Chapter 7
“It’s been three days since the party led by C-Class Hunter An Seong-su entered the dungeon, but we still haven’t been able to contact them. A Dungeon Out is expected.”
If a dungeon remained uncleared for more than a week after it formed, the monsters inside would begin to spill out into the world. That phenomenon was called a Dungeon Out.
“The response team is on the move. One B-Class Hunter and five C-Class Hunters. That should be enough to clear an uncleared dungeon.”
The first response team assembled at the dungeon entrance, summoned by the Dungeon Management Bureau. Their mission was to clear the dungeon before a Dungeon Out occurred.
“Do we move in now?”
The B-Class Hunter serving as the team leader asked the question. The Dungeon Management Bureau employee answered in a calm voice.
“Judging from the strength of the party that entered, it should have been cleared in about a day. But since they still haven’t come out even now, on the third day, we have to consider the possibility that they were wiped out.”
“Don’t give me a long explanation. Just answer the question.”
“The Dungeon Management Bureau believes it would be best to enter immediately.”
The moment the employee finished speaking, the team exchanged glances. They were just about to head for the entrance when...
“W-wait! The dungeon was just cleared!”
The door opened, and a blood-soaked figure walked out. A Dungeon Management Bureau employee rushed over to him in a panic.
“We’ve confirmed the dungeon has been cleared. Where are the other hunters?”
“They’re all dead.”
His voice was far too calm for a man saying that all the companions who had tried to clear the dungeon with him had died. The way he spoke, as if he were talking about something ordinary, sent a chill down the employee’s spine.
“C-could you show us your hunter license?”
“Yes. Here.”
He took out his bloodstained hunter license and handed it over. The employee’s eyes shook violently as he checked it.
Kang Hyun-jun... an F-Class Hunter...?
By the time he looked up, Hyun-jun had already taken back his license and was walking away.
*
“Team leader!”
Park Gyeong-ho, deputy of the Dungeon Management Bureau’s Hunter Division Team 2, burst into the office. In a hurried voice, he called for his superior, Team Leader Lee Sang-hoon.
“Deputy Park? Why are you back already?”
Sang-hoon frowned.
“There’s no way the dungeon records investigation could be finished already...”
“That’s not the important part right now!”
“Then what is?”
Sang-hoon’s voice sharpened. A subordinate who returned without finishing his assignment was not exactly pleasing to the eye.
“I found a hunter suspected of a second awakening!”
“What? Seriously?”
The first awakening was what people commonly called the moment a hunter gained power, and by now it had become relatively common. But the second awakening was different. Those people were special.
Drake of the Storm.
Vladimir of the Frost Blade.
Erina of the Tremor.
Erik of the Afterimage.
All four of the SSS-Class Hunters in the entire world were second awakening holders. Statistically, most second awakening holders grew into hunters of at least S-Class. If the bureau could bring such a talented hunter under its wing, promotion was practically guaranteed.
“I’m telling you, I’m certain!”
“Then start from the beginning.”
“Take a look at this.”
Gyeong-ho showed Sang-hoon a photo on his smartphone.
“Who is it?”
“A F-Class Hunter named Kang Hyun-jun. Two hours ago, he survived alone from a C-Class elite dungeon.”
“Covered in blood?”
“That’s right.”
As he watched Gyeong-ho nod vigorously in reply, Sang-hoon let out a sigh.
“Deputy Park.”
“Yes, Team Leader.”
Gyeong-ho’s eyes brightened. He had brought back valuable information, and he expected praise.
“If he were a real second awakening holder, he wouldn’t come out of a dungeon like that covered in blood.”
“But Team Leader! A F-Class Hunter survived a C-Class elite dungeon! If that isn’t a second awakening, there’s no way to explain it!”
“Go do your work.”
At Sang-hoon’s dismissive wave, Gyeong-ho bit his lip. Now he thought he understood why people called Sang-hoon a parachute appointment.
He’s definitely a second awakening holder...
Gyeong-ho was convinced. But he had no authority.
“Team Leader. The fact that a F-Class Hunter survived a C-Class elite dungeon alone is nearly impossible. The odds are high that he’s a second awakening holder. The bureau should use every means available to scout Hunter Kang Hyun-jun.”
A strong hunter meant power. That was no different for a government institution like the Dungeon Management Bureau.
“Do I need to keep repeating myself? Get back to work.”
“Understood...”
Sang-hoon’s tone grew harsher, and Gyeong-ho had no choice but to drop it. His voice had lost its force. In truth, he wanted to scout Hyun-jun with the best possible conditions, but what could a mere deputy in the Hunter Division actually do? It was easier to let it go.
*
After receiving basic treatment in the Dungeon Management Bureau’s infirmary, Hyun-jun visited the settlement center. He was there to sell the mana stones. Bloodstained bandages were wrapped all over his body, but no one paid him any mind. Injured hunters were a common sight.
“How can I help you?”
The receptionist approached and asked. Selling mana stones was usually handled by the party leader, so it was unusual for someone to come to the settlement center alone. That was why she looked a little lost.
