Chapter 327

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 327

Zeon nodded.

“A Dungeon of the Dead? The atmosphere does match.”

“So, you felt it too.”

“I’ve been through something like this before.”

“Well, that makes sense for you.”

Brielle nodded in agreement.

She didn’t know exactly how many dungeons Zeon had explored, but she was well aware that his experience far surpassed what any ordinary Awakened could achieve in a lifetime.

It wouldn’t be surprising if one of those dungeons had been filled with the dead.

“Wait a second. A Dungeon of the Dead? How does that kid know what this place is?”

“I know because I know.”

“What?”

“Do I really have to explain? It’s not like I’m one of your subordinates.”

Brielle’s blunt reply caused Seo Tae-ran’s expression to crack.

She had never expected to be treated like this—especially by a child.

Anyone who knew her even slightly wouldn’t dare speak to her that way. Not even the rulers of other districts would take such liberties.

Yet this girl, barely more than a child, was speaking to her so casually that it left her utterly speechless.

“How dare—”

For a moment, Seo Tae-ran’s face flushed with anger.

But it was only for a moment.

She quickly regained her composure.

As infuriating as Brielle was, now wasn’t the time to waste energy arguing with her.

So far, they had only encountered ghostly hounds, but who knew what other creatures lurked ahead?

She couldn’t afford to drain her strength over something so trivial.

More importantly, if she let her anger get the best of her and retaliated against Brielle, she would inevitably end up in conflict with Zeon.

And Zeon was the strongest asset they had.

He was indispensable for getting through this crisis.

It wasn’t worth stirring up trouble over Brielle.

Suppressing her irritation, Seo Tae-ran turned to Zeon.

“If this really is a Dungeon of the Dead, that means it’s full of undead creatures, right?”

“That’s right.”

“So, we’re dealing with undead now… great.”

“It’s actually a relief that this is a dungeon.”

“What do you mean?”

“Imagine if undead were roaming around the outside world. Things are already chaotic enough as it is—if that were the case, the world would be in absolute ruin.”

“…Good point.”

Seo Tae-ran nodded.

“Stay alert. If the true rulers of this place are undead, then we’re not just dealing with ghostly hounds.”

“Understood.”

She nodded out of habit, but a deep frown creased her brow.

The ghostly hounds that had attacked them earlier weren’t particularly strong. That was why they had been relatively easy to deal with.

But if higher-grade undead creatures appeared, their Execution Gauntlets alone might not be enough.

Just then, Brielle pulled out several glass bottles and tossed them to Seo Tae-ran.

“Here, take these.”

“…What is this?”

“Holy water.”

“Holy water?”

“It’s from the fanatics in Dongdaemun. I don’t fully trust it, but if it really is holy water, it should work against undead. If things get dicey, coat your gauntlets with it.”

“Ugh. Of all things, it had to be from the fanatics.”

Seo Tae-ran instinctively grimaced.

The mere thought of Johan sent shivers down her spine.

Even for someone as high-ranking as her—the second-in-command of Neo Seoul—Johan and his fanatics were an absolute nightmare to deal with.

And yet, Brielle had brought their holy water without a second thought.

She’s just as crazy as they are.

Whether or not it was effective was a separate issue.

The fact that Brielle had actually bought holy water from Dongdaemun meant she was far from normal.

After a moment of hesitation, Seo Tae-ran turned to her subordinates and issued an order.

“Coat your gauntlets with the holy water.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Without a trace of reluctance, her subordinates dipped their Execution Gauntlets into the liquid.

A faint red glow flickered across the surface of the gauntlets.

The divine energy had actually infused into them.

Seo Tae-ran’s expression twisted in disbelief.

“…It really works? Unbelievable.”

She made a mental note to purchase a large stock of Dongdaemun’s holy water once they returned to Neo Seoul.

As they ventured deeper into the darkness, the flashlight’s range shrank even further.

From five meters down to four—

The darkness was growing stronger.

Old Man Go murmured,

“At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if—”

Ssssshh!

At that exact moment, a massive wolf with a large horn on its snout emerged from the shadows.

It was at least twice the size of the ghostly hounds they had encountered earlier—far fiercer and more menacing.

Like the hounds, it had no physical form.

Old Man Go clicked his tongue.

“Tch. I knew it was about time for something like this to show up.”

“How did you know?”

“Damn, Grandpa! Your timing’s spot on.”

The twin sisters gave him a thumbs-up, but he wasn’t the least bit pleased.

Ghostly wolves, like the hounds, never traveled alone.

There was no way only one had appeared.

As if to prove the point—

Kruuuuuh!

From all around them, ghostly wolves emerged.

With a deafening roar, they lunged at Zeon’s party.

Without hesitation, Seo Tae-ran’s subordinates moved to intercept them.

Smash!

The holy water-infused gauntlets worked.

One of the wolves was struck—its head exploded on impact.

There was no need to channel elemental mana through the gauntlets.

This allowed Seo Tae-ran’s subordinates to eliminate the wolves with ease.

The twin sisters grinned.

“Nice! Looks like we won’t even have to step in.”

“That’s great news.”

Just then—

Ping!

As if to contradict their words, something sliced through the darkness.

One of Seo Tae-ran’s subordinates, caught off guard, was impaled.

