Chapter 15
A deep, resonant howl echoed in the distance.
Awooooo!
It was the cry of a massive wolf—and soon, hundreds of Blood Seekers, drawn by the scent of blood, came rushing toward them.
“What a nuisance.”
Even for a first-class Awakener, being surrounded by hundreds of Blood Seekers meant one thing—retreat.
A one-against-many fight was never as simple as it sounded.
But Cheonma only looked annoyed, as though staring at a swarm of flies.
“Sasa Gyeonghon Maguktoe!”
The Sasa Gyeonghon Maguktoe Technique allowed him to channel tremendous rotational force into his legs. The more he spun, the more destructive the power became.
Twisting his body midair, Cheonma unleashed a whirlwind of kicks—
Each strike crushed the charging monsters one after another.
Crack!
The neck of the last Blood Seeker snapped under his heel, and the creature collapsed with a whimper.
Moments later, the ground was littered with corpses—a sea of blood and bodies.
[Impressive, Lord Cheonma.]
“These weaklings aren’t even good for a warm-up.”
[That’s not what I meant. I already know your martial power surpasses that of a top-tier Awakener.]
Nameless—his AI companion—spoke in a voice tinged with awe.
[What amazes me is your mind. Even the strongest Awakeners rarely remain this calm surrounded by hundreds of corpses.]
“I am Cheonma. When I ruled the Martial Realm, I saw far worse than this.”
[There were monsters in your world too?]
Cheonma narrowed his eyes slightly, then shook his head.
“There were, yes—but something far scarier and more persistent than monsters.”
[And what might that be?]
“…Humans.”
His tone dropped low, and his eyes darkened like the night sky—as though drawing up memories buried deep within his heart.
Just then, Nameless’s spherical head rotated sharply.
[Lord Cheonma, I’ve detected a dungeon one kilometer east. It may contain a Crab Pit.]
“Let’s go.”
After moving about two hundred meters forward, the thick mist finally cleared. Ahead, Cheonma saw what looked like the ruins of a once-bustling city—similar to the Safe Dungeon.
“That must be it.”
Following a faint blue arrow on his HUD, Cheonma’s gaze fell on a tall, blackened tower rising in the distance, a foul energy seeping from its walls like smoke from a chimney.
“It really does look like a smokestack,” he muttered, frowning.
[We only suspect the Crab Pit may be inside.]
Cheonma silently approached the dark entrance and stepped in.
As soon as he entered, a blast of scorching heat washed over his face.
The tunnel stretched like a cave, and waves of hot air rolled from deep within.
“Hmph.”
He inhaled the heated air and continued walking.
Gradually, the narrow passage widened into a vast cavern surrounded by jagged rock.
Cheonma stopped. Something in the rocky walls… moved.
“These are…”
[Fire Lizards. Rank 2,500 monsters. They emit flames over 300 degrees Celsius from their bodies.]
Only then did he realize—the “rocks” covering the walls were actually camouflaged Fire Lizards, their skin matching the stone around them.
Dozens of them turned their heads, glinting eyes locking onto him.
Whoosh!
Sparks burst from their scaly skin, and in an instant, they were ablaze—living torches.
[If Fire Lizards appear at the entrance, this dungeon is at least A-rank or higher. I advise retreat, Lord Cheonma.]
“…”
[Even for you, A-rank dungeons require dozens—sometimes hundreds—of high-tier Awakeners to clear.]
Suddenly, one lizard lunged forward—
Fwoooosh!—a jet of crimson fire shot from its jaws.
“Hanryeong Bingbaek Divine Art!”
Cheonma raised his arm, channeling the supreme ice technique of the martial world.
But with only ten years of restored inner power, the frost that formed was thin—barely a sheet of ice.
Ssssss!
The flame touched his palm, releasing a puff of white smoke.
“Kh…!”
Another wave of fire followed, and this time, Cheonma dodged with a swift spin.
[You don’t need to force your way through, Lord Cheonma. The odds of finding the Giant Sweet Potato here are slim.]
Cheonma’s pride was fierce—but he wasn’t reckless.
He exhaled slowly, nodding once.
“Let’s turn back.”
They continued searching the borderlands of the variable dungeon zone, but aside from the occasional Blood Seeker, there was no sign of a Crab Pit—let alone a Giant Sweet Potato.
“What’s going on? That’s the only dungeon near the border,” Cheonma said, clearly frustrated.
[Apologies. Reports repeatedly mentioned Awakeners sighting a Crab Pit near the variable dungeon’s entrance…]
Nameless’s internal processors whirred, gears clicking faintly as it recalculated.
[The map doesn’t show exact dungeon coordinates, but there are traces of Awakener activity near the border.]
“That’s the fourth time you’ve said that.”
[I’m sorry. Would you mind moving northeast once more?]
Cheonma, deep in thought, shook his head.
“Enough. I’ll handle it my way.”
He looked toward a half-collapsed building and suddenly thrust out his fist.
BOOM!
The thin wall shattered, leaving only a jutting iron rod.
He straightened his fingers, slicing it clean in two, then bent the piece into an L-shape.
[What are you doing with that rod?]
“A method to find where evil energy rises.”
[You mean… a dowsing rod?]
Nameless sounded skeptical.
[That’s completely unscientific, Lord Cheonma.]
