Chapter 13 The Mission in Hell’s Difficulty (2)

Chapter 13: The Mission in Hell’s Difficulty (2)

‘The power levels are roughly balanced.’

It was touch-and-go, but with me, the seventeen squad members, Danun, and Yongmasan, it seemed manageable.

‘Now all that’s left is the mission gacha…’

Fundamentally, missions are created by the Military Department under the City Lord’s Command, compiling information and based on the scholars’ judgment.

They are then categorized into seven tiers—Heaven, Earth, Human, Metal, Wood, Fire, and Water—based on difficulty and importance. Heaven and Earth tiers are often classified, requiring top-secret handling, and frequently demand either peak-level masters or unit-scale military force, so they aren’t publicly announced.

However, starting from the Human tier, participants can review the mission briefings and choose their own missions based on their skills and abilities.

The problem is, the intelligence briefings cannot be trusted 100%.

For example, you might go to assassinate a target listed as peak-level in the briefing, only to find they’re an ultra-elite master.

Or, while escorting a VIP, an event-type boss mob like the ‘Demon Lord of the Ancients’ might suddenly appear.

In such cases, you can only die cursing the Military Bureau that provided the intel.

‘In a world with high-speed communication networks, expecting accurate intel from pigeons is a pipe dream.’

Ultimately, luck is the most crucial factor in this gacha system.

As someone known as the epitome of bad luck in my past life, this was incredibly nerve-wracking.

But this time, I felt a glimmer of confidence.

‘Yeah, it’s about time for a big win.’

That was my theory. Since I’d never had luck before, this time was bound to be my break.

Armed with this confidence, I headed to the Military Department.

***

“The missions coming in this time are all no walk in the park.”

I was screwed.

I never imagined the options themselves wouldn’t have a single viable choice.

It hadn’t even crossed my mind.

“Is it really that bad?”

“Indeed. Some were so severe, even the Military Bureau itself questioned whether they should be assigned.”

“Then why…?”

“His Excellency insisted, trusting the martial men of Guryongseong, who are advancing daily.”

A man of his age, yet he treats his juniors’ lives so lightly.

The future of Guryongseong looked bleak indeed.

“But you came from the Outer Hall?”

Just as he sighed, a clerk from the Military Department spoke up.

His gaze was dismissive, as if questioning what kind of mission the Outer Hall could possibly have.

“Yes, I came to take over the personnel affairs by order of Lord Baek of the North Palace, the ‘Ten Thousand Defeats’.”

“Oh! Lord Baek, the Great Hero!”

As expected, using someone else’s reputation worked like a charm.

It was a bit saddening that even with such a renowned, peerless master as their leader, the Outer Hall was treated like nobodies.

The clerk pulled a bundle of papers from the desk drawer.

“The mission details. Take your time reviewing them and let me know.”

“Very well.”

‘First off, exclude assassination missions.’

In his past life, he’d enjoyed playing Assassin’s Creed and Hitman, so he had some skill with assassination. Yet, lurking in the shadows for a surprise attack felt oddly unsettling.

‘The first mission? Strike the Blood Demon Corps? That old fool Muwang must be out of his mind.’

Units with ‘Blood’ in their name are usually elite mobs. And we’d have to fight the entire group.

Volunteering for this would likely leave us with nothing but bones.

‘Frontline support… That’s slightly better, I suppose.’

The mission was to support Jianchang Mountain, the current frontline where localized battles were raging against the Southern Man’s Nantian Palace.

Having visited a few times as a child, I knew the geography well and had quite a few acquaintances there.

If it were just simple combat support, I might have ended up sucking honey in the rear.

‘Details like this are what boost your survival rate.’

Just as I was about to finalize my choice, I heard whispers from somewhere.

“Did you hear? The Lord of Namcheongung is apparently dead serious this time. He’s mobilized a whopping three hundred of his own elite masters for the advance.”

“Then isn’t that practically a full-scale war?”

‘I almost got screwed.’

