Chapter 15 - Surviving in the Desert (1)

　　1.

　　As Seora let out a small, fond chuckle at the man who had just vanished into the dungeon cracking jokes, a grating voice cut in from beside her.

　　“Is that really going to be enough?”

　　The area was restricted to authorized personnel. Whoever it was had to be an acquaintance.

　　“Is what enough?” she asked, her good mood evaporating. She turned to see Park Sijun, the rising star of the number one SJ Guild and youngest son of the SJ Group. Tall, handsome, and draped head-to-toe in luxury brands. They must have let him through because they had met at a few inter-guild functions. He was an unwelcome sight. Deciding she did not want to engage, she turned to leave, making a mental note to have his access permanently revoked.

　　“That player who just went in,” he pressed on, undeterred. “He’s that newbie you’re raising to keep me in check, isn’t he? Seems decent enough. Four Epic clears, and now straight to a Unique. You must have invested a fortune in him.”

　　Listening to his self-centered drivel was a waste of her life.

　　“Instead of all this trouble, why don’t you just marry me?” he continued, his voice slick with arrogance. “The SJ Guild would be yours. Why do you insist on taking the long way around?”

　　That was the primary reason she despised Sijun and everything the SJ Guild stood for. She stopped in her tracks and turned, her expression hardening. He met her glare with a greasy smile and a shrug. It had been inevitable, she supposed. A man like Sijun, born with a silver spoon and blessed with a powerful class by sheer luck, was bound to fixate on her.

　　“Don’t push yourself too hard,” he sneered. “I have a Special class; I’ll always have the advantage. Why are you working some poor rookie to the bone? What will you do with all those expensive items he’s wearing if he ends up dead in there?”

　　She debated whether to put him in his place once and for all, but his taunts continued. He was not entirely wrong. As insufferable as he was, Sijun was the scion of a powerful conglomerate and was lucky enough to awaken as an attack-type Special class. He was already being hailed as the top prospect among new players challenging 1-star dungeons, his popularity fueled by his family’s extravagant spending. Normally, she might not have had a comeback.

　　But not today.

　　“I’m sorry, but please, keep your delusions to yourself.” On this one point, she was absolutely certain. A confident smile bloomed on her face as she closed the distance between them. “And I suggest you get ready. You’ve picked the worst possible time to challenge us.”

　　Her provocative smile was mesmerizing, enough to make a man’s throat go dry. If it had not been aimed at him, Sijun’s heart might have skipped a beat.

　　“Is that a challenge?” he growled. It was a matter of pride. His interest in her was rooted in the arrogant belief that, despite her rejections, he would eventually win her over. Now, she was flaunting her confidence in another man right in his face. She had struck a nerve.

　　“You cleared your Unique Dungeon with a twelve-man party, didn’t you?” she countered, her voice sharp as glass. “If you’re going to provoke me, you should at least come with an accomplishment of a similar caliber.”

　　Seora was not a woman to be underestimated. Her admiration for Buja was born from witnessing his skill five years ago, but she rarely allowed any man to get so close. It was this very distance that fueled Sijun’s desperate pursuit.

　　His pride, now pushed to its breaking point, began to fray.

　　“He hasn’t cleared it yet, has he?” Sijun snarled, his face contorted with fury. “A solo Unique clear? He’s drawn a lot of attention, but it won’t be easy. Save your big talk for after the mutt you sent in comes back alive.”

　　He had taken the bait. Seora took one more step forward, her gaze locking with his from point-blank range.

　　“Want to make a bet?” she proposed, her voice low and steady. “Success or failure.”

　　“Fine.” It was the first time she had ever initiated anything with him. Is my persistence finally paying off? he thought, a satisfied smirk spreading across his face. He prided himself on this outcome, believing he had successfully manipulated her own pride. The terms were unspoken but clear. They both knew who would bet on what, and Sijun’s prize was obvious.

　　“You know what I want,” he said. “What do I have to put up?”

　　Seora had wagered herself—marriage, dating, whatever he desired. Now, she demanded a stake of equal value.

　　“A 1-star Special-grade ring. The Ring of Vitality you used in your last clear.”

　　“Do you have any idea how much that’s worth?!” he sputtered.

　　“Take it or leave it.”

　　The ring was famous, having last been traded for 7.2 million dollars. Its value came not just from its grade and top-tier stats, but from the fact that it was a 1-star item, making it a highly sought-after health booster for wealthy non-combatant players. Sijun’s handsome face twisted in a brief, agonizing calculation before smoothing over.

　　“Deal. Time limit?”

　　“One month,” she declared.

　　“I’ll be back in a month to collect my property from the woman who will be my wife,” Sijun said, getting in one last obnoxious remark before stalking away.

