CHAPTER 40: RESEARCH DEPARTMENTS COMMANDER

As he focused on the transparent walls, he noticed runes carved onto the surfaces with white ink that blended with the invisible barriers, making them almost impossible to see.

He could feel his Luck tugging faintly, trying to tell him something, but the intuition was weak—barely a whisper. Either his Luck stat was too low to truly guide him, or this was something deeper, something beyond the understanding of common knowledge.

"Ping."

Ash fired a bullet. It bounced harmlessly off the wall and fell to the ground. Not even a white mark remained where it had struck.

He shook his head in disappointment. There was nothing he could do.

Yet, one thought sparked inside him—curiosity. The runic carvings. He had seen similar marks in the prison cells. That confirmed it: some humans were proficient in runes.

He only hoped that learning the runic language wasn’t restricted by profession. If only certain classes could study them, he would be at a disadvantage.

"Be positive," Ash muttered, turning back toward Jessie. She was still lost in her system screen. After crossing the level ten mark, her entire status must have shifted.

It hadn’t been more than an hour since they entered the dungeon—but that hour felt like an eternity.

"Jessie," Ash called, making her glance up. "The cold is itching. Let’s go."

They walked together through the ruins toward the dungeon gate. Nodding at each other, they stepped into the portal.

And what awaited them outside made Ash freeze in place.

---

Ash ignored the flood of notifications that appeared the moment he emerged. Those could wait—because the world outside had changed.

The once-silent street was now a fortress. Barricades lined with hazard tape cordoned off the area around the dungeon gate. Knights, mages, and tankers stood at the ready—government enforcers, guild officers, and soldiers in heavy exo-armor, all gathered here for one purpose.

The atmosphere was tense, their formation unbroken.

"Commander," Ash muttered under his breath.

Jessie followed his gaze. A squad of armored rankers stood lined up near the barricades, each clad in uniform gear bearing the crest of the Central Government. Their leader—a stern man with a scar cutting down his cheek—was barking orders while scanning a glowing crystal tablet.

"Squad Alpha, standby formation! Squad Beta, move only when I give the signal. We don’t know if this dungeon’s core destabilized, so expect anomalies."

The squad responded in perfect unison. The heavy clatter of armor locking into place echoed like thunder. The air itself seemed colder under the crushing tension.

Jessie instinctively brushed her hand against Ash’s arm. "We... came out at the wrong time."

Ash’s eyes narrowed. His intuition screamed a warning. This wasn’t routine clean-up. They were expecting something big—something dangerous to emerge.

And then he noticed something else.

Not far from the government squad stood a second group. They weren’t in uniform. Rogue rankers, perhaps mercenaries—each clad in mismatched armor, their weapons faintly glowing with enchantments. Their expressions carried the bravery, ready to die.

The scarred commander and everyone noticed Ash and Jessie. Their jaw fell, eyes bulging in shock, as though they had seen a ghost.

Scarred man was the first to recover. Turning to the officer at his side, he asked coldly, "Liam. Are they the subordinates you spoke of?"

The officer’s expression darkened with distaste. He shot Jessie and Ash a glare before reluctantly nodding.

"He’s Ash. She’s Jessie Kael."

The commander studied them strangely. His gaze lingered longer than it should have, but he said nothing.

Ash glanced down at himself. Bruises, torn clothes, but no blood. His pants were bulging from D-rank cores.

The commander finally spoke, voice sharp and domineering. "Ash. Jessie. I’m surprised you survived. I have questions for you."

Behind them, the dungeon gate flickered, its aura dimming. The dungeon was cleared. It would need days before it reset.

Ash and Jessie exchanged a glance. They were both unsettled. Was clearing this dungeon truly such a big deal that an entire army had been deployed?

They were escorted into a vehicle—Ash’s first time seeing a van in this world. But this was no ordinary van. It was heavily armored, more like a mobile fortress. Runes were carved all over its frame, glowing faintly.

Inside, the commander joined them.

It was Spacious enough to live in.

"You two cleared the dungeon?" His tone was skeptical. "Liam told me you’re both just E-rank."

"I’m D-rank," Jessie corrected quickly, trying to defuse the tension.

"Whatever. Even a D-rank couldn’t clear this dungeon." His words carried no doubt, only certainty.

Ash studied the man quietly. Beneath his sharp tone, there was no hostility—only suspicion, curiosity, and tension.

"Alright, let me be clear," the commander continued, leaning back in his seat. "I’m from the Capital’s Research Department. This dungeon was an anomaly. At first, it was rated D-rank. Then it spiked to C. Later, it dropped to E. And now, stabilized again at D-rank."

Ash’s mind clicked. He traced the events: the golem fight—that explained the initial D-rank reading. Then, when the beasts emerged from crystals, their combined strength must have registered as C-rank. After clearing them, it had dropped to E. And finally, the Basilisk boss had forced it back to D.

A theory. But it made sense.

The commander’s eyes shifted to their bulging clothes, clearly stuffed with cores. They hadn’t come prepared to carry loot, so their pockets and sleeves were packed to the brim.

"Show me the cores," the commander ordered.

Ash pulled one out—a crystalline core glowing faintly—and handed it over.

"These are D-rank! ... Were there any C-rank cores?"

"No. All of them were D-rank," Ash replied flatly.

Buzz... Buzz...

The commander’s device vibrated. He answered quickly.

"Is it anything serious?" A soothing female voice came through the line.

The commander’s expression softened slightly. Then, without answering, he looked directly at Ash and Jessie. With a sharp gesture of his head, he ordered them out of the vehicle.

They obeyed. Stepping outside, Ash glanced back once, curiosity lingering on the rune-covered van.

From inside, the commander’s muffled voice drifted out. "It’s an anomaly, but not serious. I think it’s because we’re approaching Ascension time."

Ash’s ears perked up. Jessie’s eyes sharpened. Both of them caught the words but said nothing.

The doors slammed shut.