Dungeon & Commander (128)
A few days after Skyla's serialization began, the views on Lee Ha-yoon's Dungeon Striker had plummeted to half, and now they didn't even reach 20% of her previous numbers.
"There's only one Raider Queen, and that's Sa Yeonggyo. The real draw is who becomes the Raider King."
Lee Ha-yoon turned back to the MC.
"Who do you think will be the Raider King, Ms. Lee Ha-yoon?"
"Kang Hyeonseong, obviously. I've known that kid since he was little, so I know him inside out. He's talented and hardworking. A practice maniac, so boring you wouldn't believe it, haha."
Lee Ha-yoon expected the MC and panel to laugh at her words, but no one did.
"I hear there's a rumor that Kang Hyeonseong signed a pre-contract with Jushin?"
"Just baseless gossip. He hasn't even gotten his awakening score yet—how could there be a contract?"
Lee Ha-yoon knew Kang Hyeonseong was coming to Jushin, but she played it cool.
"Experts predict Kang Hyeonseong's awakening score at a whopping 49 points."
"In my view, he'll break right through 50."
Lee Ha-yoon said confidently.
"Breaking 50 would mean a so-called genius-level Raider is born. Now, to Ms. Skyla. Drawing from your experience as a journalist, who do you think will be the Raider King?"
Cha Young-woo looked at Skyla.
"I think it's Kim Jun."
Calm tone. Cha Young-woo, caught off guard, asked again with an awkward expression.
"May I ask why?"
"Gut feeling."
"Ah, yes. We'll look forward to that journalist's instinct. Next, critic Do Hak-seong."
Cha Young-woo shifted his gaze to the elderly man in modified hanbok.
Do Hak-seong was in his mid-40s but looked like he was in his 70s due to the aftereffects of dungeon sickness, his face covered in deep wrinkles.
After multiple suicide attempts born of despair, he'd started a new life as a critic for reasons he never revealed. Because he'd experienced dungeons as a Raider, people listened to his near-insulting critiques.
"Looking at those two's judgment styles, you can glimpse the internal vibes of Jushin Guild and Uramata Guild. To me, they reek of childishness, arbitrariness, and selfishness—so thick I couldn't breathe there. Otherwise, they wouldn't push Kang Hyeonseong and Kim Jun."
His shrill voice flowed out slowly, sticking firmly in the mind.
At his venom, both Lee Ha-yoon and Skyla flushed red.
"What do you think, Mr. Do Hak-seong?"
Cha Young-woo said.
"According to so-called experts, Kang Hyeonseong scores 49, Yoo Myeong-seok 45, Gu Se-jun 42. All excellent scores. In my view, Gu Se-jun will be this test's king."
"Why is that?"
"Explaining that would take an hour. Is that okay?"
"Haha, we'll hear it next time then."
Cha Young-woo now faced the camera directly. It was time to announce the list viewers were waiting for.
"Viewers! Here we go! Today's expected passers list!"
Sa Yeonggyo ― Independent
Kang Hyeonseong ― Jangyang Academy
Yoo Myeong-seok ― GTK Academy
Gu Se-jun ― Haeundae Academy
……
Jo Nam-sik ― Seoul Academy
Kim Jun ― Uramata Guild
"A total of 37 names. As expected, Sa Yeonggyo tops the list. Then the Raider King candidates, and at the end, the controversial Kim Jun. Experts have included him on the passers list. We'll have more details after the break."
Sa Yeonggyo, heading back to her window seat, stopped in front of the man of the hour.
The exam hall fell suddenly quiet. Eyes turned to Sa Yeonggyo and Kim Jun.
Sa Yeonggyo scanned Kim Jun.
Everything was displeasing except for those clear, deep eyes.
His hair a tangled mess from skipping the dryer, a stretched-out round-neck tee exposing his collar, a sloppily thrown-on sweater, jeans worn thin at the hems, and sneakers that looked five years old.
Not a hint of neatness anywhere.
This was like smearing shit on Choi Min-su and Yeon Un-jae's faces.
In contrast, Sa Yeonggyo rocked a tomboy style.
A sleek black suit hugging her figure, white collar peeking out. No socks, but Italian handmade designer shoes.
Sa Yeonggyo clicked her tongue inwardly.
This guy's just an idiot. Like those reckless solo climbers who crawl up Everest without oxygen and collapse at the summit, addicted to the thrill right before death. Sure, I get that rush too, but I don't play the fool. He's survived on luck so far. How long can that last?
Having judged him, Sa Yeonggyo bowed her head forward and whispered.
"Live like that, and you'll die soon."
Kim Jun looked up at Sa Yeonggyo.
"Who?"
"……."
Absurd. Sa Yeonggyo nearly burst out laughing.
Doesn't know me?
He was the only one in this exam hall who didn't know her name. Or maybe he did and was pretending. Yeah, that must be it.
A poser thinking it boosts his stock.
Her guess hardened into certainty.
Sa Yeonggyo lightly touched the leather belt at her waist.
In that instant, cold metallic mana gathered along the belt, condensing into a transparent whip.
