Episode 24: Tower of Lethe (2)

[……As of 6 AM today, the newly generated dungeon at Lethe Tower has been designated a high-risk dungeon of A+ rank or higher. Accordingly, the Songpa-gu area of Seoul Special City has been declared a Level 1 disaster zone, and the Korean Hunter Association plans to summon all available A+ rank hunters to commence a subjugation operation…….]

“Summon all available A+ rank hunters? Ha, what a load of bullshit.”

The irritated voice drowned out the news broadcast.

The speaker was Shin Sodam, the Red Magic Tower Master.

She was on standby in front of Lethe Tower per the Hunter Association’s emergency summons.

Soon, Shin Sodam frowned and scanned the surroundings.

Her gaze landed on only one person standing silently: Sword Saint Cheok Junseong.

“Where did all the great A+ rank hunters go? Are you and I the only two in this country?”

Cheok Junseong and Shin Sodam.

These two were the only A+ rank hunters summoned to Lethe Tower.

At that moment, Cheok Junseong, who had been silently polishing his sword, spoke in a grave tone.

“It can’t be helped.”

“What can’t? Are the other A+ ranks too busy with personal contracts to show up? Or is it my fate to finally get a vacation after four years only to be dragged here by an emergency summons?”

“Tch!”

Sparks crackled around Shin Sodam, reflecting her foul mood.

Of course, she knew better than anyone why this was happening.

Unlike some major powers, South Korea had zero S-rank hunters.

Thus, when an S-rank mission arose, they had no choice but to cram in multiple A+ ranks and barely scrape by.

No ox-killing blade, so they threw in a bunch of chicken-killing knives.

But with only 11 A+ ranks total, the workload was naturally crushing.

So everyone prioritized their personal contracts, dragging their feet on Association summons.

Like group project slackers who nail their solo assignments.

“Wait. Didn’t a rookie just join? Where’s that one?”

12th-ranked A+ hunter, the Sword Demon of Lavian Lily.

A fresh face added to the A+ list just a week ago.

Yet even the newbie was absent.

Shin Sodam ruffled her hair irritably and muttered under her breath.

“A+ ranks, every last one of them selfish, egoistic bastards……. Even a week-old rookie ignores the summons. This country’s going great, really.”

Watching her, Cheok Junseong spoke again in his calm, measured tone.

“Calm yourself. Anger only shatters composure and clouds judgment.”

“Shut it, you do your job! I’m already doing fine!”

Sparks popped around Shin Sodam again.

But Cheok Junseong continued with his serene expression.

“Witness reports say civilians were caught inside the dungeon. One man in his 20s, one woman in her 20s. Don’t forget. Our objective is to secure civilian safety while exploring the dungeon.攻略 comes after.”

“Ah, fuck. I said I know without you explaining every damn thing!? You’re making me want to swear! And I’m way better suited for scouting and escort than a sword-swinging brute like you!”

“Then that’s fortunate. Let’s go.”

Cheok Junseong took one step forward.

Shin Sodam clicked her tongue and glared at the massive gate that had formed at Lethe Tower.

The Association reported the new dungeon was estimated at A+ or higher.

“A+ is A+, S is S. ‘Estimated A+ or higher’? Are they even doing their job?”

Shin Sodam gritted her teeth.

She was irritated because the gap between A+ and S-rank dungeons was colossal.

Especially S-ranks, where clear difficulty was thousands of times higher than other ranks.

Due to gate instability.

Hunters passing through the gate are randomly teleported to different locations.

Meaning that even a well-formed raid party ends up scattering inside, rendering teamwork useless.

Thus, individual combat prowess was critical—hence the desperate need for as many A+ ranks as possible.

At that moment, Cheok Junseong slowly looked up at Lethe Tower and spoke.

“It might be that one.”

Referring to the missing Death Knight.

But Shin Sodam immediately shook her head.

“No, it’s far stronger than that Death Knight. Mana is leaking outside the gate. Probably top-tier A+……. or truly S-rank.”

If so, it would be an unprecedented dungeon in Korean history.

Soon, Cheok Junseong slowly drew his sword and muttered.

“Don’t die.”

Shin Sodam’s reply was curt.

“You don’t die.”

Ding dong!

<You have entered the dungeon ‘Stairway of Sighs’!>

A familiar notification brushed my ears amidst the haze.

……Huk!!

Consciousness snapped back instantly.

I tried to jump up but nearly lost balance and fell.

The building is tilted?

