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Chapter 58
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Jang Han-soo anxiously stared at his smartphone screen.
He had tried calling Si-hyun earlier in the afternoon, but she didn’t pick up.
Upon checking his computer, he found that she had entered a D-rank dungeon.
Given her skills, he assumed she would clear it quickly and come out.
However, she remained in the dungeon all afternoon.
With the commotion caused by the double dungeon, Jang had to return to his tasks.
And so, night came.
While continuing his overtime work, Jang found another brief moment to call her.
He knew calling at this hour might be inconvenient.
But considering the situation, he felt it was necessary to ask for her help.
Still, she didn’t pick up after several rings.
‘Is she busy…?’
Just as he was about to give up and press the end call button,
– “…Hello~.”
The call was connected at the last possible moment.
Feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, Jang opened his mouth to speak.
“I’m sorry for calling so late, Si-hyun. Do you have a moment to talk?”
– “…Yesss.”
‘Huh?’
Her speech was noticeably slurred.
Puzzled, Jang explained the situation.
“Many Hunters have gone missing in an A-rank dungeon, and the gate is close to a break. Have you heard about this?”
– “Ah… Yesss. I think I saw it.”
It wasn’t his imagination!
Her speech was heavily slurred, likely from drinking too much.
Realizing why the call had taken so long to connect, Jang scratched the back of his head.
It seemed best to keep the conversation short, so he quickly got to the point.
“I wanted to ask if you’d be willing to help. Would you be interested in participating?”
– “…When is it~?”
“The vanguard departs tomorrow morning, and the rear unit in the afternoon!”
She asked about the time?!
Despite being intoxicated, her response was surprisingly positive.
Feeling hopeful, Jang eagerly awaited her reply.
Even if she could only join the rear unit, her presence would significantly strengthen their forces.
However,
– “In the afternoooon… I have a lecturrre….”
“Oh, I see.”
Damn it! He hadn’t considered her having a lecture.
Jang instinctively slapped his forehead.
What terrible timing for everything to overlap like this!
As Jang fell silent, disappointment clear in his demeanour,
a voice filled with regret came from the phone.
– “I’m sooorry….”
“No, no! It’s okay! Don’t worry about it! I’m sorry for bothering you. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
– “…Yesss.”
The call ended.
Jang Han-soo stared at his smartphone with a defeated expression.
Though Si-hyun’s usually stoic demeanour made her slightly slurred, cute voice oddly soothing,
it didn’t help their current predicament.
Besides, as a D-rank, she wasn’t technically obligated to respond to this summons.
And given her schedule, he couldn’t push her any further, especially while she was intoxicated.
“Sigh….”
He let out a deep sigh and returned to his work.
***
Chirp, chirp——
“Haaahm….”
Si-hyun woke to the sound of sparrows chirping.
Yawning deeply, she stretched and glanced at the clock on the wall.
9 a.m.
Normally, she would wake early for morning prayers, so this was quite a late start for her.
Still, despite drinking a fair amount the night before, she felt little to no hangover.
Perhaps it was because she’d enjoyed good-quality alcohol and snacks, or maybe because she had slept soundly.
Either way, it was a pleasant surprise.
“Mmm…?”
Her smartphone was nowhere to be seen in its usual spot.
Looking around, she scanned the living room.
“It’s not here?”
Where had she left it before going to bed?
Expanding her search, she checked the corners of the living room and even the bathroom.
“Oh! Here it is. Haha….”
She found it next to the refrigerator.
She must have put it down while grabbing something and forgotten about it.
Laughing at her absent-mindedness, she scratched her head and unlocked her phone.
One missed call.
Several messages.
The missed call was from Ji-a.
Even if she had been drinking, how had she not noticed the call?
Checking her phone, she realized the reason.
‘It was on vibrate….’
No wonder she hadn’t heard it.
She chuckled and started reading the messages.
– “Si-hyun, are you busy? I’ll just leave a message since you’re not answering.”