He dropped the mission details as quickly as if he’d spotted a cockroach.

“Is that what you’ll do?”

“No. My eyes were blurry, so I was catching my breath.”

“A young man shouldn’t be like that already… At least take some wolfberries.”

“I suppose I should.”

Omega-3s are good for eye health. Where would I even find wolfberries?

Lowering his head again to examine the mission brief, he realized he had already reached the end.

‘Rescue a key figure…’

The mission details were simple.

Raid the Shima Clan’s Gansu branch in Nanju and rescue the target.

It seemed a highly dangerous mission, requiring action within the territory of the hostile Shima Clan. Yet, I was certain.

‘This is a piece of cake!’

Gansu was, on the surface, indeed Shima Clan territory.

However, it was also an area where the influence of the Nine Dragons Fortress extended to some degree, meaning tracking would inevitably be relatively lax.

Moreover, the geography was favorable.

Excluding Nanju, which borders the Yellow River, there were no rivers to be found anywhere in Gansu Province.

This meant our feet wouldn’t be tied to the riverbanks, and charging straight ahead on horseback would be the way to go.

Above all else.

‘A dungeon is nothing but a symbol of defeat.’

Isn’t the dungeon called ‘Bunta’ the easiest place to get utterly destroyed in all the martial arts novels in the world?

If we stormed in, the Bunta members would surely flee screaming, ‘Oh my god!’

“We’ll take this.”

“…Understood. I’ll report to headquarters and notify you of the decision. Stand by at your affiliated party.” “

As I handed over the mission assignment, the clerk stamped it loudly and stored it under the desk.

”Then I wish you luck.“

”Thank you.“

An unexpected stroke of luck made me burst out laughing.

***

After the radio transmission ended, the clerk gave a bemused smile.

The junior clerk beside him asked,

”Did something amusing happen?”

“Just thinking about that warrior from the Outer Corps who just left.”

“Well, it was strange. The Outer Corps doesn’t receive mission assignments, yet he suddenly volunteered for an emergency mission.”

“That was just a ploy to quell the critical public opinion circulating within the city about the Outer Corps. The real interesting part is this.”

When the scholar handed over the mission slip with the seal stamped on it, the junior officer’s eyes widened.

“Isn’t this the mission that caused all the controversy?”

“That’s right. It’s the very mission that came up in the military council meeting as needing to be assigned.”

“No way? He chose this one?”

“Yes. After pondering for a while, I watched to see what he’d pick, and he went and chose the very last one. Even though it was deliberately hidden to be hard to find.“

”Wow, have you ever seen someone so thoughtless? How long has Gansu Province been a den of tigers?“

The scholar asked, sounding exasperated.

”But why volunteer for a mission like this? Especially from the Oedang.”

“Either he didn’t know it was a tiger’s den when he chose it, or…”

The scholar took a sip of the tea before him and continued.

“…he wanted to show off his abilities.”

“You mean the Outer Hall?”

“The Outer Hall? Watch your words. It’s where the head of the Ten Thousand Factions resides.”

“I misspoke. My apologies.”

The scholar’s anger subsided at the immediate apology.

“Just be more careful in the future.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“That aside, I wonder what decision Lord Mun Sang will make.”

Even if one chooses a mission, it doesn’t mean one can take it.

To minimize the risk of failure, Mun Sang, the strategist of Guryongseong, will deliberate once more before deciding whether to approve it.

“Do you think it won’t pass?”

“Even with such a high probability of failure?”

“If it isn’t approved, the morale of the Outer Division will plummet. And if I were you, I’d trust the North Palace Chief. It’s not just any Outer Division.”

“…Then what is it?”

“It’s the Outer Division led by the Ten Thousand Defeats of the World.”

***

“Hmm.”

Before the Seventeen Pieces, I cleared my throat.

“What are you doing, not coming in?”

“Yanggang, is it? Well, nothing out of the ordinary today?”

“What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden?”

This bastard, really.

