Chapter 9

The Swordmaster Wants to Live Peacefully - Chapter 9 (9/390)

The Swordmaster Wants to Live Peacefully Chapter 9

The Forest of Hell (2)

The reason why abysses frequently appear in Sehyeon City is due to the traces of the past.

In the past, when abysses had only appeared for a few years.

When the system for abysses and divers was still extremely inadequate.

In Sehyeon City, which was then known as Sejong City, an event called the "Great Catastrophe" occurred.

At that time, abysses were only classified from D to S, and an abyss exceeding S-level appeared in Sehyeon City.

A true catastrophe.

The abyss suddenly appeared, sucking in surrounding life forms, and if left unchecked, the monsters inside would burst out.

The appearance of numerous S-level abysses and an abyss exceeding S-level in the past was a disaster that struck South Korea.

The monsters that burst out from the abysses destroyed the city and massacred people.

Monsters with all kinds of high-risk levels poured out, making it impossible to stop them.

Numerous divers from all over the country sacrificed themselves to barely contain the abyss.

To be precise, the monsters returned to the abyss, and the door closed.

The monsters that completely destroyed Sejong City disappeared into the abyss, seemingly satisfied.

This event was not just a disaster in Korea but a simultaneous global catastrophe.

A period when the world was drenched in death and depression.

Moreover, that was not all.

Places where numerous high-level abysses appeared began to see frequent appearances of abysses.

Currently, the abyss appearance rate in Sehyeon City is six times higher than in other cities.

The dimensional waves spread from the location where the now-named "Special" level abyss appeared in the past, generating low-level abysses.

"But today, it appeared as a high-level abyss."

Yoo Sung-woo and Yoo Ji-woo, who were in the underground training room of Meteor Industries, moved in Se-yeon Jung's car.

The location where the abyss appeared this time was near the city hall in Jung District.

It was an area with a dense population, so even a single monster from the abyss could not be allowed to emerge.

Moreover, the abyss that appeared was a Level 2.

A Level 1 alert was issued, calling for the evacuation of nearby residents and the mobilization of B-level and above divers in Sehyeon City.

There were only a few hours left before the "Abyss Rush," when monsters would pour out of the abyss.

"That's right. Given the location, divers have gathered to ensure a perfect defense."

Se-yeon Jung's answer made Yoo Sung-woo nod.

B-level and above divers from Meteor Industries were also moving to follow Se-yeon Jung.

The area near the city hall, visible through the car window, was filled with people.

Among those gathered to tackle the abyss were a few S-level divers like Yoo Ji-woo.

Soon, Se-yeon Jung stopped the car after passing through the military checkpoint.

"A Level 2 abyss just before the rush..."

Yoo Ji-woo got out of the car and looked at the black hole.

To tackle a Level 2 abyss, which is considered high-level, a team of at least 10 A-level divers and 2 S-level divers is required.

For a Level 1 abyss, even more personnel are needed.

"...I'm going crazy."

A Level 2 abyss is comparable to the S-level abysses of the past.

A place where monsters like the Snow White Snake, which Yoo Sung-woo previously defeated in the "Frost Forest," appear.

Moreover, the imminent start of the Abyss Rush means that the number of monsters inside is not trivial.

Yoo Ji-woo sighed, and Yoo Sung-woo frowned with his arms crossed.

Yoo Ji-woo, one of the few S-level divers in Sehyeon City, moved to the barracks to participate in the strategy meeting.

Yoo Sung-woo waited with the divers from Meteor Industries.

After a short while, Yoo Ji-woo, who came out of the barracks, said:

"B-level and below will prepare for the possible rush outside, and all A-level and S-level divers on site will be deployed."

"How many are there in total?"

"Four S-level and twenty A-level. The internal exploration is so difficult that we need to pour in firepower to quickly tackle the boss."

A total of twenty-four people.

There are more than ten S-level divers in the country, but only four can be deployed now.

The dimensional wave measurement showed that the Abyss Rush was imminent.

There was no time to wait for divers from other places, so the divers from Meteor Industries and other companies and guilds began their battle preparations.

"What are you going to do, brother?"

"I'm D-level, so I can't go in."

"True, but..."

"I'll follow in later. Go ahead first."

"How will you get in... No, you'll figure it out. I'll see you inside."

"Alright."

Yoo Sung-woo, who answered Yoo Ji-woo, instantly disappeared.

Yoo Ji-woo was startled to see Yoo Sung-woo vanish right in front of her and looked around.

However, he was nowhere to be seen.

He had disappeared from everyone's sight in an instant.

If anyone could spot him, it would be a ridiculous sight.

After all, Yoo Sung-woo was still standing right next to Yoo Ji-woo.

By completely suppressing his presence, even his breathing and heartbeat, he had become one with nature.

