Dragged into the Dungeon
"No, I got dragged in too. When a gate's power strengthens, it sucks in nearby objects and people. That's called Gate Predation Activity. So the basic manual is to check the gate's status periodically and put distance between you and it at the first sign of anything off."
"Should've kept a closer eye on it."
Getting bored while waiting and letting my attention wander for a moment had been the problem. I'd gotten too complacent because it was in the stabilization phase. I hadn't responded in time and got pulled into the gate in an instant.
The gate's interior connects straight to a dungeon. Right now, a long, dim corridor stretched out before my eyes. Rough brick walls on all sides, and at the end of the passage, paths split off in multiple directions. It was a maze.
I immediately tried contacting the outside with my phone.
Service unavailable in your current location.
Beep... When you hear this tone...
I'd hoped otherwise, but sure enough, no contact with the outside from inside a dungeon. I pocketed my phone and scanned the surroundings once more. No sign of an exit.
Now I had two choices: wait here quietly for rescue, or find the hunter team somewhere in this place and join up with them.
I picked the latter. No guarantee sitting still was safe, and as support staff, I had a responsibility to inform the hunters here of the current situation. Field supervisor and all that.
"If I'm lucky, I might even find the dungeon exit. So, where to first?"
I lit up my baton and followed the maze. Before long, a fork appeared. The left path was spotless, no traces at all. The right had footprints on the floor and combat scars etched everywhere.
I took the right, higher chance hunters had passed through. Please no corpses, I prayed inwardly.
How long had I walked? From the endless corridor ahead came the sound of footsteps.
Two-legged steps, but not quite human—something off about them.
—Thud. Thud.
Each step sent a faint tremor through the ground. No human, no matter how big, could cause that.
Soon, a massive figure emerged from the darkness. A monster with a bull's head. Thick, sharp horns curved from the sides, and every breath sent white steam billowing from its huge nostrils.
A minotaur straight out of myth. Its ballooned, muscular body radiated overwhelming pressure. Strong even for an early dungeon mob. Are all A-grade dungeons like this?
Our eyes met.
Grrr.
It pawed the ground a few times, then charged. That bulk was like a small car slamming head-on. No time.
I needed something to throw. Perfect—coins in my pocket for vending machine coffee.
I gripped one tight in my right hand.
Shing.
A sinister black aura leaked from my fist. I felt power from the runes on my palm seeping into the coin.
Sure-Hit Sure-Kill.
Imbuing it with the instant-death concept of Sure-Kill. First time using the ability, but I knew how instinctively. More primal sense than learned skill.
I fixed my gaze ahead. Distance down to about 10 meters. Fast, but big and charging straight—easy hit.
Thwack.
The coin I threw smacked its chest muscle and bounced off weakly. Zero damage, looked like.
But the instant it touched, the thing froze like stunned, then crumpled lifeless to the floor.
Dead. Its body crumbled to dust, proving it.
"Instant Kill is straight-up broken."
Just flicked a coin and took out an A-grade gate monster. Not even a regular one.
The level-up message came with all stats auto-upping by 1. Body felt a bit lighter right away.
Hunter-exclusive leveling. Normally not this easy, but I'd taken down an A-grade monster right on awakening day.
Like a noob using cheats to kill high-level mobs.
I picked up the fallen coin and looked around. Rare chance for a civilian like me in an A-grade dungeon.
"Might as well grind a few levels while I'm here?"
World where anything could happen anytime. No plans to hunter-up, but self-defense power wouldn't hurt.
Plenty of spare coins in my pocket. I tossed one up and caught it, chuckling.
"Time for a workout."
Five level-ups in that short time. Result of a noob chain-killing A-grade monsters. Body felt seriously buffed. Understanding of my ability improved too.
I gripped a coin in both hands.
Shing.
Black aura of Sure-Kill and white of Sure-Hit clashed roughly in my palms. Trying to fuse yin and yang-like forces into harmony.
Then—
"Ow."
A sharp sting, and the coin shot from my hands, rolling across the floor. Failure.
Couldn't apply Sure-Hit and Sure-Kill simultaneously. Skill too low, or maybe special conditions? Either way, current me couldn't handle both.
"Too bad, but what can you do. Sure-Kill alone is cheat enough."
Shelve Sure-Hit for now—my attack power made it pointless anyway. Focus on Sure-Kill.
As I sorted my thoughts, silhouettes appeared in the distance. Probably the hunter team that entered first.
They rushed straight to me. Pungrang Guild hunters. The lead guy I recognized: Park Sung-hyun, C-grade upper archer. I'd guided him at the Association during his B-grade promotion stuff.
"Why are you here...?"
His finger trembled pointing at me. No idea why, but he looked deeply disappointed. Him and the others just stood there silent for a bit.
"So you got caught in the predation activity and pulled inside?"
"Yes."
I explained everything. Park Sung-hyun's face hardened further.
"What about support? You requested from HQ, right?"
Desperation in his voice. I looked away, feeling guilty.
"No. Got pulled in right as I was about to. Sorry."
I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for it.
Supporting field supervisor's job to call for backup. I'd failed—fair to blame me.
A sigh came. But his next words were the opposite of what I expected.
"Still, you're safe so far. Must've been tough surviving as a civilian."
"We'll protect you from here on."
"As thanks, drinks after we get out?"
"Dude, not the time to hit on her."
No one blamed me—not Park Sung-hyun or any party member. Instead, they comforted me for making it this far.
"Then let's head to the exit. I'll lead."
"You know where it is?"
"Left markers on the way in. Dungeon basics."
He pointed to the wall. A small arrow etched there.
We followed, blasting through the maze.
"Huh? No monsters at all?"
"Yeah, there were tons when we came."
"..."
Thanks to me mowing them down on the way. We reached the dungeon's end—a dead-end space with a rift of light like a crack. The exit.
"Wait—this is..."
Park Sung-hyun reached out seriously. Red sparks repelled his hand. He swallowed hard, face full of certainty.
"The gate's in Closed Gate state."
"C-Closed?!"
Pungrang Guild freaked. Closed Gate: dungeon seals itself, treating entrants as prey to digest. No longer just a space—we were in the belly of the dungeon beast.
"No traps. Safe to enter."
"This spot looks secure? Let's camp here tonight."
After maze-wandering, we found a small room carved into the wall. Cramped, dusty floor, but way safer than open maze.
Our overnight spot. Park Sung-hyun and team settled one side, bantering and chilling despite everything. Guild harmony.
I sat cautiously by Park Sung-hyun. Questions burning.
"When can we get out?"
Closed Gates rare, info scarce. Expert Park answered quick.
"If it can't eat hunters for a period, dungeon releases the seal. Short as a week, long as a month."
"A week...?"
Thought I misheard, stared. He flushed, repeated.
"Week short, month long."
Like a sledgehammer to the back of my head. A week or month—no shower, no home, trapped in this gloomy maze.
Office life equivalent: a month straight overtime.
"No other way out?"
"Beat the boss, but impossible for us. A-grade dungeon owner."
"Got it."
I stood quietly.
"Ahjin-ssi, where to?"
"Errands. Don't follow."
Left the room, flicking on my baton. Red glow shifted to dark crimson as Instant Kill imbued it.
I swung it sword-quick.
A month straight overtime? Absolutely not.