The Dimensional Swordmaster C27

Chapter 27. The Fact That One Cannot Know (7)

“Hunter Siyoung, have you ever seen anything like this?”

An endless plain stretched out before them, so vast it made one feel weary just looking at it. Leaving behind Woo Yujin, who stood there with his mouth agape, Gu Jayoung called out to Gong Siyoung.

“This is my first time as well. A dungeon that keeps changing its state like this.”

[System Notification]

▶ You have entered an 『F-Rank Dungeon』.

▶ Attribute: Earth / Grassland Zone

▶ Time until Overflow: 14,566 hours

▶ Current Participants: 63

[ has entered the dungeon! Allied Attack Power +10%, HP Regeneration +5%. Duration: 00:30:00]

[First Circle (D): ‘Limbo’ opens in 00:28:11]

Gong Siyoung was just as unsettled. This marked the third time he had entered the same dungeon, yet every visit had been different. The status window, the environment—everything had changed without exception.

The first time, it had been fire. The second, a snowfield. And now, a tranquil meadow. The lack of any discernible pattern made his head throb.

Neither Woo Yujin nor Gu Jayoung looked pleased. Even to veterans who had cleared countless dungeons, this place felt wrong. Anxiety born of the unknown blended with the peaceful scenery, producing an uncanny sense of discomfort.

“For now, let’s head to the gate. Be careful not to fall behind.”

Before the tension could deepen further, Myeong Haejin briskly took control of the situation. Following his lead, the group tightened their formation. Yurian moved along beside Gong Siyoung.

Nothing notable happened on the way to the core area. True to its designation as an F-rank dungeon, there were no immediate threats. They reached their destination without much trouble.

At the center of the field—now devoid of collapsed ground or piled snow—stood a single door that felt entirely out of place.

Amid the quiet, peaceful landscape, the jet-black door stood out like ink splashed across a blank page.

It was barely wide enough for one person to pass through at a time. The dark doorway stood wide open, shamelessly exposing its pitch-black depths.

At that moment, a crimson alert window flashed ominously.

[First Circle (D): ‘Limbo’ opens in 00:07:11]

As the numbers ticked down, a strange tension spread among the hunters. Yurian stood among them, gazing toward the gate entrance. Adjusting his cap, he narrowed his eyes.

“Hm…”

The mana flowing outward from the door glimmered in vivid shades of blue and yellow.

Where had he seen mana of those colors before? Yurian rummaged quickly through his memories.

Judging solely by mana color was difficult, but experience allowed for a rough inference.

While not always consistent, mana colors often followed natural associations. Red indicated fire, blue suggested water—by that logic, beyond that door lay…

He tapped Gong Siyoung on the arm.

“Can you do something like that?”

“Like what?” Gong Siyoung replied without taking his eyes off the gate.

As the remaining time dipped below one minute, the ground began to rumble ominously.

[First Circle (D): ‘Limbo’ has been unlocked.]

The Gangnam Guild team stopped in front of the door. Just before they entered, another message appeared above the gate.

[Abandon all hope, you who enter here.]

“Uh…?”

Woo Yujin’s eyes widened at the phrase, unsure whether it was a warning or a threat. He shook Gu Jayoung’s arm beside him.

“Huh? I’ve heard that before. Where was it? I know I’ve seen it somewhere!”

Each shake made Gu Jayoung’s arm flop limply.

“Looks like our Yujin is acting up again.”

“No! I’m not acting up—I really have heard that somewhere!”

“Where?”

“I mean—where! Somewhere!”

Pressed for an answer, Woo Yujin faltered.

“Stop messing around and get ready to enter.”

Like soothing a child, Gu Jayoung patted him. Woo Yujin clutched his head, frustration written all over his face.

The ground tremors intensified. One by one, hunters began entering through the open door.

They vanished into the swirling mana, one after another. With each person who disappeared, the blue and yellow glow grew stronger.

The only one unable to see a status window, Yurian grabbed Gong Siyoung’s arm again.

“Can you use a shield? Preferably one with insulation.”

“…Insulation?”

“It’s fine if not, but sturdier is better.”

Before Gong Siyoung could answer, Gu Jayoung raised her hand.

“If we need a barrier, I can handle it. But with everyone entering one by one, the distance will widen… I won’t be able to cover everyone.”

“How many can you manage?”

“Even at maximum expansion… one person in front and one behind.”

Yurian frowned. Three people total.

He gestured to Myeong Haejin and Woo Yujin.

