Chapter 254 – Adam’s Scheme

[Breaking News! USA Rank 1, Justin Walker. Disappeared from Rankings……]

[Not just Justin Walker, but China, Canada, Brazil etc. World’s top rankers from various countries deleted from rankings.]

[Investigated whereabouts of deleted rankers but came up empty.]

[Experts say if they disappeared from rankings, they should be considered dead……]

[Famous rankers from various countries missing and dead overnight.]

[Citizens worldwide shocked by mysterious deaths of top-tier rankers.]

[Exclusive Scoop! Investigation reveals all dead hunters belonged to Overlord Guild!]

└This is truly shocking. How can something like this happen?

└Isn’t this fake news? Does it make sense for rankers to die en masse?

└Right. And these aren’t just any S-ranks, but hunters competing for ranks 1 and 2.

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Does the guy calling it fake have a brain? This made news worldwide, who could fake this and how?

└Fake news makes no sense, I think it’s a system error.

└I vote for error too. Mass disappearance is even more ridiculous.

└There are many idiots here. Looking at how they can’t be contacted and aren’t in rankings, they’re definitely dead. Being erased from rankings means exactly that. What error?

└I’m an active hunter, and if you’re not in rankings, you’re really dead. I heard the system has never had an error.

└Crazy, my idol Justin Walker is dead? How did this happen?

└Looking at how only Overlord Guild members died, there must be something. Maybe there was internal strife……

└They should be hunting monsters, not fighting among themselves.

└Maybe they all entered a dungeon together and got wiped by a named boss?

└Well, when the time comes, we’ll find out what happened.

└Fortunately, our country’s rank 1 didn’t die.

└Is Min Do-jun Hunter going to hit world rank 1 now?

└He just needs to reach level 4,700, so it won’t even take a few months.

└Min Do-jun Hunter’s growth speed is really insane.

└Min Do-jun Hunter-nim, I love you♥

“Hmm……”

Min Do-jun was flustered when comments suddenly mentioned him, but as expected, news of Adam’s subordinates’ deaths had spread worldwide.

‘The bodies disappeared so they can’t be found. Same goes for evidence that I did it.’

In the end, it would remain an unsolved case with no identifiable suspects, but that didn’t matter to him.

‘I just need to kill Adam and the twin subordinates.’

His only interest was in completing his revenge.

[Distance to target: 282.11km]

‘The day you die isn’t far off either. Just wait a little longer.’

If he continued on the train like this for about another hour, he should be able to close the distance with that guy.

That’s when it happened.

Adam called Min Do-jun’s phone.

‘What nerve does he have to call me?’

Though puzzled, there was no reason not to answer.

“What is it, Adam?”

-Min Do-jun. Are you diligently chasing after me?

“Yeah. I’m coming now, so wash your neck and wait quietly.”

-I’m waiting even without you saying so. Come quickly. Hehe.

Min Do-jun’s suspicion deepened at the voice that seemed to welcome his arrival.

“What’s your scheme?”

-What scheme? I’m just waiting since you said you’re coming.

“The guy who was spinning around on planes to survive is waiting for me to come?”

-What? You knew I was taking planes?

“Stop playing games and stick out your neck. You know well that you’ll die no matter what you do, right?”

-Yeah, I know. That’s why I’m giving up and waiting like this.

“Stop talking nonsense and get to the point. You didn’t call just to run your mouth before dying, did you?”

-Damn. You really don’t trust what people say. I’m really waiting here.

Indeed, looking at how the distance kept getting closer, it seemed he wasn’t moving.

“Not just waiting, but waiting after setting a trap.”

-Ah, so will you come or not? You’re going to come anyway.

Of course.

Now that he’d lost most of his forces, this was the chance to kill Adam.

Even knowing it was a trap, he had no choice but to advance.

-Since you’re coming anyway, let me tell you where to come.

“What?”

-The place I’m at is the intersection of Route 156 and Route 183 in Kansas City, USA. It’s also where the Forest of Spirits dungeon is located.

Forest of Spirits was an S-rank dungeon with a recommended level of 4,500.

-It’s scary to wait outside, so I’ll be waiting inside the dungeon. Come in slowly. Kukuk.

“What did you say?”

Before he could ask more, Adam hung up.

‘He’ll be waiting inside the dungeon, so come in?’

How could he come in when dungeons close once someone enters?

‘Could it be?’

That’s when Adam’s distance changed.

[Target is too far away.]

[Tracking impossible.]

This only happened in one case.

‘Did he really enter the dungeon?’

It wasn’t a joke – he really couldn’t pinpoint Adam’s location.

‘If that guy really entered the Forest of Spirits, I’ll have to sit idle for 3 days.’

The Forest of Spirits’ objective was survival for 72 hours.

That meant he could only come out after 3 days no matter what.

In other words, he couldn’t touch Adam during that time.

‘He got me.’

Once inside a dungeon, he couldn’t be killed immediately.

Of course, he just couldn’t kill him immediately – he could kill him after 3 days.

‘What’s this? Why did he lock himself in the prison called a dungeon? Even telling me the location to come find him?’

That guy must know it only amounts to buying time.

‘He must have some scheme.’

Knowing it was a trap, he had no choice.

‘I have to go to the location he told me.’

* * *

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

The person who greeted Min Do-jun when he arrived at the Forest of Spirits entrance was none other than James.

“You’re the hunter who got knocked out by me back then.”

