok was injured and poisoned with a deadly poison at the time when the Double Dungeon occurred, and he was unconscious. It is presumed that someone picked up the weapon and used it instead.”

Click-

The screen switched to another scene again. At the same time, people sighed.

A gaping pit. The conference room was silent at the sight of the photo of the inside of the cave, where the entire joint had been blown away and cracked. Unless they were an S-Rank Hunter, such an attack would have been impossible. No, as of now, there was no Hunter who could produce such destructive power except for Moon Tae-yi.

“…Are you sure Moon Tae-yi Hunter was in a Rank 4 dungeon at that time?”

“Yes. We have confirmed it through the testimonies of people around him and the body cam that was sent. Moon Tae-yi Hunter is not involved in this incident. Also, as a result of the weapon analysis, coincidentally… we were unable to identify the Hunter.”

“Did you fail to collect it?”

Someone frowned and asked. It was the leader of the dungeon support field team. Hui-seong, who received the question, stared at the man and shook his head. Click, when he pressed the remote control, a photo with a DNA structure drawn on it appeared on the screen.

However, it was clearly different from the generally known DNA structure. What was known was a double helix twisted upwards, but this was impossible-.

“As you can see, fingerprint and DNA extraction were successful. However, the nucleus of the cell does not match humans, animals, plants, or anything else in this world.”

A bud, with hundreds of branches extending from it like blood vessels, forming a kaleidoscope-like DNA structure. Hundreds and thousands of them were intertwined, holding hands with each other. Like a tightly woven net.

People were stunned and opened their mouths. The fingerprint attached together also formed a structure similar to the DNA. A fingerprint that was not human. It was like thousands of whirlpools forming and crossing in the sea.

At that time, Hui-seong took off the mask he was wearing. The research institute staff member, who had been sitting with his arms crossed, widened his eyes.

Hey, hey! What are you doing taking that off! The treatment effect will decrease-!

Ignoring the researcher who was fidgeting in his seat, Hui-seong stared at each of the people who were rolling their eyes.

“As you may have noticed, it’s similar to my DNA structure.”

The intricate scale pattern of a reptile covered his cheeks where the mask had been. The reactions of the people in the conference room varied.

“It is believed that the opponent is a Hunter infected with Aberrant Cells like me. And I believe there is a suspected person among the people investigated by the Hunter Management Bureau.”

The beam projector returned to the beginning again. No, to the person he showed at the very beginning.

‘Ha Do-heon.’

“Let’s investigate this person.”

“Hunter Hui-seong? First, you need to get treatment, so put your mask back on. Ahem! I know that Hunter Ha Do-heon has already been investigated, so stop nagging and look for other guys.”

The research institute staff member got up, smiled amiably, and approached Hunter Hui-seong. He quickly put the mask on him and glared at him. Just try to take it off, and I’ll smash your head.

Hui-seong flinched for a moment at the terrifying gaze and obediently pulled the mask up to his eyes.

“Well… Hunter Hui-seong’s words make sense, but the problem is that there’s nothing to find even if you shake that friend Ha Do-heon. So what is it? It means there’s nothing. I’ve looked at it so hard, but hey… it’s a waste of time.”

The working team leader scratched his chin and answered insincerely. When it came to the investigation of Ha Do-heon, he had essentially requested the Taerang Guild and sat down waiting for a report.