REAPER SCANS
How to Raise Your Skeletons
[Translator – Dawn]
[Proofreader – BringTheRayn]
Chapter 178: The Judgment and Responsibility Is All Yours
In the South Korean Hunter Association, in the president’s office…
The Association president, Choi Taeseung, wore a grim expression. It was one thing to send five of the country’s rankers into a Russian dungeon that had recently come under heavy suspicion.
“Families of the Missing Hold onto Hope: ‘Having High-Rankers on the Mission Brings Some Comfort.’”
”Rank 78 Skeleton King—What Will His First Expedition Bring?”
“Additional News: Rank 101 Steel Fist Also Joins the Mission!”
“Concerns Arise Over Mafia Presence in Russia.”
Thanks to these reports, the heated public sentiment had somewhat calmed.
“Is this about ranker Bong Jaeyoung?” his secretary asked cautiously.
“That’s right,” Choi Taeseung admitted without hesitation. “To be honest, I’m very concerned.”
Steel Fist was undoubtedly skilled. But rather than blending in, he failed to mix with others, like water and oil. When placed in a group, his presence had a greater negative impact than a positive one. Simply put—he was a symbol of discord.
“There was no way to stop him though. When a ranker insists so strongly, what can the Association do?” He sighed, “Haah… No matter how strong a ranker is, a dungeon remains unpredictable.”
It had only been a little over ten years since the world changed. Yet there were still countless uncharted and unclassified dungeons.
“The idea that humanity has fully grasped dungeons is pure arrogance and a contradiction. That’s why I worry.”
“Are you afraid the two rankers will clash? That it might prevent them from clearing the dungeon—or worse, cause an accident?”
“That’s not an impossible scenario, is it?”
“…No, it’s actually quite likely.” The secretary nodded.
Bong Jaeyoung’s personality had already caused conflicts with multiple rankers.
“A ranker’s power is far beyond what ordinary people can imagine. A simple emotional outburst could wipe out an entire city.”
“Just recently, the Berserker destroyed a whole building.”
“Haah, just thinking about that still gives me chills.”
Managing rankers and handling the aftermath of their actions—that was the Association’s job. President Choi shuddered as he recalled the overtime nightmare that the incident had caused.
“Haah,” the secretary let out a deep breath. “Honestly, I don’t understand why the Association keeps trying to cover for Bong Jaeyoung.”
“…”
“Sure, he’s ranked 101st, but he’s just a walking disaster from an Association employee’s perspective… Wouldn’t it be better if he just changed his nationality—”
“Watch your words,” President Choi cut him off sharply.
“My apologies.”
“I don’t disagree with your sentiment. But we are civil servants.”
The South Korean Hunter Association was established under the Hunter Management Bureau. It was only named an “association” because it was linked with the World Hunter Association.
“Steel Fist is a valuable national asset. And as government employees, we have to manage our national assets responsibly…” With a bitter expression, President Choi gazed out the window.
—Honk! Honk!
There, he saw the city bustling with countless cars in the darkening evening. It was a scene he saw every day, but for some reason, the chaotic streets felt increasingly unsettling.
* * *
—Rustle! Rustle!
“There are survivors here too!”
“Over here as well!”
One after another, survivors poured in as if drawn by some invisible force.
“Damn it! I almost died because of that damned fog!”
“What the hell is going on? How can a dungeon be this massive and complicated?”
“Phew… It’s been so long since I’ve seen other people. Are we actually going to survive this?”
“With this many people gathering, and more still coming… We might really have a chance!”
The empty clearing became noisy in an instant. Among them were hunters of various ranks and porters. Most had been lost in the fog for at least a month. Well, technically, it wasn’t fog. It was the gas expelled by the venomous insect.
“Wait, what’s that? Why are people inside cages…?” Someone recoiled in horror, pointing at the iron cages.
After the Russian woman fled, the figures groaning within the cages were completely still—there was no longer any trace of life force in their bodies.
Dead.
They were already dead.
“This has to be the work of those damn Russian mafia bastards!”
