Dungeon & Commander (248)
A truck charred pitch-black filled the screen.
Yoo Wan-seop, arms crossed, stared intently at the monitor before speaking.
"Next."
Bang Su-cheol pressed the spacebar, and the next photo appeared.
This time, it was a limp, floppy Magic Creeper. The root bulb was smashed, but it was still identifiable as that type.
Hmm, not the worst kind. Then again, against an ordinary person, even this would be plenty lethal.
"We're investigating this incident in connection with the recent Absorption Tree case," Bang Su-cheol said cautiously.
Yoo Wan-seop gazed steadily at the investigator.
"Cycle through the photos every ten seconds. Can you do that?"
"Yes, sir."
Moments later, a photo appeared of the driver's leg where the creeper had been pulled out. The next image followed automatically.
Bang Su-cheol's lips were moving silently. He was probably counting seconds before hitting the key.
Yoo Wan-seop chuckled inwardly.
They finished the crime scene photos in under ten minutes.
"Any video?"
"I was just about to show you."
Bang Su-cheol played footage from a nearby vehicle's black box.
As the investigation records indicated, the truck had deliberately caused the crash.
Flames erupted in an instant.
Go Cheolmin rushed to the truck first, with Kim Jun right behind. Even as Go Cheolmin shouted, "Get back!", Kim Jun plunged into the blaze with utter naturalness. At that sight, Yoo Wan-seop found himself smiling unwittingly.
What a guy. I really like him.
His daughter, precious enough to put his eye out for, came to mind. This time, a sigh escaped him.
What's so great about a guy like this?
He felt eyes on him.
A glance revealed Bang Su-cheol watching. Apparently, his sigh had been louder than expected.
Yoo Wan-seop pretended not to notice and focused on the video.
Go Cheolmin and Kim Jun were dragging the truck driver to safety. Go Cheolmin tried first to extract the Magic Creeper from the driver's leg but snapped it midway. Astonishingly, Kim Jun thrust his hand into the thigh and deftly pulled out the bulb intact.
It looked like a practiced move.
Though of course, that was impossible.
"The lead investigator suspected Team Leader Kim because of that scene," Bang Su-cheol said.
"Because he was so skilled?"
"Yes. Even if I'd been on the case, I'd have zeroed in on any connection to Team Leader Kim."
Yoo Wan-seop immediately grasped why Bang Su-cheol was saying this. Without a proper explanation, Kim Jun could remain under suspicion.
Since it involved a guild-affiliated team leader, Yoo Wan-seop decided he needed to clarify things definitively.
"Play it again."
Bang Su-cheol worked the computer.
Only after replaying the scene a few times did Yoo Wan-seop realize Kim Jun had used a classic carrier technique. It was the digging skill—finding and extracting cores from monster corpses with a digger and gloved hands.
Of course, digging a core from a massive monster body was worlds apart from yanking a creeper root from a human leg, but Kim Jun had cleverly adapted his know-how to save the driver's life.
Yoo Wan-seop explained this to Bang Su-cheol.
"Ah! So it was a carrier skill. I had no idea."
"It's called digging. The Association has plenty of footage—compare it yourself."
"Understood."
Yoo Wan-seop nearly burst out laughing at Bang Su-cheol's earnest demeanor.
Kim Jun had mastered digging as a carrier, and that's what led to the misunderstanding.
After reviewing all the video evidence, Yoo Wan-seop dove into the full investigation files.
Bang Su-cheol remained seated at the computer, ready to assist.
Yoo Wan-seop had no intention of letting him go, even if other duties called. A veteran at hand meant instant answers to any questions.
He started with the interrogation of Lee Myeong-cheol, the man paid 100 million upfront and 300 million later to stage the crash. Near-death had loosened his tongue completely, but it yielded no leads on the culprit.
The phone used to contact Lee Myeong-cheol was a burner—untraceable.
No clues from the upfront cash bills either.
Knowing Lee Myeong-cheol's desperate finances, the team had scoured his family, relatives, and acquaintances. Mountains of data, yet no suspects.
"Did you meet Lee Myeong-cheol in person?"
"Yes."
"What did you make of him?"
"Perfect mark for exploitation. I even wondered if I'd choose differently in his shoes."
An un-investigator-like admission, but Yoo Wan-seop appreciated it.
Fortunately, forensics delivered.
Precise analysis of the Magic Creeper matched it to Lee Heon-man and Oh Jeong-suk in the database. Both had handled or produced that creeper type before.
Lee Heon-man was a distributor of Magic Creepers and various items; Oh Jeong-suk, nicknamed "Juliet," was a creeper maker.
The team focused on locating them, but both had vanished. Families hadn't heard from them in ages.
Stakes-out proved fruitless.
Other investigators poked fences, black market contacts, and similar offenders—no dice.
"Hmm. So find these two, and we're done."
"Exactly."
Yoo Wan-seop pulled out his phone and dialed a number etched deep in his memory.
Then he waited.
—Big bro's finally calling.
"Need you to find someone."
—Who?
"Lee Heon-man and Oh Jeong-suk. One's a Magic Creeper distributor, the other..."
—A maker, yeah.
"Can you track them?"
—If big bro asks, I'll find 'em. Call you back.
Ending the call, Yoo Wan-seop noticed Bang Su-cheol staring.
"Mind if I ask who that was?"
"Better if you don't know."
Involving a rule-abiding investigator would complicate things.
"Ah, got it."
Bang Su-cheol understood immediately. Yoo Wan-seop stood.
"Any leads of your own?"
A sharp question.
Yoo Wan-seop met Bang Su-cheol's eyes squarely, weighing his options. Mention Mae Gyu-pil? Could this well-connected detective yield something? Possible, but premature.
