## Chapter 157 – 157. Dungeon Survival
157. Dungeon Survival
Clunk, clunk.
I, Han Harin, and Eun Sangmin, along with 15 others, were sitting inside the van. There was a light on the ceiling, but we couldn’t see anything outside. All we could hear were the engine and the clunking sounds.
Occasionally, when the van stopped, the doors would open, and a staff member from the association would lead the hunters out.
“F-11 zone. You’ve arrived. Team Blue Star, please disembark.”
Three hunters got up from their seats and went outside. From a quick glance, it looked like a place full of grass with no trees.
‘So, the F zone was a grassland.’
We had already been informed beforehand. The dungeon where ‘Dungeon Survival Reforged’ was taking place was the D-rank open dungeon, ‘Felon’s World.’ It was a strange dungeon where the environment could completely change with just a little movement. Currently, this dungeon was under the complete management of the association.
Not long after the hunters left, the van started moving again.
“K-4 zone. You’ve arrived. Team Gukcheondae Hunter, please disembark.”
It was our turn.
As soon as I got out of the van, I scanned my surroundings. Our starting point was a rocky area. The ground was dry, reddish-brown soil, and dark brown rocks were scattered everywhere.
We checked each other’s equipment. The hunter gear we were currently wearing was provided by the association. Eun Sangmin had a longsword and shield, Han Harin had a short sword, and I had a guardless sword that looked similar to the Hwaryeon Flying Daggers.
The association staff member spoke to us seriously, as if giving a warning.
“You must never take off your energy protect inside the dungeon. If you act without the energy protect, you will be disqualified. However, you can take it off in the designated rest areas.”
I looked at my left shoulder. There was a blue bead hanging there. This was the energy protect. It consumed energy to take the damage I would receive. If it turned red, it meant the energy was completely depleted, and you would be eliminated.
“Are you team leader, Seong Yujin?”
“Yes. I’m Seong Yujin.”
“Here’s the tablet. It’s a non-refundable item, so be careful not to lose it. You can use the tablet to view maps and situations. You can also contact us in case of an emergency.”
“Yes. I heard about it at the briefing.”
“It starts in 25 minutes, at 3 PM sharp, so please stay here until then. You see that camera installed over there? There’s a location tracker on the tablet, and drone cameras are also flying around, so don’t try to cheat. Good luck.”
The association staff member immediately walked to the driver’s seat of the van. The van started to move away.
“Ugh… to think we have to spend a week here… sigh.”
Eun Sangmin immediately sat down on the ground. He might have thought it was no big deal until he actually experienced it, but living in a dungeon for a week without the help of civilization was tough. There were many things to do.
However, if he gave up right away because he didn’t want to, he would surely be ridiculed on national television.
“……”
Han Harin crossed her arms and quietly looked around. She had changed since she awakened her mana. Before, she used to wear clothes that covered her up and even compressed her H-cup breasts. But now, she didn’t bother to hide her figure.
‘Let’s see… the tablet’s functions are limited. The most useful thing is being able to see the map.’
I fiddled with the tablet. This tablet played a pretty important role, so I needed to get used to using it quickly.
“Yujin, what are we going to do? Should we start looking for monsters?”
Eun Sangmin asked me.
Dungeon Survival ranked participants based on survival points. The team with the most survival points after a week would win.
One way to earn those survival points was by hunting monsters. Like hunters, we needed to hunt monsters steadily.
“We’ll run into monsters if we wander around. What’s important here is food, water, and a place to sleep. It’s essential to maintain at least an average condition, if not the best.”
Even though hunters were superhuman, they were still human. Food and water were essential.
“So, we’re starting with exploration… Where should we start?”
“There’s an R zone nearby, so let’s start there. The R zone is a forest, so there should be a stream or something.”
The tablet’s map only showed the boundaries of the zones. We wouldn’t know exactly what was there unless we explored.
“And finding a rest area is also important. It’s better to focus on exploration rather than hunting monsters on the first day.”
Eun Sangmin nodded. He didn’t seem to have any complaints about my instructions.
My eyes met Han Harin’s in the air. I gave her a sly smile, visible only to her, and she slightly frowned and looked away.
The fact that we were sex friends was a secret between the two of us.
‘That prim face, moaning and groaning beneath me… hehe…’
I shook my head. Thinking about Han Harin’s naked body made me react a little down there.
‘I have to hold back.’
I had to hold back here. There were cameras installed everywhere, and drone cameras were patrolling the sky like surveillance. Not only that, but some association staff members were walking around the dungeon with cameras. If I made a mistake, it wouldn’t just end with humiliation.
The tablet in my hand vibrated slightly. I looked at the tablet. There was a notification.
〉 Dungeon Survival Reforged will begin in 3 minutes at 3 PM sharp!
‘Well… since I’ve participated, I have to win.’
All of our team members could use mana. We had the conditions to win. If we couldn’t win with this team, it would be embarrassing.
‘No. Wait a minute. Even if I can’t have sex, I can still touch her secretly.’
I glanced at Han Harin’s lewd body.
***
In a certain place in the dungeon, many people were gathered.
There were dozens of small screens installed, and in the center was one large screen. About 10 people were sitting in front of the screen.
Dungeon Survival was a non-stop event for a week. Not only the participants but also the hosts and guests who watched the videos and reacted were the same.
2 PM.
The cameras in the studio started rolling.
“Hello! I’m Jo Seokhu, the main MC of Dungeon Survival Reforged! This time, we’ll be watching and commentating on the situation live for a week, so three MCs will be taking turns. We ask for your understanding, and I’d like to introduce the assistant MC and guests who will be helping me!”
