At the same time, in Isthart.
Those who had just explored the dungeon of the Seven Deadly Sins gathered in the corridor to discuss the recent expedition.
“It’s too difficult.”
Muhammad, who had the ability to teleport, spoke.
He had an extremely exhausted expression and was also the guild member who contributed the most during this exploration.
A dungeon located in the deep sea.
Getting there wasn’t the problem, but the real issue was inside the dungeon.
An underwater dungeon that had never been discovered before.
Literally, the entire interior of the dungeon was submerged.
While dungeons had been found in places like oceans or rivers before, this was the first time the inside was also underwater.
Moreover, it wasn’t ordinary water.
It was polluted water that made one question if any living creature could even survive in it.
It was impossible to stay in there for even a moment, but Isthart Guild was the top guild in the world.
They were prepared for every possible scenario and had an abundance of powerful Awakeners.
Thanks to that, they were able to achieve some results in exploring this seemingly impossible dungeon.
Among the Seven Deadly Sins, this was the dungeon of Envy.
The monsters dwelling there were aquatic monsters—many resembled fish, as well as monsters in the form of octopuses, squids, and crustaceans.
However, they had yet to discover the dungeon boss or its subordinates.
“But this is the limit.”
“It’s already hard enough to defeat the Seven Deadly Sins, but with such a brutal environment in the dungeon, it’s driving me crazy.”
The extremely harsh and unforgiving environment of the underwater dungeon had pushed even Isthart Guild to declare it impossible to conquer.
However, simply declaring it unconquerable didn’t end things.
“While conquering it is nearly impossible, we have to keep trying.”
“Eventually, a dungeon break will occur…”
The expressions of the guild members darkened.
Guild Master Naef, who had participated in the exploration, also looked troubled.
“We need to seek cooperation. Just like how the European Union is combining their efforts to conquer the Dungeon of Wrath.”
“By the way, it seems those guys still haven’t made any progress.”
“They seem to be struggling with the monsters. At this rate, it might take them years to reach the boss. And even then, I doubt they can take down the boss.”
The dungeon of Lust in the United States, where the boss was discovered immediately, was a rare case.
In other dungeons of the Seven Deadly Sins like Greed and Wrath, even the boss hadn’t been properly confirmed.
Eventually, Greed’s dungeon experienced a break.
As for Wrath’s dungeon, it was uncertain whether they could conquer it before a break occurred.
Now with the addition of the dungeon of Envy, the Earth was facing a genuine crisis.
“At least Greed vanished, whether it ascended to the sky or sunk into the earth, but with Wrath, Lust, and now Envy still remaining…”
“Lust is gone.”
Naef said.
The guild members looked at their guild master with bewildered expressions.
“What do you mean?”
“I didn’t mention it because I was told not to, but Lust disappeared. Completely vanished along with all the subordinate monsters.”
“D-Dungeon break?!”
“Not sure. But the dungeon entrance is intact. If it were a break, the entrance should have been destroyed too, but it’s not.”
“Huh.”
Greed and Lust.
That was already two.
Excluding the recently discovered Envy, two out of three of the Seven Deadly Sins had already disappeared.
“Could it be that the dungeons of the Seven Deadly Sins naturally disappear after a certain period?”
“That would be ideal. These monsters are beyond our capabilities.”
However, they couldn’t afford to relax.
If even one of the Seven Deadly Sins was unleashed into the world, it would trigger a global emergency.
In fact, when Greed broke free, all of China and neighboring countries fell into chaos.
“By the way… where’s that old man Hassan?”
In the midst of the conversation, Naef asked about Hassan’s whereabouts.
Although recently obsessed with the World Tree, Hassan Al Din Sinan had not missed this expedition and had made significant contributions.
However, upon returning, he was nowhere to be seen.
“He said he was going back.”
“Because of that damn tree?”
“Well, it’s not an ordinary tree. Lately, even Eli has been staying with it.”
“What in the world is it that even that arrogant Eli is fascinated by it?”
Just as curiosity about the World Tree was rising and the meeting was about to end—
“Naef, sir!!”
“What is it?”
“A sudden abnormal sign has been detected near Dammam Airport!”
Dammam was one of the cities.
It was the third-largest city in Saudi Arabia, known for its massive port and King Fahd International Airport.
