Chapter 229 – Catastrophe (1)
Translator: Seven
Editor: Ana_Banana
A hunting dog’s primary purpose was to bite the throat of its prey with its sharp fangs.
But things didn’t always go as planned.
“What if you can’t find a way to hunt the prey after entering the dungeon?”
If you couldn’t hunt the prey you were aiming for in the dungeon, then it was virtually impossible to bite that prey’s neck.
What was important was to have a back up plan in case something like that really happened.
Kim Woo-jin had the best plan for such a scenario.
“It’s simple, just die together.”
Guerilla tactics.
Buying time by running away and prolonging the dungeon attack, eventually making it impossible for the target to clear the dungeon.
That was the best alternative that Kim Woo-jin had.
And in fact, Kim Woo-jin had successfully completed several hunts using that method.
“To explain it further, you become a runaway. In a dungeon, the chances of survival decrease as the attack time increases. And if the target ignores you and tries to attack anyway, then you have a chance to survive.”
Naturally, he knew better than anyone else just what skills were needed to be a good runaway.
So exactly what skills were needed?
“When you’re a runaway, the most important thing is to never stay in the same location.”
A good runaway would never stay in the same spot.
After all, even if you didn’t want to, it was almost impossible for the human body to leave absolutely no traces.
“Instead, it’s okay to leave a trail as long as you keep a good distance from your pursuers. The environments in dungeons always have variables.”
In fact, even if you left traces that the enemy could follow, as long as you kept your distance, those tracks could actually help you even more.
“If you’re smart, you could even use your tracks to create a path for your pursuers.”
Of course, Kim Woo-jin would never simply run away.
“Since the pursuers are usually forced to follow the runaway’s trail.”
He deliberately left marks in order to control his pursuers’ movements.
This was the reason Kim Woo-jin purposely left traces behind with Lee Jin-ah on the third day after entering the dungeon’s sixth floor.
“Hey, by the way…”
After listening to his explanation, Lee Jin-ah couldn’t help but ask.
“Why the h.e.l.l are you explaining it to me so kindly?”
Kim Woo-jin smiled without answering.
Lee Jin-ah was a bit frightened when he saw that ominous smile.
“You’re not telling me to go into dungeons and kill people like that are you?”
Even to that question, Kim Woo-jin didn’t answer.
And his smile disappeared not long after.
Seeing that, Lee Jin-ah didn’t say anything more.
Then they heard a voice.
“It’s Johann Georg. Isaac Ivanov, I’d like to make a deal.”
After finding the traces left behind by Kim Woo-jin, Johann Georg stepped forward and raised his voice.
Of course, Kim Woo-jin and Lee Jin-ah didn’t respond.
Instead, they held their breaths and watched Johann Georg and their surroundings carefully.
They were prepared to retreat at a moment’s notice.
“This is a gift for the negotiating table.”
Then, Johann Georg removed a black helmet, similar to the ancient Greek bronze helmet worn by soldiers, from his waist, raised it up, then placed it on the floor.
“I’ll step back first. There’s no need to be suspicious.”
As he said, Johann Georg stepped away from the helmet, and upon seeing this, Kim Woo-jin put on the Grim Reaper’s Mask.
[Connected to Skeleton Soldier.]
Then he moved the linked Skeleton Soldier over.
When the Skeleton Soldier neared the helmet, Kim Woo-jin’s eyes in the mask glowed gold.
[Horus’ Eyes have opened.]
Then he saw it.
[Cap of Invisibility.]
– Rating: Legendary
– Required Level: Level 100 or higher
– Description: Hades’ Helmet. It can completely hide the wearer’s existence.
-Reduces all defense by 30%
-Activates perfect transparency
-Food and Water cannot be consumed
-There is 24hr cooldown when removed
‘The Cap of Invisibility.’
Hades’ helmet was an item that made perfect hiding possible.
‘This is my first time seeing it in real life.’
This was one of the Saviour’s that even Kim Woo-jin hadn’t been able to see before returning to the past.
Because of this, he became certain at that moment.
‘Johann Georg betrayed them.’
Between the Messiah Guild and Isaac Ivanov, Johann Georg had chosen Isaac Ivanov.
…
“You won.”
The first thing Johann Georg said to Kim Woo-jin, who was Isaac Ivanov’s representative, during their meeting on the fourth day since they entered the sixth floor of the dungeon was a declaration of surrender.
“From now on, I’ll cooperate with whatever you want to do. I just need you to guarantee my survival.”
Johann Georg spat out all the words he knew Isaac Ivanov would want to hear.
‘Johann Georg.’
Of course, Kim Woo-jin expected this to happen.
‘He’s definitely a man whose personality is not suited for bargaining.”
Johann Georg had always been like that.
He wasn’t interested in weighing every detail. And at the same time, he was good at making large deals.
That was why Johann Georg could become a bigshot.
If he cared about weighing each and every small detail then he never would have become the king of the group fighting against the Messiah Guild.
‘He’s decisive.’
And he was a man who knew how to make every decision quickly and decisively.
‘For now, he’ll come to my side.’
Knowing Johann Georg’s personality, Kim Woo-jin knew that Johann Georg wouldn’t betray him in this dungeon.
‘For now.’
Of course, he was also aware that that loyalty wouldn’t last very long. After all, Johann Georg had wanted to kill Isaac Ivanov in the first place, and the reason he wanted to survive was so he could crush Isaac Ivanov and become king.
