Chapter 148 - Expedition (2)
Seoul Station's Necromancer
People were gathered like a swarm of bees in front of the Seoul Stationâs 1st Exit.
There was a food cart, and a ring of reporters around it. They kept a distance of 10 meters from the food cart. It looked as if all the media outlets from around the world was there.
There was only one person in the world, who attracted this many reporters.
The sounds of the camera shutters were going off continuously, but no one was able to approach any closer.
Woojin was eating an oden stick in front of a food cart.
âThis one is pretty good.â
âPlease try some of the soup.â
Woo-soonghoon poured the oden soup into a paper cup, and he handed it to Woojin.
Woojin looked at Sunggoo, Haesol, Blanka and Melody. They were standing there doing nothing.
âYou guys should eat.â
âWhat? Arenât we heading immediately towards the Dungeon?â
âWe are heading out, but we have to wait for one more person to join us.â
âUh, hyung-nim? Is someone else supposed to be here?â
âYes.â
At Sunggooâs question, Woojinâs gaze headed towards Woo-soonghoon.
âDid you contact him?â
âYes, I contacted him.â
After a moment, a large figure pushed past the reporters.
âYo, brother Kahng.â
âBake-hyung is here?â
A smiling Baek-jungdo was approaching with his secretary Jung-chansung in tow.
Baek-jungdoh looked very casual as he put an oden in his mouth.
âUh? Whatâs president Baek doing here?â
Baek-jongdoh grinned at Sunggooâs question.
âWhat am I doing here? We are one team now. One team. Ooh-haha.â
Ah. The president must have called him here.
It seemed he had taken a real liking to Baek-jungdo, since he allowed Baek-jungdo to join the expedition.
âAh. We were short on a Tanker.â
Sunggoo had a confused expression on his face when he heard Woojinâs words.
âWhat about me?â
Woojin smirked as he drank the oden soup.
âYou have to train separately.â
â...oohk.â
He was going to be dead soon!
Sunggoo looked as if he was about to cry. Woojinâs gaze headed towards Haesol.
âWe have someone who can kite, and she can double as a communication apparatus.â
He laughed as he looked at Blanka.
âWe also have backup Tanker, who can heal and cast Buffs.â
Woojin opened his mouth when his eyes met Melodyâs eyes.
âWe also have a healer, who can sustain otherâs life.â
When Woojinâs words ended, there was a twinkle in Sunggooâs eyes.
âYou donât have a damage dealer, hyung-nim. As expected, Iâll...â
âIâve already brought in someone else. Youâll be trained separately.â
âHoo-oohk.......ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
He couldnât escape this. Ah, he was already scared.
Woojin ate the rest of the oden on the skewer, and he looked at Soonghoon.
âHow much do I have to give you?â
âIt is $100.â
âHuh. One is worth $20?â
âYes.â
Soonghoon grumbled as he gave the money to the lady. Then they headed towards the entrance of the Seoul Stationâs 1st Exit. When they left, the reporters crowded around the food cart.
Click, click.
They were absorbed in taking pictures of the bamboo skewers left behind after Woojin ate his oden, and they also took pictures of the food cart. One didnât need to see the article to guess the title of the articles they would upload.
Woojin discreetly asked Soonghoon as he watched ruckus he left behind.
âAre we on Korean land right now?â
âYes.â
âTry buying up everything here.â
Soonghoon grinned.
âAs expected. President thought $20 was too excessive for a single oden. Iâll immediately buy up the nearby land, and Iâll hit them up with taxes.â
Ddah-ahk.
Woojin smacked the back of Soonghoonâs head.
âDo you think I am you? I just want you to purchase the land near here. I donât know what Iâll bring through the Dungeon. I need more space.â
âYes....â
Soonghoon rubbed the back of his head as he attended the group to the Dungeonâs entrance.
âPlease be safe on your trip, president.â
As a senior executive of the KH guild, Jung-chansung looked at Baek-jungdo with worry. Baek-jungdo let out his unique laugh as he slapped Jung-chansungâs shoulder.
âHa ha ha. You are worrying too much. Iâm going with lil bro Kahng. He is earthâs strongest.â
âThat is why Iâm worried, presidentâ
The party entered the Dungeon as they received a highly worried gaze from Jung-chansung.
After seeing them off, Woo-soonghoon thrust his hand forward. As if to ask the meaning of this gesture, Jung-chansung met Woo-soonghoonâs gaze.
âWhat is the meaning of this?â
âPresident Baek ate one oden. Thatâll be $20.â
â...you are suppose to be the minister of foreign affairs.â
âUh-uh. That doesnât mean I canât be thorough with my calculations.â
â.......â
Woo-soonghoon had 8 years of experience as a salesman before he turned his life around.
