Civil Servant Hunter’s S-class Resignation Log

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Alone, Seora moved cautiously, extending her senses across the maze. If the maze itself was the monster, its core would likely be where magical power was most concentrated.

However, in practice…

“Locating it is no simple task; it’s quite challenging.”

In a typical dungeon, one could follow the strongest magical power. But within this monster’s belly, magical energy was uniformly spread, making it hard to pinpoint.

Driven by inspiration, Seora activated the cube, covering everything, including the unseen. Information flowed through her red left eye.

No survivors; only lifeless bodies devoid of vitality. With no distinct concentration of magical power, it seemed the core wasn’t within the cube’s coverage.

Yet, continuously using the cube across such a vast area was a mana drain.

So, what now?

The dungeon’s name was ‘Endless Road.’ Roads, by nature, have no end; they branch off endlessly, leading to various destinations. People often perceive their destination as the road’s end, but it’s only their endpoint, not the true end of the road. Another traveler might pass through to a different destination. Hence, a true end doesn’t exist on a road.

But what about this maze? There are no roads; the random grass is monstrous, and it revives when trampled. As paths don’t form, it’s called a maze.

Then why ‘Endless Road’ and not ‘Endless Maze’? Is there an unnoticed path?

“Oh, that’s a possibility.”

After dealing with the corpse, I should investigate if there’s a hidden path here.

The lifeless body, identified through the cube, belonged to Athena’s mercenary, named Haneda Noi. The name suggested she was Japanese. After promising to release her spirit from the dungeon, Seora examined the scattered items.

However…

‘Has someone already been here?’

There was no Hunter’s license. Typically, Hunters carry their licenses in dungeons to inform their family in case of death. But Haneda Noi had no Hunter’s license. Her weapons and various items were strewn about, indicating that someone had already provided comfort in her passing.

If that was the case, Seora had nothing more to do. Glancing at Haneda Noi, who lay with closed eyes, she moved on again.

Before more people died, she had to destroy this dungeon as soon as possible.”

【Administrator: |*˙︶˙*)╯】

At that moment, the cube surrounding Yun Jaeheon seemed to be pulled somewhere, giving her the sensation of being drawn out. It felt similar to escaping outside the gate.

“Has Brother left through the exit?”

【Administrator: (*`н´*)】

Yeah. Are you satisfied now? Seora had a strange illusion of hearing his voice, even just looking at the emoticons. She smiled. “Yes, I’m satisfied. Now, I can move on with a light heart. Thank you, Administrator.”

【Administrator: ◕`ε´◕】

Seora stroked the emoticon at the sight of him pouting, feeling sorry for him in many ways. “Well then, now…”

After unsummoning the nine-tailed fox, Seora slowly took a deep breath. Yun Jaeheon is safe. With that fact alone, her mind became calm, and the use of mana became much lighter. Now was truly the time to find and destroy the core of the dungeon.

【Administrator: (`ヘ´*)ノ】

Even in the midst of tension, don’t overexert yourself. Seora smiled broadly. “If things get too tough, I’ll leave. Promise.”

【Administrator: (ง •̀_•́)ง】

Seora slowly emitted her mana, recalling when Kang Sejun cast detection magic. Her mana, resembling crimson blood, was divided into thin strands like spiderwebs. She wasn’t searching for the monster’s core but for a passage. Not a visible path but some kind of flow. Yet, it was still a path.

As her mana spread widely and the threads of divided mana conveyed information, Seora found herself deeply immersed in it.

What appeared in her vision was no longer a simple scene. Everything touched by the ends of the mana threads filled her field of view. A reddish glow began to flicker in her eyes.

The sensation was completely different from when information was transmitted through the cube. It felt like a new perspective had opened up.

“Ah…”

Seora lost track of time. Slowly, her initially hazy vision sharpened, revealing a multitude of passages stretching out before her.

A surge of excitement coursed through her. These passages pulsed like a heartbeat, akin to the rhythmic flow within a person’s veins. Though thin, they were distinctly visible channels through which the monster’s magical power flowed.

It dawned on her that magical power, much like blood circulation, followed specific pathways. Whether in a person, monster, or demonic beast, they all adhered to this shared principle.

Drawing a parallel to the concentration of blood around the heart, she inferred that the core, where magical power gathered most intensely, lay along this intricate path.

In a semi-conscious state, Seora traced the visible passages of magical power, guided by the sensation of its strongest force. The passages, spreading in every direction, gradually coalesced into a singular path.

Just as the passages became so intertwined that visibility dwindled, Seora abruptly raised her head. The red glow vanished from her eyes, and her vision normalized.

To her surprise, it was an ordinary place, blending seamlessly with the grassy surroundings she had observed all along. Had it not been for the pulsating magical power passages, she might have unknowingly passed by.

‘Endless Road.’ True to its name, she might not even be aware that this place was her destination; she could have just kept walking.

“Well, it definitely qualifies as a Level 2.” Seora mused, rubbing her chin in contemplation before abruptly raising her head. “No, that’s not it. When it appeared in China, they clearly classified it as Level 1. Why did it drop to Level 2 here?”

