Free Web NovelOut in the hallway, Song Hwayoung spoke right away with a smile.
“Mm, Jehyun. I received your written explanation.”
“Ah.”
Three weeks ago, after I recklessly cleared that quest-type dungeon and came out, I learned something: for guild-affiliated hunters, management is delegated to the guild. In other words, except for emergencies, you have to file a prior report to the guild when entering a dungeon.
But that time I’d happily dragged Do Yehyun along and ran a dungeon with Haeseong’s guild master without any prior notice, and what greeted me was a cold disciplinary report and a warm disciplinary action. Thankfully it didn’t go as far as suspension; I was only banned from dungeon entry for a week—and I wasn’t exactly a hunter who ran dungeons often to begin with, so it didn’t even feel like punishment. Of course, I wrote the statement diligently, with all my heart.
“I’m sorry.”
“You’re guild-affiliated—if you roam around alone, it’s a hassle. You should report in advance.”
“Yeah. I’ll report.”
“If it were urgent or a Dungeon Break, that’d be different. And on top of that, you entered a Special Response Team–assigned Gate with another guild’s guild master.”
“I’m sorry.”
“At least you didn’t get hurt. The Gate rank wasn’t exactly low, either.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
All facts. After scolding me once, she grinned with a playful look.
“Okay. I’ll stop scolding you now. Your disciplinary period’s over, and before that... our Hunter Seo went through something awful.”
Well, I even made the news. With the Infinite Guild’s atrocities splashed everywhere, she, too, knew I’d been caught up in their kidnapping.
“Maybe she used the discipline as an excuse to let me rest a bit?”
It only occurred to me now, but it seemed plausible. Since then, she’d sometimes checked my expression and condition, but I was, of course, suspiciously fine, so there wasn’t much for her to confirm.
One thing did get a bit annoying, though. Folding her arms, she cocked her head and asked me,
“How’s the police investigation?”
Right—the police.
After clearing the quest-type dungeon, I had to appear for questioning. Victim of the kidnapping, witness to testify about the Infinite Guild’s crimes, and a guild-affiliated hunter who was on the scene of the Gate clear. A lot of reasons to be summoned. The good news was that with two appearances my statement was done, and further attendance wasn’t required.
“It’s finished.”
“That’s a relief.”
Although the meal I owed to Ryu Taeyoung, the Special Response Team hunter who’d helped me that day, kept getting postponed indefinitely.
“I should reach out soon.”
We’d said we’d grab lunch together, but I kept getting busy and ignoring his messages. Not like the Special Response Team isn’t busy every day; they probably don’t care. If anything, me contacting him might be the annoying part.
While I was lost in thought, she called me.
“Hunter Seo.”
“Yes?”
“Living in the training room is one thing, but do you feel like your practical handling of skills has improved a bit?”
“More than before.”
For the record, the skill she meant was the ability I’d gotten from the Cave Giant. I couldn’t hide an ice-type skill that had appeared overnight forever, so after the quest-dungeon clear I filed a report. I didn’t say my body had fused with a demonic beast; I just reported it as something like, “a support-type ice skill I had before was maximized.”
Do Yehyun, who’d entered the dungeon with me, had also improved noticeably, so she didn’t doubt me. It’s common enough for a hunter with an appraisal skill to also have a support-type offensive skill.
The unfortunate part was that SH had no ice-attribute hunters.
“If there were one, I’d be getting benefits in all sorts of ways. Shame.”
Then she said lightly,
“Skills are pretty dependent on whether you’ve used them in real combat or not.”
“Right.”
That one I agreed with personally. What never worked no matter how much you tried outside a dungeon often worked automatically when you were about to die. And the place that put you on the verge of death best was a dungeon.
Seeing me agree, she tilted her head slightly and curled her lips.
“So here’s the thing. You’ve got a new skill, your disciplinary period is over...”
“...”
“Want to run a dungeon?”
Ah. So that’s why she called it a work matter.
As if to say don’t misunderstand, she added,
“Of course, I’m not sending you into a high-rank dungeon, so don’t worry. You’re F-rank, and you’ve only just acquired an offensive skill. And you won’t go alone.”
“I’m fine /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ with it. I wanted to test my skill anyway.”
“Mhm, I thought you’d say that.”
“So when are we going in?”
Had she already narrowed down a suitable dungeon? From the sound of it, at most an F-rank or E-rank, or maybe a D-rank on the premise that a high-rank hunter would go with us.
