Waiting inside the Fissure was a cave with damp air.
Upon entering, Do-Jun took the SpacePad out of his briefcase and launched the Fissure Management System application.
[Welcome to the Fissure Management System, Mr. Lee Do-Jun]
For a Great Fissure that the Hunter’s Bureau managed one, Do-Jun technically didn’t need to do any mapping, but he decided to do it anyway to help Ye-Ji with the hunt tomorrow.
[Fissure in Yongsan-dong 6-001, Yongsan-gu, Seoul has been registered.]
[Please select the rank of the Fissure. Or if you enter the rank of the appearing monster, the rank of the Fissure will be automatically assigned. Also, if the Fissure is deemed a higher rank than what is assessed by the system, please select the Exception option.]
Do-Jun walked cautiously while looking at the SpacePad screen.
Limestone stalactites resembling icicles protruded from the cave ceiling in several places, and sticky liquid resembling snail slime trailed along the floor.
Do-Jun dipped two fingers into the liquid.
It wasn’t a dangerous level but could be lethal if it came into contact with an open wound.
Do-Jun checked the official website of the Hunter’s Bureau for information on registered monsters. However, none of the recorded Merfolk monsters were known to secrete a poisonous slime.
Just then, a monster appeared.
It had a single eye, sharp, sparse teeth, and an upper body resembling a woman, while its lower body was a fishtail—a mermaid-type monster not listed in the monster guide of the Hunter’s Bureau.
As the monster quickly slithered toward him, dragging its body across the ground, Do-Jun noticed the slimy trail left behind in the monster’s wake.
The monster opened its mouth, and just as it lunged to bite Do-Jun, he unleashed a wave of murderous intent that made the monster instantly freeze in place.
“You move, you die,” Do-Jun muttered as soon as he noticed the monster was trying to retreat.
He hadn’t used any binding skills, but the monster’s body stiffened as if paralyzed as it instinctively realized its predicament.
Do-Jun approached the monster and pried open its mouth to examine its teeth.
When a drop of green liquid dripped from one of the sharp molars, Do-Jun touched the liquid with his finger without a second thought.
Paralysis poison, huh?
Next, he examined the monster’s body more thoroughly.
Its entire body was covered in sticky mucus, which he discovered would make regular sword attacks ineffective. While a much stronger attack might work, casually swinging a B-rank sword wouldn’t do any damage.
He ripped off a couple of scales from its lower half. The monster groaned in pain, but Do-Jun didn’t care. The scales were quite hard, leading him to conclude that attacking its lower body would be inefficient.
[The Mermaid’s hostility toward you has dissipated.]
A message appeared before his eyes, but Do-Jun ignored it and continued his investigation.
[The Mermaid feels fear and terror toward you.]
After about thirty minutes, the Mermaid couldn’t move at all, even when Do-Jun wasn’t exuding murderous intent.
The ground was a mess, littered with dozens of the Mermaid’s scales, bodily fluids, mucus, and blood. Its body was covered in small wounds, with blood streaming from its closed eyes.
Then, Do-Jun noticed the Mermaid’s palm. It was the only part not covered in mucus.
A white flash shot out from Do-Jun, and the Mermaid’s right wrist was severed.
Shortly after, Do-Jun noticed a significant decrease in the mucus secretion from the Mermaid’s body.
So, this is where it was being produced, Do-Jun thought to himself as he examined the wrist, secreting a large quantity of mucus before halting.
[You have become a figure of terror to the Mermaid Clan. If any Mermaid within a 50-meter radius detects you, their abilities will be reduced by 30%.]
Do-Jun reached out to the battered Mermaid, and its body burst into flames.
It was Samadhi Fire, a martial art technique that burned targets using internal energy.
After inputting the information about the Mermaid into the Fissure Management System, Do-Jun continued mapping as he walked deeper into the cave.
He occasionally encountered groups of Mermaids, but they hurriedly fled upon seeing him. Since Do-Jun had no further interest in them, it actually worked out for him.
Do-Jun checked the map displayed in the upper-right corner of the SpacePad.
[The current map is 99% complete.]
He stopped in front of a firmly closed bronze door.
Spreading his qi senses, he sensed a massive monster beyond the door. It wasn’t hard to guess that this was the boss monster.
He opened the heavy bronze door without hesitation, and the noise it made as it slid across the ground echoed through the cave.
Revealed beyond the door was a massive shark that appeared to be at least fifteen meters long. It swam in the vast cavity, defying the fact that there was no water.
Upon spotting Do-Jun, it stopped moving.
[Accessing the ongoing Special Quest.]
[Special Quest: Sacrifice]
[If you cross the red line marked on the floor, Shark Tooth will attack. Sacrifice Count will start five minutes after crossing the red line, and upon reaching the target count, Shark Tooth will be sealed for one hour. As a reward, you will be permitted to open the Treasure Chest of Shark Tooth.]
Do-Jun looked at Shark Tooth, which was staring right at him.
He noticed a long red line drawn on the ground below and spotted a treasure chest in the corner beyond the red line.
