Chapter 5

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Since the government announced the appearance of the dungeon on television, the airwaves have been flooded with emergency news programs. Scheduled programs were abruptly canceled, and announcers, with tense expressions, repeatedly reported the information available at the time. Their demeanor, sans helmets, was no different from disaster reporting during major earthquakes or other calamities.

"Hey! Has there been any additional information from the government?"

"Not yet! The press club members were aware that something was happening, but they didn't know it was a dungeon until the government announcement!"

"Damn! Then what about the actual dungeon? We need to get the scoop before the other stations do!"

"No can do. So far, we haven't received any information about the dungeon from our correspondents or viewers. The internet is full of fake news and sensationalism..."

"Damn! This is a big scoop!"

In the newsroom, various department heads gathered, setting up a makeshift conference room with a whiteboard and chairs to discuss the reporting strategy for the dungeon.

At that moment, someone ran hurriedly into the conference room with a smartphone in hand.

"We have additional information about the dungeon! The Metropolitan Police Department's riot squad has deployed in the XX district of XX town, evacuating residents and blocking off roads!"

"Really!?"

"Yes! This is a report from someone at the Metropolitan Police Department!"

"Great! Send the helicopter from the roof! Send the ground team too! We're going live, and we can't fall behind the other stations!"

"Understood!"

The department heads dispersed to prepare for the live broadcast. A few minutes later, images from the helicopter arrived, showing the dungeon and the police's serious actions, including road closures and the evacuation of nearby residents, which were broadcast nationwide.

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In the town where the dungeon appeared, numerous police officers with traffic wands and riot squad members with shields were visible. Residents, dressed in whatever they had on, were being evacuated according to the police's guidance. The morning's tranquility was gone, replaced by the loudspeakers announcing the emergency and the rotor sounds of multiple helicopters circling overhead, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.

"Currently, an evacuation order has been issued for this area! Nearby residents, please follow the police's guidance and evacuate immediately!"

"This road is closed! Please follow the guidance and use the detour!"

"Is anyone left? If you need assistance, please speak up!"

Police officers were checking each house in the evacuation zone to ensure no one was left behind. Several officers were working together to carry out those who couldn't move on their own, using stretchers. Similar scenes were unfolding throughout the area. In a larger park within the evacuation zone, large tents were set up, and people were moving in and out hurriedly.

"The evacuation is proceeding smoothly. At this rate, we can complete the evacuation of residents in the evacuation zone within an hour."

"Understood. What about the dungeon?"

"No changes. We have lined up riot squad armored vehicles around the dungeon, but there are no signs of anything coming out."

"I see."

A riot squad member with a tablet reported the smooth evacuation, but the commander, who received the report, maintained a stern expression, glanced at his tablet, and placed it on the table.

"The number of households to be evacuated is about 600, with 2,000 people... How long will this last?"

"Unknown. The appearance of a dungeon was an unprecedented situation."

"I understand. It's just a complaint. We can only monitor the dungeon and evacuate residents from the danger zone as ordered."

The commander could only watch with a guilty expression as the residents, guided by the police, were evacuated. In reality, the lockdown would not be lifted, and the residents would be compensated by the government and move to new locations.

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The local police, having received a report from the Cyber Crime Division that a civilian might have ignored warnings and entered the dungeon, rushed to the location of the poster, identified through their IP address. The location was an auto-campsite by a small river, slightly into the mountains. Upon arrival, the police officers quickly got out of their patrol car and headed towards the tent where the post was made, but they noticed that the log cabin, which appeared to be the campsite's management office, was unusually noisy.

"Hey, let's go there first."

"Ah, yes."

The senior police officer, who seemed to be in charge, changed their destination and informed the younger officer. As they approached the log cabin, the noise increased, and they could hear shouting and what sounded like screams.

"Where's the ambulance!?"

"Shut up, I've called them! The doctor's helicopter should be here soon! For now, we can only apply pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding!"

"Can't you do something!?"

"No! The medical supplies here are only for emergency first aid! We don't have surgical tools or blood for transfusions! And we don't have a doctor!"

The police officers, alarmed by the unusual conversation, rushed into the log cabin. What they saw was red. A young man, drenched in blood, was confronting a middle-aged man in a jumpsuit, who appeared to be the manager. Another young man, with his chest torn open and his clothes soaked in blood, was lying on a sofa. A third young man, sitting in a corner, was hugging his head and trembling, muttering to himself. A fourth young man, having lost an arm and bleeding profusely, was lying on the sofa, pale and lifeless. The scene inside the log cabin was gruesome.

The police officers, clearly taken aback by the unexpected sight, stopped and stared in shock. The middle-aged manager, noticing the police, looked relieved.

"Oh! Thank goodness! You've come to help, right!?"

"Ah, no, we're... "

"Where's the ambulance!? Where are they!?"