– “I’ve been assigned to the vanguard team for the A-rank dungeon incident.”
– “Don’t worry too much! I’ll just be acting as a supporter escort for Dawn Guild.”
Ji-a had joined the vanguard for the dungeon she had seen on the news.
Considering Ji-a’s tendency to take on risky dungeon assignments,
it wasn’t surprising that she had volunteered for this one.
…The vanguard was scheduled for this morning, right?
By now, they would already be inside the dungeon.
Leaning back against the couch, Si-hyun relaxed.
There was still plenty of time before her academy lecture later today.
She leisurely browsed the news and articles.
Breaking news banners appeared across multiple outlets.
“…….”
This seems really dangerous….
The information that wasn’t clear back when we were just enjoying the restaurant and wine bar together.
The severity of this A-rank dungeon’s danger level was being emphasized everywhere.
Special dungeons that appear so rarely they can be counted on one hand.
In many of those cases, the dungeon’s rank increased by one level.
A significant number of South Korea’s S-rank Hunters were participating in this conquest.
‘I should take a closer look at the relevant data.’
Including international examples, I searched for information on the number of S-rank Hunters required to clear such dungeons and data on double dungeons.
After spending sufficient time gathering and analyzing information,
if this dungeon truly was A-rank, the current forces should be able to clear it without issue.
But if it turned out that the double dungeon was an S-rank dungeon?
The forces seemed barely enough to scrape by.
Perhaps because the participants were gathered in a rush, the number seemed dangerously low.
It was at a level where casualties would likely occur.
And naturally, the majority of those casualties would likely be Hunters ranked below S-rank.
“Sigh….”
I instinctively rubbed my furrowed brow to smooth it out.
I glanced at the wall clock, then turned my gaze back to my phone screen.
If I decided now, I might still make it in time to join the rear unit.
But if I did, I wouldn’t be able to give today’s academy lecture.
I’m already just a part-time lecturer, and the principal has gone out of their way to support me.
Skipping class on the day of without any notice?
Even if I were a student, I wouldn’t think highly of a professor who acted so irresponsibly.
The same goes for my peers.
“Ugh….”
I checked Ji-a’s message again.
– “I’m just serving as an escort for the supporters from Dawn Guild, so you don’t need to worry too much!”
Is it really not that dangerous? Is this just my own paranoia?
…….
I tapped my cheek lightly, organizing my thoughts.
It’s not even a regular dungeon—it’s an undead dungeon.
The rear unit that joins the vanguard will likely have to face resurrected monsters in fierce combat.
Can the combined Hunters truly conquer this double dungeon safely?
My gaze shifted nervously back to the wall clock.
Slowly but surely, time was ticking away.
I needed to make a decision.
If it’s an A-rank dungeon, the gathered forces should be sufficient to clear it.
But if it’s an unlucky S-rank, there could be countless injuries and deaths.
Honestly, I don’t particularly care what happens to others.
The problem is that Ji-a is there.
It could just be my simple worry, and she might return safely without any issues.
But in a high-level dungeon, the variables are unpredictable—anything could happen.
I had to make a choice.
Between Ji-a, who might be in a dangerous situation, and
the responsibilities I have as a professor at the academy.
Which of the two I value more.
I had to give up one of them.
“Sigh….”
Annoyance surged, and I rose abruptly from the sofa.
Grabbing a bottle of cold water from the fridge, I chugged it down.
The cool water slid down my throat, tempering the heat of my frustration.
Regaining my composure and cooling my head,
I glanced at the wall clock again.
Then I re-read Ji-a’s message still displayed on my phone.
Between these two choices, which is the right one?
“…This one, obviously.”
I absolutely don’t want to live with regret.
Having made my decision, what I needed to do from now on was clear.
***
It was the day of the Monster Studies lecture.
After finishing his third and fourth-period major lectures, Jae-woo headed to the building’s basement.
As usual, he grabbed a light lunch from the cafeteria.
Returning to the first floor, Jae-woo walked straight to the lecture hall at the end of the hallway.
