Ordinary Art Factor [EN]: Chapter 64

“… Uh.”

If we only keep the Nexus and destroy all the crystals, how will we produce Dungeon Units from the Gateway?

Then that’s what we’ll do. Right?

3 hours and 20 minutes after entering the Dungeon.

[Ding! The Land Core is producing Maggot Tanks. Time remaining: 4 minutes 59 seconds, 58 seconds, 57 seconds…]

[Ding! The Gateway is producing Zealots. Time remaining: 2 minutes 59 seconds, 58 seconds, 57 seconds…]

[Ding! The Gateway is producing Zealots. Time remaining: 2 minutes 59 seconds, 58 seconds, 57 seconds…]

I went all-in on Maggot Tank production with the last bit of gas, and I have 120 upgraded Zealots that can be stored in the inventory, the maximum capacity of 160 Zealots that can be produced within the Dungeon, 20 Shuttles, and 32 Dracans stored in the inventory that I haven’t used until now.

I loaded a total of 15 Maggot Tanks, two per 8 Shuttles, and filled the remaining 12.5 Shuttles with Zealots.

4 Zealots per Shuttle. A total of 50 Zealots, 15 Maggot Tanks, the remaining 110 ground Zealots, 120 summonable Zealots, Dracans, and even Probes.

If I can’t clear a Rank 6 Armored Dungeon with these Units….

I’m dead.

After finishing Unit production, I looked at my party members, seniors, and the ordinary women, and said with a firm expression.

“From now on, we will begin the main base assault on the Random Rank 6 Armored Dungeon! The current situation is the maximum of my abilities, and even if we clear it… Ah, no. We can definitely clear it, and we will clear it. Don’t stray from my side and stay tense until the end! We’re moving out now. Zealots, forward!”

The 110 Zealots lined up and moved forward, and as the 20 Shuttles took their positions 10m above my head, I slowly began to walk towards the main base with my party members, seniors, and the ordinary women.

3 hours and 40 minutes after entering the Dungeon.

100m in front of the Rank 6 Armored Dungeon’s overlapping defense towers.

I stopped all the Units and asked my party members.

“Does anyone know the range of the overlapping defense towers?”

“…….”

“…….”

Everyone shakes their heads left and right.

It’s my first time too, and the same goes for them.

Since we don’t know anything, we have no choice but to check.

“You! Run straight ahead and attack that defense tower over there. Go!”

I threw one Zealot from the very back row forward as a test.

The upgraded Zealot ran excitedly towards the main base defense tower, and then,

‘Thoo… Kwaaang!’

It was gloriously annihilated about 30m away.

“Holy crap! That’s insane.”

“What kind of cannon is that firing like a machine gun?”

“O, Oppa!”

The seniors’ surprise and Ji-hye’s uneasy eyes indicate the current situation.

Let’s do everything we can for now.

“Overlapping defense towers, range of about 30m! Everyone, prepare your most powerful attack magic and advance!”

“Idea Goddess’s Wrath! Wall of Fire! … Ready!”

“Idea Goddess’s Tears, Wall of Ice! … Ready!”

“Idea Goddess’s Lament! Sea of Despair! … Ready!”

“Idea Goddess’s Sigh! Dew of Sorrow! … Ready!”

After the party members chanted their long-range attack magic, we moved 50m closer.

“Summon all Probes! Summon all Zealots! Summon all Dracans!”

[Ding! Summoning 251 Probes.]

[Ding! Summoning 120 Zealots.]

[Ding! Summoning 32 Dracans.]

As countless Probes, Zealots, and Dracans were summoned from the Dungeon floor with a white light, I finally gave the first order for the main base assault.

“Probes, spread out in the 3 o’clock direction and move out!”

I threw the Probes as bait first.

The timing of reaching the defense tower’s range, the movement speed of the Zealots, and the attacks of the Shuttles and Dracans must occur simultaneously to disperse the cannon fire even a little.

