Dungeon & Commander (15)
Thud.
Kim Jun's fist slammed into Choi Muhyun's gut.
"Ugh, still hurts like hell. But come on, I really wanna know. Can't you just tell me who won?"
"I lost."
"No way."
Choi Muhyun's eyes went wide.
Yeom Sang-taek and Yoo Min-jeong came in together, opening the door. Kim Jun glanced over, but Yeom Sang-taek quickly averted his gaze and headed to the locker room.
Spotting the bandage on Yeom Sang-taek's forehead, Choi Muhyun tilted his head.
Who the hell did that?
Yoo Min-jeong stopped in front of Kim Jun.
"What happened to your head?"
"Ran into a utility pole while jogging."
"……."
Yoo Min-jeong let out a sigh.
"You two, were you fighting?"
Go Cheolmin asked.
"No."
"Never happened."
Kim Jun and Yeom Sang-taek answered in unison.
Yoo Min-jeong looked curious about what was going on, but Choi Muhyun just grinned.
Training began.
Today's terrain was a grassy field overgrown with tall blades, and the monsters set to appear were Wyresauruses and Silberysauruses. The goal was to maintain perfect formation in the thick grass that obscured vision and hunt down the charging monsters.
"Diamond formation."
Yoo Min-jeong issued the command.
The team entered the grass. The wind rustled the weeds, sending whispers of shh-shh from all directions. Beyond the range of the light orb Yeom Sang-taek had launched, it was pitch black.
"Buffer, cast Strong on the tanker."
No response from Yeom Sang-taek despite Yoo Min-jeong's order.
"Buffer!"
"…What'd you say?"
"Strong, on the tanker."
"Got it."
Yeom Sang-taek cast the buff right away, but it failed. Choi Muhyun's body shuddered briefly from the backlash.
"Get it together."
"…Yeah."
He tried Strong again, but same result. The third attempt didn't land properly either. Panicking, Yeom Sang-taek desperately tried to force the buff through, but it wouldn't cooperate.
After five straight failures, an exhausted Choi Muhyun dropped to one knee.
That's when a Silberysaurus lunged at the tanker. The buffer had missed the stealthily approaching monster. It clamped down on Choi Muhyun's shoulder and shook viciously side to side.
A Silberysaurus appeared from the rear too. Kim Jun barely dove out of the way, and the monster snatched the bewildered buffer and vanished into the dark grass beyond.
Yoo Min-jeong fired off fire arrows relentlessly, but with the tanker and buffer down, there wasn't much a lone dealer could do.
She pulled up the simulator menu and hit the "Training End" button.
The windy plain vanished. The darkness receded. The dead team members revived.
Yoo Min-jeong stepped right up to Yeom Sang-taek.
He couldn't lift his head.
"Cast Strong on me."
"…Now?"
"Yes, now!"
"Okay."
Yeom Sang-taek failed ten times in a row. It wasn't until the fourteenth try that one finally landed.
"Keep going."
That was Yoo Min-jeong speaking.
His face crumpled, Yeom Sang-taek sweated bullets as he kept casting Strong, but against his hopes, failures far outnumbered successes. Out of thirty attempts, only two succeeded.
Not even 10% success rate.
"Hoo."
Yoo Min-jeong logged out.
Yeom Sang-taek's body trembled.
Choi Muhyun and Kim Jun just stood there silently. They knew no words could comfort him.
Yeom Sang-taek ended the simulation too.
Kim Jun, coming out of the simulator without even showering, spotted Yeom Sang-taek changing clothes in the locker room and bolting out of the guildhouse. As he followed, Go Cheolmin blocked his path.
"Come with me."
"…Pardon?"
"Didn't hear me? Follow."
"What about Sang-taek?"
"That's what this is about. So quit yapping and come on."
Kim Jun trailed after Go Cheolmin, who strode toward the parking lot.
Go Cheolmin got in the driver's seat and opened the passenger door.
Kim Jun sat down.
"Seatbelt."
"…Yes."
Kim Jun buckled up, clueless about their destination. The master had never taken him out like this before.
The car peeled out of the guildhouse and onto the road.
"Why do you think that guy's picking on you?"
"Beats me. Must be a reason. You know it?"
"I'm the master. Of course I do. Your turn—why's Sang-taek messing with you?"
"No idea. 'Cause I'm a carrier? Look weak?"
"That it?"
Silence stretched on.
"There's another reason?"
"Think about it. And help him out."
"…Who?"
"Yeom Sang-taek."
"Me?"
"Team leader's the usual pick, but Yoo Min-jeong's too sharp and proud for it."
"Would Sang-taek even want my help?"
"The guy's lost—doesn't know what he wants or what talent he's got. Anyway, you're my guy. If he bolts like that again, he might drown his heartbreak in booze."
"……."
Kim Jun was floored. Blackmailing him like that?
The hour-long drive ended.
"Forehead still hurt?"
Choi Muhyun asked.
"Not at all."
"Kimbap and tteokbokki? My treat."
"Next time."
"What? You're playing hard to get lately."
"See you tomorrow."
"Sure."
Kim Jun watched Choi Muhyun leave the guildhouse, then felt eyes on him.
He turned to see Yoo Min-jeong approaching. He took in her pretty yet authoritative face.
"You brought this on yourself."
"What do you mean?"
"Yeom Sang-taek's bugged by how un-carrier-like you act. That's why he picks on you. Lost his rhythm and tanked today because of it."
Yoo Min-jeong delivered her verdict with team-leader decisiveness.
"What's so un-carrier-like about me?"