With superhuman patience, I barely suppressed my murderous intent, so Yanggang lifted what he held in his hand to show me.

“I was just about to call you. Perfect timing. I bought some pork from the Misang Inn. I also brought a jar of baijiu. Let’s have a drink together.”

“Well… shall we?”

So we went inside and shared the alcohol and pork with the team members.

As the mood lifted somewhat, everyone became more talkative.

The alcohol was clouding their judgment.

‘Now is the time.’

That was it. I had decided to tell the team members about the mission today.

Since it required risking their lives, I wanted to give them a choice.

“Ahem! Ahem! Ahem! Ahem!”

Murmur, murmur.

I deliberately cleared my throat to gather their attention, but the team members were too busy chatting loudly and guzzling their drinks.

“Listen up, you lot!”

Only then did they glance my way when I yelled.

Then Yoo So-pyeong spoke in a calm voice.

“If it’s about the mission, we all know about it.”

“How did you…?”

“When the team leader was at the headquarters, the Deputy Chief came by. He told us everything.”

“So?”

Yang Gang, looking exasperated, answered instead.

“What’s so frustrating about it? What’s the big deal? We all said we’d follow the squad leader and participate.”

“Why?”

“Eating from the same pot doesn’t mean only good things will happen for life, does it? Dangerous situations will arise too. And we’re warriors living on the edge of a blade. When we threw ourselves into Guryongseong, we were prepared for this much.” “

Everyone nodded in agreement at Yang Gang’s words.

‘These guys…’

I’d heard that having just three people willing to die with you counted as a successful martial life.

But four of them were willing to follow me.

Their resolve stirred a surge of intense emotion within me.

”But half the success reward is ours!”

That was before I heard Yang Gang’s words.

***

The departure time was set for three days later.

We spent the time filling our saddlebags with provisions and equipment for the journey, summoning Yongmasan to coordinate with the team members.

Then, on the morning of the day.

“…You’re here.”

With the arrival of our ace, Danun, we finally left Guryongseong.

That day, the journey that began at dawn continued relentlessly.

After crossing mountains and rivers for half a month, we finally reached Gongyong Mountain.

Though it now lies in ruins, obliterated, one wouldn’t exactly call its mountain scenery sacred, befitting a Taoist holy site.

Peaks piercing the clouds’ anus and the seemingly endless expanse of the mountain range left me despairing.

I’d heard about it, but seeing it firsthand? It was utterly daunting.

And then.

“From here on, we’re entering the true domain of the Ten Demons. We must move as inconspicuously as possible.”

We couldn’t even use the faint trails, forcing us to leave our horses behind.

Disguised as a group of hunters, we barely crossed the Gongyong Mountains, ending up looking like beggars.

“There’s a village nearby called Hoyang Village. How about we go there first to restock our supplies?”

This was the suggestion of Yu Xiaoping, who hailed from Gansu Province.

For reference, in this era without street view, finding your way is difficult even with a map if you lack local knowledge.

Following Yu Xiaoping’s guidance, our party entered Hoyang Village.

And then.

“…Is no one here?”

Only desolation greeted us.

“This isn’t going to work…”

This meant food would be a problem.

We still had twenty days to go to Nanjou, and the time was too tight to rely solely on hunting.

“Should we search around first?”

I nodded at Ha Jin-hyeong’s suggestion.

The team members then split up to search the area that had been the village.

“…Why did you even come along?”

Yongmasan grumbled, but I pretended not to hear and looked at Danun.

“Hardship is the foundation for growth.”

He really was a madman.

“Stop standing around. Let’s find somewhere to rest until the others return.”

Moments later, as Yongmasan and Danun led the way and I opened the gate of a house that seemed somewhat intact, a gruesome sight met us.

Shattered white bones were scattered everywhere.

Moreover, in the middle of the courtyard, words carved as if with a sword were written.

‘Punishment for Betraying the Alliance. Dark Sect.’

Punish those who betray the alliance. Dark Sect.

‘We’re screwed.’