The dungeon in Cheorwon had evolved from Level 2 to Level 1 after a considerable amount of time had passed since its occurrence. However, here, it seemed to have decreased instead. Was that even possible? What was different? Could it be because the dungeon itself was a monster?

“Did it weaken because it couldn’t get enough prey? That’s also quite plausible…”

As she mumbled, a sudden development interrupted her thoughts.

【The system administrator temporarily grants protection to the sole contractee.】

【The protection ‘Guardian’ is activated. It temporarily reflects enemy attacks with three times the force.】

Guardian? Why all of a sudden?

Before she could fully comprehend the message that had just appeared, a presence, previously unnoticed, abruptly announced its arrival with a resounding noise.

Pang!

The sound of a light kick sliced through the air as a person materialized out of thin air. Dressed in black combat attire, a mask concealing half of the face, and intense black eyes exuding a visible gloominess.

‘An Asian?’

Judging by his appearance, he didn’t seem affiliated with the WDO, the India Association, or Athena. Could it be that China had already unlocked the dungeon with a Key? Had that much time elapsed?

It appeared she had spent more time than anticipated searching for the core.

But…

“Did you just attack me?”

The activation of the Guardian protection by the administrator indicated that this person had indeed launched an attack. And she, engrossed in her search for the core, hadn’t even noticed.

No, no. That’s just an excuse. He approached her with a flawless stealth technique, enough to elude her half-focused attention on finding the core.

That was his skill. He wasn’t an ordinary individual.

“L-class?”

There was only one L-class figure she hadn’t encountered: Wei Hu, the public security officer safeguarding the Chinese president.

【Activates ‘Title—Contractee of the System Administrator’. You can access information on the person you desire.】

【The Awakened Information】

Name: Wei Hu (Class L)

Title: Shadow Designer (Class L), Forgotten Lurker (Class L), Submissive One (Class A)

Specialty: Combat Assassin

Contracted Entity: Silent Shadow

Notable Traits: An assassin proficient in shadow concealment. Currently, this individual has entered into a submissive contract.

As expected, it was Wei Hu, renowned as the world’s strongest assassin. That explained why she couldn’t detect his presence until he was so close.

‘A submissive contract, and the title ‘Submissive One.’ Did he make some kind of pact with the president?’

It wasn’t particularly surprising, given his well-known reputation. However, one thing puzzled her.

Why was he attempting to kill her?

“What Yun Jaeheon requested from China was dungeon raid support, not an assassination order. Why are you attacking me?”

“…”

“You won’t speak, huh? Fine. Then, let’s start with introductions. Nice to meet you, Wei Hu. I’m not the type to suddenly resort to informal language with someone I’m meeting for the first time, but being attacked out of the blue might affect my speech.”

However, Wei Hu’s expression remained unchanged. At this point, Seora was starting to get annoyed.

“What does China want, exactly? The complete closure of the Locked dungeon? Conflict with Korea? My death?”

“…”

“Or perhaps all of the above?”

Lu Yanwei would have likely countered with a few mocking words by now. However, Wei Hu displayed no reaction, no change in expression, leaving Seora to question whether he was even a living person.

He merely tightened the dagger in his grasp.

“It’s evident that you want to kill me.”

Seora feigned placing the sniper rifle into her inventory and swiftly switched to dual pistols. The situation differed from the Labyrinth; there was no need to disclose the characteristics of her weapons to an assailant.

Whether engaging in close combat with an assassin was viable remained uncertain. However, using an unfamiliar weapon was not an option. Her expertise lay in marksmanship. She could unleash her true strength only with a gun in hand.

Confronting Wei Hu, she sensed no trace of energy. Although undeniably the world’s greatest assassin, Seora felt a different kind of tension.

‘Surely, the Guardian has been activated, yet he shows no visible injuries.’

Despite flawlessly concealing his vital signs, his intent to kill her was undeniably genuine.

However, despite the clash with the Guardian, which reflected attacks with three times the force, he appeared unharmed. It suggested that he had evaded the attack before it could be reflected.

【Administrator: o(◣‸◢)o】

The administrator, angered by the sudden attack, confirmed Seora’s suspicions.

Tch. Seora clicked her tongue in irritation. To think he possessed such keen perception and reflexes. It was undeniably an unpleasant situation.

“So, you’re here to finish what the American Underground Guild failed to do? Well, fine. I kept my mouth shut without evidence, but now there’s no need for that.”

For the first time, Wei Hu reacted. He tilted his head. “You knew?” His voice was deep, not rough and low like Do Junyeong’s, but carried an ominous undertone, as if it could drag the other party into the abyss. It wasn’t a pleasant voice. “I thought you were just focusing on resolving the situation due to your age. But it seems that wasn’t the case. Yet, you never let it slip in front of Lu Yanwei, even in Japan.”

“Do you think I’m foolish enough to show signs without evidence? Fortunately, the situation has changed now that you’ve come to kill me. Whoever leaves this place will be the proof.”

If Wei Hu wins, Yun Seora will become the tragic Rank 1 casualty in a dungeon raid. If Yun Seora wins, China will have to face the consequences of attempting to assassinate her.

There are no other outcomes.

Bang!

As this was a fight for life, not a sparring match, Seora pulled the trigger without warning.