Chapter 7

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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: The Devil's Altar
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Kim Bong-gu swallowed dryly as he read the contents of the translucent window that had suddenly appeared before him.

*A hidden dungeon?*

Hidden dungeons were places where, with a bit of luck, one could strike it rich.

Items and spellbooks that traded among Hunters for tens of millions to tens of billions of won.

All sorts of rare elixirs.

Or even the so-called panacea of the other world, the Elixir.

But among them all, the one thing Kim Bong-gu desired most was…

*If I play my cards right, I might even get an Elixir…*

The sole reason Kim Bong-gu, who had started as a mere F-rank, had not given up the Hunter life was for the Elixir.

Elixirs occasionally appeared on the market, but since they were coveted by the world’s wealthiest, their prices were astronomical.

In other words…

there was no other way to obtain one than to find it himself.

Because of this, Kim Bong-gu had endured countless injuries, big and small, and lived a life teetering on the edge of death as a Hunter.

*Mother…*

The Elixir was the only way to cure his mother, who had been bedridden for years after being declared brain-dead.

*If I can just get my hands on an Elixir…*

He held a firm belief that his world could return to how it was before the day his mother collapsed.

That his whole family could gather around the dinner table at sunset, just like they used to, laughing and chatting as they ate…

That his little sister, who had been forced to grow up too fast, could act her age and be spoiled like other kids…

*Alright.*

Having made up his mind, Kim Bong-gu looked around at the others and asked.

“To be honest, I’d like to clear the hidden dungeon while we’re at it. What does everyone think?”

At his words, Lee Byeong-cheol nodded once and replied.

“I’ve heard about these, but this is the first time I’ve seen one in person.”

“So, what do you want to do?”

“Well, by the book, we should report it to the Bureau…”

He trailed off, clicking his tongue with a “Tsk,” before adding.

“This is tricky. If we report it to the Bureau, they’ll just toss us a few bucks as a reward and snatch the clearing rights for themselves…”

“Yes, that’s why I think we should clear the hidden dungeon ourselves.”

“But can this party clear a hidden dungeon safely? Realistically, you and I are the only real combat power here.”

Kim Bong-gu thought for a moment before answering.

“I think we can clear it just fine. At the end of the day, it’s just a hidden dungeon in a D-rank Gate, right?”

Muttering softly, “Is that so…?” Lee Byeong-cheol suddenly sank deep into thought.

Although this was his first time seeing a hidden dungeon with his own eyes, he’d heard enough rumors about them to make his ears bleed.

*If this goes well, I might be able to make a fortune and think about retiring…*

After pondering for a good while, Lee Byeong-cheol exhaled sharply and spoke.

“Right, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to change our lives completely. We can’t just walk away from it.”

“So…?”

“I’m in. Like you said, Bong-gu, it’s just a hidden dungeon in a D-rank Gate. The enemies will probably be small fry. Let’s go for it while we’re here.”

Then, he glanced over at the porters and asked.

“What about you two?”

Kang-jun was the first to answer.

“Overtime?”

“Yeah.”

“Extra pay?”

“Five times.”

Lee Byeong-cheol answered curtly, then continued in a serious tone.

“I’ll pay you five times the promised wage.”

“Five times?”

“Decide carefully.”

He quickly added.

“Because that’s how dangerous this place is.”

Kang-jun, on the other hand, seemed preoccupied, already busy crunching the numbers in his head.

*The original day rate was three hundred thousand won…*

Five times that would be one and a half million won per person.

If he combined his pay with Crabslie’s, it would come to a hefty sum of three million won.

*Huh?*

With that much from a single day’s work, he could not only pay off all his overdue bills but also smoothly handle the issuance of his Awakener registration card.

“We’re in.”

Lee Byeong-cheol’s gaze then shifted to the F-rank Hunter.

“Scrap-heap, what about you?”

After a moment’s hesitation, the F-rank Hunter replied quietly.

“I-I’m in, too.”

“Then it’s settled,” Lee Byeong-cheol declared, picking up the large shield he had planted in the dirt.

“Let’s start the clear right away.”

At those words, the F-rank Hunter bowed his head low…

*Heh heh, just as planned.*

A sinister smile crept across his lips.

♦

The hidden dungeon, the Monastery of Devil Worshippers, was a structure that resembled an ancient castle.

Cracks ran through the brick walls, and faded moss grew in patches everywhere, as if to show how long it had been since anyone had set foot here.

“This Gate has a creepy vibe overall.”

Having said that, Kim Bong-gu placed his hand on the monastery’s entrance door.

“I’m going in.”

A moment later, the heavy iron door slowly creaked open with a grating screech—*KRRREEEAAAK!*

The monastery’s interior was revealed, but it was so dark that they couldn’t see an inch in front of them.

“Hmm, it’s too dark in here…”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s head inside for now.”

Kim Bong-gu was the first to step into the monastery, and the others followed suit.

Just as everyone had entered the building.

The monastery door slammed shut on its own, echoing with a heavy boom.

*KWAAAAANG—!*

The group was still bewildered by the unexpected turn of events.

“W-Why did the door suddenly close on its…”

“Huh? What was that?”

“Is everyone okay?”

Just then, the candles in the sconces lining the long corridor’s walls suddenly burst into flame, brightly illuminating the once-dark interior.

“Wow, this is incredible.”

It was a complete contrast to the exterior, which had looked like it could crumble at any moment.

The floor was made of smooth, polished marble.

The high ceiling was adorned with an exquisite fresco, as if painted by a dying master artist with their last ounce of strength.

Just as everyone was captivated, taking in the scenery of the monastery’s interior.

“W-Wait a minute!”

Lee Byeong-cheol shouted urgently and began to push against the massive, tightly shut iron door with all his might.

