69

Chapter 69 — The A-Rank Expedition

The regional Awakener Association headquarters had become unusually active before sunrise.

Unlike the normal morning routine, where awakened hunters gradually arrived to accept dungeon assignments or submit monster materials, the main expedition hall was filled with armed Awakeners, support personnel, healers, equipment specialists, and Association officials. Large screens displayed constantly updating information about the newly discovered dungeon in India.

The dungeon had appeared less than a day ago.

That alone would have been concerning.

What made the situation considerably more serious was the mana fluctuation surrounding its entrance.

The Association's initial examination had classified the dungeon as A-rank, but several monsters detected near the entrance had displayed mana levels higher than expected for a newly formed A-rank dungeon. The readings were inconsistent enough that the Association had prohibited ordinary B-rank teams from entering.

Subin stood near the edge of the briefing hall, silently studying the information displayed on the largest screen.

A map of the surrounding region appeared first.

Then the dungeon entrance.

Then a list of detected monsters.

Fang Boar — Level 52

Stoneback Ogre — Level 57

Blood-Claw Hyena — Level 55

Ironhide Lizard — Level 61

Unknown Mana Signature — Level Unconfirmed

Subin's eyes stopped on the last line.

Not because he suspected something mysterious.

There was nothing unusual about an unidentified monster in a newly formed dungeon. The Association simply hadn't gathered enough data yet.

What interested him was the distribution of mana.

The dungeon's entrance was releasing mana into the surrounding environment, but the flow wasn't stable. It expanded and contracted at regular intervals, almost like the dungeon itself was breathing.

Subin narrowed his eyes.

"That's strange."

A man standing beside him glanced over.

"What's strange?"

Subin pointed toward the display. "The mana isn't simply leaking outward. It's circulating."

The man looked at the graph and frowned.

"I thought that was normal for a dungeon."

"Not usually at this scale."

Before the man could respond, the lights in the hall dimmed.

The conversations gradually disappeared.

An Association officer walked onto the central platform.

"All expedition members, listen carefully."

The screen behind him changed.

The dungeon entrance appeared.

"At 04:17 this morning, the dungeon's mana output increased by approximately twenty-three percent. The increase lasted six minutes before returning to its previous level."

Several Awakeners exchanged looks.

The officer continued.

"We don't know what caused the fluctuation. However, the dungeon remains stable enough for controlled entry. The Association has therefore authorized an A-rank expedition."

A new screen appeared.

EXPEDITION OBJECTIVES

1. Determine the dungeon's current structure.

2. Identify the source of abnormal mana fluctuation.

3. Eliminate hostile monsters encountered within the authorized zone.

4. Recover mana stones and valuable materials where practical.

5. Avoid unnecessary deep exploration.

The last objective received particular emphasis.

"This is not a dungeon-clearing operation," the officer said. "The expedition's primary purpose is reconnaissance and stabilization. We will not push toward the deepest section unless conditions allow it."

Subin listened quietly.

That suited him.

He wasn't interested in proving himself by recklessly entering an unknown dungeon.

He wanted to understand the environment first.

The officer continued introducing the expedition members.

There were twenty-four primary combat Awakeners.

Among them were six A-rank Awakeners, thirteen B-rank Awakeners, three healers, and two support specialists.

Subin immediately noticed something.

Most of the A-rank Awakeners carried specialized equipment.

Spears.

Greatswords.

Shields.

Bows.

Magic staffs.

One woman carried a pair of short blades.

The expedition clearly wasn't built around a single fighting style.

Subin appreciated that.

Different abilities meant different responses to different situations.

The officer eventually reached the final name.

"Subin Vans."

The hall became noticeably quieter.

Some people looked toward him.

Others whispered.

"Is that him?"

"The Sword God?"

"I heard he cleared the Skyfall Fortress."

"He's only B rank, right?"

"How did a B rank get invited to an A-rank expedition?"

Subin ignored the comments.

The officer looked at him for a moment before continuing.

"Subin Vans will participate as an independent combat member."

A large man sitting near the front raised his hand.

"Independent?"

The officer nodded.

"Yes."

The man looked toward Subin.

"Then what exactly is his role?"

The officer answered without hesitation.

"Combat."

The man frowned.

"That's rather vague."

"Because assigning him a fixed role would be inefficient."

A few people laughed quietly.

Subin didn't.

The large man studied him for another few seconds before leaning back.

"I hope he's worth the trouble."

Subin finally looked at him.

"So do I."

The man's eyebrows rose.

Several people around them smiled.

There was no hostility in Subin's voice.

He had simply answered honestly.

The briefing continued for another twenty minutes.

The Association explained the formation.

The primary combat group would move first.

Healers and support members would remain near the center.

Two A-rank scouts would operate ahead of the formation.

Three A-rank fighters would protect the main group.

The remaining A-rank member would act as emergency reinforcement.

Subin was given freedom to move between the forward and central formations.

"Why?"

The expedition leader approached him after the briefing.

She was a woman in her early thirties with dark hair tied behind her head. A long spear rested against her shoulder.

"Because you don't fight like a normal B rank," she said.

Subin looked at her.

"That's what I've been told."

She smiled slightly.

"I'm Han Yerin. A rank."

"Subin."

"I know."

Her eyes moved toward the sword at his waist.

Simple Edge remained quiet.

Its appearance was ordinary enough that nobody unfamiliar with it would pay much attention.

Han Yerin studied it for a moment.

"Is that your main weapon?"

"Yes."

"It doesn't look particularly impressive."

"It's not supposed to."