“Agreed! My comrades were also captured! If I didn’t have escape-related skills, I would’ve ended up just like them!”
“Damn it, those poor souls…”
“Monsters! They should be torn to shreds!”
The survivors were enraged—and rightfully so. Whether it was due to the dungeon’s nature or another’s malice, they wasted so much time in vain. Not only that, but they also lost their comrades.
“Lad.”
“Yes, Elder.”
“They’re right. They were killed with remote detonation. Once the venomous insect inside their brains gave up on living, its human host would perish along with it.”
“…What a horrific method,” I frowned. “How can they treat human lives so carelessly?”
My blood boiled, even if I had no personal connection to these people… To feel nothing while witnessing such brutality would make me no better than a psychopath.
Gotham. So this was all their doing, huh?
“I’m sure you’re angry and enraged. But you must hold back.”
“Why?”
“If they’re truly using the same tactics as Dang Huipyeong, then rushing in recklessly will only get you harmed. I learned that the hard way.”
“…You did?” My eyes widened.
The thought of the old man suffering at someone else’s hands was hard to imagine.
“Well, back then, I hadn’t yet perfected my Art of All Techniques. Anyway. Dang Huipyeong wasn’t just a master of the venomous insects, but he was also an expert in formation tactics.”
“Formation tactics…?”
“He used the terrain to create special effects. That fog you see is actually one of his formations.”
“…”
But the real question was… why is that man named Dang Huipyeong here? He was supposed to be dead in the old man’s world.
Unless…
Could it be similar to my connection with the old man?
One name came to mind at that moment—Andrei the Insect King, ranked 69th in the world and a high-ranker of Gotham. It could be that a ghostly version of Dang Huipyeong was lingering near him.
I wouldn’t say it’s completely unlikely.
In fact, it made more sense. With so many hunters in the world, it would be strange to think that I was the only one with a supernatural advisor. But, of course, it was still just a theory.
“So what should we do now?”
“Wait. For exactly one week.”
“…Wait, you say?”
“Hehe. Just watch. There’s a very simple way to break the formation.”
“…?”
“Oh, and one more thing. Good news for you.”
“Good news?”
“Climb to a high vantage point and look around.”
“Yes, Elder.”
—Rustle!
Following the old man’s instructions, I leaped to the top of the tallest tree.
“See it? Your poison mist is trapped inside Dang Huipyeong’s formation.”
“…What’s good about that?”
“You fool! Look closer. It’s now grown larger than you expected.”
…Oh? He’s actually right.
I knew it was expanding, but this was way beyond normal growth. The mist was swelling, covering the world like an enormous donut. And the energy within it was denser and more potent.
“The formation is condensing it. It’s absorbing all of Dang Huipyeong’s venomous insects’ gas, fusing it. Just wait a week since fusion takes time.”
“Oh, so after that, I can reabsorb it?”
“Hah! I knew you’d say that.”
Damn. The poison mist was leveling up? Then could it be that the good news that the old man mentioned was hiding within that mist? Whatever it was, I’d never gone wrong listening to him before, so I might as well trust him this time too.
* * *
Reaper Scans
Translator - Dawn
Proofreader - BringTheRayn
Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/reapercomics
* * *
The survivors were diverse. There were the South Koreans who had been reported missing in the news. I even saw five rankers among them.
No wonder.
They never appeared in the media because they’d been trapped in a place like this.
“So what do we do now?”
“Looking around, there’s no way out! That poison mist is spread out everywhere—just getting close feels like we’d melt away!”
Roughly 100 survivors gathered and began chattering… Until someone pointed at me and shouted, “You!”
“Yes?”
“The other rankers are gathered around you, which means you must be the leader of this rescue team. Say something!”
Say something, huh?
I had no reason not to.
—Step.
So I nodded and stepped forward.
“…”
Just that movement was enough to silence the restless crowd.
Feeling all eyes on me, I said calmly, “You will all remain here for one week. After that, I will clear the poison mist blocking the exit, and when that happens, you will leave the dungeon one by one.”
