NOVEL WEB Chapter 24
Dungeons can mainly be divided into [Erosion] dungeons and [Gate] dungeons.
If you get into the specifics, there are various types of dungeons, but the two fundamental types are the one-way [Gate Dungeon] and the two-way [Erosion Dungeon].
A Gate Dungeon is a dungeon where humans can enter through a specific gate or coordinate.
It forms when the spatial coordinates warp, creating a dungeon in that area, where it appears normal on the outside, and monsters can’t escape. Regular people who haven’t awakened can’t even enter, while real-life hunters and awakened individuals can open the gates and take whatever they want.
However, there’s a thorough classification based on danger levels, and typically, hunters must report to the Hunter Association or Management Bureau before entering to claim any dungeon loot.
If you enter a dungeon without reporting, it’s regarded as an unvisited dungeon, and even if hunters hunt monsters inside, it’s treated as an ‘accident’ for deaths that occur.
Of course, the Management Bureau doesn’t enforce penalties for entering a Gate Dungeon without a report, but technically, tackling a dungeon without notifying is treated like illegal hunting, and there’s a possibility of all dungeon loot being confiscated.
So sometimes, ‘unfortunate’ accidents happen in dungeons.
Moreover, it’s impossible to escape until the dungeon boss is defeated, and once it is, the dungeon collapses anywhere from 1 hour to 24 hours later.
The dungeon where Yeonhwa and Shia previously cooked the Black Minotaur was a Gate Dungeon, and the one where Yeonhwa lost her sister long ago was also a Gate Dungeon.
Therefore, rescue operations involve AI drones aiding hunters who send out distress signals to pinpoint suitable hunters who storm in to rescue and tackle the dungeon boss.
As a result, most times, the dungeons where high-grade rescue hunters are deployed are often Gate Dungeons where escape isn’t freely allowed.
Once the rescue hunters barge in, all loot and rewards for tackling the dungeon go to the rescue hunters, so unless lives are in danger, hunters are quite reluctant to send out distress signals.
Two-way dungeons are also called Erosion Dungeons.
Regardless of whether the dungeon boss is defeated, you can come and go as you please, and unlike Gate Dungeons, these dungeons completely erode into reality, not collapsing even after defeating the boss.
Sometimes a dungeon boss is hunted in a Gate Dungeon, and while it’s collapsing, it may stop collapsing and turn into a permanent Erosion Dungeon.
In such cases, the dungeon is recognized as state-owned land or the person who conquered the dungeon may receive a certain percentage of the dungeon land.
For various reasons, Erosion Dungeons rated B-class or lower are seen as limitless treasures from the state’s standpoint.
With one skilled A-grade hunter, a B-grade dungeon can be cleared of all monsters and bosses, and even in an Erosion Dungeon where all monsters are hunted, it has its own unique ecosystem, almost like another world. If an intelligent race forms a civilization, the government often negotiates or interacts with them.
The mere existence of Erosion Dungeons expands the state’s territory.
However, just as hunters can freely enter, monsters can do the same, which is a critical issue in Erosion Dungeons.
In the past, an Erosion Dungeon called the [Goblin Empire] existed.
At that time, Yeonseo was abroad tackling S-grade dungeons, so when the Emperor Goblin led a massive invasion into the human realm, many people died, and multiple cities were pillaged.
In response, the Hunter Association dispatched expeditions, including S-grade hunters, to tackle the Goblin Empire, but many hunters perished, and the Emperor Goblin withdrew, severely injured, moving the entire dungeon with him.
While the invasion of the Goblin Empire was thwarted, the failure to kill the Emperor Goblin means the Hunter Association is vigilantly watching for any signs of a renewed attack.
Thus, from the perspective of the state and the Hunter Association, Erosion Dungeons are a double-edged sword.
Just as there are examples like the Goblin Empire, some intelligent monsters could use Erosion Dungeons as bases to invade the real world, killing people or posing threats to the state. Yet, the existence of Erosion Dungeons itself signifies growth in territory and endless resource harvesting, alongside loots from the infinitely respawning dungeon monsters.
Nevertheless, conversely, the dungeon could invade the human world, making Erosion Dungeons the highest priority for conquest from the state’s viewpoint.
And today, the Mangja Seongnyeo Shia was stepping into an Erosion Dungeon and A-grade dungeon, the Wyvern Breeding Ground.
Originally, she intended to go to the dungeon with Yeonhwa, but now Shia was operating under a ‘temporary Hunter license’.
To maintain her temporary Hunter license, she had to complete missions alone without a party, and among the special missions, she chose the ‘Wyvern Breeding Ground’.
“Wow. This place is pretty big?”