"If anything comes up, I'll let you know."
"Uh, the Director's waiting for you."
Yoo Wan-seop fixed the investigator with a steady gaze.
"...I didn't tell him. Another staffer must have."
"Understood."
Investigation Director Seo Yunhyeong would sulk if Yoo Wan-seop left HQ without a word, especially after the lockdown fiasco. A quick visit wouldn't hurt.
As he stepped into the hall, his phone rang. Checking the number, Yoo Wan-seop answered.
"What is it?"
—I'd like to see you now.
The voice was normal, but this was prime training season. For the guild master to request a personal meeting meant big trouble.
What could it be?
"Alright. Association HQ."
—HQ?
"Problem?"
—No, sir. On my way.
Kim Jun hung up abruptly.
Yoo Wan-seop loved that straightforwardness. No fluff—just the essentials. It matched his own long-pursued style.
Of course, thinking of his daughter... it flipped every evaluation.
Why does Min-jeong like that guy?
Fine, feelings happen... but why now? Ten years from now would be perfect.
Yoo Wan-seop headed for the Director's office.
* * *
Pedestrians were crossing the crosswalk right ahead.
"So we can't tell who sent the courier delivery. Got it."
Kim Jun ended the call. He hadn't expected much from the courier service receptionist.
He glanced at the wooden box on the passenger seat.
Who the hell?
Sending such an expensive item via courier.
He vividly remembered the chaos from finding the Cheonroegeom in a dungeon.
One sword had nearly gotten his friend kidnapped and killed.
The White Spear wasn't Cheonroegeom-level treasure, but no trivial gift for a fan either.
What was the sender's intent?
What trouble would the spear drag him into?
With the Sokcho raid looming, even minor issues could snowball. That's why he'd left the raid center immediately to meet the guild master.
Kim Jun eyed the box again.
He cautiously opened the lid.
A pristine white orb-like White Spear rested on soft silk, shimmering iridescently.
The more he looked, the more he yearned to touch it.
His hand extended on instinct.
The instant his fingertip brushed the White Spear, a flash erupted. Nothing like when his teammates had handled it in turns.
A cool, invigorating energy surged through his finger.
He'd been in the driver's seat of Choi Muhyun's borrowed Jeep moments ago. Now, he stood on a forest path, sunny after rain.
Which was real? He couldn't tell for a second.
A water droplet from a leaf tip splashed his shoulder—chillingly vivid and real.
Like waking from a long dream...
"Hup! Yah!"
A kiai echoed nearby.
Kim Jun drifted toward it.
Off the path, in a clearing, a young man swung a sword.
Kim Jun recognized him instantly.
Yeon Chung-jae!
He even knew the sword art.
Yeon Ga Shipil Geom.
The form he'd just executed was the third stance, Yeon Jung. Unlike the precision-focused first stance Yeon Yeop or speed-emphasizing second Yeon Chwi, Yeon Jung's essence was weight.
A slow but devastating strike—that was Yeon Jung.
The sword flowed from Yeon Jung through Yeon Seok, Yeon Gang, Yeon Yu, Yeon Gon, Yeon Cham, Yeon Ho to Yeon Sim.
But it broke before the final, pinnacle stance: Yeon Gi.
Kim Jun, entranced, felt the disappointment keenly.
Yeon Chung-jae sighed and reset, flowing smoothly from Yeon Yeop to Yeon Sim. Clearly, Yeon Gi was the issue.
Kim Jun focused on the second stance, Yeon Chwi.
Elegant, flawless motion—no excess.
Regrettably, Yeon Chung-jae's Yeon Chwi was mere practice fruit. What Kim Jun needed was the process.
How do I learn Yeon Chwi?
Then—honk honk!
Startled, Kim Jun saw cars speeding past the Jeep. The light had changed, and irked drivers behind were blaring horns.
He slammed the lid shut and hit the gas.
His heart pounded.
The White Spear might have solved a long-standing puzzle.
Yeon Chung-jae's memory.
No matter his efforts, he couldn't access that buried recollection. Its emergence was unpredictable.
If he could summon it at will, he'd grow stronger far faster...
At the next light, Kim Jun fought the urge to grab the White Spear.
Finally resisting, he drove on—till Association HQ loomed.
Staring at it felt odd.
He'd entered that building for his awakening test... and nearly died. Even after passing written, practical, and awakening chamber stages, he'd never imagined such chaos.
Truly, the longest day of his life.
He descended to the underground garage.
One spot left in the corner.
From the trunk, he grabbed a large shopping bag. He slipped the White Spear into the bag with the Yeonhyangcho set, then headed for the elevator.
A voice called from behind.
"Kim."
Turning, Kim Jun recognized him.
Planning Coordinator Ma Jung-hyeon.
Architect of the lockdown.
The man who'd tried to kill him stood there, yet Kim Jun's mind was strangely serene.
No anger, oddly.
Only as Ma Jung-hyeon approached did he realize why. He'd won that clash. Victory meant no need for rage.
Of course, he wouldn't forget the debt owed.
Collecting now might be tough, but step by step, growing stronger—he'd claim it with interest someday.
Please don't die before then, old man.
"Hello, Planning Coordinator. First time meeting."
Kim Jun greeted brightly. Ma Jung-hyeon, eyes sharpening slightly, chuckled.
"Youth is grand. What brings you to HQ?"
"Business."
No need to tip this old fox about the guild master.
"Here for Yoo Wan-seop? Hmm, that shopping bag?"
"..."
In that moment, Kim Jun suspected the schemer dubbed Sama Jungdal had sent the White Spear.
If so... what's the goal?