As she walked back to her window seat, Sa Yeonggyo swung the metal whip behind her.
Thwack.
As expected, the metal whip crossed the space and coiled around Kim Jun's desk.
Sa Yeonggyo gave it a slight tug.
The desk should have lifted, startling him... but it didn't budge.
Turning, Sa Yeonggyo found Kim Jun staring at her, elbow pressing down on the desk.
She immediately dispersed the metal whip.
This guy... he knew?
In this exam hall, only he had noticed and blocked the metal whip.
Actually, two more.
A 2-meter giant and a South American-style examinee. The bell rang, and the proctor entered.
Seated, Sa Yeonggyo glanced at Kim Jun.
Find the volume of the solid formed by rotating the following equation about the line y = x (where x ≥ 0).
Jo Nam-sik snapped the pencil in his hand.
Snap.
He couldn't fathom why a math problem appeared on the awakening test written exam.
If differential or integral knowledge was needed for mana arrangements in spellcasting, fine—but!
This crap isn't needed in real combat. The Korean Dungeon Association is a total mess. Africa's wilder vibe is way better.
This chair was torture too, way too small even sitting.
He glanced sideways.
Kim Jun's pencil never stopped moving.
A perfect-score Suneung kid like him probably found it easy. Jo Nam-sik hated that.
Deliberately, he wedged an eraser between his fingers. Aimed at the guy.
Eat this.
The launched eraser whistled across two meters toward Kim Jun's temple—enough force to knock out a normal person.
Kim Jun raised his left hand, catching it lightly between index and middle finger.
Jo Nam-sik's eyes narrowed.
...That guy.
Kim Jun turned, mouthing silently.
Thanks.
Jo Nam-sik scowled. The proctor approached. Both ducked their heads, focusing on the exam.
As the proctor passed, Jo Nam-sik glanced to catch the eraser—but a sheet of paper lay on the floor next to Kim Jun. Tiny math formulas scrawled on it.
He knew instantly what it was.
"Proctor!"
Jo Nam-sik raised his hand.
"What is it?"
"Cheating, I think."
Jo Nam-sik pointed at Kim Jun.
Proctor Jang Man-ho approached, frowning, and picked up the paper.
"Is this yours?"
"No......"
Kim Jun's calm voice trailed off. He was flustered.
The handwriting on the formulas was too familiar. Even the summary style matched.
"Asking again. Yours?"
"...Yes. But I don't know how it got here."
"Follow me."
Jang Man-ho signaled the assistant proctor at the back, then led Kim Jun into the hallway.
Following slowly, Kim Jun thought.
Definitely my handwriting. Could it have fallen from my bag? Maybe I pocketed it to review later and it dropped? No. Those trig functions... I saw them at least a week ago. No need to review; I was confident. Already tossed the practice notebook.
Bam! Like a blow to the head.
If someone got that notebook? And that paper was from it?
Someone dropped it on purpose!
Who?
Another examinee? That finger-flipping guy?
Or the woman who suddenly appeared and swung the cold mana whip?
Kim Jun had no choice but to follow the proctor.
The meeting room buzzed.
"We need to announce his disqualification for cheating right now! Delay it, and our committee takes the heat."
Lee Dong-ju from the Exam Management Committee.
Jang Man-ho glanced up at him.
That spittle-flying bastard had cheated on the written awakening test 19 years ago but got off because the proctor was from the same academy.
If he had any conscience, he'd stay dead quiet.
A few chimed in agreement.
They represented the Association's stance.
Those hesitating or silent were mostly ex-Raiders wary of giants like Cheonhondan.
"Kim Jun admits the formulas are his handwriting, but we can't rule out it being a very similar forgery."
Their logic was flimsy.
A slender, chopstick-thin middle-aged woman raised her hand; the chairman granted her the floor.
Jang Man-ho didn't even look at the slowly rising Sim Seon-hui. No expectations.
"No handwriting analysis yet, but since he admits it's his, no need to belabor it. I say we don't cover or downplay this. No—we need aggressive action."
"What do you mean by aggressive?"
The chairman asked.
"Did Kim Jun cheat just this once? Or get caught just this once?"
A loaded question.
The committee grasped it instantly.
Kim Jun was known as a perfect Suneung scorer. If he'd cheated there too... this was huge.
"I'll call the Ministry of Education right now. I know a high official there."
Sim Seon-hui bragged her connections, pulling out her phone for the call. After her one-sided report, she smiled smugly at the committee.
"He was shocked and promised a full investigation."
Sim Seon-hui sat primly, smirking.
Like nudging a snowball the size of a fist—it rolls down, growing, until it's an avalanche burying the forest.
Jang Man-ho watched his decision snowball. But he wouldn't stop it.
No way to now anyway.
He pulled a photo from his wallet.
His teammates smiling brightly at the camera... weren't here. Of the raid team, only Jang Man-ho survived.
Shouldn't have taken the photo.
Rumor among Raiders: no group photos before entering a dungeon.
Memories blurred.
Who suggested it first? He couldn't recall.