Chapter 21
Translator: Roshi
Hunter.
It had already been several decades since otherworldly beings like dungeons and monsters appeared in this world.
The contributions of hunters, who established the current stabilized system after the turbulent period of chaos, were unquestionable.
Those who had awakened superhuman abilities took up arms and charged to the front lines to confront the monsters.
The blood and sweat they shed for today’s stability were acknowledged by everyone.
However, hunters were still human.
Not all of them, despite their primal and overwhelming strength, were upright or virtuous.
Thus, the Hunter Bureau was created as a means of control.
The only national system tasked with managing and regulating hunters.
And standing before Do-yoon and Hanuri right now was the head of that Hunter Bureau.
An elderly gentleman whose white hair reflected the passage of time but whose robust build and piercing gaze suggested otherwise, Oh Tae-soo, another S-Rank hunter, following Ahn Soo-hwa.
“I’m Oh Tae-soo, the Hunter Bureau Chief.”
He extended a hand to Do-yoon for a handshake.
“I’m Kim Do-yoon.”
“Haha, I’ve heard about you from Team Leader Lee Ha Na. It’s unfortunate.”
Oh Tae-soo glanced at Ahn Soo-hwa as he spoke regretfully.
Before coming to the Chief's office, Do-yoon had contracted with Taegeuk right after the examination ended.
There was no reason to delay.
He wanted to receive his hunter license as soon as possible to proceed with Hanuri’s formal adoption.
“No guild cooperates as well with the Hunter Bureau as Taegeuk, don’t you think? I believe this opportunity will further solidify our relationship.”
“Hahaha! True enough. That’s why I feel somewhat relieved. Still, it’s a shame to have missed out on an S-Rank, or perhaps even higher, hunter.”
Do-yoon’s hunter rank was certified as S-Rank.
This was officially confirmed by the Hunter Bureau Chief himself.
‘In reality, it’s probably immeasurable…’
After breaking the mana measuring device during his first test, Do-yoon had adjusted his strength in subsequent tests.
Breaking every machine would’ve been too troublesome.
Physical abilities, mana utilization, awakening powers, and so forth.
The machines could only measure up to S-Rank, so Do-yoon kept his results right at the limit.
And Oh Tae-soo saw through it.
This was why he assumed Do-yoon’s abilities surpassed S-Rank.
“In any case, congratulations on becoming an S-Rank hunter.”
Setting aside his regrets, Oh Tae-soo tried to leave a good impression on Do-yoon.
S-Rank.
Hunters regarded as national assets.
Maintaining good relations with individuals capable of causing disaster on the scale of natural calamities was naturally desirable.
Like Ahn Soo-hwa of Taegeuk.
“Congratulations to Taegeuk as well.”
“Oh, come on. He hasn’t even received his hunter license yet.”
Ahn Soo-hwa, clearly in a good mood, shrugged her shoulders playfully.
As she lightly bowed and prepared to leave,
Bang!!
“Chief!”
Someone burst into the office, urgently calling out.
“What’s the matter?”
“A dungeon break has occurred at Oseong Hospital!”
“What!?”
The urgency in the voice of the person reporting was enough for Do-yoon to immediately understand the severity of the situation.
‘Oseong Hospital? That sounds familiar… Ah!’
Oseong Hospital was where Do-yoon had been hospitalized and where Hanuri had stayed.
It was also the place where the doctors, nurses, and patients he had spoken with on the phone just yesterday were located.
“Ajusshi?”
Hanuri tilted her head in confusion. She didn’t know the hospital’s name, only that it was a big hospital.
While Hanuri merely cocked her head in puzzlement, the report continued.
“A small C-Rank dungeon had originally appeared near Oseong Hospital! However, the hunters who entered the dungeon didn’t return even after a significant amount of time. Team Leader Lee Ha Na and her team entered to investigate, but… the dungeon evolved.”
“What’s its new rank?”
“It’s estimated to be A-Rank. Its size expanded and has now engulfed Oseong Hospital and its surrounding area entirely.”
"Oh no, there must be many patients."
Do-yoon furrowed his brows.
Patients, their guardians, and hospital staff, people who were already in a fragile state, had now been caught up in the dungeon. It was the worst possible scenario.
Above all,
‘Yesterday…’
The faces of the people Do-yoon had seen during the video call yesterday flashed vividly in his mind.
They had been so happy to see Hanuri again after so long…
The fact that this happened right after that made the memory painfully clear.
After a brief moment of contemplation, he ultimately decided to move himself.
“Hanuri.”
“Ung?”