She laughed softly.

"You're strange."

"So I've been told."

Before she could say anything else, the officer called everyone toward the transport area.

The expedition began.

---

The journey to the dungeon took several hours.

By the time the group reached the designated area, the sun had risen high enough to illuminate the surrounding landscape.

Association barriers had already been established around the dungeon.

Several temporary structures had been constructed nearby.

Medical stations.

Mana monitoring equipment.

Storage containers.

Emergency communication towers.

The dungeon entrance itself stood at the center.

It looked like a vertical tear in the air.

Black energy surrounded its edges, while faint blue particles drifted outward.

Subin stopped several meters away.

He could feel the mana.

Dense.

Heavy.

But not hostile.

At least not yet.

He closed his eyes.

His perception expanded.

He didn't activate Sword Intent.

He didn't need to.

The Sword God class had changed the way he perceived his surroundings.

Every movement became information.

Every shift in mana.

Every vibration beneath the ground.

Every disturbance in the air.

He opened his eyes.

"There are monsters nearby."

The nearest scout turned toward him.

"How many?"

"Seven."

The scout immediately activated his detection skill.

His expression changed.

"He's right."

The expedition leader raised her hand.

"Formation."

Weapons were drawn.

The first monster emerged from the rocky terrain.

A massive boar with stone-like plates covering its back.

Stoneback Ogre Boar — Level 56

Three more followed.

Then two.

Then another.

Seven monsters.

The largest charged first.

Its body weighed several hundred kilograms, and the ground shook beneath each step.

A shield user moved forward.

"I'll stop it!"

He planted his shield into the ground.

The boar crashed into him.

The impact sent a shockwave through the ground.

The shield user held.

"Now!"

Three attacks struck the monster simultaneously.

A spear pierced its shoulder.

An arrow struck its eye.

A fire spell exploded against its back.

The monster roared.

Subin watched.

The battle wasn't difficult.

The expedition members were experienced, and the monsters were within expected A-rank expedition parameters.

But something caught his attention.

The boar's movements.

Its attack pattern wasn't random.

Every time it was struck from the left, it shifted its weight toward the right.

Every time it shifted right, the rear leg became exposed for a fraction of a second.

Subin stepped forward.

Simple Edge left its sheath.

He didn't use Sword Intent.

He didn't need to.

One step.

One cut.

The blade passed through the exposed joint.

The monster collapsed.

The entire battle stopped for a moment.

Subin returned Simple Edge to its sheath.

The shield user stared at the fallen monster.

"That was..."

"Efficient," Han Yerin finished.

Subin looked toward the dungeon entrance.

"There's something else."

The expedition leader's expression became serious.

"What?"

Subin didn't immediately answer.

He was feeling the mana again.

The dungeon was breathing.

But this time, he noticed another detail.

The interval had changed.

The previous cycle had lasted approximately thirty-eight seconds.

Now it was thirty-seven.

The next was thirty-six.

The dungeon's mana circulation was accelerating.

"Whatever is happening inside," Subin said, "it's becoming faster."

The Association technicians immediately began checking their instruments.

One of them shouted.

"Mana density is increasing!"

Another looked at his screen.

"Three percent increase!"

Han Yerin turned toward Subin.

"You sensed that before the equipment."

Subin nodded.

"Yes."

She looked toward the dungeon.

"Then we're entering now."

The expedition formation tightened.

One by one, the Awakeners passed through the entrance.

Subin was among the last of the forward group.

The moment he crossed the boundary, the world changed.

The sunlight disappeared.

The air became cold.

A vast underground landscape stretched ahead.

Rock formations rose like mountains.

Blue mana crystals grew from the ground.

A river of glowing liquid mana flowed through a valley in the distance.

The dungeon was far larger than its entrance suggested.

Subin took one step forward.

His eyes sharpened.

There were monsters everywhere.

Not dozens.

Hundreds.

But they weren't attacking.

They were moving.

The entire monster population was gradually traveling toward the same direction.

The expedition members noticed it too.

"What are they doing?"

"No idea."

"Are they fleeing?"

Subin looked toward the distant valley.

"No."

Han Yerin glanced at him.

"Then?"

"They're gathering."

The expedition leader immediately ordered everyone into defensive formation.

Subin didn't draw his sword.

Not yet.

He watched the monsters.

Stoneback Ogres.

Blood-Claw Hyenas.

Ironhide Lizards.

Fang Boars.

Several larger creatures he hadn't seen in the Association's reports.

They weren't moving toward the expedition.

They were moving deeper into the dungeon.

Something was changing the ecosystem.

Subin could feel it.

Not because of some hidden intelligence.

Not because someone was controlling them.

The dungeon's mana itself was changing their behavior.

Higher mana density.

More resources.

More evolution.

More competition.

The natural progression of the dungeon was accelerating.

Subin's eyes narrowed slightly.

For the first time since entering, he felt genuinely interested.

The monsters were getting stronger.

The dungeon was evolving.

And that meant one thing.

If the outside world was experiencing the same phenomenon, humanity would have to evolve even faster.

A system notification appeared before his eyes.

[Global Mana Density Increase Detected.]

[Dungeon Evolution Rate Increasing.]

[Environmental Mana Saturation: 18.4%]

[Monster Evolution Probability: Increased.]

Subin dismissed the notification.

He tightened his grip around Simple Edge.

The expedition leader raised her spear.

"Everyone, move."

The group advanced into the dungeon.

Subin followed.

For now, there was no need to rush.

There was a new world forming beneath their feet.

And he intended to see how far it would evolve.