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

“You would have died if not for your legendary items, but you managed to survive well.”

“……A-Adam-nim is waiting. Let’s go in.”

James guided him to the dungeon entrance.

[Kansas Forest of Spirits Dungeon]

– Difficulty: S

– Party Limit: 5

– Entry Requirement: Level 3,000+

– Objective: Survive within time limit

– Failure Penalty: None

– Time Limit: 72 hours

– Time until dungeon break: 202 hours 54 minutes 15 seconds

Looking at the portal at the entrance, Min Do-jun muttered.

“As expected, the portal color is green.”

That meant someone inside had pressed the help request.

After killing other party members.

“Did two people enter and kill one?”

“……That’s correct.”

“Did you kill a subordinate, or an innocent S-rank hunter?”

“Th-that’s……”

“Obviously the latter.”

Min Do-jun shook his head and spoke with sharp eyes.

“Guide me.”

* * *

“Try this on, oppa.”

Cha Seung-hoon let out a deep sigh seeing the clothes his sister was offering.

“Try on clothes again?”

“I think it would suit oppa.”

“Do you know how many times I’ve changed clothes now?”

“This is really the last time. Just try it on once.”

“Just pick anything, I don’t care.”

“How can I just pick anything for oppa’s birthday present?”

Actually, Cha Seung-hoon’s birthday was a week ago.

But Cha Ye-rin, who was a student, didn’t have time to buy a present and couldn’t prepare one.

That was why they came out to the department store together on the weekend, albeit late.

“Hurry up and try it on, hurry.”

“This is really the last time?”

“I said I got it.”

Cha Seung-hoon, who had been wandering around the department store for almost 3 hours, entered the fitting room with a tired expression.

‘I made a mistake following her when she said she’d buy me clothes.’

Though he was a hunter, he was still only level 5, so his stamina was similar to ordinary people.

‘Still, she’s really putting a lot of thought into picking just one piece of clothing as oppa’s present?’

Cha Seung-hoon didn’t dislike his younger sister who followed and cared for him.

Rather, he was worried because she followed him around too much.

‘She’s even attending academy to take care of me after I became a hunter……’

She even got her driver’s license written test in advance, saying she’d get a job at the center to be in charge of her oppa.

‘Others say siblings fight and tear each other apart……’

Cha Seung-hoon was conversely worried because his sister was too much of an oppa-devoted girl.

‘Even when I tell her to get a boyfriend, she doesn’t listen……’

Though Cha Ye-rin probably took it as a joke at the time, he was being serious.

He thought if she got a boyfriend, her obsession with him might lessen a bit.

“Ye-rin, how does this look? Huh?”

Cha Seung-hoon, who came out wearing the clothes, frowned seeing his sister not paying attention to him.

“What are you doing? You said you’d look at the clothes but you’re just looking at your phone.”

“O-oppa. Look at this.”

Cha Ye-rin showed him the breaking news she was watching.

The video marked “LIVE” showed a reporter holding a microphone.

[Currently, an unidentified flying object has appeared above Sindorim Station, so I’m here at the scene. Looking directly, it’s far away so I can’t see clearly, but it seems to be flapping its wings. Ah, as I speak, the unidentified flying object is slowly descending. Ah!]

For a moment, neither the on-site reporter nor the watching Cha siblings could continue speaking.

Because it had the form of a giant dragon.

“It’s a Drake King.”

“What?”

“I learned at academy. It’s the S-rank boss of the Island of Death dungeon with a recommended level of 4,700……”

“……”

At Cha Ye-rin’s words, Cha Seung-hoon was speechless.

How could an S-rank boss appear in Seoul’s sky?

And of all places, at Sindorim Station.

“S-so you’re saying that monster is above our heads right now?”

“……It seems so.”

The siblings’ faces darkened rapidly.

* * *

Following James into the Forest of Spirits, Min Do-jun walked while staying alert of his surroundings.

‘Monsters should appear around here, but I don’t see any.’

Perhaps Adam, who entered first, had dealt with them all, as he couldn’t see any monsters while walking.

[Distance to target: 921m]

……

[Distance to target: 721m]

……

[Distance to target: 512m]

Seeing that the distance to Adam was being measured, he was definitely here.

‘Looking at how the distance is decreasing, the guidance is proper too.’

The puzzling thing was why he had lured him into the dungeon.

‘He must know he’ll die if he meets me?’

Walking with James in front, the distance to Adam narrowed to within 10 meters.

Adam was right in front of Min Do-jun.

“Welcome, Min Do-jun. To think you’d chase me even into a dungeon…… You must have really wanted to kill me?”

“I’ll kill you right now.”

As Min Do-jun drew his sword, Adam waved his hands.

“Whoa, whoa. Calm down. It wouldn’t be good to kill me.”

“What does that mean?”

“First, calm down and let’s have a conversation. We can’t leave for 3 days anyway.”

“I have nothing to discuss with someone like you. All I want is your life.”

As Min Do-jun pointed his sword again, Adam became urgent.

“Wait, wait! Don’t do this. You’ll regret it.”

“So what is it?”

“Sigh…… I wanted to talk leisurely, but I guess I have to get to the point.”

Adam scratched the back of his head and said.

“You know I have a trait that controls minds, right?”

“Yeah.”

“But did I ever tell you?”

“Tell you what?”

Adam grinned.

“That mind control works on monsters too.”