Chapter 50: Moon Kang-un (2)
The Hunter Association was in chaos. A dungeon, prepared for the promotion test, had gone into a state of Rampage.
Dungeon Rampage can be triggered either by external intervention, such as a Berserk Stone, or by internal triggers when the boss satisfies special conditions, resulting in a forced eruption.
Naturally, they first investigated the possibility of external interference and soon identified a suspect.
Nam Min-soon, an E-rank hunter who worked as a part-time day laborer. However, he had an ironclad alibi. CCTV footage showed him playing games with a friend at an internet cafe at the time, as if to flaunt it.
He even argued with the Association, shouting that he never applied for the job and accusing someone of stealing his identity.
He questioned why such checks weren’t conducted properly in the first place.
Of course, it was all an act. He had lent his identity in exchange for money from a mysterious contact and ensured he was caught on camera at the internet cafe to solidify his alibi.
The Association could have investigated this truth more thoroughly, but without any concrete evidence, pursuing it aggressively could backfire, so they waited.
“Damn it.”
Park Seo-ha, Team Leader of the 5th Inspection Team, stared at the dungeon in frustration.
The dungeon, in its state of Rampage, was fluctuating erratically, expanding and contracting as it emitted bursts of light.
While similar to the Black Hole phenomenon where dungeons sever themselves from the outside world and become unstable, the most significant difference between the two is the outcome if clearing the dungeon fails.
A Black Hole opens its entrance to gather a new team if those inside fail. In contrast, a Rampaging dungeon explodes with no second chances.
An explosion in the literal sense. The runaway mana turns into a bomb, devastating the surrounding area.
This is why Berserk Stones are banned globally, with the possession or use of such an item warranting the harshest punishment without exception.
An explosion. If the dungeon detonates within the Association, it is an act of terrorism. Whoever orchestrated this must have effectively declared war on the Association.
“Ugh, this is such a headache.”
The examination site was already empty, save for the 5th Inspection Team. No one knew when the explosion might occur, and an F-rank hunter stood no chance of surviving it.
Thankfully, it was a low-tier dungeon, meaning those of C- rank or higher could withstand it. This was why they remained.
“Clearing it is the best solution, but…”
Impossible, most likely.
The assessment of the rampaging dungeon showed it to be of high-tier and A+ grade.
It required at least one D- rank or three E+ rank hunters to have any chance of clearing it.
Of course, expecting that from E- rank hunters merely taking a promotion test was absurd. The explosion of the dungeon was practically a foregone conclusion.
Hence, they had installed devices to mitigate the blast as much as possible.
It was an unpleasant situation. Among those inside was a young man she had met recently, someone her uncle, the Association President, was particularly concerned about.
A dragon that was poised to soar but would now fall without ever spreading its wings.
“Sigh, what a wretched life.”
She had heard he was the child of the hero couple her uncle spoke of often, whom she had admired and mourned when they fell from grace. It was pitiful as a fan who had rooted for them.
Just as she spent time reflecting, the dungeon began to change.
The pulsing light of the dungeon began to subside, and as it opened, a human was expelled from within.
“It’s cleared!”
“The Rampaging dungeon has been cleared!”
“Emergency team! Emergency team! Check on him quickly!”
Without realizing it, Park Seo-ha bit down on her cigarette. This was unbelievable. It was cleared?
How?
Her eyes shifted to the man lying on the ground, catching his breath.
They examined his body and assessed his condition.
No critical issues. He had some minor wounds, but they were clearly not from monsters. With years of experience in the Inspection Department, she could easily tell the difference.
Even his breathing, though labored, was steady and concealed within.
In other words, it was all an act. He was hiding something.
Park Seo-ha’s lips twisted into a sly smile.
“This one is interesting.”
An E-rank examinee had cleared a high-tier A+ grade dungeon. And not only that, he came out without a single serious injury.
Their eyes met mid-air—hers, sharp and probing, and his, wary and composed.
They spoke silently to each other.
“Interesting. Who are you? What are you hiding?”
“Clear these people out quickly. I have something to say.”
Everyone agreed. Park Seo-ha spat out the cigarette she had in her mouth and approached Shin Juha.
“This should be enough. He’s not in critical condition, so I’ll take him with me.”
No one stopped her. The Association’s mad dog would bite anyone indiscriminately. No one wanted to get involved and end up caught in her storm.
Besides, since the patient wasn’t in any serious condition, there was no issue. The emergency personnel immediately backed away, and Park Seo-ha supported Shin Juha and took him to her office.
This time, it wasn’t an interrogation room. It was one of the safest spaces regularly checked to prevent eavesdropping.
“Phew, I’m exhausted.”
He collapsed onto the sofa as if throwing himself down, feeling the fatigue wash over him all at once.
