Chapter 35
After unsuccessful attack teams made up of the most senior heroes had failed before they started, the association immediately conducted various tests to ascertain the conditions of the dungeon.
Among the criteria for the dimensional dungeon, there were diverse conditions such as age, gender, and race, but as the situation was time-sensitive, the representative criteria of age and gender were first checked, and soon the dungeon conditions could be ascertained in time without delay.
Although conditions for entering the dungeon were found out, however, a situation arose that was beyond the control of the association.
That’s because requirements for entering a dimensional dungeon were considered to be the strictest (age limit).
Only young boys and girls under the age of 19 could enter.
After grasping the conditions, the Heroes’ Association immediately began an emergency meeting.
“Because of the conditions, we can’t even send an exploration team… We can only guarantee safety if there are at least three superhumans who are at least as capable as senior heroes.”
“How could there be such superhumans among the 19-year-old heroes…”
“At least we must prevent three major disasters in the dimensional dungeon. We have checked the readings at the gate and there is a high probability that a dungeon brake will occur within 12 hours. If we fail to capture the dungeon, we will have to seal the dungeon as it is.”
Three major dungeon disasters
This refers to the three mishaps that occur in a dimensional dungeon break.
Pre-dungeon phenomena, Monster Wave and Boss Monster.
In turn, the gates will collapse, the inner space of the dungeon will be relocated to the real world, and the massive terrain change will cause a disaster similar to an earthquake.
At the same time, this place turned into a dungeon will cause a Monster Wave, and the dungeon’s lord boss monster will be released into the real world and go on the rampage. No matter how low-level the dungeon is, the boss monster called the Dungeon Master will be classified as the highest dangerous level, regardless of its level.
There was once a well-known incident where an entire village was destroyed due to the special abilities of a Boss Monster in a lower level dungeon.
“Then how can we…”
“As of now, we have to look at the children’s abilities instead of looking at the level of the rank alone.”
“Don’t say it so easily! They are 19 years old, 19 years old, no matter how old they are! Do you think it’s worth discussing the idea of sending these children, who are not even 20 years old yet, into a dimensional dungeon?”
It’s an unknown dungeon where safety is not guaranteed.
Nor can children who have not yet reached adulthood be sent to such a deadly place.
Therefore, opinions had to be heated.
Two opinions began to be exchanged: the choice of giving up on the citizens of the dimensional dungeon and sealing off the dungeon, or at least believing in the potential of the young ones and leaving them to rescue the citizens, even if it is impossible to conquer the dungeon.
And as the two opinions flew back and forth, in the end, the decision was made by a majority vote.
And so in a situation consisting of four in favor and four against.
The association head just sat still, closed his eyes, and fell into deep thought.
“Association chief, make a decision quickly.”
“We are in a critical moment.”
Amid the urging of the association’s executives, the association head, Kim Jeong Yong, gently opened his eyes and opened his mouth.
“My son and granddaughter are trapped in the dungeon”
“?!”
“Oh, no… …”
Kim Jeong-yong clenched his fists.
Soon his body began to tremble and blood began to trickle from his tightly clenched fist.
“My son and granddaughter are trapped, and as head of the association, I don’t think I can make rational decisions by any means, So…”
“…”
“…”
Kim Jeong Yong’s words were met with silence from all the association’s executives gathered in the conference room.
Association President Kim Jeong Yong opened his mouth through clenched teeth.
“I am in favour of it. If this rescue operation fails, I will resign as head of the association. Because I made a choice for my family, not as association head.”
* * *
The time was 7pm.
Ha Jun was called to the headmaster’s office.
Frankly, the reason was expected, so Ha Jun said nothing and waited indifferently for Choi Joon Won’s words.
Soon, Choi Joong-won, who was sitting opposite him on the sofa, opened his mouth while looking at him.
“I received a call from the Heroes Association. They said that the dungeon of that dimensional dungeon is a dungeon with special conditions.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, that’s why they asked the children for help.”
So far, this has been a known fact.
Fortunately, I was worried about the part of the future that hadn’t changed prematurely, but it seems to have gone well down the positive timeline.
“Have you given permission?”
“…..No one knows better than me the horrors of dimensional dungeons. I naturally objected, But those kids were forcing me into going.”
Those children would probably be student council president Lee Joo-hee and Han Shi-young.
Because the association would have immediately contacted the talented students in the first, second and third grades, respectively, who are at the very top of their class.
“You were also contacted. They couldn’t get in touch with the first-year head students, so they asked me to do it for them.”
Choi Joong Won had a complicated and disappointed expression on his face.
He seemed to regret the fact that children had to be sacrificed for the sake of incompetent adults.
Therefore, Ha Jun decided to worry Choi Joong Won a little less.
“I’m not going.”
“…”
Choi Joong Won’s eyes widened a little in surprise at Ha Jun’s words.
Soon after, Choi Joong Won’s lips curled up into a smile with a small smile on his face.
“Yes… well. It’s something you can’t force.”
Choi Joong-won nodded as if he understood Ha Jun’s feelings.
As Ha Jun watched Choi Joong Won absentmindedly, he got up from his seat.
“Well then, I’ll leave you now.”
“Right….”
As such, Ha Jun opened the door and headed back to his quarters.
After arriving at his room, Ha Jun opened his smartphone with a blank expression and checked the article.
When he checked the article, the comments were on fire.
Naturally, this was because the decision greatly deviated from the Heroes Association’s ideology (protection of the superhuman).
“It’s going well”
While looking at the article, Ha Jun turned off his mobile phone and lay down on his bed, ready to go to sleep.
