Dungeon & Commander (145)
Kim Jun was startled. Do Jong-man's belt, of all things!
Sa Yeonggyo pulled out her phone and showed him just how incredible an item Do Jong-man's belt was.
◈ Crafted with utmost care by Do Jong-man, one of the world's top item makers, this belt proudly belongs to the renowned Do Jong-man Series.
◈ Infused with Do Jong-man's secret core-forging technique, it's an item any mage would kill for.
◈ Sold to Park Hyun-woo, the legendary raider who later became Dungeon Association President—the price remains a mystery, but rumors say 1.5 billion won back then, equivalent to 20 billion in today's value.
To think he'd get to see one of the Do Jong-man Series items—called legendary for a reason—with his own eyes.
Kim Jun stared at the belt with enchanted eyes, then blurted out,
"Can I touch it?"
"Of course."
Any other guy saying that would've gotten slapped. But Kim Jun's gaze... wasn't on her slim waist at all. It was locked solely on Do Jong-man's belt.
She considered herself plenty attractive, so Sa Yeonggyo felt a twinge of disappointment.
The moment his fingertips brushed the belt's surface, Kim Jun felt a thrilling rush. At least three cores pulsed from the leather alone. There had to be two or more hidden inside.
This must be Do Jong-man's secret core-forging technique. Fusing multiple cores, flattening them thin, and embedding them into items... no one's replicated it yet, right?
It was impressive, but Kim Jun wasn't jealous.
Items were just tools, after all.
They boosted your power right away, but they couldn't make you truly strong in the end. That was why, even after becoming the wielder of the Cheonroegeom, he'd poured everything into mastering Mokhonbo.
The Cheonroegeom could be taken away at any time.
Stolen like last time, or handed over due to circumstances.
Huh?
Sa Yeonggyo, who'd expected envy in his eyes, sensed something off.
"I've got a favor to ask."
"Shoot."
She was sure it would be something like, "Can I try it on just once?" No raider could see Do Jong-man's belt and not say that.
"Phantom Walk. Mind showing me?"
"Phantom Walk? Here?"
Kim Jun nodded with serious eyes. Sa Yeonggyo realized one thing.
This guy's more into skills than items. Yeah, that's right. Items are consumables, after all.
Right there, she unleashed Phantom Walk. Her body split into two, then four, instantly surrounding Kim Jun from all sides—front, back, left, right. She zipped around him swiftly before ending the footwork.
Kim Jun's jaw dropped, his face full of awe.
It felt like glimpsing a new world!
The complex yet precise, even beautiful arrangement, connection, and activation of mana overwhelmed him. Phantom Walk was more flawless than any skill he'd sensed with his aura so far. It was like peering into the perfect inner workings of a machine, without a single error.
He wanted to learn Phantom Walk somehow. If he could master that skill, he could do anything.
Kim Jun bit his lip, calming his excitement.
What he'd just witnessed was the fruit of Sa Yeonggyo's blood, sweat, and tears. The skill was amazing, but if he had to envy something, it was the immense time and effort behind it.
I'm walking my own path.
If I stay true to it and pour in my blood and sweat, maybe someday I'll encounter something even cooler than Phantom Walk, far off in the distance.
To reach that, I need to walk this path harder—the path of Mokhonbo.
Glancing at Sa Yeonggyo, Kim Jun said,
"We're gonna be late. Let's go."
The heavy wooden door stood wide open.
Examinees wandered among life-sized wax figures, eyeing bronze busts and wall-hung portraits. Most seemed familiar with the Honor Hall 'Final Room', just waiting to grab their souvenirs and leave the building.
"Mind lending me your phone for a sec?"
At the door, Kim Jun asked. Sa Yeonggyo stared at him.
"Gotta make a call. Too many texts; can't even turn it on."
She'd been in the same boat as the Association President's granddaughter. Handing over her phone, Sa Yeonggyo headed into the Final Room first.