Watching him with eyes filled with an unidentifiable emotion, Park Seo-ha leaned back on the opposite sofa and spoke.
“What the hell? How are you still alive? This was a situation where death was certain.”
“Indeed. I’m also grateful to be alive.”
At his still sarcastic tone, Park Seo-ha’s face twisted into a frown, and Shin Juha smirked, pulling an item from his inventory to hand to her.
“A horn? What is this? And so what?”
“Someone tried to kill me by intentionally causing a dungeon Rampage and sent assassins disguised as aides inside.”
Park Seo-ha alternated between staring at Shin Juha and the item, then let out a sigh.
If it had been anyone else, she would have accused them of being delusional, threatened to cut off their wrist, and told them to stop lying. But for some reason, she was certain he wasn’t lying.
“So, who is this someone?”
“I don’t know. Moon Kang-un? Whoever he is, he seems to hold a grudge against me, even though I’ve never even heard his name.”
An assassin hired by someone unknown, whose name wasn’t even familiar?
“It seems the payment was a rare skill book. It looks like they pre-selected the dungeon and were involved in setting up the test. In other words, the team and the dungeon were all pre-arranged. It seems someone supported Moon Kang-un financially and helped him set it up…”
This meant that someone within the Association had assisted in this operation.
Even though it was just an F-rank hunter’s exam, it was strictly managed…
“Find out who did this and investigate. I’m also curious why someone would want me dead.”
“So, you killed all the assassins?”
“What, should I have held their hands and walked out with them? While holding items to control monsters to kill me? I had to face both the monsters and the assassins simultaneously.”
At that rebuttal, Park Seo-ha was left speechless. Shin Juha was right in every word.
Then…
“If it was such a dangerous situation, shouldn’t you have more injuries? But from what I see, you don’t have a single proper wound. How do you explain that?”
In response, Shin Juha opened his inventory and took out dozens of potions, placing them before her as if on display.
“Enough. I get it. I can’t argue with you. Put them away.”
Only then did Shin Juha, satisfied, put the potions back into his inventory and lay down as if all his energy was spent.
“Please transport me to the VIP room of the Miracle Guild Hospital. I’m counting on you.”
He closed his eyes. Park Seo-ha felt a strong urge to punch his infuriating face, but once again, he was only the victim in this scenario.
“Damn it! You bastard.”
She called the emergency team again and instructed them to transport him as requested to the Miracle Guild Hospital, then headed straight to the intelligence department.
***
Bang!
The door swung open with such force it seemed it would break, and as she entered, the intelligence team staff, startled, looked down nervously.
“What’s this? Not even a welcome?”
While she couldn’t respond directly to Shin Juha, she was a fearsome presence to the other Association staff.
Once again, the chief of the intelligence team, who also served as the head, had no choice but to face her directly.
“What brings you here this time…?”
“Moon Kang-un. Look into him, quickly.”
“Well… investigating civilians indiscriminately is a bit…”
“He’s a suspect in the recent Rampage dungeon incident at the Association. Heard directly from the survivor.”
At that, the chief’s face lit up momentarily before stiffening again.
“Was it that madman?! I’ll begin the search immediately!”
“Moon Kang-un likely holds deep resentment towards the survivor, Shin Juha. Look for connections.”
This was a chance for significant achievement—a task that involved tracking down someone who dared to commit an act of terror against the Association. If successful, it could mean praise from the President and even a promotion.
The chief of intelligence might even become the Director of Intelligence. And the control room might become the Department of Intelligence Control!
The team leader and staff began looking into Moon Kang-un, leaving no stone unturned. Within just ten minutes, they found their suspect.
“We found him. Former scouting team leader of the Seongwoon Guild, Moon Kang-un. Ah! He’s the guy you were investigating in that case. He was dismissed from the Seongwoon Guild and had to pay an enormous compensation, leaving him broke.”
“It’s him. These types never acknowledge their mistakes and always blame others. Now look for his connection to the terror incident. He probably bought four rare skill books and one rare item. And find out who backed him financially.”
“That’s our specialty! What are you waiting for? Track every move of that bastard for the past 24 hours!”
The intelligence officers worked swiftly. They divided the work, each completing their tasks efficiently and precisely.
After about three hours, they finally caught a lead.
“We found it. And it turns out the backer is quite significant.”
“Who is it?”
“Lee Jiyong Hunter, the third generation of the Changseong Group. He even met with Moon Kang-un right in front of his residence. He thought he erased the traces, but that’s impossible these days. No one should underestimate the abilities of hunters!”
A sly smile spread across Park Seo-ha’s face. This was a big catch.
It was a card valuable enough not just for herself and the Association but also for her uncle, the Association President.
‘That cunning fox actually turned out to be useful.’
With satisfaction, Park Seo-ha instructed the team to dig deeper, compile a report, and then headed to the highest floor—the Association President’s office.
—
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