Just as the Probes were about to reach the defense tower’s cannon range,

“Zealots and Dracans! Attack the buildings connected to the defense tower in the 3 o’clock direction first. Same goes for the Shuttles. Move out!”

I had the summoned Zealots and Dracans attack in one direction, and the Shuttles followed behind.

“3 o’clock direction! Activate long-range magic!”

At my shout, the party members cast the most powerful magic they could within their mana limits, and at the same time, the defense tower’s cannon spat fire.

‘Thoo-kwaakwakwa… Thoo-kwakwakwang.’

‘Koo-woowo… Koo-oowo.’

I don’t know if it’s different depending on the target being attacked, or if it’s judging based on hostility, but the overlapping cannons poured down on the Probes thrown as bait and the rushing Zealots, and recognizing the Shuttles following behind, they dropped Maggot Tanks at every key point.

‘Kkoo-oong… Kwang. Kkoo-ooong… Kwaaang.’

The Maggot Tanks dropped from the Shuttles.

I was worried because they were the first Units I produced, but their destructive power is considerable.

When the tightly curled Maggot gives its all, it fires something clustered from its tail end as if defecating, and that thing shot at the defense tower’s support, breaking the support and destroying the connected cannon.

I concentrated the Units in one direction, and perhaps because there were so many Units, the speed at which the defense tower collapsed gradually began to increase, and Dungeon Units began to rush out from around the Gateway and the main base.

Following behind the collapsing defense tower, I identified the appearing Dungeon Units, issued attack orders to some of the Zealots, and reloaded the remaining Maggot Tanks onto the Shuttles.

After ordering 5 Dracans and 5 Zealots to protect the seniors and ordinary women, I entered the main base.

‘Thoo-kwaakwakwa… Thoo-kwakwakwang.’

‘Koo-woowo… Koo-oowo.’

“9 o’clock direction! Activate long-range magic! Zealots, charge! Launch the Shuttles!”

“Idea Goddess’s Wrath! Wall of Fire!”

“Idea Goddess’s Lament! Sea of Despair!”

‘Thoo-kwakwang… Kwang.’

‘Kkoo-oong… Kwaaang.’

“Heehee, summon 1 Probe! Create Crystal! Create Gateway! Produce Zealots! Ga, Gateway creation! … Gi, give me more minerals!”

“Hoohoo. O, Oppa. Here….”

Mihye put the minerals she took out of her inventory on the floor, and then summoned the Idea Awl again.

As I grabbed the Awl and tried to split and absorb the minerals,

“11 o’clock direction, distance 50m! 10 Dracans, 20 Zealots approaching! Heehee, I, Idea Goddess’s Wrath! Wa, Wall of Fire!”

‘Kwaang… Kwang’

“Pa, Party Leader. My mana….”

“Damn it! Shuttles, drop all Maggot Tanks! Cancel all Zealot summons! Summon all Zealots!”

With a white light, 5 Maggot Tanks and about 30 Zealots took their positions 10m in front.

“Crap! Is this all that’s left! Produce Zealots! Produce Zealots! Maggot Tanks, begin bombardment! Zealots, charge!”

‘Kkoo-oong… Kwang. Kkoo-ooong… Kwaaang!’

‘Koo-woowo… Koo-oowo.’

I’m out of my mind.

I wanted to collapse and give up so many times.

But looking at the collapsing overlapping defense towers and the disappearing Dungeon Units, I encouraged myself and instilled courage.

I couldn’t have done this alone.

Right now, my party members are drenched in sweat beside me, squeezing out their mana to their limits and chanting spells like crazy.

The seniors are trembling their legs, watching the situation with fearful eyes. The ordinary women are screaming or sobbing.

The moment I give up, it’s not just me who dies.

I’ll do what I can until I can’t, and if it doesn’t work out then… but still, hope is visible.

If I just take care of these guys!

“Produced Zealots! What are you doing! Stick to them!”

It’s a relief that Zealots can be continuously produced up to the limit of their stats.

‘Koo-woowo… Koo-oowo.’