Only someone with an incredibly sensitive sense would notice him.

Yoo Sung-woo had also suppressed his presence to ensure no one could detect him.

After some time, the abyss attack team was formed.

Level 2 abyss.

The name given after initial exploration was "Forest of Hell."

It was time to head into the hell filled with trees.

* * *

Four S-level and twenty A-level divers entered the Level 2 abyss.

The moment they entered, they felt their breaths being cut off.

The overwhelming humidity made their bodies feel damp.

A place where even breathing was difficult.

Before their eyes was a hell filled with trees.

Moss covered every rock, the trees were enormous, and the undergrowth was sharp.

The sharp aura of the monsters in the forest was transmitted without any filter.

A place where monsters capable of easily turning a city into chaos lived.

This was the Level 2 abyss, "Forest of Hell."

"I will divide the team. One S-level and five A-level divers will form four teams. Each team will eliminate the monsters in their direction and regroup near the boss's habitat."

Hong Seo-hwa, known as "Red River Child Dragon," who was leading the attack, said.

The information they had about the Level 2 abyss was limited.

The entrance was secure, but the drone survey showed that there were four paths through the dense forest.

This abyss had a special structure where the path to the boss would open only after all the intermediate bosses at the end of the four paths were defeated.

"It has a similar structure to the S-level abyss, 'Red Forest,' which was tackled by our predecessors. However, do not be complacent and approach with caution."

She bowed deeply.

Her gratitude to those who had thrown themselves into the abyss for the sake of many.

A rare person of character among S-level divers.

Yoo Ji-woo also encouraged the divers who had joined her, and soon the S-level and A-level divers split into four groups and entered the forest.

As Yoo Ji-woo led the divers into the undergrowth, Yoo Sung-woo appeared by her side.

He had not completely suppressed his presence, only enough to be detected by Yoo Ji-woo, an S-level diver, so the others following them were not surprised.

Their narrowed field of vision due to tension also played a role.

Yoo Ji-woo, startled, covered her mouth and whispered quietly:

"Hey, when did you come?"

"I've been here all along. I've suppressed my presence to the point where others can't detect me, so speak quietly."

Yoo Ji-woo nodded slightly.

The five A-level divers in her party were not all from Meteor Industries.

Only two were from Meteor Industries, and the other three were from other guilds.

"I've taken a quick look inside."

"What's there?"

"Monkeys. Well, no, gorillas?"

Yoo Sung-woo pondered how to describe what he had seen.

They had monkey-like faces but gorilla-sized bodies.

Their bright red eyes and long limbs made it easy for them to swing through the trees.

"Anyway, they are everywhere. It won't be easy to get through."

"…I see."

"But on the other hand, it's a good opportunity for you. A chance to put into practice what you've learned."

Yoo Ji-woo nodded, and Yoo Sung-woo walked ahead.

She looked at him with eyes that seemed to ask where he was going, and he answered:

"I'll take a quick look around."

When you visit someone's house,

don't you have to greet the host?

* * *

The method to "completely clear" an abyss is simple.

Kill the boss monster inside the abyss and destroy or take out the "core," also known as the heart of the abyss, which it possesses.

The "core," which contains immense power, is an excellent subject for research and a source of energy, so it can be sold for a high price if taken out.

However, if there is a big return, there is also a big risk.

The boss monsters, which contain immense power, are not easy to defeat.

"Strange, strange."

Yoo Sung-woo stood in front of the boss of the Forest of Hell.

By suppressing his presence, he could deceive even the sharp senses of animals.

With light steps, he kicked the branches and passed through the large monkeys, heading deeper into the Forest of Hell.

He bypassed the intermediate boss and arrived at the cave at the end of the Forest of Hell.

Deep in the large cave, sitting with its back to the exit, was a gorilla much larger than the ones he had seen so far.

Even sitting, it seemed to be over 6 meters tall, and if it stood on its hind legs, it would easily exceed 10 meters.

Standing behind the creature, Yoo Sung-woo felt a sense of déjà vu.

"Why does it feel like I've seen it somewhere before?"

He was not referring to its appearance.

It was a grotesque, giant gorilla he had never seen before.

But the aura he felt from it was familiar.

It was the kind of aura that made him want to beat it up.

The kind of aura that made him feel like he had beaten it up many times before.

It felt like it would be satisfying to beat it up again.

Since it was the first time he had felt this sensation since returning to Earth, he released his suppressed presence to confirm what this sense of déjà vu was.

Then, the creature's head, which had been facing the exit, slowly turned.

It looked at Yoo Sung-woo, who stood confidently behind it.

Its bright yellow eyes and protruding mouth were filled with sharp teeth.

The monster's face was repulsive.

As soon as it saw Yoo Sung-woo, it opened its mouth wide and let out a long roar.

Kwaaaaaah!!!