He sat in his usual spot at the very front near the corridor.
Passing the time by browsing TriTube on his phone as usual,
– Creak.
The back door of the lecture hall opened, and another student entered.
Usually, it would be Areum and Eun-byul, but today it was someone else.
Jae-woo glanced briefly at the student before returning his focus to his phone.
…….
A few more students entered the lecture hall.
The lecture was about to begin.
But there were far fewer students than usual.
Areum and Eun-byul hadn’t shown up either.
At that moment, Jae-woo noticed something strange.
‘Could it be?’
Jae-woo quickly accessed the academic information system.
He checked the announcements for Monster Studies.
[Notice of Lecture Cancellation for Monster Studies Lecture 4.]
A few hours earlier, an emergency notice had been posted.
The content stated that due to urgent circumstances, today’s class would be cancelled, and a makeup lecture would be held during the designated makeup period.
“…Oh, great.”
Jae-woo looked around the lecture hall.
This meant that the students present here, like him, didn’t know about the announcement.
On the other hand, Areum and Eun-byul must have known and chosen not to come.
‘They could’ve at least shared it with me….’
Feeling a little hurt, Jae-woo let out a deep sigh.
He stood up from his seat and headed to the blackboard.
He wrote in large letters that today’s lecture had been cancelled.
At that moment, murmurs broke out among the students.
“What? Today’s lecture is cancelled?”
“Already canceling a class, and it’s just the fourth lecture?”
Some students checked the announcement on the academic system for themselves.
“It was posted just a few hours ago?”
“I don’t mind the cancellation, but they could’ve given the notice earlier.”
With light complaints, the students began leaving the lecture hall one by one.
Watching their retreating figures, Jae-woo also packed his belongings.
‘I wonder what could’ve happened to warrant canceling the class?’
He felt a small sense of curiosity as he fiddled with his smartphone.
He intended to diligently reserve an E-rank dungeon for today.
Before opening the app, he noticed a new message.
– Jae-woo, want to go to a dungeon today? Areum said she’s coming too.
– Oh! You didn’t go to the Monster Studies lecture, did you?
It was a message from Eun-byul, sent just a minute ago.
“…Phew.”
Jae-woo let out a light sigh as he began typing his reply.
***
Meanwhile, Si-hyun was riding in the passenger seat of a car headed toward the Gate.
She had expressed her willingness to join the rear unit, and Jang Han-soo had personally come to pick her up.
“…Sorry for causing trouble.”
“It’s no trouble at all. Your participation alone is more than enough.”
As the traffic light turned red, the car came to a stop.
Jang Han-soo glanced at Si-hyun, seated beside him.
Clad in her nun’s habit, she seemed lost in thought, her expression tense.
‘Even she gets nervous at times, huh.’
Should I help her relax a bit?
After some thought, Jang Han-soo spoke slowly.
“Si-hyun, are you feeling nervous?”
“…Huh? Nervous? Not at all.”
“What?”
Her unexpected response left him blinking in surprise.
“Don’t you have something on your mind that’s worrying you?”
“Oh, how did you know?”
Si-hyun blinked, tilting her head in curiosity.
Then, she began to share the concerns she had been mulling over.
“It’s about the academy lecture. I had to post a cancellation on such short notice, and I feel so bad for the students….”
“Ah.”
Jang Han-soo couldn’t help but chuckle.
She wasn’t nervous about the dungeon but about her students.
“I think I might be able to help with that.”
“Oh, really?”
When Si-hyun asked in surprise, he gave her a reassuring smile and said,
“We were already thinking about what kind of reward to offer you from the Bureau. Why don’t we prepare something the students would appreciate as part of it?”
“Yes! Please do that!”
With her concerns neatly resolved, Si-hyun beamed a bright smile.
Jang Han-soo, feeling his face heat up, turned his head away.
It was all because he couldn’t shake off the memory of her slurred speech and tone during their phone call the previous night.
Clearing his throat, he resumed driving.
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