The Father of South Korea

[Sense Eye detects danger.]

This alert was far from meaningless.

‘It’s dangerous to approach without any precautions.’

Poison gas. In the early stages of the Seoul Station dungeon, numerous players lost their lives to this poison gas because they didn’t know how to fight against it.

“Brother…!”

Even Sunhwa, who had become accustomed to relatively ordinary monsters like goblins and city wolves, didn’t seem familiar with such special effects.

“I’m scared.”

Sunhwa stood behind me. Although he didn’t show it, even Masanghyeon seemed tense.

“Both of you stay back there.”

The spreading speed wasn’t fast. It should be okay if we don’t breathe it in directly. For now. We’re still at a safe distance.

“What about you, brother?”

“I need to get rid of that.”

“…”

Worry filled Sunhwa’s eyes.

“Don’t worry. I’m fine.”

Even knowing all the strategies and how to counteract the poison gas, it was still nerve-racking. I could still die if I made a mistake.

I strode towards the crystal.

‘Is this close enough?’

I took a deep breath. As a player, I can hold my breath much longer than ordinary people. I could see the crystal emitting the toxic fumes.

‘Here goes.’

I checked my items once again. A hidden piece item from Mandragora.

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[Mandragora’s Glove]

Mandragora’s Glove possesses special effects, offering unique resistance against ‘poison’ and protecting the wearer from numerous infections.

Defense: 2

Option: Poison Resistance +3

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A Poison Resistance of +3 wasn’t enough to block all poisons. The closer I got to the crystal, the more my skin tingled.

[Resisting the toxic fumes of ‘Seoul Station Crystal’.]

[Sense Eye detects danger.]

The Sense Eye provided a clearer perception of the danger. If I got any closer, I would be poisoned and die. My skin would rot and fall off. A mere ‘+3 Poison Resistance’ wasn’t sufficient to fully resist the toxicity of the crystal.

But I already knew this. I continued to move closer, holding my breath as long as possible.

‘Senia will know, right?’

That I, without full poison-resistant gear, could end up severely damaged by approaching the crystal, relying only on ‘Mandragora’s Glove’.

‘The Guardians will be paying attention too.’

Senia and the Guardians. They would be focusing on my play. They would want to see if a mere level 18 player like me could actually clear this place. A Guardian with a name like ‘Whispering Devil’ might even enjoy seeing me die a miserable death.

‘I’ll show them.’

The play they wanted to see.

‘Inventory.’

I opened my inventory and took out an item I had earned earlier—the ‘Bzzbzz Bee’s Poison Stinger.’ It’s from a monster that gives hardly any experience or coins. Yet, I hunted them diligently. Not a single one escaped.

[The poison essence from the ‘Seoul Station Crystal’ begins to seep into your body.]

[Resisting the poison essence.]

‘It’s hard to keep my eyes open.’

I should have higher poison resistance than the average player due to my stats.

‘Breath at its limit.’

I had reached the crystal. The fumes were so thick that I couldn’t see properly. Actually, I couldn’t see at all.

‘Where is it?’

[Sense Eye detects a very serious danger.]

My Sense Eye artistically drew a vivid picture of the future where I would die if things continued this way.

‘Ugh…!’

Despite holding my breath, it wasn’t perfect. I could feel the poison essence seeping through my pores, burning my skin.

[Potions cannot be used.]

Potions were also off-limits. I already knew this too.

‘Where is it!’

I couldn’t open my eyes. Overwhelming pain surged through me. Amidst it, I desperately searched for the crystal.

‘Here!’

My Sense Eye did not betray me. I grabbed the crystal in my hand.

‘Hurry…!’

The moment the crystal was in my grip, I burst the ‘Bzzbzz Bee’s Poison Stinger.’ A black liquid spewed from the needle-like stinger, and a surprising amount flowed out, touching the crystal.

Sssshhhh-!

Smoke rose.

[‘The toxicity of the Seoul Station Crystal’ begins to neutralize.]

[‘The toxicity of the Seoul Station Crystal’ begins to neutralize.]

I burst another of the Bzzbzz Bee’s Poison Stingers and smeared the liquid onto the crystal. With each one, smoke rose and notifications sounded that the toxicity of the ‘Seoul Station Crystal’ was weakening.

I heard Sunhwa’s voice. It was a simple and honest exclamation.

“Wow…”

The purple smoke gradually lightened.

“Huff… Huff…!”

I looked at my arm. It looked quite poisoned, turning purple.

‘It wasn’t as easy as I thought.’

My vision was almost paralyzed. It had made it hard to find the crystal immediately.

‘But anyway, I did it.’

It wasn’t perfect, but I achieved the result. A mere level 18 player, I had destroyed the crystal of the ‘Seoul Station Dungeon,’ which had caused numerous casualties in the past.

[‘Seoul Station Crystal’ acquired.]

[1/2 of the Clear Conditions has been met.]

Before long, the smoke had completely disappeared.

[‘An anonymous observer watches you with deep interest.’]

[‘Whispering Devil’ seems disappointed.]

