These people are hunting monsters for a purpose.

I began to understand why Tae-wan was wary of them.

It’s said that avoiding crazy people is the best policy.

That isn’t entirely wrong.

**“People consumed by vengeance.”**

These individuals are solely focused on avenging the monsters that have taken away their daily lives.

Outside, there are often those who burn with hatred for monsters.

This place is just a gathering of such people.

**“I can see why they fight without caring for their own safety.”**

For those whose purpose in life is vengeance, their own well-being is likely not very important.

Chang-soo scratched his head and said,

“Well, that’s about it. Do you understand our situation?”

“Yes, roughly.”

“We fight against those fishmen almost daily. But as you can see, everyone is desperate to kill the monsters in the most painful way possible. Capturing them alive isn’t as easy as it sounds.”

“Oh, I see.”

“It’s fortunate that there are some surviving merfolk among the ones you hunted. After a battle, people’s excitement tends to diminish a bit. Thanks to that, we’ll have three more awakeners. It’s truly a good thing.”

—Kyaahahahaha!!!

I saw a woman continuously stabbing a corpse of a monster that had already ceased to breathe.

I wondered if it could truly be called a good thing.

I shot a sideways glance at Chang-soo and asked,

“Then, do you have a similar situation?”

“Me? Compared to others, my situation isn’t that significant. I was finally thinking about getting married after shedding my bachelor status, but then my fiancée disappeared.”

“......”

That sounded quite significant.

“I think we’ve talked enough about ourselves.”

It seemed he didn’t want to delve deeper into this topic.

Chang-soo changed the subject.

“So, you deliberately sought us out?”

“Yes. I heard about you from others I met before coming here.”

“Really? People from other buildings wouldn’t have a very good opinion of us.”

“Did you know that?”

“Do we seem like clueless fools to you? Well, why don’t you tell me why you came looking for us?”

Chang-soo crossed his arms, taking a posture that seemed to challenge me to speak.

These are people consumed by a thirst for vengeance.

Though they all probably have quite tragic circumstances.

They’re, of course, burning with hostility towards the monsters.

After long battles, they’ve reached an average level of strength.

**“The best allies.”**

---

“So, this is the dungeon, and you all intend to defeat the boss of this dungeon…?”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm.”

I conveyed the same explanation I had given to Tae-wan.

Chang-soo scratched his head, appearing perplexed.

“Let me ask, what happens if the dungeon closes as a result? Will we all die together when the dungeon collapses?”

“Don’t worry.”

The dungeon is a result of terraforming by beings from another realm.

The collapse of the dungeon means that the distorted environment returns to its original state.

“That distorted environment includes the lack of sunlight, the polluted water covering the city, and the strange stone tablets with odd inscriptions placed everywhere.”

It seems there are some phenomena we’re unaware of.

In any case, that’s what will disappear.

Upon hearing this, Chang-soo’s eyes suddenly lit up.

“Wait, does that mean the sea of water will disappear?”

“It’s highly probable.”

“Then the merfolk won’t be able to breathe outside the water… They’ll naturally go extinct.”

He stroked his chin and smiled eerily.

“Not only will we kill the monsters, but we’ll also wipe them out completely… Furthermore, dying from suffocation is one of the most painful deaths, isn’t it…?”

“Pardon?”

“Oh, don’t mind me. It’s just a thought. I really like your suggestion.”

I found his reaction a bit perplexing.

**“Aren’t you supposed to focus on the fact that you could finally leave?”**

It seemed they had no interest in anything else.

The only thing they seemed to care about was that the monsters would be annihilated.

But well.

The important part is that they appear to like our proposal.

**“If it helps with dungeon conquest, I don’t need to worry about anything else.”**

I thought I could persuade them more easily than I expected.

“But it’ll be difficult.”

“Pardon?”

What’s with this guy?

Didn’t he just laugh as if he liked it?

“I like the proposal. Especially the part where we can kill all the monsters.”

“Then why…?”

“How can I trust you?”

Chang-soo crossed his arms and squinted at me.

“It’s not a lie.”

“Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that your talk about the dungeon is true. But whether you are worthy of fighting alongside us remains to be seen.”

“......”

Hmm.

He’s not wrong.

“Honestly, I’m baffled by your visit here in the first place.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s a clear reason why we kill the monsters: vengeance.”

He gestured around.

“As I mentioned earlier, the middle-aged woman lost her entire family to monsters. That young man over there barely survived due to the sacrifice of his brother. And it doesn’t end there. Do you see that room over there?”

“Yes.”

“That’s the largest room in this building. Inside, people are lying down.”

Lying down?

I wondered if it was being used as a bedroom.

“They sit staring blankly into space, losing their minds.”

“......?”

“After the recent incident, people lost many things. Some were busy figuring out how to survive, while others burned with a desire for revenge, like us.”