The Wyvern Breeding Ground is an Erosion Dungeon located near Gyeryongsan.
The official name of the dungeon is [Kurtala Mountains], and the gate is managed by the Gyeryongdae Support Unit and the 2nd Military Police Battalion in cooperation with the Hunter Association.
Shia took a self-propelled high-speed train from Seoul Station to Gyeryong Station and arrived early in the morning, seeing several soldiers on vacation or officers heading out for business.
By the way, it was also fun to see the transformed landscape of the country from the train.
“Maybe because it’s Gyeryongdae, but there are a lot of stars here.”
In Shia’s vague old memories, she should have completed her military service, but she couldn’t remember what it was like.
Wait a minute, does the military still have mandatory service even in this hunter world?
“I should ask Yeonhwa later.”
It wasn’t hard to climb the winding mountain paths.
Her smart watch provided navigation like a GPS, and although civilians couldn’t access internal military maps, it seemed hunters were an exception.
After quite a while walking up the mountain, a checkpoint exuding a military base feel appeared.
Tsk, poor kids. Even in 2088, military police are still guarding checkpoints with helmets and guns; this place is Gyeryongdae with its twinkling stars.
You could see a single star or two just like neighborhood uncles passing by, ready for a ‘Did that soldier’s training slip a bit?’ physical storm.
“Loyalty, there will be a brief inspection…”
“Whoa, crazy…?”
“…?”
The two military police officers trying to inspect her suddenly froze, as if struck by a curse of petrification.
Oh dear, they look quite tired… It seems the military can easily turn a perfectly fine person into a slouch.
[Miracle - Great Healing]
“Gah!?”
“Wow, what… what’s happening?”
Seeing they looked exhausted, she cast a small healing spell, causing both to be taken aback.
Still, their fatigue should have been washed away; are they sensing it now?
“You looked really tired… Was that an unnecessary intervention?”
“N-no, no. I apologize. I’m Corporal Yoon Hyo-jun! If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask what business you have here?”
It’s the first time seeing a guard so keen on emphasizing their name.
“I’m Hunter Isia. I’ve come for the Wyvern Breeding Ground subjugation mission. I believe the Hunter Association has already informed you?”
“Understood. Please wait a moment. What are you doing, you idiot? Hurry, check the instructions and come back!”
“Y-yes! I’m sorry! I’ll be right back!”
He appeared to be a corporal and his junior.
The junior even looked dazed, unable to say anything for a while after looking at her… Time passes, but the military remains the same, it seems.
“Hey, don’t be too hard on them.”
“Ah, no, not at all!”
“Corporal Yoon Hyo-jun! Identity has been confirmed! The Hunter Association has allowed entry for Hunter Isia to the Kurtala Mountains!”
“Yes, identity confirmed. Uh, um…”
“Yes?”
“Is this your first time here?”
“Yes, it is. I just got my Hunter license yesterday.”
Although it was her first time, Shia couldn’t help but wonder what he wanted to say as the soldier’s gaze drifted slightly downward.
Ah, well… sure.
If he’s a guy, it’s only natural.
I also know how pretty I, the Mangja Seongnyeo Shia, am.
Excluding the fact that my skin is excessively pale, the Seongnyeok pouch is quite ample, so any guy would be unable to resist gazing.
“If it wouldn’t be an imposition, could you guide me to the gate of Kurtala Mountains?”
“Isn’t that dereliction of duty? You’re on guard duty, aren’t you?”
I’m pretty sure guards are not allowed to stray from their posts…
“Cough… I’m not strictly on watch duty; I’m just here as a mentor for my junior for handover. My shift is ending soon, and I have a day off, so it’s fine.”
I myself would usually crash into the living quarters after my shift and catch some sleep, but he’s working quite diligently.
Though it was clear as day what he was up to.
Then again, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a guide.
Looking across, the internal area of Gyeryongdae was quite vast.
Exaggerating a bit, inside Gyeryongdae could almost be like another city, with many buildings and complex roads.
As for the direction of the gate… I could technically just follow along using my smart watch, but there’s no reason to refuse someone willingly offering to guide.
“Well then, if it’s not too much trouble, I’d appreciate it.”
“….! I’ll prepare right away!”
With that, Corporal Yoon Hyo-jun jumped into the checkpoint.
It sounded a bit noisy, but I didn’t pay much attention.
I just have to get through the checkpoint and get guided.
“Alright, this way please.”
“Yes, I appreciate it.”
Basically, hunters aren’t considered civilians.
Just holding a Hunter license grants them the treatment equivalent to a level 5 civil servant, and they have substantially more freedom accessing military areas and a certain degree of access to classified information.
“By the way, do you know that there are quite a few deer living in Gyeryongdae, though it’s rare?”