“You sound just like Magija.”
[Magija?]
“One of my subordinates—acted like he knew everything, just like you. He called this method superstition too.”
Cheonma closed his eyes.
“Be silent now. I need focus.”
Holding the bent rod in his hand, he walked slowly, sensing the air.
After some time, he felt… something strange.
He opened his eyes—he was standing once again at the border between the Safe and Variable Dungeons.
[We’re back at the boundary, Lord Cheonma.]
“Strange. I could’ve sworn I felt something here.”
He closed his eyes again, concentrating.
This time, a faint, sinister energy rose from beneath the ground.
“…It’s underground.”
[Pardon?]
“Cheonma Grand Power!”
BOOM!
An overwhelming force exploded through his body.
Cheonma crouched low, then launched himself skyward like a cannon.
Nameless, clinging to his shoulder, yelped.
[L-Lord Cheonma!]
“Fist Demon’s Seventh Style… Cheonsugongpa!”
Red energy flared in his palms.
He thrust both hands downward—two blazing dragons roared toward the earth.
KA-BOOM!
The ground erupted, sending dirt flying in all directions.
From beneath, a metal staircase slowly emerged—the entrance to a dungeon.
Cheonma landed lightly, gazing at it with satisfaction.
“So it was buried underground.”
A low screech echoed.
From the darkness, a massive crab-like monster crawled out. Then another. Then dozens more—Crab Pits, flooding from the entrance.
[Congratulations, Lord Cheonma. You’ve discovered a new dungeon.]
“Where there are crab monsters, there’ll be sweet potatoes too.”
He peered inside—and sure enough, the walls were covered in giant sweet potatoes, hanging like ripe fruit.
“How many would I need to earn the shopkeeper’s trust?”
[One is enough. A single Giant Sweet Potato can produce over thirty batches of eco-friendly glue.]
Cheonma nodded, pleased.
[If you register this dungeon with the Association, you could earn a discovery bounty—anywhere from ten million to one billion won.]
“I can’t register anyway.”
[Correct.]
“I don’t care. I promised the shopkeeper three years of work. My inner power comes first.”
He plucked one massive sweet potato and stuffed it into his bag.
[But there’s a problem, Lord Cheonma.]
Nameless’s tone grew serious.
[For sustainable production, the dungeon’s existence must be made public. Otherwise, only you know of it.]
“What do you mean?”
[To mass-produce the glue, other Awakeners must collect the resource. Unless you become a registered supplier, that won’t happen.]
“That’s simple. Register it under the shopkeeper’s name.”
[Miss Jang Chaewon isn’t a registered Awakener either.]
“What?”
Cheonma looked genuinely shocked. Even the shopkeeper was unregistered?
“Then submit it anonymously.”
[Impossible. Only registered Awakeners can register discoveries. Even rumors take time to reach the Association.]
“Registered Awakeners, huh…”
Cheonma stared at the sweet potato in his bag.
Two faces flashed through his mind—
the old man carrying a heavy load with a proud smile,
and the same man, desperate to find relics to pay for his sick grandchild’s hospital bills.
A few days later — Bokbok Interiors.
“Wait, what?”
Jang Chaewon gaped at the deliveryman unloading boxes of eco-friendly glue.
“What’s all this? Was the dungeon rebuilt already?”
“Oh, you didn’t hear?” The man smiled.
“A dungeon full of Giant Sweet Potatoes was discovered—right near the Safe Zone border.”
“What? Really?”
“Yes! And apparently, it was found by a team made up entirely of senior citizens.”
“Old folks?”
She blinked. The border was no safe place—mist zones, high-risk monsters, fluctuating mana fields.
“I’ve never heard of a team like that.”
“Low-ranked Awakeners, maybe grade 7 or 8. They were relic hunters, found the entrance by accident.”
The man sighed wistfully.
“They got a huge bounty too. One or two billion won per person, I heard.”
“Wow…”
“Well, now the supply chain’s stable again, so you don’t need to worry. I’ll be off now.”
“Thank you!”
After he left, Jang Chaewon turned toward the table—where Cheonma sat, reading calmly.
‘That guy…’
A few days earlier—
“Whoa, are these Giant Sweet Potatoes?! Where did you get these?”
Cheonma’s bag was stuffed with massive sweet potatoes—the main ingredient for eco-glue.
“I got them from an old man in a dungeon,” he said evenly.
“An old man?”
“Yes. A porter. Said he found them by chance.”
Jang Chaewon narrowed her eyes.
“You went looking for them, didn’t you? I told you—not to enter dungeons for personal gain!”
“Nonsense. I happened to come across them while studying dungeon ecology. Pure coincidence.”
It was an obvious lie, but she let it slide. Without those sweet potatoes, she’d have been in serious trouble.
‘He must’ve searched every dungeon just to find the Crab Pits…’
By regulation, workers in the territory were forbidden to report dungeon discoveries or new monsters—it counted as personal profit.
“Still… I’m relieved.”
Catching her gaze, Cheonma spoke awkwardly.
“Now that the Giant Sweet Potatoes have been found, one less burden, eh?”
“Yeah. I guess so.”
He turned back to his book, pretending indifference.
Jang Chaewon smiled faintly and shrugged.
‘I’ll let it slide. Just this once.’