“Ajusshi has to go somewhere for a little bit. Can you stay here with the ajumma and the grandpa for just a while?”
“Hanuri… is?”
There was a chance that the people at the hospital might be in danger.
He couldn’t let her see such a thing. This time, taking her with him wasn’t an option.
He crouched down to meet Hanuri’s eyes, then gently patted her head as he spoke.
“If you wait here patiently, when I come back, let’s go to the beach together.”
“The beach? Really?”
“Of course. Really. I’ll even make something delicious for you when we go.”
“Hee… something delicious.”
“That’s right, something delicious. You’ll take good care of Kkoma and stay safe, right? You’re the noona, after all.”
“Yup! Hanuri’s the noona. I’m already six years old!”
At the word noona, she puffed out her chest proudly and made an overly serious expression.
She looked so adorable that Do-yoon patted her head again, unable to resist.
Then, he stood up and glanced at Ahn Soo-hwa.
A silent understanding passed between them.
"Then, ajosshi will be back soon, okay?"
“Okay, okay! Come back soon~ You need to take Hanuri to the beach…”
"Right."
After making the promise once more to Hanuri, Do-yoon disappeared into the shadows.
***
The place where Do-yoon reappeared was in front of what used to be Oseong Hospital.
Now, all that remained was the black sphere marking the dungeon’s entrance. The hospital itself was nowhere to be seen.
“Hey! You there! It’s dangerous! Please come this way-!”
A voice shouted urgently upon seeing Do-yoon suddenly appear outside the guideline marking the perimeter of the dungeon.
But Do-yoon paid no attention and walked straight into the dungeon.
The moment he took a step, the environment around him changed dramatically.
Maze.
The word came to mind the instant he entered.
It was pitch dark, with all sides blocked off.
There was no one around, nor were there any signs that anyone had been there. Judging from this, it seemed likely that the dungeon had multiple entry points.
It was the worst situation for a rescue operation.
But…
‘The shadows here are overflowing.’
Not for him.
The shadow extending from his feet quickly spread and devoured the other dark shadows of the maze.
The size of an A-Rank dungeon typically spanned an entire city, but it took him only a few seconds to engulf the entire shadow of this place.
-It’ll be fine. The rescue team will be here soon, so please stay calm!
-Are we really all going to die here?
-Waaaah!
Through the expanded shadows, the screams of those caught inside the dungeon reached his ears.
They were scattered throughout the maze.
Among them, he sought one particular person.
-S-stay back! Don’t come any closer!
-Ha-eun ssi!
-Everyone, run away now!!
Found them.
Nurse Ha-eun and the patients.
The situation seemed dire, so he moved immediately.
Swish! Swoosh!
The shadows of the maze formed a path for him, and in an instant, he appeared behind Nurse Ha-eun and the patients.
Clink! Clank!
No one had yet noticed his arrival. The first thing that caught his eye was the monster.
It stood directly in front of Nurse Ha-eun, who was blocking its path.
‘Living Armor?’
A monster clad in iron armor, leaving no part of its body exposed.
Do-yoon recognized it.
However, the one before him seemed slightly broken. Its movements were slow, and the sounds it made were strange.
Thanks to that, Nurse Ha-eun and the hospital patients in front of it had remained unharmed so far.
“Please leave! I’m telling you, just go!”
“How could we leave you, Ha-eun ssi?!”
“If we stay here, we’re all going to die! So, please- huh?”
The others, unaware of the monster’s malfunction, were still overwhelmed by fear.
Do-yoon could tell from their reactions.
Despite trembling, Nurse Ha-eun bravely stood in front of the monster, while the others tried to persuade her to retreat.
It was quite a touching scene.
So much so that he almost felt bad for interrupting.
But he had someone waiting for him, Hanuri.
Now that he had confirmed their safety, Do-yoon acted swiftly.
Crack!!
“Gasp?!”
"Wh-what was that?"
“What just happened?”
“Huh? Who’s that guy?”
In an instant, Do-yoon leapt onto the Living Armor and struck down with his fist.
The monster crumpled like an empty tin can.
After effortlessly taking care of the malfunctioning Living Armor, Do-yoon turned around.
“D-Do-yoon ssi?”
“It’s him! Hanuri’s dad!”
“How are you here?”
The people who recognized him reacted with shock.
But he didn’t have time for lengthy explanations.
“I came to rescue you. Please stay here. This will be over soon.”
“W-wait!!”
Nurse Ha-eun tried to grab him, but Do-yoon had already disappeared.
How much time had passed since he vanished?