“Report accurately. What do you mean by abnormal sign?”
“An unidentified dungeon has been discovered , and it’s about to break. Estimated break time is approximately 10 minutes!”
“What nonsense is this…!”
Dammam was a huge city.
It had a population of over one million.
If a dungeon break occurred there, a terrible disaster would unfold.
And that wasn’t the only issue.
“T-The dungeon’s level is estimated at Level 8…”
“This is insane! Call all of Isthart immediately! Muhammad! Take me and the elite guild members and teleport us to Dammam immediately!”
“Even with my ability, it’s impossible to reach Dammam within 10 minutes.”
“I know! But we still have to go! Prepare quickly! No—let’s depart immediately! And you, contact nearby guilds and government agencies closest to the break point!”
Under Naef’s command, all the guild members entrusted themselves to Muhammad’s teleportation ability.
However, although Muhammad’s teleportation was extremely safe, it was slow.
From here to Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport by car was about 5 hours, and even with teleportation, it would take 1 hour.
If a Level 8 dungeon break occurred in 10 minutes, Dammam would be completely destroyed in 50 minutes.
‘Please, let the nearby guilds handle it well!’
But there weren’t many places capable of stopping a Level 8 dungeon break.
Even Isthart required at least a month of preparation to tackle a Level 8 dungeon.
In all of Earth’s history, Level 8 dungeon breaks could be counted on one hand.
And now, such an event was happening in this way.
About an hour remained until Isthart’s arrival.
At that moment, Dammam’s King Fahd International Airport was under a state of emergency.
And then—
“Huh? What’s going on here?”
“Is this a festival?!”
Kyu-seong and his summoned beasts had arrived.
***
After hearing about the dungeon of Envy from Hassan, I quickly got ready.
Just like last time, I only intended to figure out the dungeon’s location.
I wasn’t planning to enter—just locate it.
Because this dungeon was extremely unique.
It was located in the deep sea, and the inside was also submerged, so I planned to prepare thoroughly.
Fortunately, I had an item that allowed me to breathe underwater—a pearl from a dungeon.
‘But what is this situation?’
I flew from Hassan’s city to King Fahd International Airport.
From there, I had to travel quite a distance by car and then take a boat to reach the dungeon of Envy.
“Everyone, evacuate!”
But everywhere was like a warzone.
We had just disembarked from Hassan’s private jet.
“What’s going on?”
“I’ll check.”
Hassan, caught off guard by the sudden situation, was making a phone call somewhere.
Kyler, who had come along, stood alert, as if to protect me.
“Is this not a festival?”
– It’s obviously not!
– Everyone must be shocked by my arrival.
– They’re all slower than Ashu!
For this expedition, I brought four of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Ara, Mammon, Ras, and Ashu.
The rest of the kids were still in the dungeon.
As we assessed the situation and waited for Hassan—
KWAANG—!!
A massive explosion echoed as the ground trembled.
“A-an earthquake?!”
Was this an earthquake? A natural disaster!?
I crouched down, hugging my kids tightly, waiting for things to calm down.
But contrary to my expectation of an earthquake, Ara shouted—
“It’s a monster!”
“A monster?!”
Wait, why a monster all of a sudden?
Ras and Ashu, whose senses were sharp, were pointing somewhere and shouting.
– The dungeon’s broken.
– They’re rampaging! Must be hungry. Ashu will cook for them now!
“W-wait.”
I stopped Ashu, who was about to dash off, and waited for Hassan first.
Kyler had already drawn his weapon.
Just then, Hassan finished his call.
“It’s a Level 8 dungeon break. An unbelievable event has occurred. Hahaha.”
Hassan looked dumbfounded, but he didn’t appear tense.
“In a way, we could say we’re lucky. There are already two Level 9 Awakeners here, and four who are even stronger.”
“W-wait, a Level 8 dungeon break? But Isthart is here—how could this happen?”
“It was an undiscovered dungeon, apparently. We’ll have to investigate for details. For now, let’s focus on calming the situation.”
Hassan was right.
We didn’t know how a Level 8 dungeon had been left unchecked until right before a break, but we had to stop it immediately.
‘A Level 8 dungeon could practically destroy an entire nation.’
