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Inside the gate was a cavern of enormous size, with much smaller tunnels crisscrossing through it.

The Poison Spiders inside would recognize us as prey and attack us as soon as they noticed us.

“Mr. Lee Byeong-gi?”

"Yes?"

"Our members are of a high level, so they can adapt well in the dark, but you should take this, just in case."

The senior of their crew possessed detoxification skills. Hearing my warning that the monsters here used poison, Yoo So-eun assigned him to the operation.

He handed over a pair of night vision goggles.

'It's a PVS-5.'

The latest night vision goggles were expensive, so they still used the old model. On the other hand, the gas mask we received was a K-5, the new type with two cartridges.

[It looks weird. You don't need it.]

'I don't think I need it either. I can't wear a gas mask if I use this.'

[Looking at how it’s shaped, that makes sense.]

'Well, let's accept it for now.'

"Since you served in the military, I assume you already know how to use it. I have to return it, so please use it carefully."

His words were somewhat blunt. It's probably because of what Seol-ah said before entering the Gate.

[User: Seol Myeonggeun Lv. 32]

[Title: None]

[Skill: Lv. 2 Evade (Passive), Lv. 2 Iron Fist, Lv. 2 Detox Poison

-Evade: The evasion rate increases to 15% when attacked.

-Iron Fist: Doubles the attack power of fists and increases the chance of a critical hit by 15% when the attack is successful.

-Detox Poison: Cures the target of any poison effect.

[Status: Hatred/Anger/Slight Envy]

He seemed to have chosen his weapon according to his acquired skill as he wore a set of gauntlets. That was an uncommon weapon even during my previous time.

The condition of the other crew members wasn’t significantly different from that of Seol Myeonggeun.

'He doesn't like me I can see that, but is he envious as well? That’s a bit...'

[Aren't you a man too?]

'No matter how pretty Seol-ah is, she is still a minor.'

[If we were in the Martial World, she would be more than old enough to get married.]

‘…’

"It’s true what So-eun Unnie said, you often space out. Oppa, can you feel the presence of any monsters?"

I felt them as soon as we entered the gate. It was problematic that I could feel the Poison Spiders’ energy in every cave around us.

"Of course. I feel it coming from almost every direction."

The rest of the party hardened in place. This was going to take quite a bit of time.

'That means I can get quite a few ingredients for advanced potions. Hehehe.'

[What's with that laugh?]

'I'm happy.'

[Think of the missing people here!]

'Ahem, of course. I'm not that scummy.'

Money was good, but people's lives were more precious. I quickly checked my thoughts.

[Good work on being quick to realize when you’re wrong.]

‘…’

Seol-ah, not knowing what I was thinking, asked again with a severe expression.

"What about any signs of the captured hunters?"

"Well… nothing yet. Maybe they are in a place where there are a lot of monsters?"

"Then, we have no choice but to search each and every cavern."

I suggested that we start searching where we could feel the presence of many monsters, and everyone in the party agreed.

Seol-ah began to lead the party to where I indicated.

"Oppa, So-eun Unnie said you know about the monsters here."

[So-eun and Seol-ah seem to have no secrets.]

'Yeah. I'll have to be extra careful in the future.'

[Careful about what? If you make both of them your women, everything will be resolved...]

'I don't know if polygamy is possible in the Martial World, but this is South Korea.'

[Surely, a hero is….]

'I'm not a hero.'

"Oppa?"

"Oh, sorry. The monsters here are..."

I told Seol-ah and the crew what I knew about the Poison Spiders.

They drained their victims of their fluids like normal spiders and waited for the prey to tire out. They then made a cocoon around them and sucked them dry. There was a high chance of the victim remaining alive until that process concluded.

Poison Spiders often used venom to paralyze their prey before creating their cocoon, and sometimes captured prey was offered to the queen spider in a mating ritual.

According to the report, two days had passed since the hunters disappeared. If they weren’t killed right away, there was a decent chance they might be alive.

"That means there is still hope."

The crew nodded at Seol-ah.

"Oppas, you heard it, right? Please don't forget that our mission is not to hunt monsters but to rescue the missing hunters."

Calling them “Oppa” put a smile on the crew’s faces.

"All right, Seol-ah! If anything happens, leave it to us."

'Ha, calling them Oppa just kills them.'

[Isn't it the same for you?]

'What do you mean, my brother, the Heavenly Demon?'

[You wanna die?]

'If I die, you will also disappear.'

[Hmph!]

"Mr. Byeong-gi should continue to give directions from behind. If you are injured, our operation will be greatly hindered. And… I'm sorry, but stepping forward with that level could endanger the whole party. I don’t mean to offend, but it’s true."

That's what Seol Myeonggeun said while sending me to the rear of the formation. It was something he could say given his position, and I had to agree, but I didn’t get a good feeling upon seeing that 'disregard' and 'jealousy' were added to his status window.

'What's with that jealousy now? My pride has been slightly dented.'

[Kukuku, it's because you and Seol-ah are too close to each other. If you're not pleased, just resort to force.]

"Yes, Oppa, please prepare for an unexpected attack from the rear. If you feel any of the missing hunters, tell us immediately."

Seol-ah tried to soften the blow.

[I just heard something cracking inside you.]

'I didn't hear anything. What are you talking about?'

[The sound of your cracked pride completely breaking.]