The entire structure was slanted about 30 degrees.

I braced against the wall and slowly stood.

“No magical beasts…… I guess.”

If there were, I wouldn’t have survived unconscious.

The place I awoke in looked like a restaurant kitchen.

Not just any kitchen—a massive upscale restaurant kitchen.

Dozens of prep tables, industrial stoves, pots and pans of every shape.

A sight where chefs would normally line up.

A sweet aroma wafted faintly from a large, elongated pot.

I used a prep table to pull myself up.

I groped through my memory, but nothing from the moment I passed the gate.

Like being hit in the back of the head by high-pressure water and blacking out.

An S-rank dungeon, of all things. 

That damn Rothschild bastard…….

To add insult to injury, I was separated from Jeanne.

No clue where she is now.

……Move first.

No beasts here now, but no guarantee of safety.

Survey the area, find a safer spot, or locate Jeanne and regroup.

Either way, exploration is necessary.

I cautiously opened the kitchen door.

Creaaak-

Beyond was, as expected, what used to be a luxury restaurant.

Torn carpets strewn about, shattered chandeliers smashed into the floor.

The restaurant hall was tilted even steeper than the kitchen.

Then, far ahead near the restaurant entrance, a building directory sign caught my eye.

[Lethe Tower Floor Guide]

114F – Evacuation Safety Zone

20F – Signiel Fitness Center 

1F – Sky Bridge  

32F – Signiel Restaurant Current Location  

88F – Signiel Aquarium

124F – Mechanical Room  

What the hell?

20F below 114F, 32F below 1F, then 88F below that.

A complete mess.

The floors must have been jumbled during dungeonification.

I looked out the restaurant windows, but only thick fog obscured everything.

Then, something else caught my eye.

Large, elongated gray clumps of mud scattered throughout the restaurant.

At the same time.

Ugh?

What’s that smell?

A foul, acrid stench stabbed my nose.

Those gray clumps were likely the source.

At that moment.

Twitch!

!?

Something embedded in a gray clump suddenly jerked.

A long, pointed leg.

Buried in the mud was a massive spider leg.

Upon closer look, not just legs—spider heads and torsos were half-buried in various spots.

“What the…….!!

Then, another presence revealed itself.

Scuttle scuttle- scuttle scuttle

Dozens of round shadows scurried through the restaurant’s darkness.

Plump bodies slightly larger than large dogs. 

Eight legs extending from each side.

Most noticeable were the two massive humps rising from their backs.

Scuttle- scuttle scuttle- scuttle scuttle scuttle

Only then did the giant spiders roaming the dim restaurant become visible.

One, two, three, four, five……. How many are there?

Easily over thirty.

At that moment,

Ding dong!

<Morgue’s Magical Warehouse requires a specific item. Procure it.>

A quest at this timing. Perfectly awful.

Soon, the warehouse’s request appeared before my eyes.

Ding dong!

<Extract the souls of Camel Spiders ……  

<Procurement deadline: 6 days 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds>  

(0/30)>

“Camel Spiders? You mean those things?”

Ding dong!

<Camel Spider>

-Danger Level: C  

-Discovery Location: Sincheon-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul Special City ‘Stairway of Sighs’

Dungeon scavengers that hide in damp, dark places and feed on predator leftovers.

Particularly fond of oil and fat; the massive humps on their backs store ingested oil.

Sure enough, the creatures scurrying around the restaurant were Camel Spiders.

C-rank magical beasts.

Same rank as Inspector Im’s Crowmen.

But after facing Death Knight, Hellhounds, and Cerberus, perhaps.

Unlike with Crowmen, I feel zero fear now.

Stay calm. Stay calm.

Mistakes always stem from carelessness.

And mistakes in a dungeon mean death.

Especially in an S-rank ultra-high-risk dungeon.

Caution upon caution wouldn’t be enough.

Still.

……It’s doable.

The warehouse’s request isn’t completely impossible.

Jeanne isn’t here, but I still have one trump card.

The Immortal Pseudo-Dragon.

Thanks to a recent judicial transaction revision(?), its loyalty has skyrocketed.

Plus, if I miss this chance, who knows when I’ll find Camel Spiders again.

I glanced back into the kitchen.

“Hmm.

Finally, I double-checked the warehouse’s demand.

<Extract the souls of Camel Spiders …… (0/30)>  

<Procurement deadline: 6 days 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds>

My eyes sparkled as I muttered.

“This…… I might be able to do it alone?”