Woo-soonghoonâs calculation was sharp like a knife. Jung-chansung opened his wallet.
***
There was a veil around the Seoul Stationâs 1st Exit.
The Dungeon in question was a topic of many conversations.
After Kahng-woojin cleared it, endless supply of Artifacts had come out. It was also the site where he murdered a man and the body was illegally disposed of inside the Dungeon. It was a Dungeon that was a subject to a lot of wild rumors.
Of course, only a few select people knew its real identity.
It was Kahng-woojinâs Dimensional Domain.
The only one who had no idea about this fact was Blanka.
âUh, president? The portal is....â
When Woojin entered the Dungeon, the Dungeon was instructed not to regenerate the monsters. Blanka became puzzled when the red portal, which was connected to the Dimensional Domain, appeared immediately in front of them.
Moreover, the president wasnât courteous enough to resolve Blankaâs confusion.
Shoo-shoo-shook.
When Woojin passed through the portal, the rest of the party entered the portal one by one.
âMmmm.â
When Blanka passed through the portal, he found himself in a building with a high ceiling. It was a large hall that one might see at a palace, and there was a throne in front of his eyes.
Moreover, there were three red portals next to the seat.
Blanka was looking around when his gaze landed on Woojin, who was sitting on the throne.
âI want to welcome you all to the Dimensional Domain of Alandal.â
The group members felt a peculiar flutter at Woojinâs laugh.
There had been a new breed of monster that appeared in the world. These monsters were able to command other monsters, and a nickname was given to them.
Monster lords. This was what everyone was calling the Dimensional lords.
Every Roused in Alandal knew Woojin possessed a Dungeon and he was a Dimensional lord. Of course, everyone except Blanka.
âT...that canât be.â
âHuh huh. It seems my foreign friend and I were the only people in the dark here.â
Even Baek-jungdo didnât know Woojinâs true nature. He knew Woojin could use a Dungeon, but he never expected Woojin to be a Dimensional lord...
âIâll give you one hour to tour the palace. You can go sightsee.â
âHuh huh. Is this place really a Dimensional Domain, lil bro Kahng?â
âIf you have any questions, ask Bibi about it.â
Woojin had work to do on his throne.
Bibi used short steps to run towards the party, and she looked at them.
âHeh heh. Please follow me. Iâll give you a tour.â
When everyone followed Bibi out of the castle, Jaemin came forward. He had been hiding in the darkness.
âYou are a man. Why do you get so shy all the time?â
âHa ha. I have no idea.â
It still felt strange to Jaemin. He was a Vampire instead of a human. He was having a hard time overcoming that dissonance, so what would other people think? He was a bit short on courage to be able to stand confidently in front of others.
âChet. What about the stuff I wanted you to learn?â
âI learned it all.â
Woojin had bought several dozen skill with his Points.
There were a lot of Skill only the Vampire Class could learn.
âIt is a totally different matter as to whether you can use those Skills properly.â
âIâm practicing right now.â
âReality is harsh. You wonât have much time to practice.â
âIâm trying.â
âI find your trying to be lacking.â
âIâm tryyyyyyyyyyying?â
A vein popped out on Woojinâs forehead.
âYou want me to hit you?â
âIâm sorry.â
âWeâll depart for Planet Jaku in an hour.â
âWhat?â
Jaemin was surprised.
âI arranged for you to have the best teammates possible. You should roll with them.â
Heâll immediately be put into a live battle....
Jaemin had an expression full of worry, so Woojin spoke bluntly to him.
âDo you want to whine again as you stay on the sideline?â
â.......â
He had to be strong.
If he wanted to protect his family and the one he loves....
âThe party is set up in a manner where you wonât die...â
Ah. His hyung-nim was so considerate to arrange everything for him like this.
Heâll be in a party consisting of Rank A Roused, so heâll just be carried around.
As if Woojin had read his thought, Woojin couldnât help, but smirk.
â...if you do well.â
â.......â
âIf you donât do well, your party will be wiped out.â
â.......â
âEven if you die, I can revive you. However, if the others die, it is the end of the road for them.â
Ah, why is he putting such a heavy burden on him?
Jaeminâs chin shook as the weight of the burden was overwhelming.
He was the damage dealer, so if he was unreliable... In the end, his party might be wiped out.
He had no idea what was waiting for him on Planet Jaku.
âLet us make the protection wall before we go.â
âYes, hyung.â
The Domainâs Protection Period was about to come to an end. He needed time to do his Dimensional battle. This was why he had given his party 1 hour to do as they liked. Jaemin sat in the chair, and Woojin immediately started to search for an opponent.