So this was their plan.
The Hunters of the Solomon guild did not even ask about rank, skills, or even a name. They just needed to bring people here to use as sacrifices to open the treasure chest.
The Hunter’s Bureau won’t be suspicious if someone dies in a Fissure.
Moreover, this was a recently formed Great Fissure.
Great Fissures weren’t guarded at the entrance. There was only a specially made iron fence and a terminal to control access. Even if a Hunter who entered didn’t come out for days or weeks, nothing would be done unless someone reported it.
Furthermore, even if a report was made and they patrolled the Fissure, the Bureau would conduct a cursory search, and if they found nothing, they would simply mark the person as deceased.
So, nine have already died, Do-Jun thought, clicking his tongue as he crossed the red line.
[Shark Tooth’s territory will become restricted for 5 minutes.]
[Remaining time under restriction: 299 seconds]
[Shark Tooth has identified you as a sacrifice.]
Shark Tooth opened its jaws wide and charged rapidly at Do-Jun.
But all of a sudden, the boss monster, which had gotten right up to Do-Jun’s face, stopped moving, its body trembling with convulsions.
Then, it started fleeing upwards.
Pressed tightly against the corner, Shark Tooth began to panic, darting back and forth in confusion.
[Remaining time under restriction: 285 seconds]
When Shark Tooth tried to swim past the red line, an invisible barrier blocked it.
Shark Tooth desperately slammed its body against the unseen wall in an attempt to escape.
[Remaining time under restriction: 276 seconds]
It turned out that the restriction also applied to the boss monster, not just the challenger.
Do-Jun chuckled, took out his SpacePad, and took a picture of Shark Tooth.
[Registering information on the boss monster.]
He then waited until the remaining time ran out.
[Special Quest: Sacrifice has been completed.]
[Shark Tooth will be sealed for one hour.]
[The restriction barrier will disappear.]
[You can now open the Treasure Chest of Shark Tooth.]
With the series of system messages, Shark Tooth vanished.
Do-Jun opened the treasure chest, and inside, he found a sword.
[Shark Tooth’s Bone Sword.]
It was an A-rank weapon with high attack power and piercing options. Do-Jun smiled, thinking it would be good to give it to Ye-Ji.
Saturday morning, 9:30 AM.
Ye-Ji arrived at Seobinggo Station an hour early. She looked at herself in the full-length mirror inside the station and spun around once.
She took a deep breath as she looked at herself in a white blouse, a tennis skirt that reached her knees, and a pink mink coat.
Will Do-Jun like her look? Should she have worn something cuter?
She pondered various thoughts as she adjusted her bangs. Then she slapped her cheeks lightly to boost her morale.
“I will make him fall for me today, no matter what!”
Just then, she heard a voice from behind her. “Oh, you’re early, Ye-Ji.”
“Eek, ahhh!” Ye-Ji flinched as she looked at Do-Jun. “Mr. Administrator! Why are you here so early?”
“I had to finish organizing the Fissure data, so I came out a bit early.”
“Huh? What do you mean...?”
Ye-Ji looked at Do-Jun’s outfit. He was in a suit, not much different from his work attire, holding a briefcase in one hand and... a sword.
He looks cool, but still, it’s a date, and he’s dressed like he’s going to work... Ye-Ji sighed.
Do-Jun held out Shark Tooth’s sword to her and said, “Here, this one is better than the one you are using now.”
As Ye-Ji took the sword from Do-Jun, she checked its stats and was taken aback.
“A-rank...? Mr. Administrator, where did you get this...?”
“It’s a secret. Anyway, this should make you even stronger now. Since the other Hunters haven't arrived yet, I’ll brief you on the Fissure.”
Only then did Ye-Ji realize something was off.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Hmm? Did you not hear me?” Do-Jun replied without much thought.
“Weren’t we supposed to be here for fun today?”
Do-Jun was about to take out his SpacePad but paused and noticed a picnic basket in Ye-Ji’s hand.
Cold sweat ran down Do-Jun’s back. Come to think of it, he hadn’t told Ye-Ji they would be hunting in a Fissure. He also noticed that Ye-Ji wasn’t carrying her suitcase.
“This was clearly your mistake, wasn’t it?” Ye-Ji said as she smiled slightly.
Do-Jun nodded cautiously.
“You didn’t notify me, a contract Hunter, about overtime work. This is a clear violation of employment regulations, isn’t it?”
“I’m sorry. I should have informed you in advance.”
“Take responsibility.”
“I will make sure to get you the overtime pay.”
But Ye-Ji shook her head at Do-Jun’s apologetic words. “No, I don’t need money.”
“Then what do you want...?”
“Next time, have dinner with me. You have to treat me.”
“Sure, that’s the least I could do.”
It wasn’t a difficult request.
“I-it has to be just the two of us!” Ye-Ji shouted, her face turning red as she watched Do-Jun’s reaction closely.
She was worried that he might think it was weird and afraid of being rejected, her heart pounded nervously.
But Do-Jun responded immediately, and Ye-Ji beamed brightly.