Instant Kill, Time-Stop Spellcaster - Chapter 30
Today, the stock discussion community is peaceful.
It was a party for the ants (retail investors).
└ Ah, it’s a good time to buy stocks.
└ I analyzed it, and every time the perfect alert appears, the stock price tends to rise overall.
└ Does it really matter? The buffs don’t overlap.
└ It just feels good. The local market is like that. People get swayed by things like this.
└ There’s also the expectation of an E-level buff effect.
└ I’m really looking forward to the E-level buff effect. It should be as strong as an F-level, right?
└ Of course, it’s going to be even stronger.
But the happiness didn’t last long.
└ Oh. It’s been a while since we saw a red light in the stock market.
└ Why is it falling? Is it because the perfect Clearing awakener died?
└ It’s going to continue for a while. Sell now, just in case.
└ What are you talking about? There are still buffs, and the stones are pouring out.
└ That’s been stopped too, because of the dungeon anomaly.
└ The awakening users have already spread the rumors.
└ What is this dungeon anomaly you’re talking about? Why are you taking my money?
Slowly, the talk of crisis began to rise.
And finally, the government made an announcement.
<…This large-scale dungeon anomaly has been declared a national emergency. A task force will be set up led by the Awakening Management Bureau.>
└ What’s happening in the country?
└ So that’s why there have been so many dungeon collapses lately.
└ Why is this affecting my stocks?
<Attention citizens and awakeners. We are in a crisis that requires us to unite. Please follow the regulations.>
The regulations were as follows:
- All awakeners must only tackle dungeons below their 4th or 5th grade.
- Tackle dungeons with double the usual number of people.
- Avoid tackling dungeons in the city center if possible.
Numerous broadcasts covered the anomaly.
But the general public didn’t seem to be too concerned.
└ Is it really worth making a big fuss about?
└ They’ll just roll out some preferential policies for awakeners, and it’ll be fine.
└ And tax money will go to the budget again.
However, the ordinary people soon started to realize the crisis.
<Breaking News. A dungeon has flooded the residential area in Sejong City…> <Residents in the alert zone should immediately seek shelter in the nearest bomb shelter…>
<The reason for the dungeon’s failure: The dungeon was supposed to be an easy E-grade, but due to the anomaly, it was upgraded to C+ or higher…>
As dungeons began to break out one by one.
A catastrophic disaster occurred in Sejong.
<Estimated deaths around 1,000…>
└ 1,000 people? Crazy.
Dungeon floods are a regular occurrence.
It’s like a traffic accident.
A danger that every citizen should accept as part of daily life.
But 1,000 deaths was the highest number in recent years.
It was enough damage to shock the nation.
└ If there had been an S-class Word Mage, this would have been cleared in a snap…
└ How did this much damage happen with an E-grade?
└ E-grade should have been no more than 50 people injured and subdued, right?
└ How did they handle the situation?
└ It’s the dungeon anomaly, they say.
All of the nation’s attention was focused on it.
└ What exactly is this dungeon anomaly?
People could no longer stay indifferent.
Even on TV.
Even on the internet.
It was all about the dungeon anomaly.
└ This is terrifying.
└ When the hell will this end?
└ Nobody knows.
└ How can they not know? Someone needs to know, whether it’s the government or the awakeners, or we won’t be able to solve it.
└ That’s why we can’t solve it.
└ Don’t you get it? This is bad. Dungeons are going to keep breaking out at a huge scale.
South Korea was swept by fear.
###
The executive of the Palan, Class B Awakened Oh Hyuk-jun, was approached cautiously by one of his subordinates.
“Director, things seem to be escalating. Is this going to be okay?”
“It has to escalate. That’s when it benefits us.”
“But there are 1,000 casualties.”
“Don’t worry. That’s the work of the demons, right?”
“…”
“We didn’t do it.”
The commander of the Abyssal Legion. He was the true mastermind behind the dungeon anomalies. Palan was merely a relay.
They provided information to the legion commander, who then deployed the anomalies to the dungeons.
At least, that’s what Oh Hyuk-jun thought.
“Our lives are on the line in this project. What are we going to do if we’re scared already?”
“…Sorry.”
“The situation needs to worsen, and the fear has to spread.”
At that moment, Palan stepped in.
They shared the list of the dungeon anomalies and promised to save South Korea.
As for the source of the list?
It didn’t matter; they’d fabricate something if necessary.
The media, being on their side as a major guild, would cover for them.
“Don’t feel guilty. Are we demons? No, we’re not.”
“Yes…”
“We and the demons are just business partners, each seeking our own gains.”
Kyle assessed that the Abyssal Legion commander enjoyed plotting underhanded schemes.
The aim of this project was to kill as many low-tier Awakened as possible, particularly those vulnerable to the dungeon anomalies.
This was a long-term plan that wouldn’t be immediately noticeable but would slowly decrease the potential of future Awakened.
The dungeon anomalies were the starting point.
“Alright, let’s move on to the next.”
“Yes. I’ll begin manipulating public opinion.”
Their target: other major guilds, excluding Palan. In particular, their longstanding rival, which this time had even snatched Aden , Seonghwa.
###
Kang Hyun entered the dungeon and summoned Aden.
“A-class disciple incoming!”
