blogombal Chapter 122 : Chapter 122
Chapter 122 : Chapter 122
Chapter 122 : Preparation
"Well, who do we have here? Captain Chatfield, been a while, hasn't it?"
A middle-aged man wearing a flat cap pulled low and round glasses approached from the dungeon entrance to greet them.
He was dressed in a mix of mismatched clothes and wore a bright smile. As he got closer, he extended a hand to Chatfield.
Chatfield took his hand and pulled him into a half-embrace.
"Cooper, you funny bastard. What kind of bad luck got you posted in a corner like this?"
He laughed heartily, pulled away from Cooper, and looked at him with confused eyes.
"I was planning to sweet-talk whoever was here to get a few passes for the day... Looks like I'll have to look elsewhere."
Cooper snorted and pulled a few black cards from his chest pocket.
"Are you going in without registering? I assume this won't leave a record?"
Chatfield grinned, glanced at Sal, and pondered for a moment.
"Register this kid. It won't be a problem anyway, and he'll build up a bit of reputation score. But don't leave a record for us. It'll be a headache if people start asking why we went into a dungeon on a weekend."
The black cards in Cooper's hand disappeared with a sleight of hand, replaced by a single white card.
"Salvatore Argento? What's your relationship with Pietro?"
Cooper's question shot out like lightning, and Sal was surprised that he hadn't noticed his Analysis ability activating at all.
Crushed by the pressure of being close to a dungeon and the threat of monsters that could strike at any moment, Sal froze blankly, unable to utter a single word in reply.
Cooper noticed immediately, and his smile faded slightly.
"Ah, I get it now. Not much chance to face monsters at the auction house, right?"
Normally, his smile would have been infectious, but Sal was numb to everything around him.
"Alright, I'll register you. Wait a sec. I'll process it quickly."
Cooper returned to the temporary stand set up next to the entrance and tapped on the console.
He inserted the white card into a rectangular slot that fit perfectly.
As he said, the registration process was brief, and soon the card popped out of the machine.
Cooper snatched it from the air before it hit the ground.
"Okay, let me just state a few basic rules. Captain Chatfield probably already explained, but you're a first-year student. Technically it's not prohibited, but it's a stage that's not recommended. Usually, a Support class should move with at least an Offense class and a Defense class, but I'll make an exception this time. Just because you have a dungeon pass, don't try to enter without a skilled team. We have trainee heroes who would be happy to guide you inside. It helps them build qualifications for the guild officer exam."
Cooper's face turned serious in an instant as he focused all his attention on Sal.
"Don't overdo it in there. It's not a place to take foolish risks. There was a reset last week, so there should only be Vampires inside. They stick to the ceiling and attack when you come within range. If you're unsure or overcome with fear, cover your face with your arms. Your equipment will take care of the rest. Usually, we recommend at least Uncommon rank defensive gear for students, but since you're already armed with Epic rank, you'll be fine. But don't let your guard down and make sure to listen to Captain Chatfield. He's a man who has run more dungeons than the number of meals you've eaten in your life. Understand?"
Sal nodded solemnly, and Cooper raised an eyebrow.
He turned to Chatfield and pointed at Sal with his thumb.
"Is this some kind of punishment or what? This friend looks half out of his mind."
Before Chatfield could answer, Upgrade stepped forward and placed a hand on Sal's shoulder.
"He's never even seen a monster before. He'll be fine once he gets inside and gets used to the atmosphere."
Cooper nodded with an understanding smile.
He held out the card to Sal, who only glanced at it before stuffing it into his pocket.
Chatfield cleared his throat and took a step forward.
"Really appreciate it. Drinks are on me next time we meet outside."
Cooper burst into laughter and pointed to the dungeon entrance.
"Bring back something decent from inside, and we'll call it even. Rookies don't know the first thing about material mining, so their yield is terrible. With two Crafters on your team, I expect some pretty useful results this time."
Chatfield laughed and glanced at Upgrade.
"Today, well... It might be better if I just buy the drinks. I think this will be a quick in-and-out job."
"Suit yourself. Why don't you take a backpack just in case? I won't charge you, of course."
Cooper pointed to a stack of backpacks next to his stand.
"Depending on the yield, you might even snag some extra reputation points. And I'll benefit a bit too."
Cooper laughed and pointed towards the dungeon entrance.
Chatfield's stubbornness finally broke at Cooper's bright smile.
He picked up two backpacks and slung them over his shoulders.
"Can't promise anything, but I'll try to grab a few ores from inside. Will that be okay?"
Cooper chuckled and took a step back toward the stand.
"More than enough. I'll push back the next two reservations, so take your time in there."
With those words, Chatfield and Upgrade took the lead, and Sal followed behind them.
Looking back, Cooper was leaning against the edge of the table, watching them leave.
When their eyes met, the somewhat eccentric-looking man winked and then turned back to his terminal.
The subway entrance was surrounded by a faint blue barrier, not much different from the barrier generated by Hannah's gauntlet.
At the top of the stairs leading into the darkness stood an arched structure built for people to enter and exit safely.
As they approached, the barrier inside the arch shimmered and disappeared, allowing them into the dungeon.