“Deer?”
Slurp…
“Yes, they say there are a few white deer, which are Gyeryongdae’s attractions. I haven’t seen them myself, but soldiers driving the base taxis at night have spotted them frequently. Once, a deer ran into a stationary taxi, and that soldier got reprimanded for it…”
Leaving the chattering soldier to ramble, I fell into my own thoughts.
I wonder if the deer here would taste good…?
I’d once grilled some while participating in a hunting competition with Menelapie, and it wasn’t bad at all.
Hunting alongside the Emperor Menelapie, it wasn’t just the taste of deer meat, but that nostalgic time just brought a smile to my face.
Deer meat. Yes, deer meat…
I wonder if it’d be okay to catch one of those deer and eat…
Ah, no!
Today, I came here for something way more delicious and exciting!
“We’ve arrived.”
After walking for 30 minutes, a restricted area appeared.
With people in suits who seemed to be from the Hunter Association appearing here and there, it looked like a gate managed in conjunction with Gyeryongdae.
“Ah, thanks for the guidance.”
“Excuse me…! If it’s not too rude, could I have your number…”
[Miracle - Manifestation of a Physical Body]
Crunchhhh!
Tentacles blossoming from my waist wrapped around my body.
The suddenly mutated form left the guards astonished, and they unknowingly fell to their knees.
Oh dear, they seemed quite tired… Looks like the military can effortlessly turn even normal individuals into shell-shocked forms.
“Thank you for your hard work. I’ll be heading in first because I’m busy.”
“…O-okay…”
Well, I understand why a guy would want to get a number from a pretty girl, but alas, I’m not that interested.
I gave a slight wave to the soldier, who was blankly gaping, and walked towards the gate.
Since it was an Erosion Dungeon, the gate was probably always open.
The staff managing the gate moved aside immediately after confirming my arrival.
“Time for some wyvern egg stew…”
Today, I’ll decide whether a wyvern will die or I will make some stew.
Whoosh!
“Brrr. Cold.”
Entering the Erosion Dungeon Kurtala Mountains felt like being transferred right into the center of a colossal and high mountain range, perhaps connected to Gyeryongsan.
Due to it already being a heavily eroded dungeon connected to reality, crossing through the gate felt devoid of any disorientation as I stepped out, and instantly, the silhouette of the military base and the association staff vanished, replaced by a completely different landscape, which was quite an astonishing sensation.
I leaned forward slightly to peek back at the gate, and at the other end, the military base and association staff appeared completely normal.
“Great. There shouldn’t be any issues coming and going…”
I then pulled out the new AI-assisted drone the Association provided.
So… I was supposed to record videos from the moment I entered the dungeon and submit them to the Hunter Association later, right?
There are various reasons for filming.
The fundamental one being a skills test for me.
With testimonies from Yeonseo and Yeonhwa making it clear I had martial abilities far exceeding the average, the Association was also aware of this, but it’s tough to evaluate what one hasn’t seen firsthand based on mere testimony.
If I were around the B-grade strength level, it’d be easy for them to understand and hand me a B-grade hunter license. But since there’s significant evidence supporting my combat capability with the so-called strongest hunter, Yeonseo, they want a direct verification of my strength.
This footage would probably be used for future rank assessments and my official hunter license registration, or so I heard, though I’m not entirely sure.
As for the rest, I know the Hunter Academy uses this footage for educational materials for the next generation of hunters, but I wasn’t part of that.
Anyway, if they wanted this footage to give me the new AI drone for free, then I had to shoot it.
“Why won’t it work…?”
I’d heard it’s still a prototype, but it’s already on the fritz.
Director Choi Bomi said that if the drone camera worked properly, a red light would activate…
“Did I press the wrong button?”
I brought the hovering drone closer to inspect, but I still couldn’t figure it out.
If I’d known, I should’ve just read the manual thoroughly…
But seriously, who reads the manual?
I couldn’t help it.
Only option left was to press random buttons until the red light turned on.
Press, press, beep, beep… press!
“No, c’mon… what is this!?”
The drone camera was quite sizable.
After trying countless times without any hint of it working, I just plopped down on a nearby rock, resting the drone camera on my knees while fiddling around with it.
I managed to learn how to use the smartwatch in just a day, but this drone camera didn’t give any clues beyond a few buttons here and there.
“Doesn’t this have holographic tech like the smartwatch?”
In that moment, a hologram popped up before my eyes on the drone camera.
It was complex and filled with various functions, making it hard to figure out what was what… But, I guess I just had to press the button to start recording.
“Oh, it worked…”
Fortunately, when I pressed the button, the drone camera started illuminating a red light.
“But why is it flickering?”
