Chapter 110: Unprecedented

Maslow’s Tower, the fifth layer: “The Layer of Self-Actualization Needs.”

The moment everyone else exited through the gate, leaving me alone in the dungeon.

Ding-dong!

[Having overcome all trials and remained alone, you have been granted entry to the ‘Hidden Reward Zone’!]

[Would you like to enter the Hidden Reward Zone? (Y/N)]

…

This was a completely unexpected situation.

A Hidden Reward Zone.

It was a entirely different concept from the hidden dungeon in the Blood-Clotted Fortress.

Unlike a “hidden dungeon,” which is another dungeon generated within the dungeon itself, a “Hidden Reward Zone” is an additional reward stage that appears only when special conditions are met.

The key point is that the probability of discovering a Hidden Reward Zone is extremely low.

0.0000135%.

It’s on par with winning the lottery jackpot or getting struck by lightning.

This is because the activation conditions for Hidden Reward Zones vary from dungeon to dungeon, and there’s no way to figure out what those conditions are.

In fact, there have only been three confirmed cases of Hidden Reward Zones discovered worldwide to date.

Two in the United States, one in China.

Each time, incredible treasures emerged into the world.

A glass bottle from which elixir flows endlessly without drying up.

A ring that allows instantaneous warp to set coordinates.

A monocle that can manipulate the mind of any human who enters its field of view.

Every item obtained from a Hidden Reward Zone was an S-rank artifact.

Which means…

“There’s no reason not to go, right?”

I immediately reached out and hit the YES button.

The fifth layer’s hidden sixth layer, existing above it.

A fragrant floral scent tickles the tip of my nose.

A garden where pure white chrysanthemums bloom profusely all the way to the horizon.

Above it stretches a clear blue sky without a single cloud.

It’s a serene and peaceful landscape that’s hard to believe is inside a dungeon.

Soon, my eyes caught a sculpture installed in the middle of the flower field.

An obsidian statue in the shape of a human hand, posed as if supporting something.

Atop the black hand, gathered like a flower bud, rests a shining object.

“This is…”

It was a transparent key the size of a coin.

Its shape evoked the image of a windmill with six wings.

A round body with six keys attached, each pointing in a different direction.

Ding-dong!

[The Key of the Six Principles]

A key that twists the six laws of causality.

After envisioning a specific target, open a door with the Key of the Six Principles to teleport to that target’s location.

However, it cannot be used on targets you have never encountered.

“Teleport to any desired target, huh…”

An artifact with endless utility depending on how it’s used.

Though it’s limited to targets you’ve actually met.

I picked up the key.

And then.

Whoosh—

Chrysanthemum petals rise into the sky, centered on the obsidian statue.

The petals swirl, dyeing the sky pure white.

Before long, an exit gate materialized.

I gave the surrounding scenery one last look.

A desolate garden with all the petals fallen, leaving only bare stems behind.

As if to show that nothing more can be gained from this place.

A thought suddenly crossed my mind.

Come to think of it, I wonder what happened to Maslow.

Maslow, dragged into the Magic Spear while clutched in its black grip.

According to the log, Maslow had once been cargo stored in the Magic Spear.

Does that mean I can pull out Maslow and use him now?

Could I wield an S-rank magical beast with transcendent power at my whim?

As I pondered that, the Magic Spear’s system window popped up.

Ding-dong!

[The Magic Spear trial of the Magic Emperor’s pet monkey ‘Maslow’ will now commence.]

“Magic Spear… trial?”

At the same time, a screen materialized.

Beyond the screen lay a pitch-black space.

Maslow, bound head to toe in blue chains, writhed and screamed in fury.

But no sound came through.

Neither his roars nor the clinking of the iron chains reached me.

Then, a dull voice echoed.

[We now commence the Magic Spear trial of the great sinner, J. Abraham Maslow.]

A voice that stabbed at every nerve.

It was the voice of the Magic Spear that had crushed me at the Haeundae Observatory.

[Defendant cargo number MRG-3309, J. Abraham Maslow. The defendant not only escaped the Magic Spear but also stole 12,048,109 items of the Magic Emperor’s private property. The defendant, present your defense.]

Maslow’s face paled as he shouted something.

But…

[…! …! …! …!]

No sound emerged from his gaping mouth.

His hollow cries were simply swallowed by the black void.

Soon, the Magic Spear’s voice continued.

[The defendant has refused to defend himself. Therefore, we pronounce the verdict of the first trial in the Magic Spear proceedings. Defendant, J. Abraham Maslow… death.]

Snap!

[…! …! …! …!]

[Defendant, do you appeal the verdict?]

[…! …! …! …!]

[With no appeal from the defendant, the Magic Spear trial is hereby concluded.]

The Magic Spear trial proceeded swiftly.

Because Maslow had consistently invoked his right to silence.

…Of course, with just a tiny bit(?) of coercion involved.

The Magic Spear’s voice droned on.

[We now execute the sentence on the sinner, J. Abraham Maslow.]

Crack—crack-crack-crack—!

The floor of the black space split in two.

From the gaping fissure, blood-red mist seeped upward.

At that moment.

Crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch!

A bizarre noise began to emanate from the bottom of the fissure.

It sounded like something sharp scraping along a wall.

Maslow thrashed about, his face drained of all color.

[…! …! …! …!]

But the blue iron chains wrapped around his body kept him utterly immobile.

All the while.

Crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch!

The sound drew relentlessly closer with ferocious momentum.

Maslow wailed like a child, but his cries scattered into the darkness.

But then.

Suddenly.

It stopped.

A silence as if time itself had frozen.

Maslow, too, froze in place, holding his breath.

But that lasted only a moment.

Huff—

Maslow exhaled the breath pent up in his lungs.

