Chapter 74

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About 10 minutes before the gate entry,

the Blue Flower Guild's strategy team was feeling a sense of bewilderment quite a few times.

The reason was the two trailers that the Hope Guild had brought along.

The items inside were also bizarre, but what was even more incomprehensible was...

“...Wow, look at that. They really seem to be bringing that in.”

It seemed they were checking the entry route as if trying to push the trailers into the gate.

“Come on, that’s ridiculous... Don’t they know that vehicle engines stop working inside the dungeon?”

The world had turned into a game, and games have rules.

Inside the gate, in the 'dungeon,' modern artifacts lose their functionality, which is a basic principle of this game.

In other words, all vehicles, whether internal combustion or electric, become useless in the dungeon.

“Hmm, but that looks like a ‘mana engine,’ doesn’t it?”

“What? Come on, where could they have gotten such an expensive thing—oh... it’s real?”

They separated the container from the trailer and began to connect it to some kind of giant sphere.

Rumble—

The sphere was engraved with numerous magic circuits.

A mana engine,

literally a device that uses mana as a power source to operate machinery, was a very rare item.

“Wow, how did they get that? It’s only made in the Chad Republic, and it must be incredibly expensive...”

“Yeah, they probably spent all the money they earned from the wave rewards on that.”

However, as far as they knew, there were almost no practical uses for this advanced technology.

So far, there was no efficient way to supply mana to the engine, and the only feasible method was to prepare an enormous number of ‘mana batteries.’

But that method was extremely costly.

In other words, it was a foolish strategy that would never break even.

“Hmm, even if they can run the mana engine, what’s the point if it’s so slow?”

Even if they could cover all the costs, the ‘output’ would be poor, and it wouldn’t achieve high speeds.

And being slow was a critical issue.

In the dungeon, where anything could happen at any time, one must always be prepared for emergencies, and above all, mobility must be strictly guarded.

“This is really worrying. We might suffer because of them, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, exactly... They reek of a nouveau riche guild...”

By the time they finished observing the Hope Guild, 10 minutes had passed, and the gate entry began.

“—The Blue Flower Guild enters first!”

First, the Blue Flower Guild’s strategy team started to enter.

They had learned from the recent Red Gate incident in Cheongdam-dong and held their shields above their heads, slowly stepping into the gate.

– Caution! You have entered a dangerous area.

* You can exit 24 hours later.

As they entered, a dry wind blew across their faces.

Whoosh—

“Team 1, keep watch of the surroundings. Team 2, survey the terrain.”

As soon as they entered, the team leader, Park Muhan, gave these instructions.

The first thing to do after stepping into the dungeon was to survey the terrain.

“Damn, it’s a red desert. We’ve drawn a bad map.”

Before entering the gate, the ‘analysis team’ had determined that the interior was a dry climate, specifically a desert, but there were over a dozen types of deserts that could appear in the dungeon.

This time, they had drawn the ‘red desert,’ where violent giant monsters lived.

“Hmm... If it’s the orc tribal alliance of the red desert, they’re quite high-level orcs, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, the longbows made from the tendons of desert water buffalo that they use are quite powerful, so be careful.”

Then, 180 seconds later, the Hope Guild entered the dungeon.

Rumble—

As expected, they led with the two trailers...

Park Muhan approached the Hope Guild with a somewhat disapproving look.

“Sigh—You guys, it looks like you’ll need some time to prepare. We’ll go first.”

“Yes, we don’t mind. Please go ahead.”

Lee Hyun-wook, known as the savior of Seoul, said this while slowly surveying the surroundings.

Park Muhan was annoyed by Lee Hyun-wook’s calm demeanor.

“Sigh, and because you’re so famous, I didn’t want to give advice... but those trailers... if you keep dragging those slow things around, you might really get into trouble.”

He said this with obvious force, but Lee Hyun-wook still didn’t look at Park Muhan.

He carefully examined the terrain and then answered a beat later.

“Oh, yes... Thank you for your concern, but we’re fine.”

“No—really! We’re not fine...”

“Oh, yes, then do as you please, but don’t come asking for help later.”

With that, the two strategy teams moved with some distance between them.