As the last Zealot among the Dungeon Units disappeared with a black smoke, I felt my legs give way and I collapsed on the spot.

“Hooheok, heeheok. De, destroy all the crystals in the Dungeon.”

After giving the final order while looking at the newly produced Zealots, I lost consciousness.

How much time has passed?

“Hey, you bastard! Does that make sense?”

“It’s true. If you just give Ji-won minerals, he can keep producing Zealots. Then we don’t need an army. You saw it, they charge without even knowing if they’re going to die.”

“Does that sound possible in reality? You idiot!”

“You produce them in the Dungeon, put them in your inventory, and then release them outside!”

“This bastard! He said there’s a limit! To the stats!”

“So! You take the stats out and release them, then go back in and produce them again. And then come out and release them, isn’t that how it works!”

“Hey~ you, you idiot! Does that make any sense!”

“Why doesn’t it make sense? Think about it. You bird-brained bastard!”

“Idiot, you’re talking nonsense.”

“What? You son of a bitch.”

Sang-joon hyung [older brother/male friend] and Seung-chan hyung’s voices have been grating on my ears since a while ago.

Hyungs [brothers/male friends], just so you know, if you’re doing that play to change the atmosphere, I’m against it.

‘Kkeueueung.’

“O, Oppa [term of endearment for older brother/male friend]! You’re awake? Are you okay?”

“Party Leader. Are you alright?”

“Ji-won. Do you remember where you are? Are you okay?”

Kyung-hwan hyung, Kim Eun-hee, and Ji-hye support me and help me up.

I don’t even have mana, so why did I lose consciousness?

Excessive stress?

Or, just a weak constitution?

Or maybe….

“How long has it been?”

“About 30 minutes.”

Ji-hye answered my question, and Sang-joon hyung and Seung-chan hyung postponed their argument for later.

“Let’s move towards the Nexus for now.”

“Yes.”

“Yeah. I was really curious anyway. I couldn’t just leave Oppa behind. Hehe.”

Ji-hye’s face shows a smile, whether it’s because her tension has been relieved or because of the seniors’ play.

5 hours and 30 minutes after entering the Dungeon.

We were finally able to reach the Rank 6 Armored Dungeon Nexus that we had been waiting for, but we just stood there dumbfounded without saying a word.

“I, is this all minerals? Really?”

“O, Oppa… I, this isn’t a dream, is it? Right?”

“Oh my god!”

Simply put, there’s a freaking lot.

There’s way too much.

I thought that simply comparing the existing Rank 8 Dungeon and the clear reward would be at most 4 times as much, but the reality was different.

That huge crystal-like thing is minerals….

“Huh? There, the Probes are still mining minerals?”

No sooner had she finished speaking than Mihye rushed over.

And then she began to ruthlessly trample on the small Probes with her feet.

Along with a strange muttering. Press, press.

In the end, the seniors and ordinary women took over dozens of Probes.

That’s the result of stopping Mihye from stomping on the Probes and realizing the fact that it’s pocket money only later.

First, the Nexus destruction, or rather, ‘Spell Shockwave’.

“Do we just destroy it?”

“Yes. But the closer you are to the Nexus, the better the mana absorption will be.”

“Okay. Everyone, get ready. Let’s start. Summon 20 Zealots!”

[Ding! Summoning 20 Zealots.]

The upgraded Zealots appeared with a pure white light. I’m gradually starting to get used to it now.

“Destroy the Nexus.”

As soon as the 20 Zealots stuck to the Nexus and began to swing their long gauntlets around,

‘Kwaaang, shwoo… ooot!’

A huge blue light swept through the surroundings.

[Ding! Level 1 increase due to accumulated usability. Personal stat 10 is granted.]

[Ding! Level 1 increase due to accumulated usability. Personal stat 10 is granted.]

[Ding! Hidden job, Warrior trait, is activated due to overlapping level increases. Personal stat 10 is granted.]

Huh? Ah, what did it say…?