Veins bulged on his thick, log-like forearms, and his face turned as red as a ripe autumn persimmon, but…

“Dammit!”

The door remained shut, not budging an inch.

Lee Byeong-cheol looked back at his party and said quietly.

“It looks like we won’t be able to open this door again until we clear the hidden dungeon.”

Kim Bong-gu nodded at his words and replied.

“Well, we came in here planning to clear it anyway, right? I think we should head deeper inside.”

“Right,” Lee Byeong-cheol replied reluctantly, letting out a long sigh before taking the lead and walking forward.

Kang-jun paused for a moment and glanced at the closed door.

*It’s probably just a barrier spell.*

If it came down to it, he could just tear his way out.

He’d once torn apart a barrier cast by twelve archmages trying to imprison him with his bare hands, so this would be no problem.

For a while, only the sound of their footsteps echoed softly down the long corridor…

“What the? I don’t see a single monster, not even an ant.”

“Yeah,” Kim Bong-gu replied briefly, then looked into the distance and mumbled incoherently.

“Huh? Over there…”

At the end of the corridor was a spacious area reminiscent of a chapel, the kind one would typically find in a church or cathedral.

“W-What is this…”

As he stepped into the chapel, Kim Bong-gu, his face pale as a sheet, began to whip his head around.

“My god, this can’t be…”

Not only did the chapel reek of stale blood and rotting corpses…

but human bodies, seemingly in the midst of decomposition, were tangled with the lifeless corpses of skeletons.

“I-It looks like there was a battle here.”

“Both sides were wiped out.”

“W-What in the world is…”

Just as everyone was stunned by the shocking sight.

“L-Look over there!”

the F-rank Hunter said, pointing to the far end of the chapel.

In the spot where a statue of Jesus or the Virgin Mary would normally stand in a typical church or cathedral…

“A demon…?”

stood a massive statue of a demon, several meters tall, with the body of a healthy man and the head of a dog.

And directly in front of it was an altar-like structure, covered in bloodstains.

While everyone was lost in confusion.

Kang-jun alone stood rooted to the spot, staring intently up at the giant demon statue.

*What is this? I’m sure I’ve seen it somewhere before.*

Just then, Kim Bong-gu, who had reached the front of the altar, spoke.

“There seems to be something written on the stone slab in front of the altar.”

“What? This looks like the language of another world…”

Kang-jun glanced at Crabslie and said casually.

“Go translate it.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Crabslie approached the stone slab, fiddled with his monocle, and began to speak.

“Let’s see now, it’s the language of the ‘Demon World’.”

“Old man, can you read it?”

“Yes, allow me to recite the contents…”

Crabslie trailed off for a moment, then began to read the inscription on the slab in his characteristically soft-spoken voice.

“First. Pass the trial and prove your minimum ‘qualification’.”

“A t-trial?”

“I presume the trial mentioned on the slab was to fight and survive against the monsters guarding this chapel.”

After speaking, Crabslie’s gaze shifted to the corpses strewn across the floor.

“Therefore, it seems the trial has already been passed.”

He then immediately began reading the next passage.

“Second. Offer ten living people as sacrifices on the altar to prove your loyalty and faith.”

At those words, Lee Byeong-cheol muttered in a trembling voice.

“Crazy… what kind of nonsense is this?”

Crabslie slowly walked toward the ‘altar’ situated near the foot of the demon statue and continued reciting the rest of the text.

“Then the noble ‘Guardian of Hell’ shall descend. Kneel before him, bow your head, and beg for forgiveness. Only those who show sincerity and obtain his permission may leave alive…”

He then examined the altar and spoke to the group.

“Interesting. This altar is enchanted with a ‘demon summoning spell’. And it seems to be a spell for summoning a rather high-ranking demon…”

Crabslie paused before adding.

“Nine living sacrifices have already been offered.”

Lee Byeong-cheol scowled deeply at his words and shot back.

“I’ve had enough of this senile old man! Are you really telling us to believe that ridiculous nonsense?”

Crabslie then gestured with his chin toward the ‘ten candles’ placed on the altar.

Of the ten candles on the altar, nine of the wicks were burning brightly.

However…

the flames were a strange ‘black’ color.

“This is what’s known as Hellfire.”

He finished, paused for a moment, and then added another explanation.

“It is an eternal flame from hell that burns using ‘dark magic’ derived from life force as a medium. It is a catalyst commonly used in summoning demons.”

“What…?”

“A flame of that size would require the life force of about one human to create. And yet, of the ten candles, nine are already burning brightly, are they not?”

Lee Byeong-cheol asked cautiously.

“So you’re saying nine living people have already been sacrificed, and we need to sacrifice one more person here to summon a ‘demon’?”

“Correct.”

“And we have to summon the demon and beg for its permission to let us out?”

Letting out a hollow laugh, “Heh…” Lee Byeong-cheol shrugged and asked again.

“You guys don’t actually believe this nonsense, do you?”

It was then.

“Let’s decide.”

The F-rank Hunter took a step forward, and for a moment, all eyes were on him.

“Surely you’re not suggesting we all die here together, trapped in this chapel?”

“W-What?”

“One of us has to die anyway, right?”

After speaking, the F-rank Hunter clamped his hands over his mouth, his shoulders shaking a few times.

Unable to contain his laughter any longer, he finally burst out into a manic cackle.

“Khk, khkhkhk…”

Lee Byeong-cheol, veins popping on his neck, shouted.

“You crazy bastard, you think this is funny?”

The F-rank Hunter waved his hands dismissively and replied.

“Ah, my apologies. Seeing you all frozen stiff like this is just so pathetic and ridiculous, I couldn’t help myself…”

He added.

“Now then, let’s decide who the sacrifice will be. I wonder who among us is the most useless?”

He said this with a look of pure delight on his face.