BRDM 220

Chapter 220

Strange rumors began spreading rapidly through the desert city.

— Astra has established emergency communication from outside the dungeon.
— Shawing, and even the suppressors that tormented them for so long, have all been annihilated.
— A rescue team will soon arrive in the city.

The words leaked by members of Team Desert Eagle at the makeshift bazaars—mostly for bartering—snowballed out of control.

And eventually—

“Is that true?”
“Is the Sama Association really…!”

People rushed toward the camp where Desert Eagle was staying.

Captain Asheon did not deny it.

“Yes. Didn’t you all see the battle happening outside the city earlier?”

“Then… Astra…!”

“It wasn’t Astra.”

Asheon recalled the words Michael had said with a bright smile and firm voice.

“It was Jet. He is our savior.”

“……!!”

In the end, all rumors boiled down to one thing:

— Blue Thunder has come to save the city.

The splendid revival of the former Blue Thunder was already something the Babel Tower and the 13th Legion had heard faintly about.

They were too far from Northeast Asia to truly grasp it, but they had heard the rumor that the fall of China’s Central Heroes Committee was essentially his doing.

Some gossip-loving enthusiasts on the Middle Eastern front even jokingly gave them a nickname:

— The Natural Enemy of the Sama Association.

But then—

“That joke ended up becoming real.”

Someone shouted.

“They say the natural enemy of the Sama Association is the savior of this city!”

“That’s real? Blue Thunder… so, just one of White Burn’s combat units?”

“It’s true!”

“Even America’s Astra couldn’t pinpoint our exact location… Impressive.”

“But you know…”

Of course, not everyone was optimistic.

“They are Astra’s saviors—not our saviors, are they?”

For mercenaries or ex-UN peacekeepers, it wasn’t an issue.
But those from the Axis of Evil thought differently.

They had only temporarily allied due to a common enemy—Sama Association.
Outside, they were enemies.

Especially those with deep grudges from the Middle Eastern front.

“Do you think they’ll really leave us alone?”
“If they see us weakened, might they think it’s a good chance to wipe us out?”

“We should prepare. Just in case…”

Thus—

The city split into two extreme moods:

Hope of escaping alive…
And suspicion that conflict might break out.

As rumors quieted slightly and each faction busied itself moving behind the scenes—

“…Who did you say came to save the city?”

Inside a dim prayer room.

A robed figure lifted her head slowly.

Under the candlelight, her delicate jawline revealed that she was a woman.

In front of her sat a small carved idol.

A statue of a deity with sharp horns, bearing the face of a bull—or a goat.

[Molech]

An ancient local god worshiped in the Canaan region of the ancient Near East.
His name is derived from a word meaning ‘king.’
His worship was confirmed by accepting children—specifically infants—as sacrifices from believers, granting blessings of fire and bringing destruction upon the world.
—Source: The Book of Leviticus

This woman was Beldana, administrator of the 4th floor of Babel Tower and leader of the “Language of the Gods,” an organization known for collecting divine languages scattered across the world.

At her question, her subordinate bowed deeply.

“He is called Jet.”

“Jet… I’ve heard that name somewhere…”

Beldana narrowed her eyes, trying to remember.

“It’s not his real name—his codename became his nickname. He was once the leader of Korea’s Blue Thunder unit.”

“Blue Thunder?”

Realization flickered in Beldana’s eyes.

“Then he’s from the 66th floor…?”

“Yes. They say he was an academy peer of Lord Ki Yoo-jin.”

“I see. I’ve heard about him. Ki Yoo-jin mentioned being close friends during their Blue Thunder days. He also said he was heartbroken when Jet lost his powers…”

A wide smile crept across Beldana’s lips.

“He said he was delighted the man had regained them—even in the midst of chaos. And to think they would cross paths again like this… Indeed. One could say this too is the blessing of Lord Molech.”

“Yes. Lord Molech is omniscient and omnipotent, and He loves us, His believers. He must have sent His sheep to guide us into a deeper web of destiny.”

“Indeed. Considering even our past savior—the Tower Master—had deep ties to mountain spirits… destiny truly is frightening. Everything is connected. This is undoubtedly Lord Molech’s guidance.”

Her smile deepened.

But—

It did not look welcoming.

“A new savior following our old savior…”

If anything, it resembled hostility.

“We must go meet him. How far has he come?”

Ending her long prayer, Beldana slowly rose to her feet.

* * *

Lee Hyun (Ihyun) passed through the desert city with his teammates.

“It’s… blistering hot.”

Team X’s leader, Kang Yunsu, wrapped his turban tighter around his face.

Perhaps because they had already fought a major battle?

Even for a ranker like him, the sun beating down on this city felt harsh.

Naturally, for hunters less powerful than him, it was even worse.

“There are plenty of shade tarps in the city. We’ll manage.”

“I just want a proper drink of cold water. We’re already out of what we brought. By the way…”

Kang Yunsu trailed off while scanning the city.

