Formium from F-Rank Hell
Last raid's results flashed through his mind. The Pink Team had emerged with an absorption stone, shocking not just the Dungeon Association but every other team.
Who could've predicted they'd pull something like that from an F-rank dungeon?
"Let's bag ten more and head out."
It was Jang Geon-ho's call.
"It's getting too heavy to carry already."
That was Shin Jong-su.
Shrugging at the tanker who nitpicked everything, Jang Geon-ho stripped off his shirt, tied the sleeves into a makeshift sack.
Shin Jong-su just shrugged his shoulders.
"Advance."
Jang Geon-ho commanded.
3 a.m.
Go Cheolmin glared at the situation room screen. The Pink Team had been inside the dungeon for nine hours.
"Hoo."
A sigh escaped his frustrated chest.
"They'll be fine."
Kang Jin-gu said.
"...Yeah."
Go Cheolmin thought so too.
The previous raid had seen attacks from other teams. In that disadvantageous spot, the Pink Team had stalled until the final moments, barely escaping the dungeon.
Why were they taking so long today?
Not under attack again, were they? Go Cheolmin tried to dismiss the worry, but it lingered. Or maybe they'd pushed beyond the boundary.
The pillar of light had vanished there.
The real raid lay in that thick darkness. But entering meant having a Legio. Without it, getting lost was almost certain.
No way?
Go Cheolmin whipped out his phone and stepped out of the situation room.
The signal tone rang, and a drowsy, slurred voice finally answered.
―If there's no damn good reason for waking me at this hour, consider yourself dead.
"Did you lend them a Legio?"
―They still out?
Still half-asleep.
"Why lend a Legio to kids hitting an F-rank dungeon?"
―I never lent to kids. Maybe the team lead once.
"It's only their second raid, senior."
―Relax. If it's them, they'll come back safe.
"Your son's still in there too, sir."
―He'll be out soon. Go home, get some sleep. No need for pointless worry.
Choi Min-su hung up first.
Go Cheolmin was floored. When his son got kidnapped to Yeon Ga, he'd moved heaven and earth to save him. Did that mean an unpredictable dungeon was less risky than Yeon Ga?
Kang Jin-gu approached with a canned coffee.
"They'll make it back safe. Worrying won't change that. All we can do is trust and wait."
He was right.
Still, Go Cheolmin had zero desire to sleep comfortably in bed like Choi Min-su.
Guild doctor O Won-jin came rushing in, out of breath. Go Cheolmin's headache spiked, sensing trouble.
"Check this out."
O Won-jin thrust his phone forward, Daily Raiders news splashed across the screen.
Another Kim Jun article. Below it, Skyla's history as an ice dealer in the States, now raiding Changwon Dungeon with Uramata Guild's Pink Team.
Reporters will swarm again.
Choi Muhyun stood by the campfire, glaring into the darkness.
He wanted to dive underground right now.
If something happened to Kim Jun, he had to help. But with both dealers injured and immobile, the sole tanker couldn't leave.
Yeom Sang-taek tossed a dead Formicans corpse onto the fire instead of firewood.
"Leave this to me, go check."
"I'm good."
"It's safe here now."
"What about Quetzalcoatluru?"
"It's busy ripping into Formicans tentacles. Eats only corpses... won't touch us."
Even saying it, Yeom Sang-taek scanned the dark uncertainly.
"Kim Jun will come back."
Choi Muhyun reaffirmed.
He couldn't abandon the Pink Team to search for Kim Jun. Then, Yeom Sang-taek stood slowly, face shocked.
"What? Something coming?"
Choi Muhyun rose too.
"It's Kim Jun!"
Yeom Sang-taek brushed past, sprinting into the dark with a light orb. Spotting Kim Jun dragging heavy cores, he hugged him tight.
Kim Jun nearly toppled.
Choi Muhyun charged like a rhino, piling on. Kim Jun couldn't hold.
"Thought you were dead."
Yeom Sang-taek burst into tears.
"Not me. I was 100% sure I'd return safe."
Kim Jun hauled himself up.
"Min-jeong okay?"
"Not great."
"Skyla?"
"Disorder, looks like."
Kim Jun bolted to Yoo Min-jeong and Skyla.
"You're back."
Yoo Min-jeong panted, words a struggle.
Skyla was out cold.
"Gotta get out fast."
Exhausted enough for a day's sleep, but Kim Jun eyed the sheer cliff. If he'd mastered Mokhonbo's Po step, it'd be easy.
No time to slack.
Kim Jun tried Po on the cliff.
Dungeons made handling inner energy way easier. He scaled nearly five meters smoothly.
Choi Muhyun and Yeom Sang-taek gasped in awe.
But five meters was the limit. Without fine control, Kim Jun kept slipping back.
Forget Po. Not training time. Gotta exit before gate closes.
Kim Jun sat by the fire to think.
Not hot, but it gave faint warmth. Kept Yoo Min-jeong and Skyla stable.
He fought impatience, but it backfired, shattering calm.
A creepy sound echoed outside.
Like flesh tearing and swallowing. Kim Jun gripped Cheonroegeom tensely. Yeom Sang-taek stepped up.
"Quetzalcoatluru. Eats corpses only. Won't attack us."
"Quetzalcoatluru... that flying pterosaur thing?"
"Yeah."
Choi Muhyun confirmed. Kim Jun grinned rottenly.
"What?"
"Got a plan."
"Spill."
"First, you guys do something for me."
Leaving the riddle, Kim Jun headed into the dark.
Kim Jun hid under a thick Formicans tentacle. Waiting for Quetzalcoatluru to swoop low, tear in, gorge leisurely.
Plan was simple.
Pterosaur monster eats tentacle. Kim Jun hitches ride on its foot.