“Man... The Hope Guild is really slow.”

A trailer powered by a mana engine couldn’t be fast.

Moreover, the engine itself wasn’t designed for actual driving, so it moved as if it had given up on mobility.

After some time...

“—At 2 o'clock, a group of orcs has appeared!”

Orcs began to appear one by one on a sand dune about 300 meters away.

As expected of the high-level orcs in the red desert, they were larger and better armed.

“The scouts just swept through, and they must have thought it was worth it, so they’re coming in a rush.”

There were about 300 orcs, which was not a small number.

And that wasn’t all.

“Team leader! A group of orcs is approaching from 7 o'clock! It looks like over 100!”

As a race with decent intelligence, the orcs were employing an encirclement strategy.

Park Muhan launched a magic drone to accurately gauge the size of the orc force.

‘A total of about 450... Well, it’s a winnable number. Still, it’s going to be a bloody battle.’

Park Muhan was a team leader who had run through dungeons of higher levels.

No matter how difficult the situation, he didn’t flinch.

However, he wasn’t being careless.

‘First, be cautious of the longbow attacks. Maintain distance and slowly whittle them down with long-range magic.’

No matter how skilled, directly engaging an orc force was foolish. Use various magic to gradually wear them down, and when their formation becomes loose, charge in and break it.

‘Orcs are balanced monsters in every aspect, making them difficult to tackle. Don’t be complacent.’

Park Muhan anticipated a long battle.

But then, an unexpected problem arose.

“—Team leader, look! The Hope Guild is about to be attacked by the orcs!”

Unfortunately, the Hope Guild’s strategy team was right in the path of the orcs approaching from 7 o'clock.

They were still guarding the massive trailers and moving slowly.

“What? No, damn! What are they doing—!”

Already, over 100 orcs were approaching, and a collision was expected in just a few minutes.

And directly confronting a large orc force was... madness.

“...What do we do? They’ll be surrounded and wiped out if they’re that slow!”

Park Muhan felt his frustration rise as he watched the Hope Guild’s frustrating movements.

“Damn... Contact them immediately and tell them to abandon that damn trailer and come over to our side!”

“Yes!”

“Snipers, prepare for support fire! Ah, what? Heroes of Seoul? They’re all crazy...”

Though he disapproved of the Hope Guild, he didn’t wish for their death.

No matter how annoying, they were still of the same species, humans...

But...

“Hey! Something is coming out of the Hope Guild’s trailer!”

“What?”

At this, Park Muhan looked at the Hope Guild with binoculars.

Sure enough, something was flying out of the first trailer of the Hope Guild.

It was... a black metal box.

“What, that... can fly?”

They had seen these black boxes through the cracks in the trailer doors before entering the gate.

“Wow... I thought they were just carrying a bunch of ice boxes full of food...”

In fact, there was no more reasonable assumption. What else could they be carrying into the dungeon?

But at this moment, it started to look different.

Rumble—

A blue light spread over the black steel surface, and the heavy box rose smoothly into the air, as if lifted by buoyancy rather than propulsion.

“The surface is covered with magic circuits...”

They shielded their eyes from the sun and stared at the scene in amazement.

A total of 12 were flying freely, without any noise.

They reflected the intense sunlight over the desert and lined up in the sky.

Rumble— Rumble— Rumble— Rumble—

Though they couldn’t identify what they were, the scene was undeniably mysterious and grand.

“...Team leader, have you ever seen anything like this?”

At this question, Park Muhan slowly shook his head.

“No, I’ve never seen anything like this.”

He was ranked 151st among Korean players and had participated in over 90 strategy operations.

But this was the first time he had seen something like this.

They approached the orc group in a formation, at a speed that was not slow at all.

“...So, what are they going to do by flying over there?”

It was impossible to guess how they worked.

Grrrr—!

The orc group, which had already approached the Hope Guild, began to draw their longbows.

And at that moment— the bottom of the 12 metal boxes opened simultaneously.

Squeak—

A blue light began to spread from inside.

The orcs, facing this strange scene, looked up in confusion.

Soon—

A burst of light from the boxes, and something, a large number of objects, was ejected at high speed.

Tudududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududududud