Dungeon & Commander (265)
Gu Mi-yeong was no longer smiling.
Every choice she made right now was aimed at one goal: the marriage of Lee Hwan and Sa Yeonggyo. That would mean a solid union between Brave and Ju Shin. Once the wedding happened, it was only a matter of time before Lee Hwan rose to guild master of Brave.
Then, Gu Mi-yeong could wield massive influence over both Ju Shin and Brave, ushering in sweeping changes.
How the hell did he figure it out?
In that instant, realization dawned.
This wasn't information leaked from someone's mouth. That old man had pieced it together himself in his head—analyzing all sorts of data to arrive at one of the most likely possibilities.
She could see why everyone made such a fuss over Ma Jung-hyeon.
How amazing would it be if a guy like that helped me out?
But that would never happen. If Ma Jung-hyeon rose, she'd fall—and if she soared, he'd be pushed aside into retirement.
"You're quite the storyteller."
"I've got even more entertaining tales. Swing by anytime you're free. You'd make a perfect conversation partner. See you around."
As Ma Jung-hyeon vanished, her unease grew.
That razor-sharp mind had predicted Kim Jun's safe return. And he'd bet his life on it.
Kim Jun was, at best, a talented former carrier turned team leader.
That talent only shone in a third-rate guild like Uramata. Places like Ju Shin or Brave overflowed with far brighter stars.
Why did Ma Jung-hyeon rate Kim Jun so highly?
The moment she grasped the reason, her anxiety evaporated.
That old man had no choice but to overhype Kim Jun.
If he viewed Kim Jun objectively—as he truly was—he'd have to admit the lockdown incident's failure stemmed from his own shortcomings.
Rather than face the truth that he, who'd lived by schemes his whole life, no longer had what it took to lead the era—that he was just a has-been relegated to the back room—he'd chosen to dress up an ordinary raider like Kim Jun as something special.
Is his pride really worth protecting that badly?
Maybe that was all Ma Jung-hyeon had left.
The sun had set. The last rays painted the top of the gate crimson.
Kim Jun wouldn't be coming back alive.
Gu Mi-yeong smiled faintly, picturing herself in the planning coordinator's seat. Juggling Ju Shin's CFO role with the association's position would make her even busier than now.
Her smile deepened.
A fireball slammed into the halfworm's chest.
Boom!
The monster—human torso atop a worm-like lower body—shrieked and thrashed, engulfed in flames.
Choi Muhyun scanned the surroundings and signaled a retreat with hand signs.
It was still alive, but Pink Team fell back 15 meters from the blaze consuming it.
They'd taken down nearly 50 halfworms.
Having grasped their attack patterns, they knew how to kill them—but fending off a swarm had still eaten up time.
His arms felt leaden, thighs aching from fatigue. Luckily, no serious injuries. Just a few scratches from their swinging claws.
The team was in similar shape. Their sweat-soaked gear said it all.
"Let's take a break."
At their team leader's word, Yeom Sang-taek and An Seong-ho sprang into action, sprinkling Expel Powder.
Once the defensive magic circle was up, even the buffers could relax.
Only then did Choi Muhyun exhale in relief.
Two hours in the relic—maybe closer to three.
Thanks to Captain Jeong Myeong-ho's orders sending Kim Jun off on his own, Choi Muhyun had been leading Pink Team for that long.
The team leader role had looked easy from his main tank spot.
During training, Kim Jun had mostly observed from outside, issuing sharp commands. They were clear, pinpointing weaknesses with spot-on advice, so they'd followed without question. It never seemed daunting or burdensome.
But doing it himself? Every second was tension city. One wrong order could cost lives.
What if he blanked on a halfworm pattern?
Or knew it but issued a bad call, putting the team in peril?
This stretch had shown him just how heavy—how terrifying—responsibility for others' lives truly was.
Of course, the role wasn't all bad.
Above all, he felt expanded.
Like piloting a giant robot.
Two arms became twelve. He could shield with barriers while prepping the next attack, buffing the whole team to amp their power.
Alone, he couldn't have handled dozens of halfworms this methodically.
Kim Jun crossed his mind suddenly.
He wondered how the guy, pulled to Lincoln Team, was holding up—but he didn't voice it. No one on Pink Team could answer.
An Seong-ho upended his leather pouch, spilling items: tarnished rings, cracked bracelets, broken necklaces—trinkets from the relic's floor and walls.
"Grabbed whatever caught my eye. Take what you need. It's pocket change, but better than nothing. Might snag something useful if you're lucky."
In relics or dungeons, most eye-catching items were worthless junk.
Even Identity Powder to grade them cost more. So floor trash usually went unchecked—and rarely, a gem hid among the garbage.
Lotto odds, basically.
Bang Yun-a snatched a necklace and bracelet first. One or two wouldn't weigh her down. Greed killed; too much loot had doomed plenty of raiders.
Out of courtesy to An Seong-ho, Choi Muhyun pocketed two rings—one for himself, one for Kim Jun as a relic souvenir.
O Yun-jin, Lincoln's main dealer dispatched to Pink Team, ignored the junk out of pride.
"Eleven meters ahead—Pacific's team leader."
Yeom Sang-taek reported.
Choi Muhyun rose and approached beyond the foul-smelling Expel Powder.
Hwang In-su drew near.
Once, he'd seemed decent enough—stubborn style, good with his team, by reputation. But Yoo Min-jeong's pre-Sokcho tale had shattered that.
Hwang In-su had ambushed Kim Jun.
Cowardly, late at night.
Per Yoo Min-jeong, it was a scripted play with the guild master and Kim Jun in on it—but to Choi Muhyun, it exposed the raider's rotten core.
A man never to trust.
"Everyone okay?"
"Halfworms were a pain, but no issues."
"Same for Pacific. The real problem? We bust our asses for nothing. Too many mana vortex zones—buffers can't detect jack half the time. Decent items probably hide near them, but no way to find 'em. What a joke—we're slaving away just to leave empty-handed."
Choi Muhyun nodded, pondering why Hwang In-su had come.
"That's why I'm saying: waiting at the relic entrance for Lincoln and Mars is fine, but heading south might not be bad. What do you think?"
The association traditionally called the entrance "east."
Right side: north, or North Zone. Left: south, South Zone.
In this Sokcho relic, intel pegged most high-end items in the South, factoring structure and mana vortices.
That's why Captain Jeong Myeong-ho had picked South.
North was item barren, so Hwang In-su proposed crossing over.
"That okay?"
As interim leader, with the team's fate on every decision, Choi Muhyun stayed cautious.
"Relic's huge. Even if every team heads south, no crowding. Scout reports mentioned that option too."
"Mm. If you say so, sounds good."
South meant higher odds of linking with Lincoln—and seeing Kim Jun.
"Pacific'll take point."
"We'll follow."
Back with the team, Choi Muhyun announced the change.
Everyone perked up visibly. Even dispatched O Yun-jin seemed genuinely pleased—her ticket back to Lincoln.
Prepped, Choi Muhyun commanded:
"Move out."
Pink Team trailed Pacific at a safe distance.
Kwon Joo-chan stabbed his dagger into his forearm, yanking out the burrowing bloodbug.
It resembled a cockroach—only far grosser, far deadlier. Reports said it laid eggs inside you in 10 minutes; they hatched in 30.
Smashed on the ground, it burst with a splat. Thousands of remnants littered the area like debris.
He checked his team.
Song Deok-hwan and An Myeong-gyu were holding up okay. The dealers were the issue: Park Jeong-hyo had stripped off his leather jacket, scratching his side; Gu Yeon-jae bled from thigh claw-marks.
Kwon Joo-chan eyed the tanks.
Song Deok-hwan and An Myeong-gyu nodded and approached Park Jeong-hyo. They knew the drill.
Dagger in hand, team leader up front—Gu Yeon-jae's eyes quivered in fear.
"Over quick. Close your eyes."
"Yes, team leader."
Kwon Joo-chan thrust, sparing veins.
Sensing killing intent? The bloodbug writhed.
"Aaaagh!"
Gu Yeon-jae screamed.
A glimpse of it wedged between muscle and vein.
Kwon Joo-chan extended a finger. Flame jetted from the tip; the bug flinched.
He stabbed its back, extracting it clean—legs and all. One lodged leg, and the wound would've festered beyond saving.
Meanwhile, the tanks pulled three bloodbugs from the main dealer's side.
Kwon Joo-chan approached the Lincoln team.
Tailing Mars, they'd escaped the sudden bug vortex unscathed—thanks to warning.
Still, check time.
"All good?"
"Yes, thanks for the heads-up."
Kang Hyeon-u replied.
Kwon Joo-chan stared at Lincoln's dealer.
For a split second, he wondered: why hadn't this guy shot Jeong Myeong-ho in the chest?
Arm or thigh wounds? Non-lethal. So... he could betray, but not kill with his own hands.
Probably the Jeong family.
They couldn't touch Brave's guild master Im Cheong-ha, architect of this—but they'd avenge by hunting his killer.
"Short break."
Lincoln's buffers spread Expel Powder and prepped rest. Buffers: invisible when present, hell when gone.
Kwon Joo-chan stepped beyond the powder alone, scouting.
Second Zone was pitch-black, but glowing stones and luminous moss on walls/ceilings let sharp eyes discern shapes—and colors.
Mana vortex zones everywhere. Infuriatingly.
Mostly variable, with random ones triggering sans warning.
How the fuck did that bastard carry Jeong Myeong-ho out?
He wanted to believe Kim Jun died in a vortex—but the guy's absurd luck said otherwise. High chance he was fine.
Scent and tracks had led stubbornly—until a storm vortex of gales and rain snapped them.
Tracking was pointless now.
This way wouldn't catch him.
Wherever he hid, he'd return to Pink Team. Only way out safe.
Link with Pink, wait—he'd walk into the trap.
If he stalled? Switch to killing Pink members one by one, flushing the rat. Bonus: his type would charge out screaming at Choi Muhyun losing a finger.