“A price? I don’t think we have anything we can offer... Oh! How about those combat rations you just gave us?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his suggestion.

“Haha… Are you joking?”

“Th-Then how about people? We have good-looking men and women here. If that’s what you need…”

*Click.*

There wasn’t much more to say.

“W-Wait! Please, let’s talk this through…!”

Ignoring the people attempting to stall us, my team and I descended the building and headed toward the ground floor.

“Even if you’re leaving, why head down?” one of them asked.

“There’s a skybridge we set up—why not use it?”

“Yes, there’s no need to go down into danger, is there?”

It seemed they’d finally given up on holding us back, but now wanted to end things on a good note. However…

“Thanks for the thought, but we’re fine.”

“If it’s about the toll we mentioned earlier, just forget about it.”

“No, really, we’re okay.”

Reaching the ground floor, we saw our vehicles submerged in water.

“There’s no way to move these cars across a skybridge, right?”

“W-Well, no, I guess not…”

“And besides, we had our reasons for entering the dungeon.”

Taking the skybridge would certainly be easier, but we had two main goals here. One was that we couldn’t ignore the distress signal, and the other…

[Experience gained.]

[Experience gained.]

[An ally who ate your meal excelled in battle. Your culinary fame spreads! Experience gained.]

“We keep moving forward while fending them off!”

“Yes, sir!!!”

Our goal was growth. There was no point in wasting the effects of the food I’d prepared.

Of course, not everyone could participate in the fighting.

Some of the mages—especially those using fire and lightning—had to sit out.

*In the last dungeon, fire mages got the glory.*

In the subway dungeon, the fire mages’ flames had an enhanced effect, making them ideal for taking down large numbers of enemies. But this time…

“When the water heats up, shouldn’t the fish die?” one of the fire mages muttered.

“Those aren’t regular fish,” I replied.

In underwater combat, even with my food’s [Environmental Adaptation] buff, the flames of the fire mages were weakened against the aquatic creatures. For the lightning mages, the problem was…

“It’s too powerful to use,” said Corporal Min-jae, sighing atop one of the combat vehicles.

These creatures moved through the water at incredible speeds, swimming with remarkable agility. By the time we noticed them, they were already close, forcing us into melee range.

That was when the issue of *friendly fire* came into play.

In most games with mages, area-of-effect (AOE) spells don’t damage allies. But here…

“Some games focused on realism allow for friendly fire, making strategy more complex.”

“Too realistic,” Corporal Lee Min-jae grimaced.

Our world was unforgivingly realistic. Mages’ AOE spells hurt allies just as much as enemies, especially with lightning, which was even stronger in water. If Min-jae targeted an enemy in the water, our own men could end up electrocuted.

‘Our most powerful mage, Corporal Min-jae, is a lightning user.’

Disabling Min-jae’s magic was a disadvantage, though luckily the nearby monsters weren’t too tough. The soldiers, except for the fire and lightning mages, continued defeating creatures and accumulating experience.

Of course, fighting non-stop would eventually wear us down. Our goal was to push forward as we fought, not to take on every creature in sight.

“There! The target is in view!”

Before long, we reached our intended location. But…

“Wait a minute,” a soldier squinted ahead.

“Something’s off.”

In the distance, we could see a clash happening.

“It’s a battle! Humans and fishmen are fighting!”

I couldn’t help but grin as I muttered to myself, “Perfect.”

---

The moment we’d left that first building, my soldiers had asked me where we were heading. I unfolded the map.

“Here,” I pointed to a specific spot.

“Pardon?” one of them asked.

“It looks like an ordinary building. What’s there?”

“There should be people settled in this building,” I replied.

Living humans inside the dungeon meant that meeting others could prove worthwhile.

“But… are you sure?”

Our unit had strengths and weaknesses; our internal cohesion was solid, but we were wary of outsiders. At the beginning of the end, I’d prepared a special [sauce] in the food to help calm everyone down.

The soldiers’ focus turned to survival alongside their comrades, which had some downsides. They were cautious of anyone outside the unit, rarely trusting others.

Despite this, the high number of Awakened we’d encountered in this dungeon was a point of curiosity.

“Just by listening to them, it’s clear they don’t have zombies here, only water creatures,” Corporal Min-jae had remarked.

This dungeon environment seemed similar to our own early experience, making it easier for them to become Awakened.

That led me to my conclusion.

“If there are useful people here, we should give cooperation a try.”

---

Now, we stood watching the humans fighting the fishmen with a fierce intensity. We were used to combat shouts, but…

“Die! You filthy minnows!” 

“Die, die, die, die, die, die!!!”

“That’s… a bit much,” I muttered, realizing why Tae-wan had described them with disdain.

Their frenzy was beyond the usual thrill of battle, bordering on madness.

Even our squad had only one person who got that intense during a fight.

“Look at them—they’re completely unhinged,” remarked Corporal Jeon Gwang-il, watching with folded arms.

“It seems like they’ve got a grudge against the monsters. Fighting so recklessly won’t lead to long-term survival.”

“…”

“I get that a bit of viciousness is necessary, but this is overkill. Don’t you think, Sergeant Shin?”

True enough.

“You’re one to talk…”

“What was that?”

“...Nothing.”

What mattered now was one thing.

*These people were actively fighting the monsters.*

There was no need to hesitate any further.

“Let’s join in!”

“Yes, sir!”

My team and I charged into the battle.

“Bring it on, you scaly bastards! I’ll send you all to hell!”

I decided to overlook Corporal Gwang-il’s shout of exhilaration for now.

