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Chapter 63
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While the hunters were taking a break and holding a meeting,
outside the gate that served as the entrance, Jang Han-soo, the section chief of the Management Bureau, was speaking with the team leader.
The section chief looked intently at his phone with a serious expression.
The team leader took a sip of coffee and spoke.
“They must all be clearing the dungeon safely, right?”
“Yes. With the Dawn Guild party and the Knight Guild’s master, they should be fine.”
“Let’s hope there won’t be too many casualties.”
The team leader took another sip of his coffee.
“So, about that returnee hunter…”
Despite being busy with work, he had trusted his subordinate’s word and made various preparations.
Now that he had some time, it was the perfect opportunity to hear the details.
Since they were inside a car prepared for the returnee’s request, there was no one around to eavesdrop.
Feeling at ease, the team leader asked.
“What’s that person’s actual rank?”
Even the returnees from America were at least B-rank.
If the hunter was at least B-rank, or possibly even A-rank, it wouldn’t be surprising.
If by any chance the hunter was S-rank, he intended to treat them with the utmost respect.
He would ensure that they would never consider leaving Korea by offering the best treatment possible.
Filled with anticipation, the team leader looked at the section chief.
The section chief answered calmly.
“They didn’t disclose their rank, so I’m not sure.”
“……”
The team leader’s face soured as his expectations were dashed.
The section chief quickly added an explanation.
***
Si-hyun glared at the man participating in the meeting from a short distance away.
Yeo Do-hyung.
The man who was the advertising model for the spicy stir-fried noodles that had inflicted fiery torment on her tongue.
‘I never thought I’d meet him here….’
As the saying goes, enemies meet on a narrow bridge.
Si-hyun, her burning gaze hidden beneath her veil, stared intently at Yeo Do-hyung.
Her gaze was so intense that Yeo Do-hyung glanced at her briefly before refocusing on the meeting.
Si-hyun clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to restrain her fidgeting fingers.
She desperately wanted to use “Burning Tongue Torment” to teach this man a lesson.
In fact, it was a spell she had designed with this hero-like guy in mind.
‘…Should I just cast it?’
The temptation was strong.
‘…No, I can’t do that.’
She reminded herself of the need to separate personal feelings from her mission.
She had come to help clear the dungeon, not to cause trouble.
It was clear that targeting the true leader of the vanguard would be an act of sabotage.
Intentional interference with allies was unacceptable.
Hooo…
Si-hyun suppressed the emotions trying to overtake her reason.
At that moment, Ji-a spoke.
“Sister! How did you end up coming here?”
“……”
Si-hyun turned her head silently to look at Ji-a.
With familiar gestures, she conveyed her thoughts without speaking.
Ji-a roughly understood the meaning of those gestures.
‘Oh, my….’
Conflicting emotions filled Ji-a’s heart.
Pure joy at the fact that Si-hyun had come out of concern for her.
Confidence in clearing the dungeon, now that Si-hyun was here.
And guilt for causing worry and inconvenience.
Even though she had left a message in advance,
the possibility that her actions might lead to such a response from Si-hyun was something she had anticipated.
Ji-a lightly hugged Si-hyun and whispered softly.
“I’m sorry for making you worry.”
Feeling Ji-a’s gentle embrace, Si-hyun shook her head.
She patted Ji-a’s back kindly.
It wasn’t Ji-a’s fault at all.
It was simply that Si-hyun had acted on her concern and followed her here.
What mattered was her determination not to regret her choice.
Since she was here now, she intended to see it through.
It was all or nothing.
After the hug ended, Ji-a let go of Si-hyun and stepped back.
Si-hyun organized her thoughts and looked around.
At that moment, Ga-eul, a support hunter from the Dawn Guild who was nearby, approached and spoke.
“Ji-a, do you know her?”
“Oh, yes. She’s someone who helped me in a previous dungeon.”
“Hmm.”
Ga-eul squinted as she looked at Si-hyun.