A massive arrow—taller than a full-grown man—had pierced straight through his shoulder.

Zeon traced the trajectory and muttered,

“…So, there’s a hunter leading these wolves.”

Swoosh! Swoosh!

As if in response, more arrows rained down from the darkness.

But now that they had seen it happen once, the others managed to dodge or deflect them.

Old Man Go raised a defensive barrier to protect himself and the twin sisters, while Seo Tae-ran’s subordinates blocked the arrows with their weapons.

Zeon shot them down with Fire Missiles.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

The hidden hunter continued firing relentlessly.

The combination of arrows and ghostly wolves was putting Seo Tae-ran’s subordinates on the defensive.

Brielle glanced at Zeon, puzzled.

“You’re not going to help? At this rate, they’ll be wiped out.”

“They’re not weak enough to be wiped out that easily.”

“…Seriously?”

Brielle widened her eyes.

She hadn’t thought Seo Tae-ran’s subordinates were particularly strong.

Zeon spoke calmly.

“They’re holding back.”

“What? I didn’t sense anything.”

“You wouldn’t. Most Awakened wouldn’t. That’s how precisely they’re controlling their strength.”

“But some of them have already died. Are you saying they let themselves die without using their full power? Why the hell would they do that?”

“Good question.”

Zeon’s gaze sharpened as he looked at Seo Tae-ran.

He had realized it from the beginning—

Seo Tae-ran’s subordinates weren’t normal humans.

Their presence reminded him of the murderers who had killed Levin’s family.

Artificial. Unnatural.

They acted more like finely tuned machines than living beings.

They wouldn’t use their full strength until Seo Tae-ran gave the command—

Even if it cost them their lives.

No normal human would act like that.

After all, fear of death was instinctive.

‘What will you do, Seo Tae-ran? Let your subordinates die? Or finally reveal their true power?’

Either way, Zeon had no intention of intervening.

They were hiding their strength for a reason.

Most likely—

To eliminate obstacles when the time comes.

‘Like me, for example.’

And knowing that, he saw no reason to help them.

And then—

Slash!

A blade shot out from the darkness without warning.

It pierced through the chest of the subordinate who had been struck by an arrow earlier.

Seo Tae-ran bit her lip in frustration as she watched him stagger from the fatal wound.

‘I didn’t want to reveal our full strength here… but I have no choice.’

She could no longer hold back.

Seo Tae-ran gave the order.

“I permit you to release the first-level seal.”

The moment the words left her mouth—

A look of pure elation spread across her subordinates’ faces.

Until now, they had been suppressing their power to appear as ordinary close-combat Awakened.

Because of that, some of their comrades had died—

Yet not a single one of them resented Seo Tae-ran for it.

They couldn’t.

They existed solely to follow her orders.

Even if she commanded them to throw themselves into the flames of hell itself—

They would obey.

Now that the first-level seal was undone, it was time to unleash their full potential.

On the surface, nothing about them had changed.

But their eyes, their presence, their very aura—

Everything was different.

The subordinate who had been impaled grabbed the blade lodged in his chest.

Crack!

With a single strike of his palm, the solid steel sword shattered.

Next, he yanked out the broken blade from his chest—

Along with the massive arrow still embedded in his shoulder.

By all logic, blood should have gushed from the gaping wounds.

But hardly a drop spilled.

Any ordinary Awakened would have already succumbed to such grievous injuries.

This shouldn’t have been possible.

Brielle gasped.

“Are they trolls or what?”

“They’ve been modified with troll-like regeneration.”

“You’re serious?”

“They’re not normal humans. They’re bio-soldiers—like the murderer who killed Levin’s family. But… upgraded.”

“So, they were created in the same kind of lab?”

“There’s a high chance of that.”

The City Hall of Neo Seoul secretly operated numerous research facilities.

Many of these labs conducted classified projects that the outside world knew nothing about.

One such project involved transforming ordinary humans and low-ranked Awakened into powerful warriors through modifications.

Seo Tae-ran’s subordinates were undoubtedly a product of one of these experiments.

Whether they had volunteered or not—

That no longer mattered.

Now unsealed, Seo Tae-ran’s subordinates moved with terrifying speed.

"Their strength has also increased. Their senses seem sharper, too."

To prove his point—

One of Seo Tae-ran’s subordinates grabbed a hunter who had been lurking in the shadows and crushed his skull.

Crack!

Not only had he detected the hidden enemy—

He had overpowered him with sheer speed and strength.

Boom!

A ghostly wolf’s head was obliterated.

Another hunter, the one firing arrows, was struck by a subordinate’s attack and sent flying.

Fsssh!

The Execution Gauntlet, coated in holy water, dissolved him completely.

Old Man Go clicked his tongue, unimpressed.

“Tch. The labs really went all out turning humans into something… inhuman.”

His words carried clear disdain—

But Seo Tae-ran’s expression remained utterly indifferent.

She had only two convictions.

First, to serve Jin Geum-ho.

Second, to protect Neo Seoul at any cost.

‘Anyone who threatens Mayor Jin Geum-ho or Neo Seoul—I will never forgive them.’

Her gaze shifted.

To Zeon.

Zeon, sensing her stare, met her eyes.

‘Zeon…’

Just looking at him made an unpleasant feeling bubble up from deep within her.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]