Yoon Seo spoke as he rubbed his cold hands.
"Hunter Lee Domin used his special skill,
"..."
The space fell silent for a moment, as if Yoon Seo had used some kind of spell to freeze time himself.
Yoon Seo had anticipated this reaction.
No one could have expected it.
Skills are like magic or superpowers. They make strange phenomena possible, things that science cannot explain. Scholars have already given up on trying to establish a theory of skills.
But stopping time… How unbelievable that must be.
He had to explain the principle of the
"'Event Horizon' refers to the boundary of a black hole, where particles moving at the speed of light can no longer escape into external space-time. It's the boundary that distorts the path of particles with such massive gravitational force that not even light can escape."
"If it's a skill like the 'Event Horizon' we know, then it all makes sense. Events that happen within the event horizon cannot affect the outside world, so we here on Earth would have had no way of knowing."
"..."
Since when was this theory so well-known?
At that moment, Grace muttered, her eyes trembling.
"Then what La Bijina said is true…."
Yoon Seo, knowing what Grace couldn't bring herself to say, spoke calmly.
"No matter what, 300 years is an exaggeration. At most, it's probably 3 years."
"Ah… I didn't even know that."
Grace began to tear up. She regretted that all she did was sigh when La Bijina talked about 300 years. It seemed their relationship was even closer than Yoon Seo had thought.
"To be honest, this distinction of time doesn't really matter. The
Yoon Seo tried to offer comfort calmly, but it seemed to only weigh heavier on Grace's heart. He had hoped someone would comfort her, but Yoo Juncheol and Do Deungsoo seemed too shocked to offer any support. And then there was Kwon Jihan…
"...."
He was biting his lip, staring at the ground, but then he felt Yoon Seo's gaze and looked up to meet his eyes. Yoon Seo sighed deeply inwardly.
We're the ones who went through that brutal time, so why do you look like the one who's hurt?
Yoon Seo was slightly surprised at how much Kwon Jihan was shaken, but he didn't comment on it and continued his explanation.
When describing the boss monsters in the lava zone, he drew directly on the tablet. After drawing hundreds of landscapes, portraits, and still lifes over the past ten years, his drawing skills were exceptional. Kwon Jihan, who was standing close by, leaned in to look at the drawings and pointed at one.
"This one looks like the worm from the S-rank Red Dungeon. We named it the Giant Flame Worm. These two beside it also resemble the brown-furred ones from here and here."
"How did you handle the Giant Flame Worm?"
"It needs to be incinerated with powerful firepower in one shot. Its regeneration and splitting speed are so fast that if you attack it half-heartedly, you'll just end up multiplying the boss monsters."
"So it needs to be dealt with in Phase 1."
Kwon Jihan nodded.
"If we assume the other two are similar to the Giant Flame Worm, I can handle one, the couple with Soo Jaehee and Alec can take another, and the last one can be taken down by Hong Euiyoon and other attack-type hunters like Gamira, with plenty of buff skills piled on them for concentrated fire."
"That plan only works if there's no issue with the skill cooldowns when facing the boss worms. We mustn't forget that the wandering mobs in the lava are A-rank. There are a lot of them, and they too need to be killed in one shot, just like the bosses. The second team members will likely exhaust their cooldowns dealing with them."
"You don't need to worry. The team entering the Great Dungeon isn't limited to just Perfect."
Yoo Juncheol spoke up.
Yoon Seo looked puzzled, as if he didn't quite understand, prompting Yoo Juncheol to continue.
"The European Europole Guild, the American S Guild, the Endless Raid Team, and our own Perfect, along with other major raiding parties and mercenaries, are estimated to total around 450 people. While this is fewer than the number of Avengers, all of them are elite hunters, making their strength on a completely different level from before."
"Do they know about the Great Dungeon occurrence?"
"We plan to inform them next month."
Yoon Seo was somewhat taken aback by Yoo Juncheol's confident response.
It was absurd to think about the list of hunters entering the Great Dungeon when they hadn't even informed the parties involved yet.
"What if they refuse when you inform them? Are you planning to force them? And if they refuse, will you strip them of their hunter status?"
Though it has since been abolished, the initial hunter laws included a regulation that if a raider refused orders from higher-ups, their hunter status would be revoked. Even if the dungeon posed a deadly threat, one was required to enter if ordered. Hunters who died there would be celebrated as noble and heroic.
But what good is being celebrated if you're dead?
It was truly disgusting and disillusioning.
As contempt filled Yoon Seo's cold eyes, Yoo Juncheol quickly waved his hands.