The identity of the opponent didnât matter. He made a half-hearted effort at finding an opponent before he selected a match for Jaemin. Jaemin could win or lose. Either result was great either for Woojin. Instead of watching the Dimensional battle, he looked over the status of his Domain.
Three portals had formed beside the Throne.
Several hundred temples had existed in various parts of Alphen.
Each of them had been turned into a Dungeon. Several of them had existed within his old territory of Alandal. This was why his Undead army had endless battle with the beings from Trahnet.
He had purchased the Dungeon on Alphen using a single Dimensional Fragment.
He planned on sweeping the Planet Jaku before he made his return.
It would great if he reached level 90, but it wouldnât matter if he didnât reach it.
He didnât care about the Yellow Lizard coalition or any other organizations. This was a declaration of war on all the Dimensional lords.
If they touched earth, it didnât matter if they were a Dimensional lord or a coalition. Heâll clearly show them the cost associated with the move.
***
The party gathered around the portal that would lead to the Neciaâs Pillar.
âAre you all ready?â
âYes! We are ready.â
Woojin looked at the group gathered in front of him.
Sunggoo and Jaenis would be doing their own thing, so they were excluded from the party. There was the Tamer Haesol, Buffer Blanka, Body Reinforcement Roused Baek-jungdo, Healer Melody, and the blossoming Vampire Do-jaemin.
If they get used to working each other, this was a team able to take down most Dimensional lords. Of course, this hinged on Do-jaeminâs rapid development.
Woojin asked for everyoneâs attention.
âLet him suck on anything that looks decent.â
â.......â
Do-jaemin looked as if he was about to cry. He had to drink the blood of a monster in front of others....
âYou donât want to become stronger?â
âIt isnât like that.â
Do-jaemin was a vampire.
He hadnât increased his Stats through the normal Reinforcement stones.
Dead warriors and magicians.... One had to drink the blood of the defeated enemies for one to be able to absorb their power. This was how Vampires increased their Stats. If one considered the number of enemies he would kill and drink here...
This was the reason why Woojin expected rapid growth from Jaemin, and it was one of the core reasons why he created this party.
âAll right. When you guys pass through the Dungeon, you all are on your own. Contact me if you run into something unusual.â
âYes!â
Woojin had put Sunggoo and Jaenis together, so he had a method of contacting them. As the Domainâs Strategist, Woojin was able to contact Do-jaemin even if he was in a different dimension.
âAll right. Letâs go.â
Woojin activated the portal heading towards Neciaâs Dungeon, and he passed through the portal.
It was his first time visiting the Planet Jaku.
Zeeeeeeeng.
When he passed through the portal, there was an enormous pillar, and it was surrounded by a wide barrier that looked like a fountain. It seemed the barrier was formed when the challenger entered a fixed territory.
It was structured a bit differently from earthâs subway stations, but it was used the same way.
The barrier faded when Woojin appeared. It seemed this was the result of completing his synchronization.
âIf we are on earth, wouldnât we be treated like monsters?â
This was exactly the same as the Dungeon Breaks on earth except they were the invaders now.
Was it because it had been a while? Woojinâs heart beat faster and he felt a weird sense of thrill.
âIâll kill them all.â
It felt as if earthâs Kahng-woojin had returned to being the Immortal.
He went across the boundary of the Dungeon.
Koo-roo-rook.
Goo-rook, goo-rook, goo-rook.
Woojin was greeted by various species that let out strange sounds.
Amongst them, a green Lizard Man approached as he slithered on his snake-like body.
It wore a black crown on its head. It looked ridiculous, but the atmosphere around it couldnât be ignored.
The party was nervous, but Woojin walked forward to meet this being.
[I welcome you, warrior!]
[Who are you?]
[My name is Nigal. Iâm a Dimensional lord serving the Chen-nim, who is the leader of the Black Hat coalition.]
[Were you waiting for me?]
[Yes! I heard about your exploits in eradicating the Yellow Lizards. Chen-nim is waiting for you. He will give you a very high seat...]
Paht.
Woojin summoned his Warriorâs Weapon, and it was in the shape of an Axe.
Hoooong. Kwah-jeek!
Lizard man Nigalâs head flew into the air, then it rolled onto the floor.
Even as his head was separated from its body, its eyes rolled to look at Woojin.
[......what is the meaning of this?]
[Whatâs this? It is a start to a party.]
The corner of Woojinâs mouth lifted, and he was grinning.
Afterwards, the Undead army started to be summoned behind him.