“A nun’s habit… Are you a support-type hunter?”
“……”
Si-hyun didn’t respond to the question.
She glanced briefly at Ga-eul, then gave a slight nod before looking away, as if uninterested.
Ga-eul felt a brief surge of irritation.
It wasn’t exactly rude, but it was oddly irritating.
“I forgot to introduce myself! I’m Choi Ga-eul, an A-rank support-type hunter from the Dawn Guild.”
“……”
Si-hyun turned her gaze back to Ga-eul.
Even if she wasn’t particularly interested in Ga-eul, it wouldn’t be polite to ignore her completely.
She took Ga-eul’s outstretched hand and shook it.
An A-rank support-type hunter… It sparked a very slight interest.
But during the dungeon run, her true capabilities would naturally reveal themselves.
And if she became curious, Areum could provide the information.
Ultimately, Si-hyun’s interest quickly waned, and she turned her attention to the other hunters.
Ga-eul felt an unfamiliar wave of bewilderment.
‘Even after hearing my introduction, she reacts like this?’
Who was Ga-eul?
A member of the Dawn Guild, Korea’s most prestigious guild, and Korea’s only A-rank support-type hunter.
Even on a global scale, she ranked among the top hunters.
Did this person not know that? Or simply not care?
Most people she met would be shocked, eager to get close to her, and fawn over her.
Many would even beg for the chance to accompany her in a dungeon.
That was exactly the reaction Ga-eul had expected.
Yet, this nun-like individual showed absolutely no interest in her.
‘This is strange….’
Ga-eul frowned.
She wondered what kind of person the other could be. Deciding she wanted to hear their voice at least, she opened her mouth again.
“Excuse me?”
“……?”
Hearing someone call out to her, Si-hyun quietly turned to look at Ga-eul.
“Hey, when someone’s talking to you, you should respond.”
“…….”
Ga-eul stared blankly at the other person.
The veiled head tilted slightly, as if to ask, “What’s the problem?”
Feeling ignored, Ga-eul could sense her irritation steadily rising.
At that moment, a magic-type woman from the rearguard, who had been resting nearby, stood up.
She had noticed Ga-eul’s sharp tone and grasped the situation.
Hurriedly approaching, she stood beside the veiled woman, ready to assist the nun who had been protecting the rearguard so steadfastly today.
“This person was urgently brought by the section chief of the Management Bureau. They’re a foreigner!”
“…Oh, really?”
“Yes, yes! They can understand, but they can’t speak.”
“Ah, I see. That explains it.”
Thanks to the intervention, Ga-eul’s anger gradually subsided.
She still felt a bit annoyed, but not enough to openly express it anymore.
Because of this, Ji-a, who had been listening to the conversation nearby, fully understood the situation.
She now knew how Si-hyun had been brought in and allowed to join the dungeon.
‘So, it was the section chief.’
A foreigner, huh…? In some sense, it wasn’t entirely wrong.
Ji-a nodded in understanding.
While the people around her exchanged words,
Si-hyun was off in her own world, lost in relaxed thoughts.
‘If there’s an A-rank supporter here, I can just sit back and watch, right?’
She figured it was convenient.
She planned to observe comfortably while keeping an eye on Ji-a.
Of course, she would assist others if an emergency occurred, as she had confidently declared to the section chief.
But in any other case, she had no intention of stepping forward.
Once again, she reminded herself: all or nothing.
After a short break,
the hunters, now fully prepared, formed ranks.
They stared nervously at the entrance to the double dungeon.
“Let’s get moving!”
“Yes, we’re heading out!”
“Let’s wrap this up cleanly to the end!”
With loud shouts, the hunters began entering the double dungeon one by one.
The space that greeted them was a large, cavernous dungeon, not much different from the previous one.
Torches mounted on pillars here and there cast a soft glow across the surroundings.
The area was vast, but no monsters were immediately visible nearby.
“Proceeding forward!”
With an enthusiastic voice, the hunters began moving.