“Then we’ll enter together with them. I’ll take care of this side.”

He tugged on Gong Siyoung’s arm. At Yurian’s request, the entry order was adjusted at the last moment. Gu Jayoung, capable of deploying a barrier, positioned herself between Myeong Haejin and Woo Yujin, with Yurian taking his place immediately after Gong Siyoung.

Preparing his shield magic, Yurian scratched his head. Whether instinct or not, caution never hurt.

“Hunter Gu Jayoung.”

At Myeong Haejin’s signal, she activated her skill. A translucent barrier spread out around the tightly grouped team.

“We’re entering.”

Myeong Haejin disappeared into the narrow, dark doorway. Gu Jayoung followed quickly, ensuring the distance didn’t widen.

After the three entered like links of a chain, a brief silence fell.

Gong Siyoung stepped forward wordlessly. Yurian swiftly deployed his shield—a spell as familiar to him as breathing.

The pale-gray surface rippled as it moved with him. He stayed keenly attuned to Gong Siyoung’s presence, careful not to lose him.

The moment they passed through the narrow door, the stench of burning rushed at them. Yurian wrinkled his nose instinctively as flashes of light reflected across his face.

The world lit up—then, in the very next instant, a thunderclap tore through the sky, followed by a bolt of lightning.

It sounded almost as if something had collapsed. The pitch-black sky split open, spawning dozens of lightning strikes. Bolts rained down from all directions.

Every few seconds, the world flickered. Each flash ignited the surroundings before they were swallowed once more by darkness.

Relying on those fleeting moments of light, Yurian rapidly assessed the situation. With every flash, he saw people collapsed across the field. Some had been struck by lightning, their teammates gathering around them.

A short distance away stood Gong Siyoung. Yurian hurried toward him. Gu Jayoung, Myeong Haejin, and Woo Yujin were also nearby, calmly surveying their surroundings even as lightning continued to fall.

Rumble—!

A brilliant blue bolt slammed into Gu Jayoung’s barrier. The instant it struck, electrical currents scattered outward.

Woo Yujin reflexively ducked, sucking in a sharp breath.

“At this rate, half the people will be taken out before we even find a monster.”

Myeong Haejin clicked his tongue. Nearby, several men lay sprawled on the ground. Jackets emblazoned with Strong Man reflected the lightning each time it struck.

“The barrier’s durability is dropping. We need to move quickly.”

Even as she spoke, another bolt struck the barrier. The relentless lightning left no room to think.

“They’re not… dead, are they?” Woo Yujin asked, staring anxiously at the fallen hunters.

Many had been struck the moment they entered. Among them was even a Gangnam Guild hunter who had volunteered to lead this raid.

Those quick enough to deploy barriers or shields were fine, but entire teams had collapsed helplessly. They had underestimated it, lulled into complacency by the dungeon’s D-rank classification.

“Hm… I’ll go talk with them about whether we should continue the raid like this. Just a moment.”

Maintaining the barrier, the three moved together. Other guilds, still in disarray, hurried over when Myeong Haejin waved.

Yurian stood there blankly, observing. With every flash, the world brightened, only to sink back into darkness. The scene felt disjointed, like a series of broken frames.

The hunters still able to move mostly looked panicked, startled, or confused. Judging by their reactions, encountering something like this immediately upon entry was far from common.

Lost in thought, Yurian was tapped on the arm by Gong Siyoung.

“How did you know? That we’d need a shield here?”

Yurian shrugged instead of answering. It wasn’t that he knew—it was just a guess. When blue and yellow mana swirled together, thunder and lightning were often the first things that came to mind.

It reminded him of a region beyond a great canyon, just past a river crossing—a world of endless thunder and lightning. Terrifying at a glance, yet manageable as long as one avoided the strikes.

Of course, this wasn’t that place. It had been a lucky guess, nothing more.

And really, there was no need to say, “I just guessed.”

He played dumb with a meaningful look. Gong Siyoung’s gaze sharpened.

Before he could press further, Yurian quickly pointed ahead.

“Doesn’t that look like a path?”

He hurried forward—almost stepping outside the shield and leaving Gong Siyoung exposed. Startled, Gong Siyoung hastily stepped back.

Yurian offered an awkward smile at Gong Siyoung, who stared at him as if asking what on earth he was doing.

Gong Siyoung scowled.

“Don’t act alone in a dungeon—”

He cut himself off mid-sentence. His gaze fixed on empty air.

Having seen this look several times already, Yurian knew exactly what it meant.

“Why? What does the status window say?”