Mission: Uramata's Future
The tour of the four major guilds was over.
Miracle, Cheonhondan, Jushin, and Brave.
Yeom Sang-taek had simply followed Yang Hee-seon around as a member of the Crazy Five, but he'd gotten a full taste of their systematic training methods, cutting-edge facilities, the outstanding skills of their raiders, and the strict yet proud atmosphere.
It made Uramata Guild feel so small, its operations so haphazard by comparison.
Still, Uramata's the best guild there is!
Where else am I gonna find a master like that, or teammates like Kim Jun, Choi Muhyun, and Yoo Min-jeong?
In the elevator heading down to the underground parking lot, Jang Geon-ho whispered.
"Today's when the real fun starts."
"Where we headed?"
"HQ."
"Huh?"
"Dungeon Association headquarters."
Jang Geon-ho grinned.
Yeom Sang-taek felt a twinge of unease for some reason. Jo Yeong-ran's warning that trouble followed whenever Jang Geon-ho got excited had turned out true more than once.
A blue sports car sat parked off to one side of the lot.
Strapping into the passenger seat, Yeom Sang-taek wondered if he'd ever own a ride like this someday. Probably not easy.
"Hold on tight."
"...Got it."
Yeom Sang-taek hurriedly buckled up.
The drive from Jangyang Academy to Dungeon Association HQ took sixteen minutes.
Yeom Sang-taek stumbled out half-dazed, legs wobbling so bad he nearly face-planted.
On the elevator up, they picked up Lee Sang-yoon, Jo Yeong-ran, and An Ye-na at the first floor.
The group exchanged excited greetings.
Yeom Sang-taek still couldn't believe he was hanging with these people—like something out of a dream.
After about twenty minutes in the waiting room, Yang Hee-seon strode in. They all shot to their feet.
"Sit."
Settling into a plush chair, legs crossed, Yang Hee-seon slipped on her sunglasses and pulled out a cigarette.
Lee Sang-yoon, standing nearby, flicked open a lighter and lit it for her.
Yeom Sang-taek marveled every time at her brazen attitude. Most buildings were smoke-free zones, and Dungeon Association HQ was no exception. Yet she puffed away without a care.
Even more shocking was their speech.
"Hey, granny, what's on the agenda today?"
Lee Sang-yoon asked.
"I'm dying to know."
Jo Yeong-ran chimed in.
"Hope it's something fun."
An Ye-na too.
They bantered with Crazy Buffer Yang Hee-seon like she was an old pal. Far from offended, Yang Hee-seon seemed to relish it.
"We're raiding the Dungeon Management Division."
Yang Hee-seon's words lit up their faces. Exactly what they'd been hoping for was finally underway.
Everyone but one looked thrilled.
Yang Hee-seon eyed Yeom Sang-taek. He flinched, unable to meet her gaze.
"Sang-taek."
"Yes, ma'am."
"You're wondering why these punks are so damn rude, right?"
All eyes turned to him. Flustered, Yeom Sang-taek stammered.
"N-no, not at all. Absolutely not."
"First rule for any raider: confidence. Better too much than too little. Arrogant beats timid every time."
"Ah, got it."
"Now, call me granny."
"...Pardon?"
Yeom Sang-taek's eyes went wide.
"Do it."
"I-I can't. No way."
"Then get out. I won't lay eyes on you again. Even if your patron begs, I don't need a client who ignores orders."
Yang Hee-seon was dead serious.
Yeom Sang-taek glanced at Jang Geon-ho and the others, pleading for help, but they just watched silently.
That's when it hit him.
They hadn't started calling her "granny" from day one either. It was part of Yang Hee-seon's training method.
Gathering his courage, Yeom Sang-taek spoke up.
"...Granny."
"Granny, I said."
"......Granny."
Yang Hee-seon burst out laughing, and Jang Geon-ho and the rest couldn't hold back their chuckles.
Tears welled in Yang Hee-seon's eyes.
"Think of me as a friend. A friend named Granny. Makes it easier. And today's job is simple: storm the Dungeon Management Director's office, find any excuse, and flip his damn desk."
"M-me?"
"Last warning. From now on, if any formal bullshit comes out of your mouth instead of straight talk, you're gone. Doesn't matter who you're facing. Not even Association President Sa Gyeongbaek."