“I’m here to sell mana stones.”
“Please draw a queue number from over there and wait your turn.”
It was a polite explanation. Hyun-jun waited where she had indicated. The line was short. Before long, he was seated in front of a female clerk in charge of settlements.
“Hello, Hunter-nim. Shall I help you sell your mana stones?”
The clerk greeted him with a bright smile and asked. When Hyun-jun nodded, she pointed to the scale beside her and spoke.
“Could you place all the mana stones you looted here?”
He took the mana stones out of his bag and set them on the scale. There were quite a few. The clerk checked the weight, then took out an appraisal device and examined their quality.
“At this amount... did you clear a C-Class elite dungeon?”
“Is the appraisal finished?”
He hated pointless small talk. At his question, the clerk gave the mana stones one final check and spoke.
“Yes. The settlement is complete. It comes to 20 million won.”
“20 million won?”
Under normal circumstances, that was money that would be split among at least four people, and sometimes as many as six. But Hyun-jun had survived alone, so he could take the full 20 million won. His heart pounded. He had never imagined that he would ever lay hands on this much money while living the life of the lowest-rank F-Class.
“Please show me your hunter license, and I’ll start the transfer process right away.”
“Here.”
The clerk checked the hunter license Hyun-jun handed over.
Kang Hyun-jun? This man is...
There had been an order from above.
The moment F-Class Hunter Kang Hyun-jun arrives, report it immediately. This is extremely important.
Remembering that, the clerk carefully informed her superior that Hyun-jun had arrived at the settlement center. Completely unaware of any of this, Hyun-jun was simply excited at the thought of receiving 20 million won.
“The transfer has been completed.”
“That’s it?”
The question had barely left his mouth when...
“Hunter Kang Hyun-jun. Would you mind accompanying me for a moment? I’m with the bureau.”
A deep voice came from behind him. Hyun-jun turned his head. The man had taken out a business card and was showing it to him. He was an investigator from the Dungeon Management Bureau.
“Is this a survival investigation?”
Hyun-jun asked. He wasn’t stupid. He knew that if casualties occurred during a dungeon raid, or if someone returned alone, an investigation was required. Of course, investigations of that sort were usually just formalities. Figuring out what happened inside a dungeon was no easy thing.
“Yes. If you could spare thirty minutes, I would appreciate it.”
“Thirty minutes. I don’t have much time either.”
“Thank you, Hunter-nim.”
For reasons he couldn’t tell, the investigation was conducted in a polite atmosphere and ended in ten minutes. Then a man from the Hunter Division came looking for him, a deputy named Park Gyeong-ho.
“Hunter Kang Hyun-jun?”
“Yes. That’s me.”
“Here is your C-Class hunter license. It’s sudden, but with the clearance of the dungeon you survived, the assessment department has determined that you’re no longer someone who should remain at F-Class.”
It was good news. From C-Class onward, he would enter the true realm of hunters. Hyun-jun felt his heart thudding. A clear smile spread across his face.
“I already know you’re a much more remarkable talent, but this is the best I could do with my authority. A C-Class license.”
Gyeong-ho said. In truth, he wanted to give Hyun-jun much better treatment and make a scouting offer immediately, but he had no authority. It was a sad reality.
“For now, this is enough.”
He wasn’t greedy just yet. Now that he was a C-Class Hunter, many of the restrictions on his actions would disappear.
“Then... I’ll be going.”
“Ah! Yes, of course!”
Hyun-jun quickened his steps. There was something he had to do before going home. Namely, he had to have the shield item dropped by the Skeleton Champion appraised by an appraiser. Even if an item was unappraised, it could still be used, but it was more efficient to identify its effects before putting it to use.
There were many appraisal shops around the Dungeon Management Bureau. Hyun-jun chose one and went inside, then laid the shield on the counter. It was a sturdy-looking round iron shield.
“That’ll be 1 million won.”
An hour earlier, that amount might have made his hands shake. But not now. He pulled out his card without hesitation.
“Thank you, sir. I’ll begin the appraisal.”
Appraisers were people who had awakened unusual abilities different from hunters. Their power awakened the true strength hidden within an item.
“The appraisal is finished.”
The appraiser said as she finished the paperwork.
“It’s a B-Class item. The name written on the shield is Shield of Resentment. It has no special abilities, but it’s made from mana iron, so it conducts aura well and is sturdier than an ordinary iron shield. I’ve recorded everything I mentioned here in the appraisal certificate, so please use it as reference.”
Taking the certificate, Hyun-jun returned home.
I need to rest.
Maybe because he had just come back from the dungeon, he was exhausted. He wanted nothing more than to sleep. The moment he threw himself onto the shabby bed, he sank into sleep as if he had collapsed. Then he opened his eyes in the dream space that had become familiar to him. But the door before him was unfamiliar.
Unlike Carthago’s, it was a black wooden door as dark as pitch. Hyun-jun’s gaze fell on the nameplate.
[Shadow Behind the Back]
A past life that had once been praised when Hye-jin died.
* * *