In the Name of God - vanish into fiction

“What?! A new dungeon?!”

The roar of the Reconnaissance Team Leader into his radio shook the tranquil barracks.

The last time a new dungeon had manifested in Disaster District 13 was five years ago. The mere fact that an anomaly, which had not even been detected since then, had suddenly erupted now caused cold sweat to pour down the Leader’s neck.

But there was a far more serious problem.

Two Rank 7 rookies, who had joined the company with recommendations from the 1st Unit, were involved—and one of them had been swallowed directly into the dungeon’s emergence.

Having been leisurely sipping coffee in the temporary barracks just moments ago, the Leader felt his vision go dark at the news, which felt like a bolt from the blue.

‘If something happens to those new recruits, especially while they’re still in basic training, there will be hell to pay!’

An accident involving rookies during a reconnaissance mission in a disaster district was not a simple matter of negligent management. Even if the dungeon’s appearance was sudden and unpredictable, the responsibility was unavoidable.

The failure to protect rookies would lead to doubts about the Black Tail clan’s overall ability to control disaster districts. This could deal a massive blow to the trust and reputation the major clan had maintained, and further impact all future contract negotiations. The blame would fall squarely on him for calling the rookies out and assigning them to patrol on a whim.

‘…Wait. Hold on.’

A sudden question flashed through his mind.

‘Why did I put rookies who haven’t even finished basic adaptation training on the reconnaissance team?’

It was an action he never would have taken under normal circumstances. If they were short-handed, he would have followed protocol by reducing the number of teams or modifying the routes.

Yet today, a strange, persistent thought had circled his mind: he had to give that specific course to Team 8. Even the moment he distributed the patrol routes was hazy. Only a faint feeling remained—a sense that he had been pushed into acting by something else.

The Leader took a sharp breath, unconsciously stepping back. Though he was bewildered by his own actions, the dye was already cast.

‘I have to fix this as quickly as possible!’

He grabbed his radio in a hurry.

“Teams 7 and 8, leave the district and report the current situation to headquarters immediately! Teams 1 through 6, return to the barracks for now and…!”

“What’s going on? Why is it so chaotic here?”

At the sound of a casual, relaxed voice, the few people in the barracks stiffened as one. The Team Leader, who had been radioing each team, also felt his face harden with tension.

Stepping into the barracks were the 1st Unit combatants of Black Tail, Park Junggeon and Estelle Roland. At the sudden appearance of these high-ranking Awakened, everyone in the barracks instantly corrected their posture.

“W-What brings you two here…?”

At the Leader’s question, Park Junggeon pointed to the long rifle slung diagonally across his back.

“I was planning to do some training with my direct junior, but I heard he was called out here with his partner.”

Though Park Junggeon was much younger than the Team Leader, he spoke informally, his eyes filled with a certain arrogance.

“You put a rookie still in basic training into the field? On a disaster district patrol, no less? Are you out of your mind?”

The Team Leader couldn’t say a word. He truly didn’t know why he had brought those rookies along himself.

‘It’s as if I were possessed…’

But the moment he uttered such words, it wouldn’t end with merely having his qualifications questioned. He would be immediately removed from all duties and forced to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. It was better to lie and say there had been a slight error, or that he didn’t realize they were still in basic training.

Of course… that only applied if nothing happened to Reconnaissance Team 8.

Watching the Team Leader’s pale face, Estelle took a step closer.

“It seems a problem has indeed occurred. And the rookies seem to be caught up in it.”

“What? Those kids?”

Park Junggeon’s eyes widened, and his face contorted as he glared at the Team Leader. Right then, the Leader’s radio crackled to life.

-This is Reconnaissance Team 8! I-it seems the other rookie was just swallowed by the dungeon emergence as well! He’s nowhere to be seen!

Hearing that transmission, Park Junggeon and Estelle’s expressions instantly turned stone-cold. The Reconnaissance Team Leader squeezed his eyes shut, repeating ‘I’m dead’ over and over in his mind.

The air in the dungeon’s basement was damp, smelling of metallic blood mixed with dust.

Kreeeeeek—!

Emerging from the depths of the basement was a pitch-black human shape shrouded in dark energy. It was about waist-high, with hideously thin limbs flailing about in a truly grotesque manner.