Technically, that was more than just something, but my message was simple: Wait, then run when the exit appears. That was the most I was willing to offer them. However…
“You can handle that poison mist?”
“How can we trust you?”
With so many people, there were bound to be skeptics.
At that moment, Kwon Soyi stepped forward. “This person is the newly ranked 78th hunter in the world, the Skeleton King! He has more than enough skill!”
“…78th? Skeleton King?”
“A high-ranker?”
“There’s a high-ranker with that name?”
“This is my first time hearing that alias.”
Of course, they wouldn’t recognize me since it had only been a few days since I’d become a ranker. And they’d been trapped here for at least a month.
In particular, some of the S-rank hunters among the survivors began speaking up.
“So we’re supposed to sit here for a week doing nothing?”
“Yeah! After everything we’ve been through? Are you trying to keep all the loot to yourself?”
Hm.
They must have started feeling greedy now that they sensed a chance of survival.
“I’m not leaving like this! I need to rip apart the bastards who killed my comrades!”
Ah. That’s understandable.
If they wanted revenge, I had no reason to stop them.
The survivors were quickly divided into three groups: those who wanted to fight for rewards. those who sought revenge, and those who were exhausted and just wanted to leave.
—Boom!
At that moment, someone stomped the ground forcefully. It was the Steel Fist, Bong Jaeyoung, rank 101.
“Listen up, everyone!” he shouted. “I am the Steel Fist, ranked 101st in the world!”
Some of the survivors recognized his name, some of them even rankers.
“Oh, Steel Fist? I know him.”
“He’s famous. One of South Korea’s strongest rankers.”
“Yeah, a martial artist with a body tougher than steel.”
His reputation had been built over time. Hearing the reactions from the survivors, a satisfied smile formed on Bong Jaeyoung’s face.
“I do not agree with Skeleton King’s words! Just waiting around and running away? That is not something he should say to us experienced hunters!” Then he turned to me.
“That—” Im Sujin flared up, about to step forward.
—Swish!
But I raised my hand to stop her. There was no need to waste energy on this. The survivors also watched Bong Jaeyoung with curious expressions.
“I acknowledge the Skeleton King’s strength. He is undoubtedly a high-ranker, and from what I saw in battle, his presence is undeniable. However!”
“…”
“He is still an inexperienced rookie and a coward! With so many powerful hunters gathered here, his best idea is to run. Don’t make me laugh! You all suffered enough! You deserve to fight for your share of the rewards, and you are not cowards who run from mere mafia scum! Am I wrong?”
Some survivors responded enthusiastically.
“Hmph! That’s true!”
“Yeah, with this many hunters, we have a real chance! There are rankers here too!”
“I don’t want to leave empty-handed. I need to gain something from this!”
As the crowd’s energy shifted in his favor, Bong Jaeyoung’s confidence soared. “So, anyone willing to storm the center of this dungeon—follow me!” With that, he turned his back. “Cowards who want to run can stay behind!”
“…”
This was done without any prior discussion—a reckless, solo-minded decision.
Gi Soyul closed her eyes and shook her head. “What do we do?”
“Hm.”
Kwon Soyi and Im Sujin also looked at me, unsure.
What do we need to do, you ask?
—Smirk.
I chuckled.
There seems to be a little misunderstanding.
I had zero intention of persuading these people—I had no reason or motivation to. So I decided to add a few more words.
“This is the only thing I have to say to you all. This is a dungeon. And you are hunters inside a dungeon. That means all decisions are yours to make. Naturally, the consequences of those decisions are also yours to bear. I simply suggested my option because I believe waiting is the better option.”
You don’t trust me? Then leave. I won’t stop you.
Honestly…
I wasn’t really in a place to tell them what to do.
“Heh. Of course,” the old man chuckled, entertained after reading my mind. “If you were among them, you wouldn’t run either. You’d charge in, calling it a ‘fortuitous opportunity.’ Even if it is reckless.”
Exactly.
I wouldn’t have followed my suggestion either. So how could I demand that they do what I wouldn’t? That was why I had no right to stop them.
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