Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended

CHAPTER 130: Covetous Pursuit - The Lone Journalist

Daisuke blinked his eyes open, lowering the hands that had instinctively shielded his face. For once, he hadn't smashed his head against solid stone. The last thing he recalled was the floor giving way beneath him, the overwhelming sensation of being swallowed by a column of blinding light—and the frustrating realization that he'd missed the chance to secure Gorgothor's corpse before being teleported to God-knows-where.

It didn't take him long to realize where he was—a graveyard. The air was thick with the stench of death and decay. Standing at the center of a sprawling, sixty-meter crater, Daisuke scanned his surroundings, wary and alert. The skeletal remains of countless monster species blanketed the massive indentation like fresh snow on asphalt, though this sight was anything but serene—it was utterly chilling.

Activating the Eye of Verity, Daisuke quickly verified his location. He'd somehow been transported into a Hidden Dungeon; the ominous purple aura seeping from every crevice confirmed as much. But was this twist of fate a blessing or a curse?

"I guess only time will tell," he muttered under his breath as he started to climb over the ivory bones scattered across the desolate landscape. That bastard, he thought, recalling Gorgothor's malicious grin as it shattered the ground beneath him. Was this its ace in the hole, to trap me here... or worse, to let me become fodder for the mobs lurking in this place?

Willing the shiver creeping up his spine to cease, Daisuke carefully checked that Zephyr was still nestled safely in his shirt. The pup was sound asleep, the aftermath of the Berserk still weighing heavily on him. Afterward, he glanced at his HP, MP, and the cooldown time of his skills, before taking a quick swig of mana potion to restore himself. With a steadying breath, he began scaling the steep incline, wishing he had something higher up to anchor his magic chains.

That would certainly make this a heck of a lot easier.

Daisuke exhaled in relief as he emerged from the eerie basin, momentarily lost in thought. The scene reminded him of the catastrophic aftermath often shown on documentaries when dinosaurs were said to have been wiped out by an asteroid—though the scale of destruction here, he imagined, paled in comparison to the extinction-scale event that ended the Mesozoic Era.

Mentally assigning the Dash and Shadow Veil skills to speed dial, Daisuke scanned his surroundings with unease. To his surprise, several other craters marred the landscape, each teeming with the skeletal remains of various monsters.

Familiarizing himself with the area was crucial; he knew there had to be a foe out there eager to either devour or tear him apart. The first to find the other would hold the advantage, and Daisuke was confident as he had a particular set of skills that would grant him the upper hand in this grim game of survival.

The Bird's-Eye View and Eagle Eye skills combined to grant Daisuke an aerial perspective of the dark dungeon, but it wasn't as detailed as he had hoped. A thick mist rolled across the barren terrain, obscuring much of the landscape.

However, he could at least confirm that this chamber was the only one present, and its sheer size more than compensated for the absence of additional floors. The vast expanse stretched out all around him, filled with ominous shadows and potential dangers, creating an atmosphere thick with tension and anticipation.

One notable feature caught Daisuke's attention: a towering tree in the far western region of the dungeon. It loomed like a natural monument, its expansive branches reaching skyward with an ancient majesty. Embedded within its bark were glowing chunks of mana crystals that emitted a soft, ethereal light, casting a gentle luminescence along its limbs and filtering through its dense canopy.

The light shimmered down radiantly, illuminating the tree's vibrant emerald leaves and tracing the contours of its sprawling roots. In the oppressive gloom of the dungeon, shrouded in mist, the tree stood as a beacon—a living lantern amidst the darkness. It was no surprise, then, that a small hut had been erected beneath its expansive branches.