What was clear was that Johann Georg would never betray him in this dungeon.
That’s why he accepted Johann Georg’s offer.
“Isaac Ivanov’s will remains the same. As long as we get rid of the a.s.sa.s.sin, he will continue the attack.”
And Kim Woo-jin also didn’t want to fight unnecessarily.
“How is the a.s.sa.s.sin armed?”
Now, it was the time to get rid of the a.s.sa.s.sin.
Johann Georg answered the question without hiding anything.
“The a.s.sa.s.sin came with three special items. One is the Cap of Invisibility. Hades’ Helmet.”
Hades’ helmet, which would perfectly hide the a.s.sa.s.sin’s presence.
“But that wasn’t enough to maintain their stealth and mobility so they also added Hermes’ Boots.”
The Messiah Guild had also given the a.s.sa.s.sin Hermes’ Boots.
Kim Woo-jin was surprised to hear that.
‘They pulled out all the stops for Isaac Ivanov.’
Hermes’ Boots, the Boots of Swiftness that allowed the user to walk without touching the ground, were priceless.
‘I can’t believe Park s.h.i.+n-hye also used her treasure.’
In addition, it was one of Park s.h.i.+n-hye’s key items.
As a wizard, she was able to showcase amazing firepower with the maneuverability given to her by the boots.
And the compatibility between the Cap of Invisibility and the Boots of Swiftness was on a completely different level.
A quick a.s.sa.s.sin who was invisible and leaves no footprints?
They would have the ability to a.s.sa.s.sinate any target.
Of course, there was still one thing left.
No matter how fast they were, if their fangs weren’t sharp then they would be nothing but a b.u.t.terfly or a mosquito.
“The weapon is…”
And there was no way they would attach weak fangs to those two treasures.
Of all the legendary items they had, the weapon would definitely be the grand prize.
Naturally, his prediction was correct.
“Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi(1).”
‘Heavenly Cloud Sword.’
The Messiah Guild had taken out the Heavenly Cloud Sword in order to perfectly erase Isaac Ivanov.
‘The Sword Saint’s treasured sword.’
They had taken out one of the Sword Saint’s three treasured swords in order to deal with him.
That was why Kim Woo-jin was able to immediately make a guess.
‘Miyazaki, she is the a.s.sa.s.sin.’
The a.s.sa.s.sin who’d come to kill him was none other than the Sword Saint’s most talented disciple, Miyazaki Sakura.
…
In a jungle filled with knee-deep sand no matter where you stepped, a figure could be seen moving at an incredible speed.
“Hooo!”
It was none other than the Sword Saint’s disciple, Miyazaki Sakura, who moved at a high speed while walking on air.
Kiii!
The hordes of monsters chasing after her made angry cries, but that was all.
It didn’t take long for these monsters to become dots on the horizon as they were slowed down by the fine sand.
Paht!
Suddenly, a huge wall rose up in front of Miyazaki Sakura.
Then upon closer inspection, this wall was revealed to be none other than a Golem.
Woowoong!
And it wasn’t an ordinary Golem, instead, it was a Black Golem which was said to be quite hard to deal with among Golems.
It was a monster with the nickname Sword Killer, as it was considered a nightmare for any player who used a bladed weapon.
However, Miyazaki Sakura didn’t even pause for a second after seeing the Black Golem.
Sut!
Instead, with a soft sound, the Black Golem fell to the ground in two halves.
She bypa.s.sed the destroyed Golem and continued to move quickly.
It was truly an amazing sight. However, even though she was the one who had done something so amazing, her expression was still exceptionally grim.
‘Dammit, he betrayed me!’
On the first day on the sixth floor of the dungeon, after Isaac Ivanov’s team fled, Johann Georg came to her and said.
‘Let’s get everything ready.’
And with those words, she took off the Cap of Invisibility for the first time. This was so she could regain her best condition since she had gone without food, water or rest for over 20 days and had been using the turtle breathing technique to hold it together.
But the moment she took off the Cap of Invisibility, Johann Georg had collected it before shouting.
‘Isaac Ivanov!’
When she heard it, she thought that Isaac Ivanov might have come back, so she fled without hesitation.
‘I was tricked.’
It was only after running for a long time that she realised she’d been tricked by Johann Georg.
Since then, her situation had been the same as it was at that moment.
She was now alone in the dungeon and had become a runaway.
‘I can’t end it like this.’
Of course, even at that moment, Miyazaki Sakura didn’t think about giving up or anything of the sort.
This was proven by the fact that she’d decided to be a fugitive.
‘I’ll survive somehow. As long as I have the Boots of Swiftness, they’ll never catch me.’
She was confident as long as she had the Hermes’ Boots.
‘If I manage to leave somehow, I can get help.’
Furthermore, she was convinced that she’d get help as long as she could leave the dungeon gate.
‘Otherwise, we can just die together.’
In the worst case scenario, she was already prepared to die here.
However, she soon encountered the worst scenario for a runaway.
(Note:
1. Kusanagi no Tsurugi(Gra.s.s-Cutting Sword) is a legendary j.a.panese sword and one of three Imperial Regalia of j.a.pan. It was originally called Ame no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi(Heavenly Sword of Gathering Clouds), but its name was later changed to the more popular Kusanagi no Tsurugi.)
u