Yang Hee-seon glared.
"...Got it. Yeah, got it."
"Alright, the baby of the group pulled his weight, so the rest of you better step up."
Yang Hee-seon assigned their targets. Lee Sang-yoon to the Finance Support Director's office, Jo Yeong-ran to the Guild Management Director's, An Ye-na to the Dungeon Management Director's.
Jang Geon-ho was the freelancer—roaming the Dungeon Management Division, stirring up chaos wherever.
"What about you, granny?"
Jang Geon-ho asked.
"Thinking I'll drop by the Investigation Division. Lunch is on them—top-shelf only. Don't touch your wallets. Their money's all from the blood and sweat we shed in dungeons anyway."
"You got it!"
Lee Sang-yoon whooped.
"Alright, let's have fun today!"
Yang Hee-seon shouted.
"Fun today!"
The others roared back.
Out in the hallway, Jang Geon-ho sidled up to Yeom Sang-taek.
"...Bro, what do I do?"
"Banmal to me too. Granny finds out, she'll boot you for real. Happened before."
"Ah, got it."
"I'll fill you in on the way."
Jang Geon-ho led Yeom Sang-taek toward the Guild Management Director's office, opting for stairs over the elevator.
"This ain't a joke. Granny just wants the Association to see us as crazy raiders pulling pranks. Truth is, we're here to snoop on what they're really up to. You know she's a permanent advisor to the Dungeon Association, right?"
Jang Geon-ho's voice echoed on the landing.
"Heard that much."
"We're the troublemaking loaches. Kick up a storm, demand reports, ledgers, annual plans—they have to comply. Why? 'Cause we're raiders sent by the permanent advisor."
"S-so...?"
"That's when their dirty little secrets slip out. Chaos stirs the mud, brings the hidden stuff to the surface. We're not the ones digging 'em up, though—we don't know shit about how the Association operates. Granny's people handle that. We just make the biggest mess possible."
Yeom Sang-taek didn't fully grasp it even after the explanation. He just vaguely sensed he was part of something big.
"So, what do I do at the director's office?"
"Kick the door in and start cussing first thing."
"...Cuss?"
"Remember that Brave Guild raider who tried tanking your team during the first test?"
"Yeah."
"The one who fled overseas after? Dungeon Management Director put him up to it. Lower levels pulled the strings, sure."
"...No way."
"True story."
"That's not right."
"Exactly. And he denies it with a straight face. That's why you cuss him out. Anyway, make the director's life hell. Think of all the assholes who fucked you over. It'll fire you up."
They'd reached the office.
Jang Geon-ho waved and headed for the elevator.
Alone now, Yeom Sang-taek recalled his tormentors. Too many to count. Top of the list... his two older brothers. They'd made bullying their little brother a hobby since childhood.
Yeah. My turn now.
Yeom Sang-taek kicked the door.
It didn't budge.
He kicked again.
Same result.
So he twisted the handle and slammed it—door flew open, banging against the wall.
"Hey, you fuck... sirs."
He'd meant to let loose, but seeing stern, vice-principal types lounging on fancy sofas staring back, "sir" slipped out.
Cheeks burning, Yeom Sang-taek wanted to bolt.
That'd get him disowned on the spot. He couldn't sabotage the whole team's efforts for him.
Striding in boldly, Yeom Sang-taek hopped onto the table amid teacups. Legs shook, but he prayed no one noticed.
"Wh-who's the, uh, director here?"
Silence fell.
Then the man at the head of the table stood, beaming.
"Ah, Crazy Five, huh? Meeting adjourned, folks. Got a very important guest. Secretary, cancel the rest of my schedule."
"Yes, sir."
The secretary replied, and the group nodded to the director and Yeom Sang-taek before filing out.
Yeom Sang-taek was stunned. After all that rudeness, the fifty-something director was still smiling.
"Crazy Five's newbie, right?"
"Y-yeah."
He'd nearly polite'd up again.
"Perfect timing—fresh sashimi just came in from a spot I know. Come with."
"S-sashimi?"
"Never frozen, straight from Japan. A 350-kilo beast—tastes amazing. You can watch it get broken down right there. Let's go."
The director sweet-talked Yeom Sang-taek—young enough to be his son—out into the hall.
He knew exactly why Crazy Buffer Yang Hee-seon had brought these rookies to HQ.
Hmph. Dig all you want. See what you find.
In the elevator with Yeom Sang-taek, the director, and his secretary heading to the underground lot, Yeom Sang-taek caught the director's reflection in the wall. A sleazy smirk played on his lips.
The question burst out on impulse.
"Why'd you do it?"
"Do what...?"
"Why sic Brave Guild on the other teams in the first test? Trying to knock 'em out?"
The director's eyes flickered, but lies flowed smooth as truth.
"No idea where you heard that, but we investigated. Total bullshit. Met personally with the guild masters of those teams—rock solid."
"Oh, really?"
Yeom Sang-taek's gaze hardened.
"Rumors spread like wildfire. Don't buy every tale. Advice from a senior who's been out in the world."
Since Yeom Sang-taek was just Crazy Five's rookie, the director let his guard down.
He never saw it coming.
Thud.
Yeom Sang-taek stomped the elevator floor.
It jolted to a halt, shaking wildly.
The startled director dropped the mask.
"You little shit!"
"Director."
The secretary jumped in.
"Haha, not you, kid. Don't misunderstand."
Too late—the mask was off.
Yeom Sang-taek stared him down.
"We're on four. Fall, you won't die—but you'll hurt bad. Months in the hospital. Now say it again. You never asked Brave Guild to thin the passing teams?"
"......"
The director just glared, silent.
Bang.
The trained buffer's kick rocked the car.
"Cr-crazy bastard!"
The director bellowed.
Yeom Sang-taek eyed him and the terrified secretary coolly.
"Do your worst. I won't get hurt even if it drops."
Yeom Sang-taek was truly pissed.
Daring to rig a test when you're not even a raider?
Bang!
This time, the elevator slipped a meter down. The director collapsed, curses dying on his lips.
Yeom Sang-taek raised his foot slowly.
"...Fine! I'll spill—just don't do anything stupid."
"I'm listening."
Furious, Yeom Sang-taek was colder than ever.
"It came from up top. I just followed orders to cut the number of passers."
"Who gave the order?"
"...Planning Coordinator."
Yeom Sang-taek didn't know who that was. He'd ask Jang Geon-ho later.
Then a familiar voice crackled from the ceiling speaker.
—Sang-taek, that's enough.
"...Granny?"
Yeom Sang-taek looked up.
—You did great. Hooked a big one. Like catching a rat while the ox backs up. Anyway, Director Jeong Gi-taek, head to Investigation HQ. Secretary, take Sang-taek for that sashimi.
The elevator hummed back to life, descending.
Yang Hee-seon, watching remotely, had hacked the controls to stop it—not Yeom Sang-taek's kicks.
It dinged open in the underground lot.
"...Director?"
"Take the kid to our usual spot."
The director issued the order glumly to his secretary.
Following the secretary out, Yeom Sang-taek had no clue how it all fit together. He'd just been mad enough to torment the shameless prick.
Then Jang Geon-ho popped out from behind a pillar.
"Heard you nailed it."
"No idea."
"Haha, you crushed it. Now we gorge on sashimi. Granny's got the rest."
Jang Geon-ho slung an arm around him.
The secretary led them to a cozy, upscale sashimi joint. Just as the director said, a massive bluefin was being broken down right there.
"This is akami—back loin."
Jang Geon-ho said, popping a piece.
Yeom Sang-taek knew zilch about sashimi but followed suit. It melted in his mouth, impossibly tender.
"This is otoro—big belly."
"You come here a lot?"
"All the time. You'll be a regular soon."
Then Lee Sang-yoon, Jo Yeong-ran, and An Ye-na strolled in.
Jo Yeong-ran's eyes bulged at the tuna. She'd head to Japan for tuna fishing trips whenever she had time—she loved the stuff that much.
"Honmaguro!"
Jo Yeong-ran yelled.
"You guys came alone? No loyalty."
"Figured you'd show."
Jang Geon-ho shot back at Lee Sang-yoon.
An Ye-na ignored the sashimi entirely, fixing her gaze on Yeom Sang-taek.
"What're you?"