As expected, she said calmly,
“I’m thinking tomorrow.”
Already set—sooner is better. I nodded.
“Good.”
“Ah, before I brief you on the dungeon... I’ve also thought about the other hunters who’ll go with us.”
“Okay.”
SH had hunters across ranks and plenty of them. Whoever she’d picked would of course be a higher-rank than me.
I was sorting a few candidates in my head when she answered right away like there was no need.
“Since it’s a dungeon where you’ll primarily be using your skill, the rest will be one support-type and one high-rank for backup. That should do, right?”
“Sounds good.”
“In that case, Hunter Joo Seowon and I will go.”
One support hunter and one high-rank. A perfect fit. At the same time, it was a lineup with a faintly readable intent.
Joo Seowon had already told her about my contact with Im Haekyung. And the last dungeon I ran was with Haeseong’s guild master, Im Haekyung... even the first time I met Song Hwayoung, I’d just been through a dungeon with him.
“It’d be a bit too coincidental for her to ignore what Joo said.”
Even if there was nothing between me and Im Haekyung.
Of course, she was probably also factoring in that I’d recruited Joo Seowon into SH. Putting me and Joo into a dungeon together now likely meant she wanted to see our dynamic with her own eyes.
“Not a bad idea.”
Honestly, if I were her, I’d do the same.
“Yeah, sounds good.”
“Then let’s say tomorrow. Bring plenty of potions. I’ll tell Hunter Joo separately.”
“Got it.”
With that, she got a call and headed back upstairs.
Right. For a hunter, I really hadn’t been running dungeons much. And not just any hunter—I was guild-affiliated.
“Anyway, Joo Seowon?”
If we tell him we’re running a dungeon, will he go along quietly? I don’t mind taking him in there with me; I’m confident she’ll protect him.
“He’s definitely going to kick up a fuss about not wanting to go.” ƒгeewёbnovel.com
And that thought became certainty that evening.
***
“Ah... I don’t want to go into a dungeon!”
In the middle of the meal, Joo Seowon shot to his feet and started praying. Do Yehyun glanced at me, startled by his sudden jump.
Instead of indulging him, I focused on eating. Mm, tasty.
Sharing a place, I’d been willing to just order out every meal, but their day-to-day competence wasn’t bad, so we actually cooked a fair bit.
Not that any of us were especially good at it, so the variety was limited. Just... the usual bachelor dishes. I thought I made food that was edible, but their reactions weren’t great, so I only pitched in now and then.
“So tomorrow it’s just you and Seowon going together?”
Watching him throw a fit next to me, Do Yehyun lowered his voice and asked. I glanced at Seowon and answered,
“No, with Guild Master Song.”
“Ahh...”
“Why. You want to go too?”
“Yeah...”
Since last time he kept saying he wanted to tag along, it seemed he’d gotten a taste for clearing dungeons. Im Haekyung had babbled about some addictive sensation or whatever—maybe he was right? Back then he’d been so shaken he crawled into bed, but now he wants to go back in.
When I stared at him, he blurted an excuse.
“I—I want to get some live experience using the gear too. And I want to try running a dungeon.”
“Dungeons pop up whenever. Tell the Guild Master.”
“...”
No reason to stop him from getting experience. He can self-heal, so running dungeons is on the table. Should I ask her to take him into dungeons more often?
While I was debating, Seowon slammed both hands on the table. What? Finally lost it?
“Seowon, are you crazy?”
He’d looked out of it for a while and now he’d crossed a line. With a pained expression, he yelled,
“Why didn’t you stop it!”
“Stop what.”
“Me going into a dungeon!”
“If you don’t want to go, you should say so.”
If he flat-out refused, she’d obviously cut him from the run. He glared at me.
“You think that’s easy? Sure, easy for you! What if I die in there? I don’t even use offensive skills! With Tracking, what, I should fucking track monsters?”
“I don’t get why you’re worried when the Guild Master is coming.”
“Hey, are you going to protect me? You know you have to, right?”
A B-rank hunter asking who to protect him? And he’d signed a covenant too, and still making a scene.
“Don’t worry.”
I soothed him blandly.
“...Really?”
“If you die, I’ll definitely attend the funeral.”
“This son of a bitch...”
Obviously, he wasn’t going to die. I snickered, picked up my empty bowl, and stood.