And at the same instant.

Whish! Crunch!

Maslow vanished without a trace.

In that split second, I saw it.

A massive form covered in spines like fur.

The thing that burst from the fissure, snatching Maslow away.

Before long, a chilling sound rose from below the crack.

Crunch! Crunch-crunch—crack!

The sound receded, clear and agonizingly slow.

With that, the screen feed ended.

My hands and feet trembled uncontrollably, and the pounding of my heart thundered in my eardrums.

I couldn’t breathe properly.

How do you even breathe again?

My mental fortitude, unshaken by most horrors, felt like it would shatter at any moment.

My whole body was drenched in cold sweat before I knew it.

Just then, a new system window appeared.

Ding-dong!

[You have successfully completed the request from the Magic Emperor ‘T’.]

[The pest extermination rate in the Observation Zone has exceeded 90%.]

[You have been granted eligibility for the Warehouse Keeper promotion exam.]

Eligibility for the promotion exam.

It was the chance to advance to the next zone after the Observation Zone.

At present, the unlocked zones were Safety and Observation.

The three Shadow Knights and Jeanne had grown enough to explore the Observation Zone with relative ease.

But…

The next one was… the Unease Zone.

-Third Layer: Unease Zone: Grade requiring ongoing management despite successful isolation.

The difference in danger level between the Safety Zone and Observation Zone was incomparable.

Thus, the Unease Zone would surely be fraught with even more hazards.

I need to do some upgrades here and there before taking the promotion exam.

I’d learned that the hard way in Maslow’s Tower.

To cope with the myriad dangers and variables ahead, I needed even greater power.

Skills, artifacts, and experience.

Moreover, I had to explore ways to utilize the Shadow Knights more effectively.

With my thoughts settled, it was time for action.

I turned my steps toward the gate.

***

“Alright, let’s go.”

Moonlight descended over Haeundae Beach.

Soon, the blue gate at the center of the beach began to shimmer.

At the same time.

“A survivor’s coming out!”

“Bring the stretcher!”

“Hurry!”

The paramedics surrounded the gate.

A moment later, people poured out from beyond the gate in a rush.

Haggard faces. Bodies caked in blood and filth.

They were civilians caught up in the dungeon.

“I… I survived…”

“It’s outside! Finally…!”

“I thought… I was done for…”

The survivors broke down in tears one by one.

The paramedics rushed to transport the seriously injured to ambulances.

Just then, one paramedic turned his head toward the gate.

“Huh?”

“What’s up? Something wrong?”

In response to his colleague’s question, he tilted his head.

“No, I swear someone else just came out of the gate…”

The gate’s surface lay calm, without a ripple.

At that instant.

Hum—hum-hum—

The gate’s surface vibrated, and two people stepped out.

“Whew— that was tough, so tough!”

“You’ve worked hard, Mr. HardboiledPC.”

HardboiledPC and Cheok Junseong.

The two had been rescuing survivors inside the dungeon right after clearing it.

Soon, HardboiledPC shouted toward the paramedics.

“Hey, paramedic folks! All survivors rescued! You all did amazing~!”

Cheers and applause erupted from all around.

Meanwhile, several hundred meters from the gate, news crews from various media outlets were broadcasting live.

“…Breaking news! The Korean Hunters Association has officially announced the successful conquest of the S-rank dungeon that appeared at Haeundae Beach! The Republic of Korea has overcome this unprecedented calamity since its founding, entirely through its own efforts without any foreign aid!” 

The reporter continued raising her voice.

“According to reports, all missing persons from the S-rank dungeon have been safely rescued! While S-rank dungeons typically claim hundreds to thousands of lives, this Korean S-rank dungeon incident resulted in only 27 deaths and 55 injuries. Thanks to the swift response from the Korean government and Hunters Association, damages were minimized! Now, we’ll proceed with an interview with A+-rank hunter Shin Sodam, one of the key members of the conquest team!”

Soon, a network staffer handed a microphone to Shin Sodam.

Shin Sodam took the mic with a dissatisfied expression.

When she said nothing, the reporter spoke first.

“There has never been a single case of an S-rank dungeon appearing until now, so how were you able to minimize casualties and successfully conquer it in Korea?”

“Haa…”

Shin Sodam let out a short sigh.

Then she raised the microphone.

“The successful conquest of the S-rank dungeon was made possible by the Korean Hunters Association’s systematic response and plan presentation, the timely deployment of conquest personnel where needed, and finally, the swift cooperation from public offices.”

Shin Sodam rattled off her lines without pausing for breath.

It was the interview script prepared by the Association, from one to ten.

She glanced at the paper in her hand and continued.

“A total of nine A+-rank hunters were deployed to the conquest team, and all returned safely. Hunter Ma Seokdong, the Heavenly Strongman, suffered a severe injury with his left hand severed, but his life is not in danger. The Hunters Association and government will prioritize support for S-rank dungeon victims to promptly restore—”

Shin Sodam fell silent.

Her bright red hair began to float up slowly.

The reporter, watching this, said with a flustered face.

“Um… Ms. Shin Sodam?”

Shin Sodam crumpled the paper.

Then she stared at the camera and said,

“…You watching? Yeah, you. I couldn’t finish what I had to say earlier because things were hectic… but I can’t just let it slide with my personality. So I’m saying it straight.”

Shin Sodam ground her molars.

Her blazing red eyes seemed to pierce through the camera at someone.

“Don’t even think about running! I’ll find you, you bastard! Get your excuses ready or whatever— it’d be best if you did! And then I’ll kill you! You… you son of a bitch! Fucking bastard! Enemy of women! Die! You rotten chew—!”

“Wh-whoa—! Stop, stop!”

With the reporter’s frantic voice, the broadcast cut off like that.