The feast of huge blue light sweeping through the surroundings.

The comfortable, sweet, and fragrant floral scent was blown away by a strange notification.

And before the notification could even finish, Ji-hye’s loud shout woke me from my thoughts.

“O, Oppa! I, I leveled up! I, I went up two levels!”

“M, me too!”

“Party Leader!”

“Oh my god!”

Choi Eun-ji is in charge of spouting the same exclamation since a while ago.

Leaving the kids who were marveling at their level ups, I checked my condition first.

“Status Window!”

[Artifact User/Warrior: Han Ji-won (Lv-6)

Nationality/Affiliation: Republic of Korea/Ji-won Party

Age: 40, Height/Weight: 178cm/78kg,

Agility: 7, Endurance: 4, Strength: 5,

Stamina: 7, Intelligence: 3, Luck: 14,

Enchantment: 8, Inventory: 8/10

(Awakened Boots, Gloves, Cloak,

Zealot (Speed Up +100%) (0), Drachon (0),

Dark Assassin (1),

Minerals (0.501kg), Idea Awl [A tool for efficient resource gathering] (2)),

Buildings: 11

(Forge, Battery, Gateway, Drachon Core,

Gas Extractor, Speed Core, Land Core, Stargate,

Black Core, Light Core, Land Spore Core),

Crystals: 0/60, Personal Stats: 30,

Summoned Unit Stats: 351 (Probe),

Zealot’s Top Armor 1,

Held Artifacts: Mineral Shard (Absorption) 56,

Gas Shard (Absorption): 0, Idea Pouch (Absorption) 1,

Idea Awl (Absorption) 2]

Inventory limit and all stats increased by 1 each. Rank up to level 2 and a new job, ‘Warrior,’ which can be mixed with Artifactor, has been added. Stats are 351.

Even with a level up to stage 2, I’m still rank 7. Damn it.

“Wow~ I leveled up two stages at once! Oppa [Term of endearment for older brother or male friend] is the best!”

“Thank you so much, Party Leader.”

“Good work, Party Leader.”

“Amazing, Oppa.”

My party members seemed to have grasped their own stats roughly like I did, and they approached me, each saying a word with excited voices.

Personal stats can be distributed later after leaving the dungeon. Now it’s time to absorb the dungeon clear reward and gas shards.

The seniors and ordinary women seem to know that we cleared the dungeon, and they look around the dungeon headquarters with excited expressions, trying to change the atmosphere.

It’s as if they’ve forgotten the memories of screaming and begging for help just a few hours ago.

After instructing the angry, tense, and excited party members to collect the dungeon clear reward and minerals, I headed to the back of the destroyed Nexus.

Surging steam.

It’s to absorb the gas shards.

Since I leveled up two stages, the absorbable stats must have increased significantly, right?

I summoned a Probe and looked at it with an inwardly pleased expression.

The fist-sized Probe shakes its large head and circles around me.

Sorry for using you as bait until just now, but now you have to work, okay?

Just working like a cow… sorry.

“Create Gas Extractor!”

[Ding! Gas Extractor has been created. Total amount: 202.548L]

202 liters?

Then roughly… 670 shards?!

“Da, daebak [Korean slang for ‘jackpot’ or ‘amazing’]!”

No matter how much the gas shard absorption stat has increased, 670 shards is too much, isn’t it?

How much can I absorb?

Based on the stat increases so far, it’s roughly 260 shards.

I summoned 100 additional Probes and started absorbing the gas shards.

[Ding! Gas shard absorption stat has reached its limit. Cannot absorb any more.]

As expected, the maximum stat is 260 gas shards.

At the same time as the notification that I couldn’t absorb any more, I was caught in a strange feeling.

Leaving the remaining gas and exiting the dungeon is out of the question.

Forget Zealots, should I fill the inventory with units that consume a lot of gas?

How much gas does the Dark Assassin consume?

I picked up a Probe crawling on the floor and brought my hand to its antenna.