---

These people had been holding their own against the fishmen. But with our added strength, the battle soon came to an end.

“Last one!”

Crack!

[An ally who ate your meal excelled in battle.]

The skirmish was over quickly, though the monsters would surely regroup and return soon. It wasn’t a situation we could relax in for long.

“What are you doing here?” a man stepped out from among the fighters, clearly one of their leaders.

I observed him carefully.

[Ingredient Identification (Enhanced)]

[Primate – Human]

[Freshness – High]

[Awakened: Kwak Chang-soo]

[Class: Lower Berserker Lv. 18]

Level 18. I was genuinely surprised.

*That’s higher than most of our squad leaders.*

Recently, only a few in our unit had reached level 20 to become ‘Intermediate’ Awakened. A level in the high teens was impressive, especially for someone outside our squad.

*This guy has been fighting non-stop against monsters.*

I held out my hand in greeting.

“Hello, Sergeant Shin Young-joon.”

“Sergeant?”

He didn’t take my hand, instead studying me with a frown.

“I didn’t know there were soldiers here. Were you hiding on the outskirts?”

“We’re not from here. We came from outside.”

“Outside?”

His eyes widened slightly, though he quickly regained his composure.

“I thought the outside was destroyed… Well, it doesn’t matter.”

That was all.

No follow-up questions, no curiosity about our arrival as soldiers from outside. His lack of interest was jarring.

“You asked if I’m okay? Not really.”

“What?”

“You stole our prey. I’m not exactly happy about it.”

“We just wanted to help—”

“I understand. And that’s why I’m only mildly annoyed.”

What was intended as a helping hand now felt like needless meddling.

“I appreciate your kindness, but it wasn’t needed. Next time, stay out of it.”

“Wait!”

“What now? We need to get out of here before more fishmen arrive. My people are exhausted.”

“I’d like to speak with you.”

“With us? Why?”

“There’s something we need to discuss.”

“Hm.”

He rubbed his chin, contemplating my request.

“Well, a conversation’s not out of the question.”

“Then—”

“But on one condition.”

“A condition?”

I wondered if he’d ask for food, like the previous group, but instead, he pointed his spear toward the water.

“Those three… and that one over there.”

“Oh.”

“Some of the fishmen seem to be unconscious.”

The creatures he’d pointed out were floating in the water, dazed but alive.

The fight was over, but we hadn’t performed any kill confirmations on these ones.

“Hand over their bodies. They were our prey to begin with. Do that, and we’ll talk.”

“Fine. You can have them.”

“You heard him—take them all!”

“Yes, sir!”

At Chang-soo’s command, his people began to gather up the creatures. He hoisted one over his shoulder and gestured for us to follow.

*What a fierce atmosphere.*

My team and I trailed

 behind him.

“Sergeant Shin, I assume they’ll use these creatures for Awakening?”

“Most likely.”

Observing them as we waded through the water, I noted their numbers were fairly small—about a quarter of our own force. 

*Given their average level, they likely need more manpower.*

Chang-soo led us to an abandoned shopping mall, where he guided us to an area above water level on the second floor.

“We can get started with the discussion—”

“Eager, aren’t you? Give me a moment.”

Before I could continue, he slipped past me to the corner of the room, where a middle-aged woman sat slumped against the wall.

“Ajumma. Ajumma,” he said gently.

“Huh?” She stirred, her face blank and her eyes hollow.

“It’s me, Chang-soo.”

“Oh… Chang-soo. What is it?”

“It’s your turn.”

The moment those words left his mouth, she bolted upright with surprising energy.

Chang-soo handed her his spear, then gently guided her to where a fishman had been tied and chained to the wall.

*Raspy breaths.*

*They can barely breathe out of water.*

Though still alive, the creature looked miserable as it gasped for air.

I had a feeling of what was about to happen.

*Awakening.*

We often used captured monsters to enable our own Awakening, restraining lizards and ending their lives quickly and painlessly.

But this was different.

“Die, die, die, die, die!!!”

Stab, stab, stab, stab!

*What the—?!*

The woman screamed as she viciously stabbed the creature, her deadened expression replaced by unrestrained glee.

“Kahahaha!!!”

Her laughter rang out as she continued to stab the fishman, savoring every thrust. Unlike our clean kills, she deliberately avoided its vital points, extending its agony.

I looked over at Chang-soo, who offered an explanation.

“That woman… She lost her husband right after giving birth. Her two daughters were her only family.”

“So, she’s their mother.”

“She raised them alone, working harder than anyone to give them the best life. Her daughters turned out beautifully—never a single headache from them. The eldest had even been awarded a scholarship to a prestigious university.”

“That sounds like a reason to celebrate.”

“Would have been, if both girls hadn’t been eaten alive by these monsters.”

“…Oh.”

“Their bones were shattered to dust by the fishmen’s teeth. There was nothing left.”

Finally, I understood.

“From what I heard, few people died here from drowning or monster attacks.”

“Oh? You seem well-informed.”

“We met others before coming here. The atmosphere was quite different.”

Chang-soo nodded. “True, not many died from drowning or monsters. Just because the numbers are small doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.”

The woman continued her frenzied assault, grinning with every stab. When the creature finally died, Chang-soo nodded approvingly.

“Had more people died that way, we’d have a larger group. I consider it lucky our numbers are low.”

I realized then exactly what kind of people we were dealing with.

*These people are consumed by vengeance.*

Their ordinary lives had been destroyed by monsters, and they turned that fury against them.

While their stories were undoubtedly tragic, to us…

*…they’re perfect.*