Chang-soo’s expression darkened suddenly.

“But… some people could not bear the horrific reality and lost their sanity. Many of us have friends or family who have become like that. Driven by anger toward the beings that turned their loved ones into that, they joined our group. But what about you?”

Chang-soo questioned me with an expression that showed he could not understand.

“It’s incomprehensible to me that there are people who would seek us out knowing this place is dangerous. I cannot comprehend it.”

Indeed.

Not trusting those whose motives and purposes are unknown is understandable.

Listening to Chang-soo’s words, I reflected.

The reasons we entered the dungeon.

One was because a rescue request came in.

The other was to succeed in conquering the dungeon for rewards and to gain strength.

However.

To be honest, I had another motivation for choosing to conquer the dungeon.

“Do you know?”

“?”

“This dungeon is gradually expanding.”

“I have a rough idea. We’re not fools.”

A dungeon is the result of terraforming by beings from another realm.

In other words.

“Those bastards are not only invading human territory but also gradually expanding their domain.”

“What does that matter…?”

“It’s infuriating.”

If ordinary life had continued,

I would have been leisurely studying cooking as a civilian after my discharge by now.

Or perhaps I would have been on a post-discharge trip.

Just the fact that such a life was shattered is infuriating.

Now they’re invading our territory and claiming it as their own.

It’s frustrating.

“We can’t just give in to their whims.”

“No. You entered this dangerous place for just that reason?”

“It may be dangerous now, but ultimately, it will become a way to survive.”

The environment of this dungeon is somewhat peculiar.

Even if you don’t engage in direct combat with monsters,

As long as it’s a high enough level without water, you can manage to survive.

However.

That’s just prolonging your lifespan a bit more.

“If we just endure in the high levels, we’ll inevitably be hunted someday.”

“......”

“We have no intention of succumbing to their desires. We’ll continue to grow stronger to survive. To do that… have you ever played a game?”

That may seem like an odd question.

But Chang-soo nodded as if he understood my intent.

“...If you succeed in conquering the dungeon, there will naturally be great rewards.”

“Well, that’s the idea.”

Chang-soo still looked at me with suspicion in his eyes.

If we were to conquer the dungeon together, we would have to trust each other’s backs.

He was being cautious about whether I could be trusted or not.

“This conversation seems to be getting long.”

He sighed and said.

“I’ll need to think about it. It will take some time, so for now, stay here.”

“Here?”

“We’re a small group. There’s plenty of space. I’ll give you an entire floor. I’m hungry. Have you all eaten?”

Now that I think about it.

**“Since it’s a place without sunlight, I didn’t realize it, but it’s been a while since the effects of the dish I ate earlier wore off.”**

It’s nearly dinner time.

“I don’t see a lot of food, but I’ll offer you something.”

“Yes? You don’t need to do that.”

I’m the chef here.

Is there any need for me to make food for others?

But it seemed Chang-soo thought I was just being polite.

“I see your gear is light, and you don’t seem to have much food?”

“About that—”

“You don’t have to refuse. Unlike other groups, we often enter the water directly. That means we have more opportunities to gather food than others. We have a decent amount of food compared to other groups, so you don’t need to worry.”

Most of the military rations that were in the vehicle were taken by the survivors we had met before.

Since we never know when a battle might break out, the soldiers’ gear is also light.

From their perspective, we probably

 didn’t look like we had much food.

**“Even so, they’re quite insistent.”**

Even if what Chang-soo said is true, that’s only because their situation is slightly better than others.

It doesn’t mean they have overflowing food.

Yet, they still offer to treat us.

“Hospitality is a must.”

“......”

“Thanks to your concession, we’ve gained more awakeners. Providing one meal is not a big deal.”

It’s surprising, but their reaction was quite different from the humans I met just before.

**“Those guys even threatened us to hand over food.”**

No matter how you look at it, it’s a considerate gesture.

If they go that far, refusing would be rude.

“Understood.”

“Oh, Sergeant Shin…?”

The members of my squad who couldn’t eat had slightly sorrowful expressions.

But what can be done?

“I-Isn’t it okay for us to just eat the combat rations?”

“They’re offering you a meal. It wouldn’t be polite to refuse.”

“B-But.”

“A meal of bland food won’t kill you, you guys.”

“Ugh.”

After saying that to the soldiers in a small voice,

I decided to wait for the meal to come out.

Clatter.

Chiiiiiik…

People started cooking by relying on the light of the torches.

Even if they called it cooking, it wasn’t anything special.

They were cleaning and grilling fish in a corner.

Then, they tossed in some rye bread sold at the market.

**“Pitiful.”**

From the perspective of a cook, I worried that they might fall into malnutrition.

But upon reflection, I remembered that awakeners tend to not suffer from malnutrition.