Whispering Devil. That creature clearly hoped I would succumb to the poison and die. Masanghyeon asked me,

“Brother. How did you do it? I couldn’t see well because of the smoke.”

“I used the Bzzbzz Bee’s Poison Stinger I got earlier to neutralize the toxic fumes.”

“How did you know you could use that to neutralize the smoke?”

“The item description mentioned it neutralized poison.”

There’s no need to explain in detail. The Guardians were likely watching, and there’s no need to babble about my play.

“Did you figure all that out just from reading the description?”

“Yeah.”

It wasn’t my idea. It was thanks to the great explorer Sir Jackson. Masanghyeon fell silent.

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Status: Respect/Admiration/Astonishment

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It seems my status is beginning to resemble Sunhwa’s, but I obtained the crystal anyway. Now that I’ve tried it once, acquiring the next crystal should be a bit easier.

“Let’s go.”

* * *

Seojoo Hwan had traveled down this path before. Now I entered the same route again. The progress was almost identical, even the difficulty.

I reached the vicinity of the crystal. The notification sounded again.

[The ‘Seoul Station Crystal’ does not welcome intruders.]

The same old routine. Seoul Station Dungeon was, after all, a ‘beginner dungeon’ with not too complicated or difficult clearing methods. Once the way to clear it was known, the chances of clearing increased significantly, and the risk of death was minimal.

[Sense Eye detects danger.]

Just like before, Sense Eye sent a warning signal to Kim Hyukjin. However, this time, Kim Hyukjin was able to acquire the crystal a bit more easily.

Senia silently broadcasted Kim Hyukjin’s play.

‘He has grown more than before.’

It was astonishing enough that he had neutralized the poison fumes from the Seoul Station Crystal, but after just one trial, his actions had become much more natural.

‘I thought he went too far into danger earlier.’

The poison fumes had been so dense earlier that he hadn’t found the crystal properly. If not for Sense Eye, Kim Hyukjin might have died at the first crossroad.

‘But this time…’

Earlier, Kim Hyukjin’s entire arm had turned purple. But this time, it showed no signs of anything. It meant he wasn’t affected by the poison gas at all.

[‘An anonymous observer admires the rate of your growth.’]

[‘The Lady of Balance’ wonders at your growth.]

[‘The Valiant Lion King’ starts to take interest in your talent again.]

The Guardians were admiring Kim Hyukjin’s growth rate. They observed Kim Hyukjin’s play from a third-party perspective, as a much more objective evaluation.

‘Player Kim Hyukjin. Do you realize what kind of play you are engaging in?’

What was this player really like?

She couldn’t understand it through her conventional thinking. There was no need for her to speak for the broadcast separately. At this moment, notable Guardians were entering her channel. Simply for the ‘high-quality content’ she possessed.

[Unnamed Guardians enter channel #19207 in large numbers.]

Not just any average Joe, but another Guardian with a ‘true name’ joined.

[‘Pearl of Cheonmasan’ enters channel #19207.]

Senia continued to broadcast Kim Hyukjin’s play in silence.

Kim Hyukjin accepted the crystal.

[‘Seoul Station Crystal’ acquired.]

[The ‘Seoul Station Dungeon’ Clear Conditions have been met.]

Some terrible dungeons require complete destruction of the crystal before proceeding with the clear. And those crystals boast massive defense power. Thankfully, the Seoul Station Dungeon didn’t have such settings.

[The clear has been completed.]

[The ‘Seoul Station Dungeon’ has been cleared.]

[The ‘Dungeon Break’ of the ‘Seoul Station Dungeon’ has been sealed.]

Senia, who had been broadcasting in a semi-transparent state, revealed herself. Masanghyeon gaped when he saw her.

‘Wow…’

It’s a countenance he had never seen before. It was as if a noble angel had descended. Even her expressionless face was beautiful. Beyond beauty was a feeling of nobility.

‘Is that… Brother’s intermediary manager?’

He almost drooled. How could something be so beautiful? It was a wonder that Kim Hyukjin showed no particular reaction to such an extraordinary beauty.

‘What kind of person is Brother in reality?’

What kind of person had he been? He became curious. About that man.

‘I’ll find out in time.’

He decided not to rush things. He already owed a life debt. Slowly, very slowly, Masanghyeon resolved to repay his gratitude to that man in his own way.

Senia spoke.

“We will proceed with the rewards.”

“If you are handing out the rewards yourself… Does that mean there is something special?”

Usually, when a dungeon is cleared, the dungeon automatically provides rewards. That’s the usual case. For an intermediary manager to personally appear and administer rewards means that they have used an item or tapped into a power.

‘I’ll probably be given level-up points as a basic.’

Senia nodded in response.

“Yes. I will grant level-up points to all party members who cleared the Seoul Station Dungeon.”

The reward wasn’t all that surprising. It was as ordinary as they come.

‘What I want is…’

Kim Hyukjin wanted something else. He had a real purpose for coming here to clear this place. It’s the first button of my plan, the starting point.

‘They will give me a choice.’

Kim Hyukjin waited quietly. There was no point in being hasty. Finally, Senia began to speak.

“Kim Hyukjin, for your astonishing play, you are given a choice.”