Kim Jun dialed.
"Master, it's me."
— Kim Jun? Whose number is this?
"Borrowed it."
— Your phone must be blowing up. Anyway, congrats. You finally made raider. I always knew this day would come, but now that it's real... feels kinda weird. How about you?
"More importantly, do you know about Phantom Walk?"
— ...What?
"Phantom Walk. The footwork where your body hovers slightly and moves freely front, back, left, right."
— Of course. Every raider knows it. Sa Gyeongbaek's skill. Why?
"I saw it. It was insane."
Kim Jun's voice trembled with excitement.
— Don't tell me the Association President showed up in person?
"Nah. One of the examinees is his granddaughter."
— Sa Yeonggyo?
"Yeah."
Kim Jun almost mentioned the phone's owner but held back.
— Sa Yeonggyo used Phantom Walk? Impressive. Mastering it at her age.
"Master, can I learn Phantom Walk? Or... any way to learn it?"
Kim Jun spoke in a low, heavy tone. Silence from Go Cheolmin on the other end.
"Guess not, huh?"
— You call that asking? You can't learn Phantom Walk without the Association President's permission. You're in the middle of mastering Mokhonbo, and you've got two amazing patronesses. Learning their skills alone could take a lifetime.
Go Cheolmin's bafflement came through clearly.
"Yeah, I figured. You're right, Master."
— Good thinking.
"So, about that... I'm dying to know what comes after 'Dang' in Mokhonbo—the 'Chu'. Once I get it, I won't obsess over stuff like Phantom Walk."
Master fell silent again. He'd caught on late—Kim Jun had dangled Phantom Walk as bait to pry out Mokhonbo's Chu.
— Is that why you called?
"You know I can't stand not knowing."
— And 'Tan'?
"Used it in the practical. Wouldn't have passed without it."
— Fine.
Go Cheolmin sighed and concisely explained Chu's essence.
If 'Dang' combined Tan and Po, 'Chu' delved deeper into Dang's principles.
Only after hearing it twice did Kim Jun feel satisfied.
— Heading into the Honor Hall?
"Right in front."
Calls were blocked inside the Honor Hall due to the magic circles there.
— It'll be fun.
"What will?"
— See you later.
The call ended.
Fun? Kim Jun tilted his head. Receiving Memurium in the Honor Hall was like an awards ceremony. What could be so fun about it?
Kim Jun entered the Honor Hall, pondering how to train Mokhonbo Chu.
He glanced at Sa Yeonggyo, surrounded by examinees. Fitting popularity for the Association President's granddaughter.
Gotta return the phone later.
He stood before a full-body statue of a sleek, model-like man. It was Park Hyun-woo, Dungeon Association's first president and Honor Hall inductee #1, depicted in his prime midlife form.
Cheonhondan's founder, Lee Uk-hwan, stood beside him, glaring at Park Hyun-woo. Lee was also a charismatic midlife figure.
Jushin and Cheonhondan weren't on great terms even now, but back when those two were alive, they were sworn enemies.
The 'First Tanker' Lee Uk-hwan had also systematized tankers' basic skills and training.
Kim Jun stood before Lee Uk-hwan. His heart raced.
Unyielding Tanker, Lee Uk-hwan—a book he'd read seven times. Stories of Lee smashing through obstacles and charging ahead had given strength to Kim Jun when he decided to become a carrier.
Words Lee often said to his comrades before battle came to mind.
"Let's become monsters."
"They can't kill us. We'll kill them and get stronger."
"The stronger they are, the more my heart races."
While training and studying to become a carrier, Kim Jun had drawn power from Lee Uk-hwan's quotes to endure endless pain.
If only he'd been born sooner—he might've met the man. Gazing at the life-sized wax figure, Kim Jun felt regret.
A rumor about the Honor Hall surfaced.