But the moment Sal took a step inside, the barrier CLANKED shut behind him, cutting him off from the world.
Now he was trapped in an isolated small space with the dungeon.
Sal looked around in panic.
His heart was pounding violently.
It was the same sensation he felt when he stepped into the narrow cage with Dominic before.
Taking a few punches was completely different from facing a monster, and Sal didn't want to be involved in such things.
His breathing became rough, and his vision began to blur.
Just then, someone firmly grabbed his hand.
Turning around, he saw Upgrade looking at him with worried eyes.
"Trust me, Sal. You'll be fine."
Upgrade didn't let go of his hand as she descended the stairs.
Sal felt inexplicably small, conscious of how damp his skin was with sweat.
Even if it was a foolish thought, Sal imagined Chatfield would ruthlessly scold him for fearing something that was routine to him.
What kind of hero trembles before a beginner dungeon?
Everyone must be thinking that.
Sal conjured up all sorts of negative outcomes and tried to push them out of his mind.
He desperately hoped to dull the fear in his chest.
But Upgrade didn't allow him to bring the monocle.
That was the only device that could hold his sanity together in this situation.
'What's the point of making equipment if I can only make it and not use it?'
"Alright, we're here. Equip the visor and revolver. But leave the equipment case at the entrance. It'll be safe enough here. If it breaks, we can just get a new one."
Chatfield stretched his body in a fluid motion.
Sal didn't know how to react seeing him seriously preparing for battle.
'Wasn't this supposed to be an easy dungeon? Why is he even stretching?'
Fear began to surge in Sal's chest again.
Upgrade let go of his hand and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"If you want to feel more secure, you can activate your breastplate like in the mounted battle. A dozen Vampires attacking you for an hour wouldn't be able to penetrate it. Track them with the visor, and you'll know soon enough."
Upgrade stepped back from Sal and activated her own breastplate with a smile.
"If something gets too close while you're not ready to respond..."
Upgrade raised her right arm. Her arm had already transformed into a hand cannon.
"I'll take care of it."
When Chatfield, who was walking ahead, burst into laughter, Sal's tension eased significantly.
Chatfield's relaxed laughter made him think he was overly scared.
Strangely, his mind calmed down.
Chatfield snapped his fingers, and his appearance changed into a replica of Upgrade's breastplate.
It was adjusted to Chatfield's body type, but it didn't suit him as well as it did Upgrade.
Still, it was quite an impressive sight.
If Upgrade's equipment looked like the material was alive and worn directly over the skin, Chatfield's breastplate was closer to metal plates connected to bend with his movements.
There was a faint purple hue absent in Upgrade's gear, which Sal guessed was a side effect of his Concept ability.
Chatfield turned to face them, stretched his left arm over his collarbone, and pulled it toward his right shoulder with his right arm.
A look of pain briefly crossed his face, but he soon shook out his arm and repeated the motion on the other side.
"Put on the visor. Let's start now. And don't get excited and fire the gun wildly. Keep the muzzle pointed at the ground at all times, and rest your trigger finger on the side of the gun. We don't want you making a mess by mistake because you got scared."
Sal knelt on one knee and opened the equipment case.
He hated every part of this process, but he steeled himself with the thought that starting quickly meant finishing quickly.
No matter how many times he repeated 'They will protect me, it will be fine', the scene of Sinclair turning into a Prowler and tearing students apart flashed in his mind.
The image of a Voider flanking the cameraman in the dungeon raid a few weeks ago was also deeply embedded in his brain.
The only Vampire Sal had actually seen was in the illusion created by Barry, and even then, the creature had killed him all too easily.
The moment the visor stuck to the side of his face, Sal desperately hoped it had a calming function like the monocle more than anything else.
His hands were trembling, and when he tried to pick up a bullet, it kept slipping through his fingers.
Just an hour ago, he was standing at a workbench making them, but now he had to fire them at actual monsters.
Sal let out a bitter laugh, gripped the bullets firmly with his left hand, and placed the empty equipment case on the floor.
His visor quickly scanned the bullets like a machine looking for something to do out of boredom.
It was quite a clever device that allowed loading all six chambers of the revolver at once.
There was an external Core attached to the bottom of the cartridge, which injected a certain amount of Essence into each bullet, allowing an Essence-infused bullet to be fired with every shot of the revolver.
Since they were precious materials, he wanted to utilize them like batteries rather than simple bullets.
"Ready?"
Hearing Chatfield's question again, Sal, who had been zoning out for a moment, snapped back to reality.
He reluctantly turned to face Chatfield, and was soon speechless as he saw the visor fulfilling its original purpose.
Dots appeared across the subway tunnel front, densely scattered with distance and threat levels calculated and displayed.
In addition, color-coded nodes indicating surrounding resources came into view at a glance.
Sal's jaw dropped in shock every time his gaze landed on each red node in front of him.
Whenever he focused on a specific node, the screen displayed details about the targeted Vampire, its location, and the optimal method to exploit its weakness.
The moment he quickly checked if he was holding the revolver correctly, his right eye widened.
The visor and the revolver had connected.
Upgrade approached his side with a gentle smile.
"Looks like you're ready."