I thought it would illuminate steadily when filming began, but this camera’s light was blinking continuously.
Is this right? Being stuck in 2024 when it comes to technology, I couldn’t bring myself to feel confident.
“Ah, whatever!”
If I can’t capture this footage, I can always come back again.
After all, the Hunter Association told me that as long as I submit one properly captured video among the numerous missions they proposed, it was fine.
I honestly don’t care how well this video captures.
Right now, I just want to enjoy the more delicious wyvern egg stew.
○○○○
Shia was unaware.
Unbeknownst to her, this new AI assistant drone camera packed all sorts of functions.
Typically, drones issued to hunters have a broadcasting system intended for streamers doing Hunter broadcasts.
Of course, it’s not something just anyone can request, nor is it a standard feature on every drone.
It costs thousands of dollars just to have that feature added, and since it’s expensive, its functionality is excellent. This broadcasting drone camera automatically distanced itself from the wielder, capturing optimal angles for the action like an action movie or animation.
There’s a reason Hunter broadcasts are incredibly popular among countless viewers—because of that camera angle.
The drone camera captures the hunter as they perform with the most fantastic framing and, when combat begins, dynamically follows the hunter, capturing every movement and action.
Whether it’s bloody or showcasing the genuine abilities of the awakened, those doing the fighting leave the viewers enthralled, and the drone camera presents its owner like a movie protagonist.
Thus, Hunter broadcasting is currently one of the most popular forms of entertainment.
And what Shia didn’t know was that the drone camera’s hologram doesn’t only detect touch from hands.
Things like toes, tongues, pens, or sticks can be sensed, while the state-of-the-art drone camera’s hologram registered contact with Shia’s massive Seongnyeok pouch before recognizing her fingers.
Before Shia pressed the button that read [Start Recording], her substantial Seongnyeok pouch, appearing at least 100 times larger than average, accidentally pressed the [Broadcast Start] button in a bizarre twist of fate.
The fact that the blinking red light wasn’t recording but indicating the broadcasting had started was something Shia didn’t realize at that moment.
And Shia’s drone automatically connected to the internet, starting a broadcast on the biggest internet streaming platform, [Switch], without anyone watching.
There was no need to create an account.
As long as the hunter’s name was registered to the drone, everything was automatically registered on [Switch], thus Shia’s first broadcast launched with the mere title of [Hunter Isia] and nothing more.
-What is this?
-What’s this broadcast about?
For a few minutes after the broadcast started, the screen was despite being obscured by what appeared to be a curtain.
Some small noise peppered through the air, but all that could be heard was some grunting sounds as she struggled to control the drone camera. Those who’d stumbled upon the broadcast were left thinking the host had no idea what basic broadcasting even was, let alone the controls.
Thanks to this, a few internet ghosts and some tired travelers rapidly disengaged from the broadcast as they lost interest.
-What is this, a viewer?
-I’m out.
-I checked in because it was a Hunter broadcast, but this is utterly disappointing.
-This seems fishy.
Yet, a small handful remained curious about what they’d stumbled upon.
After all, it was early in the morning, and not during prime broadcasting time when big companies streamed.
Those watching at this hour were likely the bored jobless or those really without plans.
“How boring, it’s morning with nothing to watch. I should just put on a scheduled broadcast or something…”
[Ah, fantastic…]
And then, in that moment, he spat out the food he was chewing.
Why? Because the previously shadowed figure on screen suddenly…
“Boobs…?”
A very large and voluptuous Seongnyeok pouch appeared on screen.
Is this a body cam broadcast?
“Wow, that’s massive…no, why a broadcast like this so early in the morning… Should I watch it a little longer…?”
The man, holding the remote, paused, captivated by the sheer scale of the Seongnyeok pouch and the host’s overwhelming beauty, as if time stood still.
[But why is it blinking?]
The host tilted her head, possibly unaware that the broadcast was already streaming.
‘Is this a concept?’
There are rare cases where broadcasters pull off an unusual “I didn’t know I was on broadcast!” routine.
Of course, usually, that’s pretty obvious.
Unless they hold astonishing acting skills, if this host is pulling that off, she must be remarkably talented.
And even with her overwhelming breast size obscuring the drone camera, her appearance was notable in itself.
She was prettier than most celebrities, her excessively pale skin and neatly organized hair stood out.
[Ah, I don’t care!]
And in a moment of frustration, she pushed the drone camera aside, leading it to automatically capture her from the best angle while initiating the broadcast.
As it turned out, the drone camera was quite of high quality, presenting the visual as if it were a movie.
“…Well, I have time. I should just watch.”
Little did the man know, he was about to become one of the largest supporters of the broadcast run by Hunter Isia, who would later be known as [KawaiiHorned].