"You again, damn it. Of course, such witness accounts are lies spread by the association."
"Well, for someone consumed by inferiority complexes, those witness accounts would feel fabricated, wouldn't they? People like you would claim La Bijina gave false testimony even if she testified that Seo Chaeyoon has ascended. Hunter Hong Euiyoon, do you also think the moon landing was fake? Or perhaps you believe in the flat earth theory?"
"This bastard. What did you just say!"
"Are your ears blocked? I said you're consumed by an inferiority complex."
"And what's a mere C-rank got to say to me!"
As Hong Euiyoon abruptly raised his arm, Namgung Simhae darted forward like lightning and grabbed his wrist. Hong Euiyoon couldn't shake off the grip. Maybe it was because Namgung Simhae's physique was larger, making his physical strength superior. While the total attack power, including skills, wouldn't compare to Hong Euiyoon's, the difference in raw strength was evident.
"Ha, fine, so both of you are looking to fight me, huh?"
"…There's no benefit in us fighting among ourselves."
"Why wouldn't there be? This is combat experience too. Damn it, bring it on!"
"Hong Euiyoon."
"Come at me, you bastard."
Hong Euiyoon's wrist turned red-hot. Namgung Simhae grimaced and let go. Blisters from a burn immediately formed on his palm. Hong Euiyoon had actually used a skill.
"Hyung!"
Kim Jinhae quickly grabbed Namgung Simhae's hand and used a healing skill. The burn healed rapidly. When Kim Jinhae glared at Hong Euiyoon, his hand turned red once more. Namgung Simhae moved Kim Jinhae behind him.
'This is maddening.'
Instead of stopping the fight, Yoon Seo stepped back. Lee Jungin did the same. Park Kang hesitated, but he seemed too scared to intervene.
"Stop it, all of you. It's almost time to enter. After we clear the dungeon, you can fight all you want. But for now, knock it off."
If the manager hadn't intervened, a real fight might have broken out. Hong Euiyoon, visibly furious, snorted and walked away. Kim Jinhae glanced briefly at Namgung Simhae, then huffed and turned his head. Namgung Simhae silently stood nearby.
Though the group dispersed, for some reason, Kwon Jihan's gaze remained fixed on Yoon Seo.
Why? They were the ones fighting, and I didn't even do anything. Why?
Yoon Seo wanted to ignore it, but pretending not to notice another hunter's gaze would be ridiculous. So he gave Kwon Jihan a small nod. Kwon Jihan responded with a disinterested expression before looking away. Yoo Juncheol whispered to Kwon Jihan.
'It's not Hong Euiyoon, is it? He hates Seo Chaeyoon. If it were him, he wouldn't go that far to insult him.'
Reading those words on Yoo Juncheol's lips, Yoon Seo resolved that if he got another chance, he would utterly obliterate Seo Chaeyoon with his criticism. He was confident no one could do it better.
***
Hwashim arrived right on time. Yoon Seo had thought he might run away, but surprisingly, he showed up. Whatever he was thinking, his face remained expressionless.
Yoon Seo frowned as he saw the good-natured man standing beside Hwashim. The man exchanged a few words with the manager and then walked straight toward Yoon Seo.
"Yoon Seo."
"Park Soobin, what brings you here?"
"I'm also entering the dungeon. It's always better to have two healers, isn't it?"
"Is that so."
So they plan to spy on me. Since Yoon Seo had no intention of using anything other than shield skills in the dungeon, he thought this arrangement was better.
"It's best if no one gets hurt, but if you do, I'll heal you well. Just trust me."
"Sure."
"..."
A cold wind blew from Yoon Seo's reply. His gaze was directed elsewhere. Though Yoon Seo was never particularly friendly, he was even colder now. Park Soobin looked at Yoon Seo with a heavy heart.
The guild leader had confessed to conducting background checks, and anyone with a functioning brain would naturally suspect that the one assigned to those checks was him. It was only natural for Yoon Seo to treat him coldly. Moreover, if Yoon Seo truly was S-rank, it was already a huge courtesy for him to even talk to someone suspicious who had infiltrated under a false rank.
"Alright, let's gather."
The manager called out. Normally, a dungeon raid team would have a leader, but since this team didn't, the manager took on that role.
Everyone had gathered, but they didn't proceed immediately. Standing at the back, Yoon Seo tilted his head in curiosity. The manager stared at him intently. When Yoon Seo met the gaze as if to ask, 'Why are you looking at me like that?', the manager let out a short sigh.
"Hunter Yoon Seo, please use your skill."
"Oh, I'll use it right away."