**“No… It’s more like they’re forcibly maintaining bodies that have been damaged by consuming mana.”**

It’s not exactly a good way to do things.

But these people don’t have options.

If they’re awakeners, they probably won’t die from just such a meal.

However.

There were people disappearing with the completed dishes.

“Where are those people going?”

“Oh, that…”

It was a simple question, but the answer I received was quite heavy.

“Didn’t I mention it before? We have people we need to feed.”

“...Ah.”

Now that I think about it.

They did say something like that.

**“There are people who have lost their minds…”**

I slightly rose and followed them.

Carrying the dishes, they entered a room in one corner of the building.

Inside the room were a few people.

“......”

“Baah…”

They sat staring blankly into space as if they had lost their minds.

**“Humans gone mad.”**

We had nearly faced such people in our squad.

The sudden monster attacks.

Even on the first day, there were many who sat there staring blankly into space, rambling.

**“Our squad managed to keep them sane through cooking.”**

And since descending to the ground, I hadn’t seen anyone like that.

The reason is probably simple.

**“Those who couldn’t adapt to the changed world have all died.”**

Unlike the outside.

In this dungeon, unless you jump into the water, you won’t be killed.

So it seems there are still those who have lost their minds remaining here.

“Many of us have joined due to acquaintances who have ended up like that. All of them are acquaintances of someone in our group.”

“The humidity is high, and it doesn’t seem very hygienic. Is there no disease issue?”

“Well, we’re just doing our best to change their positions gradually while nursing them, but that’s all. Strangely, no one has caught any diseases.”

“So the viruses can’t even thrive in here?”

“We’re pondering that as well. It’s a matter of luck, I suppose. There are rare occasions when someone regains their senses. It’s truly a rare occurrence, though.”

Now that I think about it.

The middle-aged woman who had just awakened had a similar feeling.

**“Is she an example of someone who regained their senses at some point?”**

By the way.

Hmm.

“Just a moment.”

“Hmm?”

I approached those who were about to feed the lying figures.

“What is it?”

The people nursing the ones lying down were probably family or acquaintances.

They sent me slightly hostile glares.

I shrugged off the gaze mixed with hostility and approached the lying figures to check their condition.

Their health can’t possibly be good, of course.

[Ingredient Identification (Enhanced)]

[Freshness - Moderate]

**“Thanks to being cared for somewhat, their conditions aren’t at their worst.”**

In a humid and unsanitary environment.

Had a disease spread, they wouldn’t have lasted long, but perhaps due to the uniqueness of the dungeon.

With just a regular level of care, their conditions weren’t too bad.

**“With this condition, it should be fine, right?”**

After sorting my thoughts, I said to Chang-soo,

“About that meal you offered earlier.”

“Hmm?”

“I’ll decline after all.”

“......? I don’t understand what you mean all of a sudden. If you’re feeling heavy-hearted seeing them, there’s no need. Like I said earlier, one meal is…”

“No. I’m not saying this out of courtesy.”

I stood up and looked at Chang-soo.

“I think the dish I made will taste better.”

“......”

Chang-soo stared at me with a look of disbelief.

He’s right to be shocked.

What kind of madman would refuse a meal from someone who offered it by saying,

**“My dish will be tastier than yours?”**

But what can I say?

It’s true.

**“...Are you serious?”**

“Yes.”

“...Then, well. Do as you wish. But…”

Chang-soo tilted his head and looked at the gear of our squad members.

“I mentioned this earlier, but it doesn’t seem like you brought a ton of food with you.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about the ingredients. As a bonus.”

Ignoring the looks of disbelief from those around me, I squatted down on the floor.

“Please tell the others to wait and not eat, as I’ll prepare a meal for them.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

After sitting down on the floor,

I reached out toward the ground.

Taking a clumsy posture, as if I were picking up a coin that had fallen on the ground.

The moment my hand touched the floor.

Swish.

“What, what is that!?”

I heard the startled voices of the people.

And it’s understandable.

It must have looked like my hand was penetrating through the floor.

Ignoring the panicking people,

I spread my arms as if I had put them through the floor.

Then,

Thud.

I felt someone hand me something.

I grabbed the item and placed it on the floor.

The people watching the scene murmured in disbelief.

“...Cabbage?”

But that wasn’t the end.

Thud.

Thud.

Boom…

“Cabbage, carrots, cucumbers…”

“What is that? There are eggs and meat too?”

“...Why is there a frying pan over there?”

The floor… no, to be precise.

As I put my hands in and took them out of the shadow that appeared on the ground, cooking ingredients began to pile up.

By the time I pulled out so many ingredients that it became overwhelming,

I spoke to the people, who were dumbfounded.

“Is this enough?”

If it’s not enough, just let me know.

I can pull out more at any time.