　　Seora let out a long sigh.

　　“He will succeed, won’t he?”

　　The employee beside her consulted a device.

　　“The probability is approximately 30 percent.” There was simply too little data on Buja to be certain. Even that number was based solely on his four Epic solo clears. Unique Dungeons were a different beast entirely.

　　But for some reason, Seora felt certain she would not lose.

　　“I hope I can finally get rid of that jerk,” she murmured, her gaze softening as she looked toward the dungeon gate, “and give our new mascot a nice gift.”

* * *

　　[Clear Condition]

　　☆ Defeat the ‘Scorpion King’ located somewhere in the desert.

　　▷ ‘This is a Unique-grade dungeon. The following penalties are applied:’

　　’1. Monster attack and defense power are increased.’

　　’2. One week after dungeon entry, if the intruder has not been eliminated, the ‘Scorpion King’ will enter an ‘Area-wide Frenzy’ mode.’

　　’3. A hidden ☆ objective exists. Fulfilling this condition will remove all dungeon penalties. Monsters will enter ‘Frenzy’ mode.’

　　His breath caught in his throat. The air was a blast furnace, the sun a merciless eye in the sky. The dryness was so profound it felt like it was twisting his organs.

　　A desert.

　　Ack.

　　Every inhalation seared his esophagus. This was what made dungeons a true test of survival. A jungle or a forest would have been a blessing; at least in an environment hospitable to human life, the only real threat was the monsters. But in a place like this, a space fundamentally hostile to his existence, the true danger of a dungeon became terrifyingly clear.

　　Here, the enemy was not just the monster that bared its fangs. It was the suffocating environment itself. It was a battle against his own body, his own mind.

　　At first, it was manageable. He had come prepared with supplies to counteract the conditions. The real problem was time. With monsters that could strike from anywhere at any moment, restful sleep was impossible. His biological rhythms would break down, and the alien environment would drain his energy at an alarming rate. When his supplies inevitably ran low, panic would set in. Facing Unique-grade monsters—foes that were difficult to defeat even with a clear head—in a state of physical and mental exhaustion was a death sentence.

　　This was why dungeons with hostile environments were so unpopular.

　　“A hidden clear condition. Classic Unique Dungeon bullshit,” he muttered. Add the penalties on top, and it was a recipe for hell. He did not have to complete the hidden objective, but doing so would downgrade the dungeon’s difficulty to Normal. The catch was that he had no idea what the objective was, and until he completed it, every monster he faced would be in a buffed ‘Frenzy’ state.

　　“First things first…”

　　Regardless of his strategy, one thing was paramount: a base. The psychological advantage of a safe zone was non-negotiable, in games and in reality. Establishing one here should have been nearly impossible. Buja, however, solved the problem by casually pulling out a bonfire.

　　[Beginner’s Safety Bonfire]

　　▶ Grade: Special

　　▶ ‘In 1-star / Special-grade or lower dungeons, creates a safe zone with a 24-hour duration.’

　　▷ ‘Note: This item only blocks monster access; it does not provide stealth. To avoid becoming a pre-ordered meal delivery, please install only in monster-free areas.’

　　It was another item from his attendance box a few days ago. He had nearly dismissed it, but it turned out to be incredibly useful. He had two of them, which meant at least 48 hours of guaranteed safety.

　　“I’ll use one to get my bearings and save the other for later.”

　　As the magical fire flickered to life on the endless sand, creating an invisible 5-meter sanctuary, he nonchalantly stretched out on the ground. The bonfire did nothing to abate the oppressive heat that pricked at his skin and stole his breath; if anything, its flames only made it worse. Can I even fight in this condition?

　　He closed his hand around the necklace at his throat. “Alright, you two-million-dollar piece of junk. Earn your keep.”

　　VWOOM!

　　[Necklace of Serenity]

　　▶ Grade: Unique

　　▶ Defense +2

　　▶ ‘Once every 24 hours, activates a Body Temperature Maintenance buff that lasts for 24 hours.’

　　→ ‘Maintains body temperature at a constant 98°F. Player becomes less sensitive to external environmental effects.’

　　The necklace pulsed with a soft light, and a wave of impossible coolness washed over his skin.

　　"Ahh, that’s better.”

　　It felt like stepping into an air-conditioned room in the middle of the Sahara. The tightness in his chest eased, and with it, his confidence surged. He had just nullified the dungeon’s primary difficulty factor with a single item. Now, all he had to focus on was combat—the monsters, and their king.

　　“Money really is the best,” he declared to the empty desert, doing his best to ignore the phantom ache in his now one-zero-lighter bank account. He pushed himself to his feet and charged toward a scorpion loitering just beyond the bonfire’s edge.

* * *