REAPER SCANS
How to Raise Your Skeletons
[Translator – Dawn]
[Proofreader – BringTheRayn]
Chapter 175: The Russian Expedition (1)
Bong Jaeyoung.
Gi Soyul frowned slightly.
Him again?
Bong Jaeyoung, the Steel Fist. She had met him several times at Association gatherings and formal events. However, he was a man who was overconfident in his strength, treating other rankers with blatant disrespect. He also couldn’t hide his sleazy gaze whenever he was around women.
"That guy, Bong Jaeyoung… Shouldn’t someone stop him from harassing the Association’s female staff?"
"Yeah, but who’s going to say anything? He’s just a little ways off from becoming a high-ranker. Even the Association president just lets it slide."
"Haah… His ranking is impressive, sure, but listening to his arrogant bragging is exhausting."
The rumors among rankers were enough; his character and personality were obvious.
I wanted to avoid dealing with him.
From Gi Soyul’s perspective, Bong Jaeyoung was an unwelcome presence. His added firepower wasn't worth the annoyance of being around him. However…
"Understood. Let’s go together."
Since her leader had already agreed, suggesting a separate plan of action would be undermining his authority. And Gi Soyul refused to disregard Joo Donghoon’s leadership just because she felt uncomfortable.
“…" As she finished tying her boots, she discreetly glanced at Joo Donghoon’s face.
Is he really okay with this?
Bong Jaeyoung was clearly being disrespectful. Even though Joo Donghoon was ranked higher, Bong Jaeyoung talked down to him, acting like his presence was mandatory.
Joo Donghoon noticed her gaze and asked, “Soyul?”
Gi Soyul hesitated for a moment, slightly flustered as she responded, “Y-Yes?” She felt embarrassed as if her petty thoughts had been seen through.
“Your expression has been off for a while now. Is something wrong?”
“Ah.”
Donghoon’s face was completely relaxed—he looked entirely unbothered.
Ah… I see.
It wasn’t that Bong Jaeyoung was disregarding Joo Donghoon—it was the other way around. Joo Donghoon simply didn’t care, because Bong Jaeyoung wasn’t even worth noticing. This wasn’t out of disrespect, however, just complete disinterest.
With that realization, Gi Soyul felt her irritation melt away. "There’s no problem," she answered.
For some reason, Joo Donghoon’s broad shoulders looked even larger in her eyes.
His focus is always above.
Because he was aiming for a higher place, he always looked ahead, never looking down.
And just like that, her irritation was replaced with pride.
"I just wanted to say that I’m ready."
"Ah, really? Then let’s head in."
With that, Bong Jaeyoung, Kwon Soyi, and Im Sujin entered first. Joo Donghoon followed after them.
—Ssst!
Gi Soyul quickly followed right behind.
* * *
Reaper Scans
Translator - Dawn
Proofreader - BringTheRayn
Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/reapercomics
* * *
A thick fog covered the dungeon’s entrance. However…
Hm.
I tilted my head.
Something felt off, but it wasn’t the fog at the entrance.
The poison mist… is reacting.
The poison mist coiled inside my chest stirred—a deep, uncomfortable sensation filled my mind along with a foul stench.
At that moment…
"Hm. What’s this?" Bong Jaeyoung frowned. "This doesn’t seem like the dungeon we were looking for…"
"Right? I was thinking the same thing!" Kwon Soyi agreed.
"We should leave. I don’t think this is the right place." Sujin nodded.
Like they were under a spell, they turned to leave.
I sighed internally.
This is a first.
"What do you think, Donghoon? Should we leave with them?" Even Gi Soyul started to walk out.
Was this… hallucinogenic poison? Even I had never seen something like this after analyzing and combining countless poisons.
"Hey!" Bong Jaeyoung shouted at me. "Why are you just standing there? You coming or what?"
"You need to come out! There’s nothing here!" Kwon Soyi and Im Sujin joined in.
"…" A chill ran down my spine.
These were rankers we were dealing with. How could there be a poison that could control them this easily…?
Of course, it had no effect on me.
[Skill: Absolute Poison Immunity]
[Rank: S]
[Effect 1: Resistance to all poisons in existence.]
[Effect 2: Identifies all poisons in existence.]
[Effect 3: Manipulates all poisons in existence.]
No poison in this world could harm me.
"Hold on."
—Step.
I took a step forward.
"Donghoon! Are you seriously going in?"
"Yeah. I need to clear this fog first. Then we can decide."
Fight poison with poison—or should I say, absorb poison with poison?
Hey, poison mist.
Deep within my chest, the poison mist stirred.
—Twitch!
It had already noticed the foreign poison in the air.
I need to tempt it.
The poison mist wasn’t something I could control directly. It was a sentient entity and moved when it wanted to.
It’s a poison you’ve never seen before. Looks delicious, right?
—Twitch!
It reacted, mildly intrigued. However, it was also worried if its home—my body—would still be safe after absorbing such a potent poison. What if it grew too large, and my body could no longer contain it?
Don’t worry. Go wild. Eat as much as you want. Your home will always be here.
I smiled.
—Ssssst!