“Why are you so hyped up?”
“Are you going to show us that thing from last time!?”
“Oh, that.”
He seemed eager to see it again.
“Yeah, let’s try that this time.”
“Khahhh!”
It was the perfect environment to use that technique.
They skipped the usual ranks and entered directly into an E+ dungeon.
After walking a little, monsters appeared.
“Uh… they seem a lot stronger than last time…?”
Around 10 wild bulls appeared, their horns and eyes extremely fierce.
They didn’t look like they would easily be defeated by orcs.
“Isn’t this an E+ dungeon?”
“Yes? Are you okay? Should I help?”
“I’m fine. I’ve got ‘that.'”
He immediately invoked the command 【Die】.
“That doesn’t depend on the opponent’s strength, because the mana consumption is fixed.”
It affects the soul, not the body.
“What!? That’s so OP!”
“There’s a catch though. The restrictions are tight, and the mana cost increases depending on the number of enemies.”
“Wait, you can use it on multiple enemies?”
Originally, it was impossible, but the system had helped him.
The mana consumption was reduced thanks to the system.
He began reciting the incantation.
“Soul (靈魂). Spirit (魂魄). Soul Ritual (魄儀). Spirit rites (儀典). Decree (典令)”
There was a faint sense of déjà vu, and the wild bulls all turned to look at them.
They snorted and scraped their hooves.
“Final decree (令終). Last Statement (終言). Declaration (言明). Annihilation (明滅).”
As he finished the incantation, the bulls charged at them.
But…
“【Die】”
Whoosh—
The wild bulls’ eyes dulled, and they continued charging with the same momentum, passing by Kang Hyun and Aden.
Dust flew up from the ground.
But one bull continued charging.
“Hey! What’s that one? Is it invincible?”
“Mana overloading.”
“Yes!?”
“At least nine bulls are the limit.”
He drew a sword from the air and swung it at the bull’s forehead.
The bull blocked with its horn.
He tried to cut through the horn, but…
Kaang!
“Huh?”
The sword was blocked by the horn, and Kang Hyun was pushed back by its strength.
“Master!”
Despite the horn issue, he had completely lost in the strength struggle.
“Tch.”
His body was so weak.
The bull kept charging, pushing Kang Hyun into the air, heading straight for a tree.
But Kang Hyun still had a little mana left.
“【Vera】”
In that instant, the sword sliced through the horn like cutting through tofu.
The bull’s skull was cleaved in half.
The bull flew past and crashed into a tree.
Thud!
‘Need to level up my stats.’
He hoped the support from Seonghwa would be ready soon, so he could power up his stats.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
He wiped the blood off his sword and headed toward the World Tree’s root.
He cut through the root and stored it directly in his inventory.
But the inventory resisted, and the space trembled.
Wuuung—
‘It’s becoming clearer.’
As his skill leveled up, his insight into the incantations became sharper.
Thanks to that, he was able to get closer to space magic.
But it still wasn’t enough.
Before he could reach full understanding, the dungeon was cleared.
Clink—
[Dungeon cleared.]
[Calculating completion grade.]
‘Tch.’
It was close, but not quite there yet.
Just a bit more until enlightenment.
‘Space magic.’
An uncharted realm that no one had reached.
Although the system introduced the concept of space through Milardon, it wasn’t something Milardon created—it was a divine gift.
The system’s infinite rewards and powers were all due to divine power.
The system merely connected the Awakened to the divine.
‘So, space magic is my creation.’
Watch closely, Milardon.
This master is about to show you a fascinating realm.
[Perfect Clear!(Solo)]
[Incredible achievement! You’ve perfectly blocked the World Tree’s invasion by clearing an E+ dungeon!]
[Your achievements will grant a blessing to the surrounding area! Everyone will praise your feat!]
Now, it was time for the rewards.
[You received a special reward for completing the dungeon “Perfect Clear!(Solo).”]
[“Bronze Box (+2)” is awarded.]
It skipped +1 and went straight to +2.
That only made him more excited.
“Disciple, it’s your turn.”
“Drum roll!”
Aden jumped up and down, adding sound effects.
Her heart fluttered too.
[‘Bronze Box (+2)’ will you open it?]
“Drum roll… Let’s go!”
“Let’s go!”
[‘Bronze Box (+2)’ is now opening.]
The effects burst out.
They were a bit more radiant than before.
‘Could this be it?’
Woosh—
Ding!
[‘White Night Sunflower’ has been given.]
[White Night Sunflower]
A sunflower that grows in lands where the sun never sets. It increases strength by 3 levels if at F- strength and 1 level if below E-.
“Oh!”
This was perfect—especially since he’d been embarrassed by his low strength against the wild bulls.
He immediately popped the flower into his mouth and chewed.
Chew, chew.
The stem hung out of his mouth.
“Oh! It looks like a special potion!”
“Yeah. It’s for strength.”
Mmm, it tasted healthy.
[‘Strength’ has increased. (F- → E-)]
A 3-level increase!
“Spit.”
It had been so long since he’d had a potion.
“Does the higher dungeon level make potions appear more frequently?”
“Probably.”
Next time, he’d aim for higher-level dungeons to keep finding these kinds of useful ones.
Ones that could be swept clean with 【Die】.
A Simple dungeons.
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