Thanks to the skilled performance of Jo Seokhu, one of the five most famous MCs in Korea, the filming went smoothly.
“Mr. Hong Suwon, what do you think will happen in this Dungeon Survival Reforged?”
Hong Suwon was a man in his late 30s.
He was an executive who served as a scout and strategist for ‘Bluebird,’ one of the top 10 guilds in Korea. Most of the guests invited here were executives from large guilds.
“I think it will be a success. The first Dungeon Survival that took place in the past lacked information and preparation for hunters. But this time, the Hunter Association is actively cooperating, and the rules have been set.
The young hunters who will lead the next generation of the Korean hunter world will show off their skills and provide entertainment to the viewers.”
“The skills of the young hunters who protect the peace of Korea. I’m also very excited. Ms. Baek Jieun, who is affiliated with the association and is busy with modeling and broadcasting these days, what do you think?”
“I feel the same way. Hehe. I know the information and skills of the participants to some extent. You’ll be surprised when you see their skills with your own eyes.”
Baek Jieun said with a bright smile. It was a fake smile for the broadcast.
She looked at one of the countless screens.
It was the screen showing Team Gukcheondae Hunter. Seong Yujin’s team.
‘Can she do well?’
She was worried about her old friend, whom she hadn’t been able to meet recently because she had been so busy preparing for Dungeon Survival.
‘…Ah. I need to meet her and suck her off…’
Not long after, it was 3 PM sharp. The association staff members who were monitoring on one side started to operate something.
Baek Jieun easily realized that they were releasing the monsters they had been suppressing. As one of the people in charge of the Dungeon Survival project, she knew most of the details.
Main MC Jo Seokhu didn’t miss the opportunity and shouted loudly.
“Dungeon Survival Reforged! It’s finally starting!!”
***
〉 Dungeon Survival Reforged is starting!
After checking the notification on the tablet, we immediately started moving east towards the R zone.
We were a team where everyone could use mana. Since we were such a powerful team, there was no need to act timidly. If other hunters attacked us, we would just fight back and eliminate them.
“Oh. A monster.”
A monster hiding behind a large rock revealed itself.
Giant Scorpion. As the name suggested, it was a giant scorpion about 2 meters in size. Hard carapace, claws that could crush rocks, and a poisonous stinger on its tail.
‘A D-rank monster. As long as we’re careful of the poison from the tail, it’s nothing.’
We weren’t very nervous. A D-rank monster was easy to hunt even for just one person.
“What should we do? Should we just ignore it and pass by?”
Eun Sangmin asked me.
I glanced back. An association staff member was taking pictures of us with a camera from a distance. It was a bit annoying, but it couldn’t be helped. This was a broadcast.
“Let’s hunt it. We can’t just ignore it when we’ve encountered it.”
“Can we use this as food?”
“If there’s a way to remove the poison.”
The Giant Scorpion had poison in its flesh, so it couldn’t be eaten unless the poison was removed. And even if we could remove the poison, how long would it take?
“Should I kill it?”
“I’ll do it.”
Han Harin stepped forward. I didn’t stop her.
The giant scorpion, which was rushing fiercely towards us, stopped. Not only that, but it couldn’t stand properly and crashed to the ground. An invisible gravity was pressing down on the scorpion’s body.
Han Harin began to increase the intensity of the gravity even more.
Crack! Crack!
The scorpion’s body was being crushed miserably.
“It’s over.”
“……”
Han Harin said calmly to Eun Sangmin. Eun Sangmin had an awkward expression. Now that Han Harin could use mana, she was stronger than Eun Sangmin. Gravity manipulation was one of the top-tier abilities.
‘If I’m careless, I’ll lose to Han Harin too. My win rate in sparring is about 80% these days.’
The gravity field was tricky because it was invisible. Once she used her mana to activate her ability, it was quite difficult to escape, even if I used mana as well.
“We don’t have time for this. Let’s move on.”
“Wait. What about the mana stone? Shouldn’t we take that?”
Eun Sangmin asked me. It was clear that he hadn’t memorized the rules of Dungeon Survival.
“The association staff will collect it.”
I glanced at the tablet and confirmed the 5 survival points we had earned by killing the Giant Scorpion.
***
One of the rules of Dungeon Survival Reforged.
Food boxes would be distributed at 6 AM and 6 PM. If you obtained this food box, you would get an additional 100 survival points.
This wasn’t a rule for the hunters. It was a rule for the entertainment of the program.
It was to encourage battles between hunters through the food boxes. From the viewers’ perspective, battles between hunters were more interesting than hunting monsters.
〉 Food will be distributed in 30 minutes at 6 PM. The locations are as follows.
Red dots were marked in several places on the map. There were a total of 10 dots. The closest distribution point was about 20 minutes away from where we were. Food was distributed by dropping it from the air to the ground.
“The only food we’ve found in this forest is mushrooms. We need to go get the food.”
It was more difficult to find food than I thought. We had found a few unknown mushrooms, but they didn’t look very nutritious. It wasn’t enough.
“Besides, 100 survival points isn’t a small amount. Does anyone disagree with my opinion?”
“Your opinion is right. We need food.”
“How can we survive by eating only mushrooms? Of course, we have to go.”
Han Harin and Eun Sangmin agreed.
It was foolish to avoid food because you were afraid of battles between hunters with superior power.
“After getting the food box, we need to find a place to sleep. The sun will be setting soon.”
***
When there were 10 minutes left until 6 PM, we arrived at the place where the food boxes would drop.
“Kuaaaaaaak!”
Blue flames engulfed Eun Sangmin’s body, who was confidently leading the way.