"No, absolutely not. We intended to request support. We planned to announce the occurrence of the Great Dungeon and gather support to form a raiding team."
"And what if they refuse? What if the S Guild or the Endless Raid Team decides not to enter the Great Dungeon? Why talk about 450 people and different levels of strength?"
"Surely they wouldn't refuse. It's a Great Dungeon… Once informed, they will all undoubtedly participate. No one would turn their back on a threat that could annihilate Earth."
"Hah."
Yoon Seo let out a derisive laugh. Was he really expected to believe this?
Seokyoung had the immense power to alter hunter laws to his liking. Moreover, there was an S-rank prophet and the leader of Europole present at the meeting. Together, they could potentially reinstate the abolished regulations.
As Yoon Seo's mood grew increasingly hostile, Yoo Juncheol began to sweat nervously. At that moment, Kwon Jihan stepped forward.
"Hyung, don't misunderstand."
His tone was quite gentle.
"I understand your mistrust of Seokyoung. However, hyung, Juncheol is speaking sincerely. He truly believes that once the Great Dungeon occurrence is announced, many hunters will willingly risk their lives to support it. There will be absolutely no changes to the hunter laws. You can even verify it with your skill."
"...."
Yoon Seo stared intently at Kwon Jihan. While Yoo Juncheol, Do Deungsoo, and Grace looked anxious about a potential argument, Kwon Jihan appeared untroubled, smiling as if there were no concerns at all.
After a moment, Yoon Seo let out a short sigh.
"You're not a child, yet it seems like the Guild Master of Seokyoung is living in a dream."
The criticism was still sharp. Kwon Jihan grinned, lifting the corners of his mouth.
"So you think hunters won't volunteer? Even ten years ago, 1,203 people volunteered."
"And they all ended up dying."
"Many did die, but in the end, they saved Earth."
"What good is saving Earth if you're dead? What kind of fool would volunteer to save a world they won't be part of?"
"Me."
"...."
"And these two here have already agreed to participate."
Kwon Jihan pointed to Do Deungsoo and Yoo Juncheol. When Yoon Seo looked at them, Do Deungsoo and Yoo Juncheol gave awkward smiles.
Typically, one would admire such statements of sacrifice and righteousness, but Yoon Seo's gaze was one of pity and scorn.
However, Yoon Seo had no other alternatives to suggest. There were only two options: forced conscription or voluntary participation, and the latter was more rational than the former.
"Do as you wish. There's no other way, and I have no say in the matter. But it would be wise to write a will before you go. You might not come back."
"Yes, well. I update my will quarterly anyway…"
Yoo Juncheol adjusted his glasses awkwardly as he spoke.
"Hunter Yoo Juncheol, are you satisfied with risking your life for something that can be updated with a will?"
"…There are things in this world that are more valuable than just my own life."
"Is that which you find valuable…?"
"...."
"It may, in fact, be very insignificant and trivial."
Yoo Juncheol kept his lips sealed. Yoon Seo ended with "I don't know," but the tone conveyed a certainty similar to resignation.
Yoo Juncheol sensed that Yoon Seo's values were different from his own and chose not to respond further, fearing that continuing the conversation would only worsen the situation.
Do Deungsoo and Grace, reading the atmosphere, also remained silent, and Yoon Seo stayed quiet for a while.
As the mood grew heavier, Kwon Jihan spoke up.
"It seems like we've covered the lava area for now. Let's continue with the rest tomorrow."
Kwon Jihan lightened the mood with a casual remark. It was already past four in the morning.
"Hyung, stay here tonight. There are plenty of rooms. I've even prepared a room for you."
"I'll sleep at my own place."
As Yoon Seo stood up, everyone followed suit and stood as well.
Yoon Seo left after saying he would come back in the morning.
After he left, the three of them, excluding Kwon Jihan, sighed simultaneously. It was a complex sigh with many meanings.
Yoo Juncheol felt deeply disheartened, sensing Yoon Seo's disdain. Do Deungsoo and Grace comforted him.
The group continued their discussion after Yoon Seo had departed. They shared new information with the association and the world federation, including the fact that the Great Dungeon has four terrains and thirteen boss monsters. It was painful to think about the horrific and dreadful days the Revengers had endured, but what mattered was the future. Ensuring that such horrific days would not repeat. That was what was important.
It wasn't until an hour later that the meeting concluded.
Do Deungsoo and Grace returned to their rooms in the mansion, and Yoo Juncheol was about to leave his seat when Kwon Jihan remained seated.
"Jihan, aren't you going to sleep?"