Chapter 106

Sunday at 10 a.m.

"Ah..."

Hajoon let out a deep sigh.

He had expected to begin the operation on Monday, but the schedule had been moved up unexpectedly. As a result, even before returning to Korea, Hajoon had to travel directly to the United States from the UK through a game portal.

He had hoped to leisurely prepare (or rest) for at least one day...

"I'll leave it to you, Student Hajoon."

"Ah, yes..."

Emma, an agent from the American Heroes Association, bowed politely to Hajoon and began guiding him. Following her, Hajoon soon saw a familiar face.

It was the Seer, Joa Elliot, the world-ranked 5th hero he had met previously.

"It's been a while, Irregular."

"Yes. Are we entering today?"

"Yes. As soon as the operation briefing is over, we'll commence."

"But it seems the schedule was decided earlier than anticipated?"

"I'll explain that."

Responding to Hajoon's question was a middle-aged man with a white beard and neatly styled hair.

Hajoon looked at him with curiosity. "Who are you?"

"I am Andre Heut, the president of the American Heroes Association. It's a pleasure to meet you, Irregular."

The president of the American Heroes Association... He didn't recognize the face, but it somehow felt fitting. Just by his appearance, he seemed like someone of high status.

Andre Heut continued, "We initially planned the operation for tomorrow or the day after. However, an unexpected change occurred in the dungeon yesterday."

"What kind of change?"

"The dungeon's internal mana level has decreased."

Hearing this, Hajoon furrowed his brows.

That's odd.

A dungeon, especially one on the brink of a break, experiencing a decrease in mana was unheard of. It could increase due to heightened dangers, but decreasing was an anomaly.

Hajoon asked, "What type of dungeon is it?"

Naturally, the reason they hadn't immediately initiated the dungeon raid upon discovering a potential break was due to the need for preliminary research. The association would've concluded their research within a week, so they should at least know the type of dungeon.

"It's a Beast Dungeon. We will discuss the types of beasts during the operation briefing."

"A Beast Dungeon? And its mana level decreased?"

"Yes, from what I can tell, it doesn't seem like a good sign."

It didn't sound like one to Hajoon either.

A dungeon about to break wouldn't suddenly stabilize. Several possibilities came to his mind. Maybe the beasts possessing the mana inside died for some reason or something controlling the mana emerged.

'It feels unsettling from the start.'

Originally, this dungeon raid wasn't part of the original game storyline, meaning even Hajoon was unfamiliar with it. Based on the game's narrative, it seemed certain that Joa Elliot would die here... But there must've been a reason Hajoon was unaware of.

"I distinctly remember not hearing about Joa Elliot clearing the American Beast Dungeon in the game..."

All Hajoon knew was that news of Joa Elliot's death was reported in America a year later.

The American Heroes Association probably hid her death considering her influence and the deterrent effect on villainous crimes. But they might have had to announce it when they couldn't keep it a secret any longer...

Given the game's storyline, it seemed certain she would die during this dungeon raid.

However, since there was no mention of failing to prevent the dungeon break, the raid was likely successful.

Hajoon turned his head to look at Joa Elliot.

She had foreseen her own death.

She probably saw something happening inside the dungeon.

Hajoon asked, "What future did you foresee?"

Joa responded with a bitter smile.

She whispered, looking at Hajoon, "I can't tell you right now. I'll explain later."

He stared at her with a puzzled expression, but eventually nodded in acceptance.

Well, there must be a reason she couldn't say it now.

After their arrival at the destination, a swift tactical briefing commenced inside the erected tent.

Hearing the answer, Violet sighed.

"Looks like we're definitely camping out tonight."

"Well, if we force ourselves to travel overnight, it could affect our dungeon raid."

They flew safely, and about six hours later, as the sun began to set, they landed in an area that seemed suitable for camping.

It was risky to continue traveling when the darkness made it impossible to see. Violet also needed to rest and replenish her magical energy. They began setting up their camp.

While Grayson and Aiden kept watch, Violet immediately cast magic for camping. At a glance, it looked like a simple magical curtain surrounding them. However, upon question, it was revealed to be an original spell she created.

"It's a combination of the basic magic 'Silence' and the intermediate magic 'Sight Block'. From the outside, we'll probably be invisible. And our voices won't leak out either, so you can talk freely."

Having seen mostly offensive magic till now, Hajoon felt the convenience of her spell anew.

This made him feel a slight regret for not having magical abilities.

Thanks to her magic, setting up tents was a breeze.

Once they finished their preparations, Grayson spoke.

"How about we each take turns and stand guard for two hours?"

Even with Violet's protective barrier, this place was still the Ruins.

Being prepared for any unexpected events meant they needed to stand guard. Grayson suggested they take turns, but Hajoon shook his head in response.

"I'll keep watch by myself, so you all should get some rest."

"Wh-what? No, that's too much..."

"It'd be better for you, Irregular, to restore your stamina, right?"

Of course, he understood their concerns, but Hajoon felt it was crucial for them to recover their strength.

He could simply pull out a sleeping bag from his inventory, activate Time Stop (SSS), and rest deeply.

Moreover, if they were fully recharged, wouldn't it make his time in the dungeon more manageable?

“I have my own way to rest, so please sleep comfortably.”

The strategy team members, who exchanged puzzled glances at his remark, soon nodded in agreement. It seemed they believed he genuinely had a different method.

After settling their dinner with simple preserved food, nightfall came.

Hajoon sat by a fallen tree nearby, kindling a campfire and gazed up at the night sky.

Although the surroundings were desolate, the view itself was spectacular.

"But aren't you two sleeping?"

While gazing at the night sky, Hajoon turned his attention to Joa and Grayson, who were sitting across from him, looking back. Violet, the magician, and Aiden, the guide, had already crawled into their sleeping bags and drifted off. However, these two seemed to be having trouble falling asleep and were momentarily admiring the night sky alongside Hajoon.

Responding to Hajoon's question, Grayson and Joa replied.

“I feel like I won't be able to sleep immediately if I lie down now. I plan to rest a bit later.”

“I thought I’d admire the night sky for a while before sleeping. It’s a sight not often seen in this wasteland.”

Indeed, even to Hajoon, the view was breathtaking.

Due to the high density of magical power, peculiar climatic occurrences were frequent in the wasteland, and one of them was the aurora in the night sky. Ironically, the most dangerous places had the most stunning scenery.

At that moment, as Grayson was admiring the night sky, he slowly pulled out something from his pocket. It was a photograph of a young girl.

He gazed at the girl in the photograph, a fond smile on his face.

Joa, sneaking a glance at the picture, also wore a pleased smile and commented.

“Heh, Ellie's grown a lot.”

“Yes, it’s a picture from our last trip together. I was planning another overseas trip with my daughter once we safely completed this dungeon exploration.”

“...”

Hajoon looked at him with a slight unease, wondering why he would bring up such a topic at this moment.

Noticing Hajoon's gaze, Grayson approached with a warm smile.

“Would you like to see? This is my daughter.”

With that, he extended the photograph to Hajoon.

Hajoon gazed at the girl in the photo, Grayson's daughter.

“Isn't she pretty?”

“...”

Hajoon hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Unfortunately, she bore a strong resemblance to her father.