They cautiously explored their surroundings as they walked.
Walking alongside Ji-a, Si-hyun tilted her head slightly.
‘This is strange….’
Ever since entering the dungeon, she’d been feeling a sense of déjà vu.
It was too vague to put into words, so she had brushed it off as her imagination.
But now that they had entered the double dungeon, the feeling grew more distinct.
‘No way, it can’t be.’
She smirked to herself and quickened her pace.
Before long, a group of undead appeared, and the battle began.
***
“Our Do-hyung oppa’s magic is so cool! Hehe!”
“…….”
“Kyaaah?! W-what is that?!”
“…….”
Ga-eul’s lively chatter resumed.
Ji-a, standing firmly at the forefront of the rearguard, tried her best not to turn her head.
The intense gaze poking at the back of her head was hard to ignore.
“Eek! A few monsters slipped through! Ji-a! Ji-a!”
“…….”
Ji-a skilfully dispatched the few monsters that charged at her.
Adjusting her stance, she turned her gaze back to the front.
Yet, the intense gaze remained.
It felt so piercing that her scalp tingled, as if her head was actually being pricked.
It had to be Si-hyun’s gaze.
Although no words were spoken,
in Ji-a’s mind, Si-hyun’s voice played naturally.
[…Ji-a, is that really pulling your weight?]
[Is that the average for support hunters?]
[Aren’t they just dead weight?]
‘She’s definitely thinking like that….’
Ji-a sighed inwardly.
The presence of both Ga-eul and Si-hyun behind her was making it harder to stay focused.
In reality,
‘What is she, a cheerleader…?’
Si-hyun alternated between watching Ga-eul and Ji-a.
Hearing about Korea’s top supporter, she thought she’d assess their skill.
But during the battle, all they seemed to do was scream and chatter.
They only used their skills after the fight was over.
Of course, there were occasional instances where they cast long-range magic.
But those were few and far between.
‘…That’s supposed to be an elite supporter?’
Is it that the woman is peculiar?
Or am I far more exceptional than I thought?
Her skill power does seem impressive, but…
Is this really how it’s supposed to be?
Setting herself aside, this was an important matter when considering Areum’s educational direction.
Si-hyun, feeling a mix of curiosity and doubt, stared at Ji-a.
Her gaze remained intense and fiery.
***
As the hunters delved deeper into the double dungeon, they gradually realized they were nearing the end.
Beyond the corridor,
they discovered a massive gate that completely shifted the atmosphere.
“This dungeon turned out to be shorter than I expected.”
“Yeah, it didn’t take long at all.”
A few hunters exchanged casual remarks.
One of the hunters, overhearing their conversation, spoke in a low voice.
“This… this might be dangerous.”
“Huh? Why do you think so?”
A relatively inexperienced hunter from the rearguard asked.
Keeping his gaze fixed on the gate, the man replied.
“With the mana density in this dungeon being so high, it doesn’t make sense for it to be this short and easy.”
“…No way.”
“Yes, that means there’s a high likelihood that the boss is ridiculously strong.”
“…Shit.”
Cursing under his breath, they all turned to glare at the gate.
The S-rank hunters had also already realized this fact.
“This calls for caution.”
“Haha! What caution? With me here, you just need to sit back and watch me shine!”
Kang Chul-min boasted loudly, responding to Yeo Do-hyung’s muttering.
He strode forward and grabbed the door’s massive handle with force.
All the hunters’ eyes were on his movements.
Preparing for the final battle, they steeled themselves.
Rumble—!
With a loud noise, the gate slowly creaked open.
Kang Chul-min entered first, followed by the neatly aligned hunters filing into the boss room one by one.
Before long.
“W-wait, isn’t that Hunter Yoo Byung-joon?”
“And the people beside him… aren’t those rescue team hunters?”
“What in the world…?”
Confronted with an unusual scene, the hunters swallowed nervously.
Ha-ha-ha—
A chilling, eerie laughter from a woman echoed through the room, welcoming them.
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