Only then did Yoon Seo cast a protection skill on the hunters. Since no one knew where or how the dungeon portal would connect, defensive skills were always applied before entering. Having not entered a dungeon in ten years, he had momentarily forgotten.
[The
[Stability 100/100, Durability 100/100]
A shield just at the level of B-rank enveloped the team members' bodies.
"Please cover us as well."
"Excuse me?"
"Please give us a shield too."
"Oh, okay."
The manager pointed at himself and the two staff members assisting him. Though puzzled, Yoon Seo applied the shield to them as well. Just like the other hunters, the shield was at a B-rank level.
'Are these people hunters too? I thought they were civilians.'
[The
[Encyclopedia of People: Yoon Junghee, 27 years old, Female
Rank: F
Trait: Potion Maker
(Protected by the God of Mud)
(Protected by the God of Poisonous Mushrooms)
(Protected by the God of Weeds)
Skills:
*Additional statuses can only be viewed in dungeons.]
[Encyclopedia of People: Choi Minsu, 25 years old, Male
Rank: D
Trait: Miner
(Protected by the God of Carbon)
Skills:
*Additional statuses can only be viewed in dungeons.]
[Encyclopedia of People: Park Sojin, 25 years old, Female
Rank: F
Trait: Butcher
(Protecged by the God of Cows)
Skills:
Special Skill:
*Additional statuses can only be viewed in dungeons.]
'So they really are civilians!'
Yoon Seo was extremely surprised. To him, awakened individuals below D-rank who weren't combat-types were no different from ordinary civilians. Judging by their skills, they seemed to have joined for the purpose of collecting dungeon byproducts.
When an awakened individual enters a dungeon, the portal closes and only reopens if all the awakened inside perish. Therefore, when entering, both raid hunters tasked with combat and collection hunters responsible for retrieving dungeon byproducts enter together. Exit portals generated after defeating the boss vary depending on the dungeon's grade but generally remain open for about an hour. From the moment the exit portal opens, raid hunters either rest or leave the dungeon, while lower-tier collection hunters gather the byproducts.
Small guilds like The Guild of Leaves have their raid hunters handle both the boss and the collection. However, for Seokyoung, there are as many as 12 collection teams comprising 36 parts for dungeon byproducts. For a B-rank dungeon, sending just one team is typical. However, with fewer members present today, it seemed they were only collecting the essentials.
'Will it be alright with so few to protect…?'
Unlike the worried Yoon Seo, the civilians seemed unfazed. Park Soobin whispered with a smile beside him.
"Yoon Seo, it's all over your face. These people are hunters in charge of the first collection team for dungeon byproducts, so don't worry."
"But isn't it dangerous with just these people? Dungeons are unpredictable places."
"Yoon Seo, you've never been in a dungeon, right? These folks even go into A-rank Navy dungeons. They've never had an accident before, so really, there's no need to worry."
The civilians, equipped with their individual items, effortlessly took to the air. As Park Soobin had said, their practiced movements resembled those of hunters accustomed to entering dungeons dozens of times. Patting Yoon Seo lightly on the shoulder to reassure him, Park Soobin used his item to ascend. Yoon Seo, lamenting the carelessness bred from 10 years of safety, followed them toward the aerial portal. Left behind below were only Seokyoung's guild leader and his secretary, who would not be entering the dungeon.
"August 12, 07:00 AM, Homyeongsan B-rank Explosive-Type Navy Dungeon. Eleven individuals entering."
Some were tense, while others remained relaxed. Entering a dungeon for the first time in 10 years, Yoon Seo mentally noted the individuals who seemed too weak to be entering a B-rank dungeon.
The three civilians, Kim Jinhae, and Hwashim.
He resolved to prioritize protecting them, he was done hearing last wills.
***
The temporary team entered a B-rank Explosive-Type Navy Dungeon capable of accommodating up to 50 participants. Typically, at least five hunters of B-rank or higher would be included in the 20-member team sent to clear it.
The reason they could confidently enter with just 11 was due to their individual strengths and, above all, the presence of S-rank Kwon Jihan. Known for single-handedly clearing even S-rank Orange dungeons.
Upon entering the portal, a new landscape unfolded before them.
As a Navy dungeon, Homyeongsan was not connected to hazardous environments like molten lava or underwater regions but rather to land. The ground resembled a drought-stricken rice paddy, deeply cracked, while the sun blazed overhead. Thanks to the effects of
With a series of dings, several system notifications appeared before Yoon Seo's eyes.
[You have entered the Dungeon. Number of Hunters: 11 | Time Until Explosion: 167 Hours]
[It has been determined that no additional participants will enter the dungeon.]
[The dungeon portal is closing.]
[Gaia System updating….]
[It's been a while! Even if the update takes a while, please wait patiently.]