A plaza paved with old stone.
Market streets lined with red marble columns.
Tall, densely packed stone buildings.

Everything suggested this had once been a prosperous city.

But it was completely devoid of people.

Even the dungeon’s NPCs—no, the characters—that should normally appear were nowhere to be seen.

As if the entire population had suddenly evaporated.

The atmosphere was eerie—almost chilling.

But that wasn’t what Kang Yunsu was focused on.

“If they’re just going to hide and spy on us, why bother peeking out at all?”

“Because, strictly speaking, we are their enemies. They’re afraid we’ll harm them.”

At Ihyun’s reply, Kang Yunsu snorted.

“They think they’re capable of confronting us? They couldn’t even handle the Sama Association.”

Ihyun returned only a faint, subtle smile.

Gigantic, legitimate forces like White Burn could never understand people like those.

They were closer to criminals living in the shadows.

‘And because of that, those in the shadows will never lower their guard toward those in the light.’

Amidst the tense atmosphere—

“Lieutenant Colonel!!”

“Asheon…! Candle, Sarah, Jayden! You’re all alive—thank goodness!”

They were soon greeted by a familiar group.

Exhausted and ragged, but with fierce, determined eyes.

Michael Shepard and Astra’s operatives embraced them, clapping shoulders.

It was Team Desert Eagle.

A reunion after a month, with comrades believed to be dead.

“Yes. Thanks to you, we managed to survive.”

“You’ve suffered. You can relax now.”

Ihyun gestured for Kim Min-jung to distribute the food rations they had saved.

High-calorie, precious supplies.

He had wondered if the survivors would need them—and judging by their gaunt faces, the situation had been worse than expected.

“Th-This is…”
“We couldn’t bring much, but please use it to fill your stomachs.”
“Chocolate!”
“Oh…! God has heard our prayers.”

Desert Eagle quickly opened up to White Burn.

Asheon asked Michael carefully:

“Lieutenant Colonel, are these…?”

“Ah, right—my mind! I forgot to introduce them. This is Jet, and these are hunters from White Burn.”

“Blue Thunder!”

Asheon grabbed Ihyun’s hand tightly, face shining with excitement.

“The Lieutenant Colonel gave me a brief explanation. White Burn must have been completely overwhelmed after crash-landing in the middle of the desert… Thank you for coming all this way to help.”

The look in Asheon’s eyes was so intense it almost felt burdensome—

Like a fan meeting their favorite idol.

Ihyun reflexively flinched, but quickly smiled and shook his head.

“The Korean-US alliance has always been firm. We simply did what friends should do. Think nothing of it.”

“A-Ah!”

Asheon’s eyes glazed again.

“A fine young man, isn’t he?”

Nod nod!!

Beaming, Michael nudged him, and Asheon nodded like he was hypnotized.

“Oh! We shouldn’t linger here—let’s head to our base camp. You must be exhausted after the battle.”

“Yes. And if you have drinking water, please share some. We have people showing signs of dehydration.”

“Haha! For Jet and his friends? I’ll give anything you need!”

And so, Ihyun’s group successfully entered the desert city.

[You have completed the first achievement requirement!]

There were no particular inconveniences at the base camp.

The city was full of empty houses.

Most still had beds, dishes, and household goods, so they simply picked suitable places as lodging.

Of course, to avoid being too far apart, each team was assigned an area.

And then—

That evening—

“When do you plan to exit the dungeon?”

Ihyun, Kang Yunsu, Michael, and Captain Asheon gathered to discuss future plans.

As expected, no one from the Babel Tower or the 13th Legion had come.

But Asheon didn’t care.

A rescue team had arrived—meaning they would soon leave this hellish dungeon.

However—

“…….”
“…….”
“…….”

“…Is something wrong?”

The three exchanged looks silently.

Asheon’s pupils trembled.

“Yes. There’s… a minor problem.”

“What… problem?”

“That is—”

“The gate leading outside has been destroyed.”

Michael tried to speak, but Ihyun cut in firmly.

“Jet!”

“It’s better to state it plainly. He’s going to find out anyway.”

Asheon’s eyes widened.

“T-Then unless we clear the mission, there is no way out of this dungeon!”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“This is…!”

He almost screamed.

Even without the Sama Association, this dungeon was hell.

A shrine containing myth—
A cold case dungeon unsolved for decades.

But—

“That is precisely why we came. To completely clear the dungeon.”

“……!?”

“And for that, we need the help of Desert Eagle—veterans of this place.”

Asheon could not refuse.

The moment he met Ihyun’s eyes—

Gulp.

He unconsciously swallowed.

Those eyes—

Gold and blue seeming to shimmer together—

He felt entranced again.

“What… do you need us to do?”

“First, gather all leaders of the surviving groups in this city.”

A wide smile curled on one side of Ihyun’s lips.