Spooked Quetzalcoatluru flies out of the pit, Kim Jun escapes naturally. Lowers rope made from Formicans tendon tied to waist, hauls up team.
Pink Team escapes ant hell.
Come on, hurry.
Wingbeats soon.
Even hearing it peck and eat, Kim Jun stayed put long minutes. One shot maybe. Miss timing, wait forever if it flees.
Three more minutes. No, five.
Counting to 300 with superhuman patience, Kim Jun crept out cautiously, belly-crawled to its foot.
Feasting after ages, it focused.
As Kim Jun neared and rose, Quetzalcoatluru turned.
Six-meter wingspan, it launched instantly.
Kim Jun unleashed Mokhonbo Tan, leaped for the foot.
Whoosh!
Airborne, Kim Jun barely grabbed.
Quetzalcoatluru shook legs to dislodge, but Kim Jun clung fiercely amid swings. Left hand held not just his life, but Pink Team's.
Screeching, it escaped ant hell upward.
Kim Jun timed jump off perfectly. Thought short flight, but speed made drop height serious.
Hit ground rolling.
Kim Jun crept to pit edge carefully.
Ground firm, luckily. He jammed Cheonroegeom deep into solid crack.
Tied tendon rope securely at spots for tension, last to hilt, loop around waist, tossed rest down.
"Yell when you find rope!"
Response quick.
"Got it!"
Choi Muhyun.
Rope tautened.
Sweating, Choi Muhyun crested with Skyla piggybacked, collapsed gasping.
"Good work."
Handed tendon to Choi Muhyun, Kim Jun rappelled down smooth.
Descent under thirty seconds.
Kim Jun eyed Yeom Sang-taek.
"Your turn."
"...Yeah."
Yeom spat saliva on hands, climbed slow... steady...
Kim Jun piggybacked Yoo Min-jeong, bound tight with tendon.
"Too tight, say."
"Perfect."
Twisted to smile at Yoo Min-jeong, tied Formium core to end. Pull up top, core comes too. No leaving prize after all that.
Yeom Sang-taek summited.
"Here goes."
Kim Jun gripped, climbed swift.
Yeongun Island climbs paid off. Extra Yoo Min-jeong weight, speed unchanged.
"I was wrong."
Yoo Min-jeong whispered.
"About?"
"Wanted to cling to team lead at all costs. Bluff, I guess. Thought cool, but pathetic really. Now I know. Like I said, lead us from here. I'll support max."
Hanging midair, Kim Jun craned to eye her.
"Got it. Hold announcement for now. Blow up big. But nothing changes."
"Okay."
5 a.m.
Eleven hours passed.
"Still not out?"
Voice from behind. Go Cheolmin spun, startled.
"Ma'am?"
"Something fun brewing inside. No other reason to stay this late."
Yang Hee-seon smiled softly, stood beside, eyed gate.
"Here for Roulette Team? Don't worry. They're near gate, out before close."
"Came for you."
"Pardon?"
"Apology due. And a gift."
"Apology?"
Yang Hee-seon admitted leaking Kim Jun's video via Daily Raiders. Skipped how Association prank escalated mess.
"Why?"
"No pain, no growth."
Go Cheolmin was stunned at claim of big push for Kim Jun. One more spotlight, might snag him outright.
"No need for gift."
Go Cheolmin cut cold.
"Heh, I give to whom I want."
Yang Hee-seon no pushover.
"I know. But decide after hearing. What's the gift?"
"You'll see soon. Tricky, but helpful for you."
Riddling.
"Pass."
"Decide post-view. Anyway, eat with Kim Jun when out. I'll call."
Yang Hee-seon decided unilaterally.
Crazy Buffer gone, Go Cheolmin fretted Pink Team return, wondered forced gift. From her caliber, no ordinary thing.
Pillar of light turned blue.
Blue meant gate closing soon—get out now.
Jang Geon-ho, pacing gate, scowled. This late? Something happened beyond dark.
F-rank, why? Crossed boundary?
"Out now!"
Tanker Shin Jong-su yelled.
Buffer Kim Ye-geun, dealer Yoon Hye-jeong agreed.
Jang Geon-ho nodded, walked gate. Feet dragged, kept glancing back.
Kim Jun... truly baffling guy.
Carrier pulling impossible feats.
Yeom Sang-taek'd miss him bad. Timid but caring, perfect buffer fit. Grandma took as client? Talent sign. Train hard, great buffer potential.
Shin Jong-su, Kim Ye-geun, Yoon Hye-jeong, Hwang Myeong-su filed out.
Last, Jang Geon-ho glanced back.
Then, Kim Jun emerged from dark, Yoo Min-jeong piggybacked—like magic.
Choi Muhyun followed with Skyla, Yeom Sang-taek ran hugging heavy odd core.
"Loitering? Gate closing."
Kim Jun passed, exited.
Choi Muhyun just eyed same question, passed.
Yeom Sang-taek alone stopped.
"Not going?"
"...Gotta."
Jang Geon-ho regretted true 11-hour wait.
But Pink Team safe, mood lifted.
Kim Jun entered core room cradling Formium core.
Staffer in oxygen tank, special suit approached, flinched at Kim Jun. Recognized from news fame.
"Team leads only here."
"Team exhausted, injured. I came instead."
"...No precedent, but one core, fine. Huh? New core?"
Staff tried lifting Formium, gave up—too heavy.
"Formium."
"For... what?"
"Formium. Core from Formicans, ant ghosts."
"......"
Staff stared hard. What fresh nonsense? Kid piqued curiosity post-rumor, but bigger liar than thought. F-rank what?
Kim Jun stepped back.
Staff inspected rigorously to debunk lie, gaped wide.