It responded, and a green mist slowly poured from my chest.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing?!" Bong Jaeyoung kept shouting, but I ignored him.
Now wasn’t the time for that—it was time to focus.
—Shwoooosh!
The poison mist spread rapidly, devouring the dungeon’s mist.
—Vwoooom!
It feasted like a vacuum cleaner, sucking in the surrounding fog. I didn’t know how big this place was, but the poison mist was enjoying the first feast it had had in a long time.
Eat up and come back when you’re full.
—Twitch!
Watching the scene, Gi Soyul suddenly froze.
"Wait. Is that… poison mist?"
"I told you. I absorbed it in the first trial."
"Oh, right. But wait… What was I saying earlier?" As the fog cleared, her eyes returned to its sharpened state. "Did I… try to leave this dungeon?"
"You did."
"…" Silence filled the air.
—Sssst!
As the fog lifted, Bong Jaeyoung’s team shook their heads, breaking free of their trance.
"What the hell? Where… are we?"
"This is definitely the dungeon… But why did I feel like we needed to leave?"
"It was like… it just felt right to walk away…?"
Kwon Soyi looked disturbed and Im Sujin rubbed her arms, shivering.
"Right."
—Snap!
Gi Soyul snapped her fingers as if she remembered something.
"I remember reading something like this in the reports. Octavia was here recently, but she left without doing anything."
"Octavia…? You mean Rank 18?"
World rank 18, Octavia Spencer.
“She was from France, right?”
"Yes. She said something strange before she left." Gi Soyul quietly murmured what Octavia said in her interview, “‘I can tell the country is falling apart. The streets are eerily quiet, and there's nobody but mafia everywhere. But strangely… it doesn’t feel wrong. Almost like it's just the way things are.’"
"Hm."
That meant, this mist was strong enough to manipulate a high-ranker’s mind.
"Ahem," Bong Jaeyoung coughed, stepping forward. "You cleared the fog, huh? Guess your high rank wasn’t just luck. Not bad."
"…"
"You did your part. Now, allow me to take responsibility and do my part. I’ll take the lead, so make sure not to fall behind." He cracked his knuckles and walked forward.
As he did…
"He's kind of reckless, huh?" a quiet voice whispered beside me—it was Kwon Soyi the Druid. "That’s just how he is. Best to ignore him. You get used to him after a few times."
Sujin the Asura nodded in agreement. "Honestly… I think he’s just embarrassed. If you weren’t here, we would’ve walked straight into a trap,” she said—quietly, of course.
"Hey! Hurry up!"
"Coming!"
I chuckled as the two hurried forward. I guess even rankers had to deal with workplace politics.
* * *
—Step, step.
Gi Soyul and I walked slowly through the dungeon. Even though Bong Jaeyoung’s group was leading, we couldn’t afford to let our guard down.
—Woooong!
I maintained the Great Blue Heart Technique as I walked, scanning the area.
"This dungeon is bigger than I expected," Gi Soyul’s voice quietly spread in the silence. "We really shouldn’t let our guard down. I can’t believe I walked straight into a trap like that. If it weren’t for you, Donghoon… I never would’ve realized what happened." Her face had been tense since then.
Eh, makes sense.
She had been manipulated, her memories altered, and worst of all—she never would have known about it, just like the countless other rankers who had come to Russia before us.
Even I was now treating this dungeon very differently. My instincts were telling me that this place wasn’t normal.
"…" I glanced up at the sky as I walked. A thick layer of dark clouds loomed overhead, like an approaching storm.
—Sluuurp!
Distantly, I could still hear the sound of the poison mist devouring the fog, continuing its feast.
So the terrain type of this dungeon is a forest…
I couldn’t see anything in the distance due to the dense trees blocking my visibility. If we’d had to wander inside that fog, we would’ve gotten lost without a doubt.
—Step, step.
We continued moving forward. As time passed, the light began to fade. The sky turned red, and darkness slowly settled over the forest.
—Rustle…
The wind howled through the trees, and the shifting leaves created an eerie atmosphere.
"Hey, hey!" Bong Jaeyoung slowed his pace and turned to us. "It’s getting dark. I’ll slow down a bit, so stay sharp and follow closely." His tone was confident, but I could tell he was uneasy.
Of course he is.
Even from here, I could sense the clear malice at the center of this dungeon—an overwhelming killing intent and a presence seething with hostility.
"Heh," Sujin chuckled. "You were leading so confidently before. Don’t tell me you’re scared now?"
"What." Bong Jaeyoung furrowed his brow, his expression so serious that even Sujin sweated nervously.
"Ahaha, I was just joking… You can’t take a joke?"
"Get your head straight, Im Sujin. This is a real dungeon, not some playground. If you want to joke around, do it in a dungeon that suits your level."
"…Yes, sir. I’m sorry."
"Anyway, Joo Donghoon."
"Yes?"
"It’s getting dark, so we should keep moving for another 30 minutes and then set up camp—"
"Kyaaaahhh!" Just then, a woman’s scream echoed through the forest.
"Wh-What the hell?" Bong Jaeyoung’s head snapped toward the sound.
The rest of the party also turned toward the source of the scream.
"Looks like we should head over there first."
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