“Create Crystal! Create Gateway! Create Drachon Core! Create Zealot Speed Core! Create Black Core!”

Gas consumption up to this point: 190 shards.

Then with the remaining 480 shards…

6 hours and 40 minutes have passed since entering the dungeon.

“Huff, huff, let’s, let’s take a break.”

“Whew~. Okay.”

“I feel like we’ve only mined a third of it, what should we do? Ask Oppa to lend us the Idea Awl…”

“You’re still not done mining?”

I passed by the destroyed Nexus and said a word.

For some reason, the surrounding situation and their voices are clearly audible.

Is it the effect of leveling up?

“Oppa! Lend us the Idea Awl. There are too many minerals, it’s hard to mine.”

“Here. Take it.”

I summoned two Idea Awls, handed them to Ji-hye, and approached the seniors who were exchanging meaningless jokes with the two ordinary women.

“Isn’t it all cleared? When are we leaving?”

“Dude! We’re leaving when we mine all of that. Ji-won, by the way. Do you have any water? I’m dying of thirst.”

“Do you not carry any emergency rations or anything? You’ll get hungry if the dungeon clear is delayed, right?”

“You can ask Mi-hye for water, and we’ll shower and eat after we leave? We’ve always done that. And we had a company dinner before we came in here, you know?”

These people, weren’t they chewing, tasting, and enjoying themselves until they were eaten by the dungeon?

They were moving to a hostess bar for the second round.

“Ah~ I’m hungry. Let’s go eat meat when we leave. What kind of dungeon is this that’s so big? It’s easy to get lost. Oh! Ms. Moon-hee and Ms. Eun-kyung, would you like to join us?”

“Sure. We’ve gone through life-threatening situations together, so we should stick together. I think that’s probably the case.”

Oh?

You’ve already introduced yourselves?

I haven’t even had a proper conversation with the two ordinary women because of the dungeon clear until now.

Anyway, there’s still time left until they mine all the minerals.

I received four 500ml bottles of water from Mi-hye, sat down, and started asking them questions.

I think I can hear someone badmouthing me over there.

7 hours and 30 minutes have passed since entering the dungeon.

Finally, we’ve mined all the minerals from the random rank 6 mech dungeon clear reward.

Well, I was just joking around with the seniors and the two ordinary women… ahem.

“Oppa! You make us do all the hard work, and now you’re picking up ordinary women here.”

“Hard work? I think I’ve done almost all of it so far? Dungeon clear.”

“Hmph!”

“Mi-hye, Ji-hye needs a tissue. Give her one.”

“Hehe, Oppa. Let’s go now. We’ve mined all the minerals.”

“Okay, we should go. I’m hungry, and I’ve sweated a lot, so I want to shower. I’m also sleepy… But, how much did we get? It looked like a lot at first glance… 300? 400?”

Everyone just smiled at my question about the total amount of minerals from the dungeon clear and didn’t tell me.

“What is it? Is it all show and no substance? Not even 300kg? Really? It’s rank 6?”

Mi-hye approached me slightly and whispered to me.

‘Huh? What, what did you say? How much was it earlier? Re, really? Don’t lie!’

I looked at Mi-hye in surprise, and when I looked at Ji-hye, Kim Eun-hee, and Choi Eun-ji, they all nodded once.

Are they not saying it because the seniors and ordinary women are here?

But, this is rank 6, right?

Is this how much reward you get when you clear a rank 6 dungeon?

Then what about rank 5 or rank 4?!

I calmed my pounding heart and started walking towards the dungeon entrance.

It’s about 10km to the entrance.

This is also quite difficult.

However, Mi-hye came up with a solution before we even started.

“Oppa, shouldn’t we… take a shuttle to the dungeon entrance?”

As expected, Mi-hye is the best at hitting the back of my head [Korean idiom for ‘realizing something obvious thanks to someone else’].

8 hours have passed since entering the dungeon.

We divided into two shuttles and slowly moved to the dungeon entrance.

“If it’s 8 hours in the dungeon, it’s 4 hours outside, so it must be past 12 when we leave?”