His body was just tired, so he planned to go to bed early.
At that moment, Tok – Ha Jun’s brow furrowed as someone knocked on his room.
“Who is it at this hour?”
Ha Jun got out of bed and approached the door.
It was to see the fellow who had well-behavedly visited him at such a late hour.
As he did so, he opened the door with a clatter and looked at the knocking host, and saw an unexpected figure standing in front of him.
“What’s wrong with you being here?”
It was Han-Shi Young.
This guy was looking at me with his signature indifferent expression.
“I have something to say.”
“I’m not available.”
Ha-Jun was about to close the door as it was.
At that moment the fellow grabbed the door by the hand.
Ha-Jun’s eyebrows narrowed in frustration.
He tried to close the door, but the door didn’t budge, as if it had gone into a time standstill.
You’re a gorilla, terribly strong.
“Ah! I don’t have anything to say!”
“I wish you would just listen to me.”
“Huh… no, it’s probably dungeon.. So no.”
Is there any other reason for this guy to visit me?
As for me, I was naturally filled with the will to refuse.
“You can do it on your own without me, right?”
“Why don’t you go with such power?”
“Do I need a reason if I don’t go?”
“…”
In my words, Han-Shi Young had a look of something wanting to say, but simply fell silent immediately.
He just looked at me with a disappointed expression.
“I understand.”
Han-Shi-young left, just these words.
In fact, Ha Jun started to get somewhat irritated.
“You’re giving up….ridiculous”
There were many things he wanted to say frankly.
In the meantime, he was asking him to go with him to the Land of Death. But who would agree that he understood easily?
“Tsk.”
Ha Jun lay down on his bed and closed his eyes, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.
He was going to lie there and forget about this feeling.
And how many hours had passed?
Knock-knock.
Your timing is really great.
I was so close to falling asleep.
Ha-Jun got up straight away and opened the door with a scowl on his face.
Huh… who is it?
I yawned with wide-awake eyes and opened the door .
What he immediately saw was a girl with a familiar face.
Lee Joo-hee, the student council president.
She spoke up with a bitter smile as she looked at Ha-Jun.
“If it’s not too rude, I have something to tell you.”
“Um, yes. Well, please come in for now.”
To be honest, as soon as he saw her, Ha Jun was a little troubled.
It was because the reason for her visit was expected.
Still, she’s the student council president, and a celebratory guest order is a bit much… so he told her to come in anyway.
“Um, so what is it you want to say?”
I didn’t want to prolong the conversation, so I decided to get right to the point.
And at Ha-Jun’s question, Lee Joo-hee started looking at Ha-joon with a bitter smile and low, downcast eyes.
“I’ve come to ask you for a favour.”
“What kind of favour?”
“You know the dimensional dungeon.”
Probably every Korean knows about it.
It’s such a big deal in the media.
“Yes. I know.”
Ha Jun nodded.
Soon, Lee Joo-hee turned serious as she looked at him.
Ha-Jun was preparing to refuse while looking at Lee Joo-hee.
And the moment she opened her mouth.
She said something unexpected.
“The association contacted me because of this dimensional dungeon incident. Of course, I’m going to go.”
“….I see.”
“So, because there might be a circumstance where you don’t know —. At that time, please take care of my sister.”
“Refuse… eh?”
I was about to frankly refuse.
Ha Jun looked at Lee Joo-hee with slightly surprised eyes.
Soon after, Lee Joo Hee told Ha Joon with a bitter smile.
“You saved my sister twice. You saved not only my sister but many others. It was shameless of me to ask such a you to go with me.”
“Ah, that’s…”
“You’ve already tried so much”
He saved students from the ‘Armstrong’ and protected many people from ‘Kalton’.
He rescued people from two disasters that could have resulted in the massacre of many people.
It was not easy to ask such a boy to go with you to such a place.
The boy had already worked hard enough and struggled enough.
“That is all I wanted to say. I’ll leave now.”
With those last words, she left her seat.
Ha-Jun looked at Lee Joo-hee, still with a blank expression on his face.
Frankly, he thought she was going to ask him to help her conquer the dimensional dungeon.
However, he was stunned by the unexpected request.
“Well, that… Yes. Please be careful.”
A stupefied reply came from Ha-Jun’s mouth.
Smiling in response, Lee Joo-hee looked at Ha-joon and conveyed her last words.
“Please take care of Joo Ah.”
Rattling-.
As she did so, the front door closed and Ha-Jun sat on the bed with a blank expression on his face.
To be honest, he felt strange.
How should I put it?
It felt nostalgic.
I was emotional with her appreciation, which was really quite easy to do.
I just don’t know why.
She couldn’t possibly know… No, you must never know what you’re capable of.
-You’ve already tried so much.
Her words made me feel as if she understood what I had been through.
“Huh…”
It was a strange feeling.
Not that I had never been worried, of course, but now was an exception. And it had been a long time.
You’ve worked hard enough, that you don’t have to go…
(That reminds me of the old days…)
In the past, I had a brother who had been with me since my orphanage days.
He was a kind brother who was always there for me.
Somehow her words reminded me of my brother.
“Huh, I should go to bed.”
Ha Jun lay down on the bed with a thud.
He trusted her that way and tried to go to sleep, but…
“Tsk, still awake.”
Ha Jun, jumped up again.
Maybe because he woke up halfway through trying to sleep?
He couldn’t sleep.
“I’ve got time anyway —.”
Ha Jun got up from bed and got dressed.
The current time is 11pm.
He left the room with the intention of going to the dimensional dungeon site.