The manager, in a blood-stained jumpsuit, confused the two police officers, who were still trying to understand the situation.

"Please calm down! We're here for a different reason! What happened, and what's the situation!?"

"…Different reason…"

"Yes. First, please tell us what happened. We can't help if we don't know what's going on."

The manager, realizing these were not the people he had hoped for, fell silent for a moment before starting to explain.

"I only know a little. About 30 minutes ago, these guys came here, covered in blood. Most of them could move on their own, but one fainted upon arrival, one was shaking uncontrollably, and one had lost an arm and was bleeding heavily. I quickly applied first aid and called for emergency assistance."

"I see."

"Ask the one who was injured for more details."

"Understood. Hey, check the status of the ambulance and request backup from the main station. This is serious."

"Understood!"

The manager pointed to one of the young men, who was bloodied but seemed to be in better condition. The young man shuddered when pointed at. The senior police officer, glancing at the young man, gave instructions to the younger officer. After giving the instructions, he turned his attention back to the young man, who began to explain the situation.

"The place where we were injured... is the dungeon."

"The dungeon... Could you be the ones who posted online about entering the dungeon?"

"Yes. One of us posted it."

"I see. Please continue."

Finding the person who made the post was good, but the senior police officer felt dizzy at the sight of the worst-case scenario he had feared.

"We went up the river early in the morning with fishing rods. That's when we found it."

"The dungeon, right?"

"Yes. We knew about the dungeon from the government announcement on the electronic news. It was the dome-shaped structure with decorative hieroglyphs, as shown in the news."

"Then why did you enter? The government repeatedly warned that it was dangerous and not to enter."

"…Curiosity, I guess. When we realized that dungeons, which were only in fantasy, actually existed, the option of not entering the dungeon disappeared from our minds..."

"I see. Can you tell me what happened inside the dungeon and how you got injured?"

"…We didn't really understand what was happening, but we ended up covered in blood. At first, we had enough time to post updates on our smartphones, but the dungeon was dim, and we moved around before our eyes adjusted, and one of us got a minor injury. He's the one sitting in the corner, shaking."

The senior police officer looked at the young man in the corner, who indeed had a blood-soaked bandage on his arm.

"When one of our friends started bleeding, we calmed down and realized that the dungeon might be as dangerous as the broadcast said. We tried to leave quickly, but then... a monster appeared in front of us."

"…A monster, right?"

The young man, trying to control his trembling, nodded slightly.

"One of us was slashed across the chest and started bleeding. I still remember the blood splattering on us."

The young man's body and voice trembled more as he recalled the scene.

"In a panic, we swung our fishing rods to fend off the monster and tried to escape. Just as we were about to reach the exit, the monster caught up and tore off one of our friend's arms. We threw whatever we had at the monster to buy time and carried the injured friend out of the dungeon."

It seemed they had gone through a brutal ordeal. The young man, pale and trembling, was still able to provide a clear account of the situation. However, the senior police officer had a concern and, feeling apologetic for making the young man relive the trauma, asked:

"Did the monster not follow you outside the dungeon?"

"We don't know why, but it didn't come out. It wandered around the entrance for a while and then went back into the dungeon."

"I see, thank you."

After getting a general understanding of the situation, the senior police officer asked the younger officer about the status of the ambulance. According to the report, the doctor's helicopter would arrive in 1-2 minutes, and backup from the main station, including the riot squad, would arrive within an hour.

After the doctor's helicopter arrived, the injured young men received emergency treatment, including blood transfusions, and were rushed to the hospital. The two remaining police officers explained the situation to the other campsite guests, called for evacuation, and waited for the main force to arrive. After the main force arrived, the campsite was closed, and the riot squad surrounded and sealed off the dungeon.

There was a brief online controversy over the unupdated posts, but the Cyber Crime Division managed to quell the situation. The fact that the posts were true was taken seriously, and online posts were monitored more carefully.

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In the evening news, the civilian entry into the dungeon was covered. As more details about the injuries of those who entered were revealed, many commentators expressed concerns about the dangers of the dungeon. However, some commentators tried to shift the focus to a different issue.

"Doesn't the government bear some responsibility for not addressing the existence of the dungeon?"

"What? Where is such a thing?"

"That's right. The government repeatedly warned against entering the dungeon in the broadcast."

"But, given that the government has sealed off many dungeons, isn't the failure to seal off this particular dungeon a result of government negligence!?"

The other commentators looked at the speaker as if they were a strange animal, but the speaker continued to present their bizarre argument. The studio atmosphere became tense, and the AD's cue card instructed the MC to quickly silence the commentator and move on to the next news item.

However, no one at the time could have predicted that the opposition party would later use this commentator's outrageous argument in a parliamentary debate, which would further stir public interest.

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A few interlude chapters.