“I don’t even know when we left the sashimi restaurant. Shit!”

“Hehe, I know. This is the first time I’ve done such a stupid thing in my life.”

“Hey, you guys! When we leave the dungeon, you all have to give a big bow to our Oppa. Treat him as a benefactor for life!”

Ji-hye said a word to the seniors who were joking around in the shuttle across from us.

“Yes, of course. I will serve the most beautiful Han Ji-hye Awakener and the others for the rest of my life.”

“Me too! I swear.”

“I refuse.”

“Hehe.”

“Haha, hahaha.”

Everyone laughed at Kim Eun-hee’s words.

After all sorts of personal stories and jokes, the dungeon entrance finally appears in front of us.

I got off the shuttle, looked around, dusted off my dirty clothes, and entered the dungeon entrance.

Before the dizziness and lightheadedness could subside, I heard a huge cheer from around me.

“Wowww~.”

“It’s cleared!”

“Five Awakeners clearing a rank 6 dungeon, this is a miracle!”

“Ji-won Party! Ji-won Party did it!”

What is it?

What’s going on?

There weren’t this many people here before I entered the dungeon for the first time?

Everyone was disoriented by the massive cheers and shouts, and the Jeju branch manager of the Korea Awakener Association and the team leaders, along with the police, approached us, pushing through the crowd.

Behind them, a broadcasting camera was following, and several people were constantly pressing the shutter of their cameras.

“As expected, it’s Ji-won Party’s party leader! Good work. You’ve worked very hard. Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Yes, Branch Manager. But what brings you here at this hour…”

“What do you mean? This is the first rank 6 dungeon to appear in Jeju. Of course, I have to come. Moreover, the Ji-won Party cleared it with 5 people. Amazing, amazing. Let’s move. I’ve prepared everything.”

At the branch manager’s instructions, the police began to escort us, and the team leaders began to control the dungeon entrance and the surrounding area.

“Wow, it’s a mess. It’s a mess.”

“Is this okay? If you control the traffic like this…”

“It’ll be on the morning news tomorrow. Shit!”

As we walked out of the city hall alleyway, ambulances and dozens of police cars and fire trucks were waiting for us on the roadside, and even more people were watching.

We hurriedly boarded the ambulance and were transported to Jeju National University Hospital with loud noises.

But why are we going to the hospital?

I’m tired and exhausted, but there’s no need to go to the hospital.

Are they going to give me an IV drip?

A little later.

A space prepared in a corner of the emergency room at Jeju National University Hospital.

“Dad~.”

“Okay~ my baby!”

“Honey. Sob, sob.”

My wife and son must have been waiting for me.

Not only me, but also the party members, seniors, and the parents and relatives of the two ordinary women.

Dozens of people hugged each other and burst into tears.

Breaking news was broadcast on Jeju regional television, and later it was broadcast on national news.

The Jeju branch of the Awakener Association identified the personal information of the people who were eaten by the dungeon and took all possible measures.

A rank 6 mech dungeon that suddenly appeared in a busy area at the time when there were the most people.

It gave us a lot and made us realize something else.

Whether this is luck or misfortune will be judged later.

Let’s take a shower first.

My whole body reeks of sweat.

Does the hospital have sauna facilities?

A little later.

When everyone had showered, changed, and gathered back in the emergency room, Han Deuk and Gil-soo, the team leaders and deputy team leaders of the Ji-won Party, and most of the others were gathered, I don’t know where they came from.

Oh, right. We were the Jeju regional defense party!

It’s an emergency call. Hehe.

“Hyung-nim [Honorific term for older brother or respected male figure]! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Thank you for your hard work, Hyung-nim.”

“Party Leader. You’re amazing~.”

“Forget it, give me some blessings or healing. I’m tired to death.”

“Yes. The grace of the Goddess Idea! Heal them. Personal Heal!”

“The trust of the Goddess Idea! Look up and shine brightly. Personal Blessing!”