Chapter 184 – Hardeon (16)

The first to clear Hardeon’s quest was Yoo Seong-jin of the Gwangun Sword Family.

He operated here under the name ‘K’ and was also the one who authored the Abyss Report I had obtained.

Up to this point, it was the official story acknowledged by the Gwangun Sword Family.

However, the problem was that there were more hidden aspects that the Gwangun Sword Family had yet to reveal.

This was especially true regarding the zombies.

For starters, there was no mention of zombies in the report at all.

This was likely for the purpose of intentionally concealing the incident and secretly carrying out covert operations behind the scenes.

While it was still in the realm of reasonable suspicion, there was some evidence.

Above all, the zombie I personally killed belonged to the Gwangun Sword Family.

And the fact that the aura of zombies was momentarily felt in the Gwangun Sword Family’s restricted area was also an unsettling point.

So, I formulated a hypothesis:

The connection between the Gwangun Sword Family and Hardeon was still secretly maintained.

The most probable reason was to smuggle the zombie runes created in Hardeon back to Earth.

However, since it was impossible to bring items from another world to Earth, the Gwangun Sword Family chose the method of directly consuming the zombie runes.

The truth might soon be revealed.

If the individuals who entered the Mount Morane Dungeon were indeed warriors of the Gwangun Sword Family.

***

The nine individuals who entered the volcanic dungeon eight days before us.

From their perspective, encountering us seemed quite perplexing.

Their faces, as they looked at us, were as if they had stepped in excrement.

“It was them!”

The guide immediately testified.

That they were the ones who had instructed her to eliminate anyone attempting to enter the dungeon after them.

“Well, well, well. Who do we have here? Aren’t you that guide from back then?”

They didn’t bother to deny it and steadily approached us.

A dense, murderous intent emanated from them.

As they each drew their swords, it created a rather menacing atmosphere.

“So you took the money and then betrayed us like this?”

At this, the guide backed away again, making excuses.

“A-actually, I did as I was told! It’s just that I failed.”

Always a bat-like character.

I could only let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.

“If you failed, you have to pay the price, don’t you?”

“W-what on earth are you planning to do! I’ll give you back the money!”

“Money?”

They paid no mind and closed the distance even further.

They weren’t merely threatening us.

A genuine intent to kill us was palpable.

‘Why, though?’

It was natural to wonder.

They were extremely wary of anyone entering this volcanic dungeon.

I ran my hand through my hair and stepped forward to face them.

“To draw swords upon seeing fellow countrymen, the goodwill of the martial world has certainly fallen.”

“Fellow… countrymen?”

I curled my lips slightly.

“Earth, where else?”

At my words, their expressions instantly hardened.

From their appearance alone, they reeked of Earth, and their reaction confirmed it beyond a doubt.

They were clearly warriors of the Gwangun Sword Family.

“S-surely not. Seo Ji-han of the Haewon Sword Family?”

“You recognized me quite quickly.”

I had prided myself on becoming quite famous by now, but it seemed I wasn’t quite there yet.

“How did the Haewon Sword Family get here!”

“Is there a problem with us being here? You didn’t lease the entire place, did you?”

Judging by their reaction, they didn’t know that the Gwangun Sword Family had provided me with the report.

That meant these guys had been in Hardeon even before then.

“But how did you know we were from Earth?”

“Why wouldn’t I know? It’s written all over your faces that you’re from the Gwangun Sword Family. Isn’t it?”

At my words, their pupils shook violently.

It was almost disheartening how easily they admitted it.

“Let me ask you one thing.”

“…”

“What on earth is in this dungeon that makes you try to prevent others from accessing it?”

At my question, the Gwangun Sword Family members exchanged glances and hesitated.

They were probably grappling between two choices.

To fight us to the death.

Or to preserve themselves for now and deal with the aftermath later.

“You’re curious about what’s in this dungeon, aren’t you?”

The person who appeared to be the leader of the group seemed to have just made up his mind.

He opened his mouth again, his expression resolute.

“Go ask that in hell.”

“I figured you’d say that.”

“Attack! Even if it’s Seo Ji-han, there are only two of them!”

The atmosphere intensified instantly, and murderous intent erupted.

Six blades simultaneously flew towards me.

CRASH!

I gripped Bastian tighter and parried each of the six sword attacks.

Their skill levels varied.

The one who seemed to be the leader was quite skilled, at a first-rate level.

But the worst among them was so abysmal it didn’t suit the Gwangun Sword Family’s reputation.

Of course, the outcome they faced was equal.

CRACK!

When my sword stopped, six swords fell to the ground.

The faces of those who had lost their swords were all pale with fright.

“Ah-yeon, don’t kill them.”

“Yes, Unit Leader!”

Shin Ah-yeon, who had been dealing with the remaining three, also quickly brought the situation under control.

SWISH!

Blood splattered from Shin Ah-yeon’s blade, and the last person clutched their shoulder, screaming.

The numbers of nine against two were meaningless in the face of an overwhelming disparity in skill.

***

There were nine of them in total.

Among them, three were noticeably less skilled.