On December 31st at midnight, the exact moment the year ended and a new one began... the statues in the Honor Hall supposedly came alive, walked around, spoke—and even the portraits on the walls moved.
The internet had plenty of serious theories explaining it.
Kim Jun smiled faintly.
If it were true, he'd sneak into the Honor Hall on New Year's Eve to chat with Lee Uk-hwan.
"You're joining Cheonhondan, right?"
Turning at the voice, Kim Jun spotted examinee Kang Hyeonseong.
Kim Jun just stared. Explaining he was already with Uramata Guild wouldn't change the guy's mind.
"Oh, right—you were Cheonhondan from the start. My bad. Anyway, I'm heading to Jushin. Let's do well from here on."
Kang Hyeonseong extended a hand.
Kim Jun shook it. Cold mana flowed—ice attribute, like Skyla.
With genius awakening scores and rare ice affinity, he'd snag a massive contract with Jushin.
Other examinees approached too, assuming Kim Jun was Cheonhondan like Kang.
"That Po-noe Strike was the best!"
"Party next week to celebrate—coming?"
"Join the OO Skill Research Club?"
Kim Jun brushed them off vaguely.
Fatigue hit. More than that, he was bored—dying to seriously train Mokhonbo Chu. When would they finally hand out the Memurium?
Sa Yeonggyo finally broke free and approached.
Returning the phone, Kim Jun yawned.
Her eyes lit up at him.
"It's about to get fun."
"Fun?"
The guild master had said the same.
"You'll see."
A familiar face entered the room.
As Guild Management Director Lee Wan-yeol entered with Yi Dong-ju, Park Myeong-seop carefully closed the large, heavy door.
"We commend everyone's hard work today. All of you here passed the awakening test. So please enjoy the final ceremony at your leisure."
Lee Wan-yeol raised a hand, and Park Myeong-seop opened the material bag he'd brought, handing a small case to his superior. Lee took out three fingernail-sized metal pieces from the jewel box and walked to the central dais in the Honor Hall.
The round dais had three holes. Lee inserted the metal pieces one by one and stepped back.
The dais began to glow faintly.
Kim Jun found himself drawn toward it unconsciously. An intense energy emanated from it.
Then—flash!
A massive wave of mana erupted from the dais in concentric circles, spreading to every corner of the Honor Hall.
Kim Jun was speechless as the mana wave pierced through him like a physical force.
The mana enveloped the full-body statues, wrapped the busts, and seeped into the wall portraits.
The statues' arms twitched.
The busts opened their eyes.
The portrait figures stretched.
Kim Jun gaped at the living Honor Hall.
"It's Demoben."
Sa Yeonggyo whispered.
"...What's that?"
Kim Jun couldn't tear his eyes from Lee Uk-hwan, cracking his knuckles with a pop.
"A way to make living statues or paintings."
"That's possible?"
He looked at Sa Yeonggyo.
"They use body parts like hair in the creation process, from what I hear—but I'm not sure. Details are the maker's trade secret. Anyway, Demoben works with cores like Lyrium, Spiritium, and Moderium to power them up and make them move."
Demoben relates to golem-making, Golemium.
Sa Yeonggyo kept that part to herself.
Kim Jun was likable enough, but not for sharing major secrets.
"So... fakes?"
"Not just fakes. These figures hold fragments of the famous raiders' memories. Sure, they're like repeating mannequins due to limited recall. But the final awakening test event... it's to inspire you future raiders. Imagine Park Hyun-woo or Lee Uk-hwan handing out Memurium themselves—electric, right?"
Kim Jun nodded. He could hardly believe Lee Uk-hwan was moving. He'd never forget this.
"How strong are they? Compared to their prime."
"Why curious?"
"Just wondering."
"Even fully powered, maybe 5%. Raiders like Park Hyun-woo and Lee Uk-hwan... they were the real deal."
Kim Jun was shocked by "5%." These were raiders whose legends filled thick books—no ignoring that power, even in wax.