Kim Jun realized belatedly that Yoo Min-jeong, like the master, knew the truth all along. And she'd let it slide. As team leader, she'd abandoned her duty to protect a teammate.
"Too damn confident. Staring me down right now like we're equals."
"Aren't we?"
"You're a carrier. I'm a raider."
"So?"
"So? Act more like a carrier. Sang-taek's on you now, but next it'll be some other raider. Unless you drop that attitude."
"You want me groveling?"
"…Not exactly."
Yoo Min-jeong searched for a better word than "grovel," but nothing fit.
"That's how you see it."
Kim Jun nodded slowly.
"Every raider thinks that way."
"Fine, for now."
"……."
Another "fine," with "for now" tacked on. No normal carrier talks to a raider like that.
Yoo Min-jeong turned and left.
The guildhouse fell quiet as she departed.
Alone, Kim Jun mulled her words.
"Un-carrier-like, huh……."
All his drive drained away.
He'd come this far aiming to be the best carrier.
Whatever. I didn't choose this path to please anyone.
Steeling himself, Kim Jun focused on his routine.
Lower body strength mattered for dealers too, not just buffers. Stable legs boosted spell success rates and power.
Studying hundreds of buffers' casting motions, Kim Jun was surprised.
"Huh?"
It was unexpected.
Yeom Sang-taek's lower body was rock-solid, top-tier even among raid video buffers. No shake right up to the buff's release.
Kim Jun knew little about buff mechanics—just the visible stance and motions.
Sang-taek's casting posture is flawless. Matches the elite buffs from raid vids. So why the crap success rate?
Something felt off. Then he recalled a raid led by Cheonhondan.
"Ah, that's it! Exactly!"
Kim Jun had found the answer.
A way to help Yeom Sang-taek.
That's when someone entered through the main gate.
Yeom Sang-taek.
Spotting Kim Jun, he shuffled awkwardly into the locker room. Kim Jun waited at the entrance.
"Forgot my wallet……."
Yeom Sang-taek awkwardly held up his wallet, not giving Kim Jun a chance to speak before bolting out.
Heading to the taxi stand, something rushed up fast from behind.
Not as sharp as in dungeons, but his senses worked in reality too.
He dodged, but the bat still clipped his shoulder.
Yeom Sang-taek tumbled forward and instinctively cast Healing. Treatment spells worked best early.
"Whoa, light came from that bastard's hand."
"Definitely a raider."
"Told ya. Moves too damn fast for normal. Raider punk."
The thugs chatted. Meanwhile, bats and pipes rained down on Yeom Sang-taek.
Screams burst out.
One man squatted in front of Yeom Sang-taek.
"Raider who doesn't know fear. Daring to mess with my boys? Can't waste that lucky power like this. Well, won't matter soon."
The man nodded, and a subordinate drew a knife, heading for Yeom Sang-taek's legs.
Stab a few key muscles to shreds, and full recovery's impossible.
He'd limp for life.
"…No!"
Yeom Sang-taek cried out.
Then Kim Jun leaped through the thugs, kicking the knife hand.
The blade flew onto the road.
Before they recovered, Kim Jun threw punches.
Thud thud.
Two thugs rolled on the ground.
A bat swung at him.
Kim Jun rolled aside, grabbed the boot aiming for his face, yanked it up, and shoved forward.
Another thug dropped to a punch from the side.
"Hey! That punk's running!"
The thugs yelled.
Yeom Sang-taek had fled.
They decided instantly.
No catching him—vent on the guy in front instead.
Kim Jun clenched his fists tight.
"Late today?"
Go Cheolmin, sipping cola in the parking lot, spotted Kim Jun approaching.
"Took the subway."
How long since he skipped morning jogs?
"What's with your face?"
"Fell."
Purple bruises everywhere. Swollen lips made talking a chore.
"Again? Tsk tsk, looks like a brawl."
"Nah."
"Try dodging next time. Your body's your asset."
"Yes, sir."
Entering the guildhouse, Kim Jun saw Yeom Sang-taek prepping for training. He noticed the gaze but deliberately looked away.
Choi Muhyun came over making a fuss.
The day began.
It was a brutal day.
Worse than usual.
Buff success rate under 10%.
With the sole buffer failing every cast, the team couldn't succeed.
Yoo Min-jeong seethed with venom.
Yeom Sang-taek silently took the verbal lashing.
Training ended.
"Quitting would help us most."
Yoo Min-jeong's parting words outside the simulator.
Yeom Sang-taek fled to the showers. He turned on the water and wept soundlessly. Tears washed away with the flow, but his heart still sobbed.
Why'd he run?
He was scared.
But he shouldn't have.
Skin pruned, he emerged. The guildhouse was silent.
Didn't want to go home.
He changed back into sim gear and climbed into simulator 3.
Flash faded; he floated a light to banish the dark.
Checked the menu. After hesitation, he disabled monsters. None would come now.
Loosened up, then ran through known buffs: Strong, Speed Up, Healing, Anti-Fire, Anti-Ice, Cure, Cure Poison. Skipped Help—needed a tanker.
One in five was tough.
"Why can't I do it?"
Yeom Sang-taek slumped.
Back to Magic School? Study with fresh newbies, ignore the scores?
If it raised his rate to 90%, 80%, even 70%, he'd go now.
But magic didn't improve just from endless practice.
Genius awakeners like Lee Hwan smashed walls effortlessly. Idols to normals, but average awakeners… envied geniuses, toiled daily, mostly hitting their limits.
He'd devoured dozens of books by top awakeners, hoping for clues.
Insights or enlightenments struck without warning.
Common thread: breakthroughs at unpredictable moments, leaping past current levels.
"Someday, I'll get there."