It was surprising that the Gwangun Sword Family, considered one of the ten great sword families, would employ individuals of such low caliber.

However, their affiliation with the Gwangun Sword Family was a fact.

The business cards they carried wouldn’t lie.

“They were hired simultaneously with their license acquisition. All three on the same day.”

All of them were trembling at the knees.

This appearance was also unbecoming of warriors from a prestigious sword family.

“Please spare us!”

Their plea also pleased me.

Once one started talking, the others would follow suit like a flood.

“I never said I’d kill you. I don’t have that hobby either.”

If they gave me the answers I wanted, there was no reason to kill them.

Their attack on us was something I could even overlook as a minor transgression.

Of course, there was an obstructionist.

The leader of the Gwangun Sword Family group issued a stern warning.

“If anyone disgraces the name of the Gwangun Sword Family, I will not stand for it! If anyone opens their mouth unnecessarily, GAGH!!”

Of course, he was immediately punished by Shin Ah-yeon.

“Let me make this clear. All of you are no longer affiliated with the Gwangun Sword Family. Simply put, you are destined to be cut off.”

Their expressions were bewildered.

“It seems you don’t understand. Do you think the higher-ups will just let this situation slide? It seems wiser for you to cut ties first.”

At my words, the faces of the trio hardened even further.

“The first one to speak up is the smart one. Anyone, just tell me. What is your purpose for entering this dungeon, or if you don’t know that, what have you been doing in this dungeon?”

“We consumed runes!”

The response was faster than I expected.

“You bastard! I told you if you opened your mouth I’d— GAGH!!”

It was necessary to firmly silence the leader and any other potential obstructors.

Next, I had promised to spare them.

“Keep going. You consumed runes?”

He nodded, trembling with anxiety.

“I don’t know what kind of runes they were, but they were definitely runes.”

“So you consumed them without knowing what they were. And it was the three of you who ate them, right?”

“That’s right.”

I could roughly piece together the situation.

What was inside this volcanic dungeon was the Zombie Rune.

Yoo Seong-jin, known as K, must have left it here, and the Gwangun Sword Family apparently decided to have these three consume the Zombie Runes to bring zombies to Earth.

Now I understood why they had hired such inept individuals as Gwangun Sword Family warriors.

“Ah-yeon. Do you have any Mana Stones?”

“Yes.”

According to the information I had gathered, Zombie Runes react to Mana Stones.

The moment the trigger was pulled, the monster dormant within the body would awaken.

“How unfortunate. You were merely used by the Gwangun Sword Family.”

“W-what do you mean by that?”

“I’ll make you one promise. I will punish them.”

I didn’t know why the Gwangun Sword Family was doing this.

But I knew I couldn’t let it stand.

I approached one of the three who hadn’t spoken yet.

His eyes, with no way of knowing what was happening, widened.

“There’s no choice. Since you harbor the seeds of disaster, you must be annihilated here.”

“…What?”

I placed a Mana Stone against his dantian.

Then, as I infused mana, a reaction immediately occurred.

“Ah… ah… AAAAARRRGGHH!”

His eyes, losing focus, grew dim.

His entire body trembled like a quivering aspen tree.

Foam began to issue from his mouth.

And then, his mana vanished.

That was how he met his end.

“GROAAAAARRR!!!”

The monster’s birth happened immediately after.

A zombie.

Seeing this, the Gwangun Sword Family members were all horrified.

Though they were suppressed by Shin Ah-yeon and couldn’t make a sound, they must have realized that this situation was not normal.

The sinister aura emitted by the zombie was something even ordinary people could easily sense.

‘It seems only the leader knew; the others were unaware.’

This implied that the Gwangun Sword Family was carrying out this operation meticulously and secretly.

“GROAAAARRR!!”

The creature, now a monster, had no reason.

All that remained in the zombie was instinct.

The sole obsession was to create siblings just like itself.

Target acquisition happened in an instant.

The creature lunged towards its former superior, who was restrained.

“GAGH! UGH!”

Being bound, he couldn’t resist.

The zombie immediately began to bite his neck.

Blood flowed profusely, and a putrid stench immediately filled the air.

“W-what is this!”

“The promise I made to spare you if you confessed. I will keep it. If you wish.”

“…”

“However, you, who also consumed that rune, also possess the seed of that monster, so your safety cannot be guaranteed outside the Haewon Sword Family’s influence.”

“What?”

“I’ll give you some time to decide.”

Meanwhile, the zombies had already multiplied to four.

Amidst the scene of terror and horror, even the Gwangun Sword Family leader, who had known everything, couldn’t remain composed.

“Ah-yeon.”

“Yes, Unit Leader.”

“We’ve confirmed everything, so clean this up.”

There were still more things I needed to hear.

They absolutely had to open their mouths.

Because I had to find out whose idea it was to devise this mad scheme.

SWISH!

SWISH!

Two zombie heads were instantly severed by Shin Ah-yeon’s sword.

Black blood splattered, and a terribly foul odor wafted through the air.

‘Is the Gwangun Sword Family’s intention to make this smell permeate throughout Earth?’

Since it was something incomprehensible by common sense, I was only more curious about the truth.

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