'Don't joke. Anyway, since Seol-ah is here, let's just watch the situation. If it becomes dangerous, then I will step in.'

[Suddenly, I have a craving for a soda.]

'I'll prepare it after this hunt.'

[Kukuku.]

Upon entering the cave I had directed them to, the party put on their masks. Although we had a detoxification skill readied, preparing in advance was a given for hunting.

The inside of the cave wasn't as dark as I thought, so it wasn’t necessary to use the night vision goggles.

There were cobwebs all over the place, and their strength and viscosity was terrific. It seemed that ordinary people would be unable to move if trapped inside.

The webs hindered our group's progress as we went deeper.

"It looks like a booby trap."

Seol Myeonggeun said while breaking through the web ahead.

"You're right. I’d bet they’re aware of our presence and are waiting for us on the other side."

[I can feel them.]

As the Heavenly Demon said, I began to feel them close in, but Seol-ah and the others couldn’t sense their subtle presence.

"I can feel them hiding ahead."

"Do you really have a sense skill?"

I just smiled at Seol Myeonggeun's comment. I didn't care what he thought.

"You must be careful with their poison. And if you get caught in their web, you’ll need to be careful of their leg attacks."

"Wow, Oppa, what do you not know?"

"You'll find out later when you join the guild I create."

"Really? Are you making a guild?"

I couldn't see her expression because she was wearing a gas mask, but she sounded pretty surprised.

"Let's talk about that later."

We drew closer.

Poison Spiders preferred to wait and launch an ambush, so it was essential to attack first.

"Seol-ah, they are sensitive to light. If you toss in the flash grenades the soldiers brought, they will crawl out."

As nocturnal monsters, they reacted sensitively to light, so there was nothing better than that to drive them out.

[How come your attitude toward Seol-ah has changed? Are you compassionate?]

'I don't know either, but I think I can relate to her.'

[…]

Seol-ah relayed my idea to the crew.

"Oppas, I think it would be better to lure them in and attack."

The rest, including Seol Myeonggeun, moved quickly.

Physical attacks from modern weapons didn’t have much effect on monsters, but flash grenades could still attract their attention.

"I don't know if you've experienced it, Mr. Byeong-gi, but flash grenades are quite powerful. Don't be surprised either, Seol-ah."

When Seol Myeonggeun gave the hand signal, one of the crew members immediately threw one in.

Boom!

Suddenly, with a loud bang, a blinding light flashed. At the same time, the cave rumbled.

"Kyaaah!"

"Seol-ah, are you okay?"

"Yes. It's different from what I’ve seen in games. I thought it would just flash."

Flash grenades didn't just blind you but disoriented you with a loud sound that could throw you off balance.

But that only applied to ordinary people. It only dazzled hunters with their enhanced physical abilities.

[This is amazing. Even I was surprised.]

'This is the power of modern weapons.'

[It's a power that doesn't work well against monsters, though.]

'How come you have an answer for everything?'

[Because I know everything.]

Seol-ah seemed surprised for a moment, but soon she regained her stability and readied herself.

"They’re coming. There are five in the front and a few more in the back, but I can’t get an exact count.”

The crew member watching from the front shouted.

The cave shook considerably and this wasn’t just from the flash grenade, so it seemed quite a few were spooked and came our direction.

"Everyone, prepare for the attack. Go for it!"

The crew laughed at Seol-ah’s cordial order.

"Seol-ah, you go for it too!"

The mood was good.

[Not bad. It's good to have someone like Seol-ah around. Kukuku.]

'She's not only good at cheering people up. I want to see how strong she's become.'

[Since you said that much, I'm curious too.]

'Let's see how strong the future top ranker is.'

When I took out a bone, the rest of the crew seemed confused.

[Use your sword!]

'Oh… it was out of habit.'

[Since you've gotten used to Blade Energy, you want to feel that satisfaction again, right? You're so stubborn.]

"It's been a while since I've seen that bone."

Seol-ah laughed and summoned a flame sword.

'She's already obtained the flame sword?'

[Didn't you know about the gate where the flame sword dropped?]

‘No. Choi Yoo-hwan must have blocked that information.'

[Hmm, I guess so.]

Blazing-

The sword illuminated our surroundings.

"You have no idea how surprised I was when I got this sword."

"Huh?"

[Kukuku, I saved Seol-ah through that sword in her consciousness. At that time, I borrowed the shape of the flaming sword from your memories.]

'You did something useless.'

"When I fell into Choi Yoo-hwan's hallucination… the sword I used to fight him off was this one."

"Really?"

"And I found out something when I heard that you healed me.”

"Found out what?"

"In my hallucination, the moment when the sword turned into my 'Flame Baby' was when Oppa took my precious—"

"Stop!"

"Huhu, okay."

"By the way, 'Flame Baby?’"

"It's like I got this sword from you. So I gave it a name. Flame Baby, say hello to your dad."

The flame sword sparked as if it understood Seol-ah.

[She has a funny side, too, hahaha!]

"Dad?!"

"Shh, they’re coming. Oppa, stay right behind me."

[She says that but still treats you like an extra.]

'Well… Maybe it's because of my level. Anyway, I just need to extract the poison pouches. But you keep learning strange words, huh.'

[I keep looking in your head since I'm bored]

'Please, respect my privacy.'

Ssssss-

I could hear them approach.