Five minutes? No.
It felt shorter than that, but the dungeon collapsed.
It had really been cleared.
Thud!
Perhaps the release of tension had hit her all at once, Nurse Ha-eun slumped to the ground.
“We survived…”
And starting with Nurse Ha-eun's mumbling...
“We survived!”
“We’re alive!”
“Nurse Ha-eun! Thank you! We made it because of you!”
The people burst into cheers.
Meanwhile, outside the dungeon, those guarding the entrance were baffled by the sudden clear.
“What? What just happened?”
“Who cleared it?”
“Could it be someone from the Hunter Bureau?”
“Wasn’t it that guy? The one who went in alone?”
“No way! It was an A-Rank dungeon! At least a top-tier team from a major guild should’ve gone in with full preparation…”
While they were still panicking,
A shadow suddenly appeared near them.
“Huh? A wyvern!”
“What?”
“Take cover!!”
A wyvern was flying straight toward them.
Kroarara!!
Amid the chaos, as people scrambled in confusion, the wyvern descended directly to the ground.
Contrary to their expectations, it landed surprisingly gently.
Those who had been flustered took a closer look at the wyvern.
“Huh?”
“Wait a second! I’ve seen this before!”
“Isn’t that the wyvern tamed by Taegeuk’s new Wyvern Tamer?”
The wyvern turned out to be Yongyong and Park Ki-ho.
Shortly after, the Fire Goblin Team from Taegeuk Guild arrived.
Ahn Soo-hwa, having anticipated what Do-yoon might do, had sent them quickly.
Even so, because Do-yoon had cleared the dungeon so fast, they were a little late.
“I’m Ahn Yeon-seok, team leader of the Fire Goblin Team.”
The Fire Goblin Team, who had arrived in vehicles, went straight to meet the person in charge. After providing a brief explanation, they entered the barricade.
When they moved quickly, they soon arrived before Do-yoon.
“Nice to meet you, Kim Do-yoon ssi. I’m Ahn Yeon-seok.”
“……?”
“Guild Leader Ahn Soo-hwa sent us. She asked us to escort you back once the job was done. Looks like we were a bit late.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Our team members will handle the rest of the cleanup. Would you like to head back first with Ki-ho?”
Do-yoon turned his gaze toward Nurse Ha-eun and the hospital patients.
“I’ll bring Hanuri over later.”
“Thank you.”
“You saved us!”
“Ah… truly, thank you.”
The people expressed their heartfelt gratitude for his short goodbye. Some even urged him to hurry back to Hanuri.
He nodded and, together with Park Ki-ho, rode Yongyong in a spectacular exit.
After he left, the people belatedly noticed something.
At the site of the dungeon was a massive pile of crushed armor, stacked like a mountain.
And in front of it stood Team Leader Lee Ha Na and her team, staring blankly.
***
"Ajusshi!"
Kyuuu!
The first to greet his return were Hanuri and Kkoma.
He hugged the two children and then looked over at Ahn Soo-hwa, who handed him a paper file.
“You’re planning to go to a sea dungeon, right? I’ve prepared this list for you. It includes the key characteristics and the types of monsters inside.”
She had prepared this without him even saying anything.
Her sharp intuition confirmed that signing the contract with her had been the right choice.
“Hehe, Ajusshi! Are we going to the sea now?”
“Of course. Since Hanuri waited so patiently with Kkoma, you deserve it.”
“Waaaah! We’re going to the sea!”
Smiling at Hanuri’s excitement as she raised both arms high into the air, Do-yoon turned to Ahn Soo-hwa and asked where the largest sea dungeon was.
“The largest sea dungeon? Oh, that would definitely be this one, here in Incheon.”
Do-yoon read the details of the dungeon Ahn Soo-hwa pointed to and made his decision without hesitation.
‘Mackerel and other blue fish rich in Omega-3.’
His criteria were clear.
Coincidentally, the dungeon Ahn Soo-hwa recommended fit the bill perfectly. Any further deliberation would be a waste of time.
“Hanuri, shall we go?”
“Yes, yes! Bye-bye, Ajumma and grandpa~.”
Smiling fondly as Hanuri bowed politely in farewell, Do-yoon grabbed the Bear and took Hanuri’s hand.
“Let’s go.”
“Okay!”
In an instant, Hanuri and Do-yoon disappeared.
And then…
“Wait, hold on! That dungeon-!”
Ahn Soo-hwa, who had been smiling warmly at Hanuri’s polite goodbye, suddenly realized something and shouted after them.
But it was too late. The two were already gone.
*****