The Train to The Dungeon

Chapter 17: Gatekeeper Donerhaim

My view became clearer as the train advanced out of the tunnel. Instantly, before me lay a vast ocean. I was surprised to see the train crossing the tracks that floated above the sea.

A fierce sea storm rages out there. I was worried that this carriage was hit by a huge wave, fortunately along the tracks was an invisible sheath that served as a protective barrier.

Huge waves rolled with awesome power. The sound of the crashing waves filled the air, sending a gripping vibration all over my body. The sky above him was filled with gray clouds that clumped with thunderous roars of lightning.

Infinity Train stops at a station that stands above sea level. I got out of the carriage and stood in front of the station exit. I swallowed spit. Never once have I seen or heard the info about dungeons in the middle of the ocean.

“It looks like this field type dungeon, same as cornfield dungeon,” mumbled.

The Hunter Association divided the dungeon into two types. Field and labyrinth type. Field type is a dungeon that is above the surface, has a sky and a wide landscape. While, labyrinth dungeons are usually meandering, being underground, inside castles or in caves with branching passageways.

My eyes sharpened at one point. The silhouette looks like the shape of a cliff about a kilometer from the station. If observed well, behind the cliff there are shoots that towering like a tower of a building.

“Island?”

If there is land, why the station is in the middle of the sea. I concluded, the dungeon gate is still a kilometer ahead and I have to cross this ocean.

“But how do I cross?”

Swimming a kilometer is impossible. Even with a physique that had been strengthened by the system even once I could die of exhaustion and end up drowning. I don't have the ability to walk on water either. I'll try to get out of the Safe Area first.

When my foot crossed the blue line of the barrier, a notification popped out of the system.

[[Player identified Arkana Ganendara]

[Donerheim Region access granted. Please enter!]

“Region? Not Dungeon? What does it mean?” I frowned, confused.

Just then the surface of the water in front of me swirled fiercely. From within the sea appeared a large rock that extended, forming a road that only fit one person. The path stretched all the way to the island I had seen.

“It turns out to cross this wear, all right, I'm from now!”

After taking a deep breath, I began to run across the stone bridge. A strong wind blew the edges of my unbuttoned coat. Shattering the water from the sky hit the face, the lightning bolts against each other accompanied by flashes of light between the black cloud scrolls. Sometimes, there were big waves crashing on the stone bridge, so I had to jump to avoid it.

“This road is already very dangerous if I am not vigilant,” I said. “I hope no monsters appear.”

My hopes are often not fulfilled. I didn't realize something was approaching from the sea. Suddenly the surface of the water next to me turned into a strong current, the passing waves broke and also dragged by the vortex. From the inside, came out a sea serpent-shaped monster with a head like a fusion of fish and dragons.

My eyes scanned. Appears name “Jormungandr” is red and HP bar is two layers long.

“Bar HP there are two?” I'm appalled.

The monster roared, its two red eyes lit up, instantly its head shot towards me. I rushed to avoid his attack.

The bridge stone that I had stepped on was destroyed instantly, Jormungandr went into the sea followed by his entire long body. I landed on the side of the bridge that was still intact and came back running.

The monster looked extremely powerful, far above the Nightshade Raven or Cadever Centipede. Billions of his gigantic size and devastating power, it could be that he was a Class A monster or even more.

With my current abilities, I'm not sure I can defeat him, plus, a battleground like this would make it difficult for me to fight with him. If I can get to the end of this bridge, maybe I can get through it without having to defeat it first.

I thought too much, my alertness decreased. Suddenly Jormungandr emerged from under the sea and struck the bridge in front of me. I could hear his roar that beat the thunderous roar. His eyes turned towards me and he opened his mouth. A light blue light appeared. The cold felt from the light.

I firmly set my legs together, my body thrown high in the air and landing on the slippery scaly body of Jormungandr. I saw the light just now hit my ground and instantly froze into a plate of ice.

Jormungandr roared and wriggled, he knew I was on top of him. However, I continued to creep upwards, aiming for an attack on his head.

My feet ran in balance from Jormungandr's body, which rotated in various directions, at some point I jumped and narrowed the distance to his head.

“Shadow Move!” seruku activated the skill.

Instantly my body was engulfed in a dark aura and shot extremely fast. I arrived in front of his head with two sickle-shaped weapons in hand.

I let go of two pretty powerful strokes on his head, but unexpectedly, my attack had no effect. There was a whirring sound as my knife eyes hit his hard scalp. I looked carefully, it turned out that the outside of his head was protected by a kind of hard shell made of coral. That shell defense must be above the capabilities of my two weapons.

Even A-class weapons can't make any scratches?

Jormungandr glanced at me. My body looks like a small leaf when compared to the size of his head. The sea serpent monster instantly opened its mouth and nearly swallowed me, fortunately I swiftly avoided it.

Losing my footing, my body fell down, but I immediately landed on Jormungandr's body, then jumped back onto the stone bridge that had not been destroyed.