This wasn’t an exaggeration.
Level 8 dungeons had regular monsters as strong as Level 8 Awakeners, and their boss monsters required at least ten Level 8 Awakeners to defeat.
That meant they were nearly as destructive as nuclear weapons.
The fall of a nation was just a matter of time.
“In some ways, this might be more serious than when Greed’s dungeon broke out, Mr. Kyu-seong.”
“Yeah, definitely.”
The main issue with the Seven Deadly Sins was their boss monsters.
Of course, there were exceptions like Wrath’s dungeon, where even the regular monsters were powerful, but most were made up of low-tier monsters and a Sin-level boss.
During Greed’s dungeon break, it was hard to stop Mammon, but aside from Mammon’s poison, the goblins weren’t especially dangerous.
But this Level 8 break…
– KUAARGH!
What the heck.
Through the airport window, I saw a massive monster—it looked like a dinosaur.
No, more precisely, a giant reptile.
It looked terrifyingly strong, and even from afar, its sheer presence made my whole body tremble.
“Master Hassan, Kyler, could you two perhaps protect me?”
“Of course.”
“We shall.”
The two Level 9 Awakeners agreed to guard me.
I immediately turned to the kids.
“Kids, it’s your time to shine.”
– I’ve waited for this moment.
– Ashu’s going first!
Ras and Ashu dashed out immediately.
I wasn’t even done talking yet…
“Be careful!”
After shouting that, I spoke to Ara and Mammon.
“Don’t overdo it. Take care of those monsters within reason.”
“They shall feel the sting of justice!”
– Yes, Lord! I’ll support appropriately!
Ara and Mammon launched into action.
After sending out the four Sins, we evacuated outside instead of staying in the building.
If the building collapsed, we’d be in trouble.
‘Just in case, let’s activate the Lord’s Majesty too.’
[Activating skill.]
[Copying ‘Breath’ ability.]
[Remaining time: 30 minutes.]
“Ooh?!”
I brought out Breath.
I wasn’t sure if I’d use it, but I had copied one of Ara’s signature skills, Breath, along with Gluttony.
It made me want to try it out, but for now, I went outside.
There, I could fully feel the chaos unfolding.
“Guh!”
“S-stop them!”
“No! Run!”
Some nearby Awakeners had arrived and were trying hard to block the monsters, but they were helpless.
These were Level 8 monsters.
No ordinary Awakener could handle them.
A quick glance showed not only giant monsters, but also humanoid monsters.
They looked like insects in human form.
“What are those?”
At that moment—
CHAEAEANG!!
One of those winged insectoids flew in from afar and swung something at me.
Thankfully, Kyler, who was by my side, blocked the attack.
At the same time, Hassan instantly appeared behind the insectoid and neutralized it.
– KIEEEK.
“Whoa.”
A chill ran down my spine.
I nearly got taken out without doing anything.
“Tsk tsk, if we hadn’t been here, this place would’ve been wiped out. These enemies are way too strong.”
Hassan, having taken down the insectoid, spoke.
Just as he said, it was an all-round balanced combination—from the massive reptilian monsters to the nimble insectoids.
But then—
THUD!
One of the giant reptilian monsters rolled its eyes back and collapsed, a huge bump on its forehead.
KWAANG!
Then a blue beam flashed, and another reptilian monster struck by it also fell.
BURURURUK!
Even the fast-moving insectoids were being taken down by something invisible.
That had to be Ashu.
“Haha.”
“……”
Hassan and Kyler watched blankly, gradually losing their grip on reality.
“My kids are pretty strong, right?”
No response at all.
About 20 minutes passed.
I thought it took longer than expected, but while watching the kids in action, it eventually ended.
“They’ve all been defeated!”
“Well done, Ara.”
Ara, covered in dust, stood proudly with her hands on her hips.
They had succeeded in neutralizing all the monsters.
Mammon finished it off by paralyzing them with his poison.
“Let’s say you two handled it. Well, maybe not Kyler…”
“…Haah.”
Hassan scratched his head.
And then, someone’s voice rang out.
“Is it over?”
“W-who’s that?”
“Oh? It’s Lord Hassan!”
Familiar faces appeared from somewhere.
The guild members of Isthart had arrived.
Cliche Novel 