Jormungandr turned around and chased after me who tried to run away from him. His swimming speed was incredible, he dived and was out of sight for a while, but suddenly appeared in front of me and attacked again with his hard muzzle. This time my jump was less high so the fins on his sharp back hit my legs.

“Only scratched my life until it reduced by that much?” I murmured, not believing.

I managed to land, half squat. My passive ability, Pain Absorber absorbs pain. I immediately used Heal to recover some of my HP.

My head turned to the end of the stone bridge, thinking. In about three hundred meters I will reach the island.

“I can't give up now!”

Nekat, I continued my journey. Jormungandr roared, the two little horns on his head glowing. Instantly down the lightning from the sky. Some of the lightning struck the ocean, some chased after me.

The purple lights grabbed quickly, I was forced to increase my running speed so as not to get hit. Both my calves and my leg started to hurt, maybe some veins in my leg broke because I forced myself.

[Warning! Fatigue Level increased by 37%]

I've got a warning from the system. I want to reduce my speed, but a little more, just 100 meters away I will reach the island. I can already see the large dark purple gate in front of the island.

It was then that I was unaware of the attack from Jormungandr. I forgot that the creature had a terrible speed. It can exceed my speed. His head hit the path in front of me. The rocky road was destroyed instantly. Not only that, part of his body wrapped around the rest of the pathway and directly squeezed it until it broke into small debris.

I stood on the remaining rocks with a pale face. My ambition is still great to reach the end of the island. It was thought to jump, but Jormungandr blocked my path.

The monster roared and then went back into the sea. I saw the shadow of his large body swirling around me. He will launch an impromptu attack like that, my feet are already preparing to jump as high as possible.

His head suddenly emerged from the water, he opened his jaw and swallowed the entire place I was standing on. Fortunately, I dodged first by jumping up. However, from the other direction Jormungandr's paddle-shaped tail with red fin hit my body hard.

The attack made me fall into the water. I tried to restore my stability and swim upwards. At that time, Jormungandr went into the water. Both of his burning eyes were on me. He began to move his fins and body, swimming at a terrifying speed.

Panicking makes it hard for me to swim. My breathing groove was messy so that it made my mouth open and accidentally swallowed sea water. I started to look for air. The danger signal from my brain told me to get to the surface immediately, but I couldn't move.

Is this what it's like to drown? It was dark, cold and the monster was heading towards me.

Jormungandr's jaw is wide open. He will swallow me up and destroy me alive. I thought, there must be something I can use to save myself. My head sorted the things stored in the Inventory.

“Returning Clock!”

My finger hurriedly operated the menu system and took out the pocket-watch-shaped item. I grasped it and activated it just before Jormungandr clenched his sharp-toothed mouth at me.

A golden light enveloped my body, in an instant my scenery changed from the dark sea floor to the dungeon station area. I teleported and returned to the initial station above sea level.

My chest hurts. I coughed and spewed out sea water. Wracked by overwhelming fatigue, I fell sitting in the station courtyard. My chest goes up and down and breaths.

“Almost I'm dead,” my murmur. I saw my palms trembling. Apparently, I'm still afraid of death.

Jormungandr is terrible. If there were no Returning Clock I would've crushed it until it wasn't left. The monster not only chases but also destroys the only way to reach the island.

“Is he some kind of dungeon doorman?”

I laughed bitterly. If the guard was this strong, what about the monsters behind the dungeon door. I'll bet they're many times stronger than Jormungandr.

“Ah, shit! I'm not strong enough!”

Upset, indeed. I admit that I am still weak and lacking. Inevitably, I should return first to my world, then level up and look for as many status points as possible.

“Upgrade yes,” I muttered. I could have gotten into Tier 2 and 3 Dungeons and slaughtered many monsters there. But, my existence can steal the attention of other Hunters, I don't want to appear flashy, especially I want to hide the power I have right now.

Until the time comes when I am strong enough, only then will I show myself.

Denis's face flashed through my head. The offer from him might be used. Not joining as a member of the Moon Orchid Guild, but there might be a business relationship I can establish with them. More than that, with Denis' help I think I can clear the dungeon without having to show my skills to other Hunters.

“I will try to negotiate with him,” break me up while getting up. As I walked into the station, there was the sound of strong waves with the roar of Jormungandr.

My head turned back, as soon as the netraku caught the figure of Jormungandr who had just emerged from below the surface. The monster roared, its head sticking out across the station followed by its long body reaching a kilometer. I gaped to see the splendor of his figure that was like a creature in a fairy tale.

Its large body, lined with dark green scales, appears to curve past the dungeon station enclosed by a protective barrier. The monster re-entered the sea, causing a large wave that slammed into the station barrier.

I swallowed spit. Jormungandr's strong and frightening appearance actually makes me more excited to defeat him someday.

The Infinity Train started moving after I sat inside the carriage. I looked at the gripping sea of Donerhaim, saw Jormungandr's dorsal fin appear drowned at sea level, he was like patrolling the region.

Inwardly, I promise to return to this dungeon after becoming stronger.