The Investigation Team Proves Its Strength
I closed my eyes once and opened them to find the world outside already bright. I hadn't slept, but my body felt light, my movements smooth as if I'd just woken up. After breakfast, I headed to the branch office. When I reached the parking lot, the team was already there. Five Hyunmu bikes stood lined up in a row, their scratches from the last mission still visible but clearly maintained. The major components showed signs of recent handling.
"It looks better than it feels," So-rin said, crouching to inspect the wheels and chain. Jae-hoon hyung placed a hand on the engine casing, checking the vibrations. "Vibration's steady, noise is stable too. The maintenance crew did a solid basic check."
"Jihoon, you done checking your gear?" Do-yoon hyung called from behind.
"Yes. Everything's good."
I double-checked the joints on my armor and weapons. They were exactly as I'd left them.
"Good. Whether the mission's light or heavy, we prepare like always. Keep everything as is and do one final check before we move out."
Just then, Team Leader Yoo Mira walked into the parking lot.
"Anyone with equipment issues? Today's mostly prep and paperwork, but we've got field work tomorrow, so keep everything in its current state and pack your backup gear too."
The team members answered briefly while organizing their assigned equipment.
"Yes, Team Leader."
So-rin clasped her hands together. "No issues on my end either, Team Leader."
Once the quick inspection ended, everyone headed up to the office. The morning was spent organizing reports and operation logs, while the afternoon was dedicated to sensor logs and internal documents. After finishing our shift, I went home, took a quick shower, and headed straight to the training hall.
When I opened the door, Master Han Do-hyun was tidying the mats. He looked up at me.
"You're here."
"Yes, hello. Master, we're entering a C-rank dungeon again tomorrow."
"Is that so? Then let's go over the basics again today."
Master Han Do-hyun handed me a sword and checked my wrist first.
"Don't force it. Move the way you normally do."
I took my stance and flowed through a short series of slashes. He pointed out corrections with his finger where the sword path curved.
"The first movement of the Blue Wind Sword is fine. The problem is the second connection—your waist bends too early. Slow your breathing just a little. That way your center will follow."
He moved on to footwork next. Taping a thin line across the floor, he said, "Pungmubo isn't about your feet moving first. Read the spacing ahead of you. It's fine to move one beat late as long as it's precise."
Master Han Do-hyun lowered his sword.
"That's enough for today. Do a bit more personal training before you go. Sort out your movement before the second dungeon run."
"Yes! Thank you, Master."
As I left the training hall, I rolled my shoulders. The tension eased, and my movements settled into something natural. By the time I reached home, it was already dark. I glanced at the entrance, hoping for a delivery box, but there was nothing.
"Would've been nice if it came a little earlier..."
The swordsmanship manual I'd won at auction still hadn't arrived. I sat in my room and circulated my mana heart technique again. The mana gathered in my lower mana hole moved in a steady rhythm, and as the afternoon's tension drained away, my body sank into calm. Arin's presence quietly appeared.
"We're going into the dungeon tomorrow, so let's stop here for today. At this rate, you should be fine."
I lightly sensed the mana flow and lifted my head. The day felt quietly settled.
The next morning, after the meeting, we headed down to the parking lot where the Hyunmu bikes were lined up and waiting. Investigation Team 3 mounted their assigned bikes.
"Communications connected," Jae-hoon hyung's voice echoed inside the helmet, followed by a short tone. Team Leader Yoo Mira raised her hand to signal departure. We merged onto the road heading toward Pocheon. So-rin eased her bike closer to mine.
"Jihoon oppa, the wind feels amazing. Perfect riding weather today."
"Still makes me a bit nervous. It's been a while since I've ridden like this."
"Nah, you'll be fine. I'll match your pace from behind. This speed is actually comfortable for me."
"That's because it's your hobby. I still need time to adjust."
"Jihoon oppa, just maintain your current speed. I'll keep up."
"Yeah. That'd be best."
When we arrived at the Pocheon C-08 Dungeon, three Cheongryong SUVs and three Hyunmu bikes from Hyunmu Team 3 were already lined up. Beside the vehicles, team members were finishing equipment checks and preparing to move. Jae-hoon hyung dismounted, removed his helmet, and looked at the Cheongryong vehicles.
"Wow... those SUVs must be comfortable."
"Hyung, you're completely sold, aren't you?"
"No, you've gotta admit it. Can't even compare them to our bikes."
So-rin leaned slightly forward. "Those vehicles... we only get them starting from B-rank dungeons, right? They're already using them. I'm jealous."
Team Leader Yoo Mira surveyed both teams.
"That's right. They're assigned from B-rank missions onward. Today's a fast movement, so keep formation tight."
A short distance away, Team Leader Jang Tae-wook was inspecting Hyunmu Team 3 and the supply team's equipment in sequence. After finishing his checks, he quietly walked over to us.
"Investigation Team 3 has arrived. We'll take point again today. Please check sensor readings from the rear before entering."
"Understood," Team Leader Yoo Mira replied briefly.
Jeong-ho closed his equipment case and looked my way.
"Hey, Jihoon. You're here."
"Yeah. Busy day again."
Jeong-ho immediately turned to Team Leader Yoo Mira and switched to formal speech.
"Team Leader, the gate entrance sensor readings are fluctuating slightly. The path is also uneven, so please be careful while driving."
"Thanks for the info," Yoo Mira replied casually.
Then unfamiliar footsteps approached from behind. The man wore a neat tactical vest with an A-rank patch, his movements relaxed. He stopped in front of us and spoke without hesitation.
"This is the investigation team, correct? I'm Han Ji-on, the assault specialist from Hyunmu Team 3."
His tone was dry, clearly looking down on us. Without waiting for a response, he continued.
"We'll handle the front. The investigation team just needs to do the recording from behind."
Han Ji-on glanced at his sword, shifting his gaze briefly.
"If anyone has to come forward, we'll have to watch out for you... so just stay quiet in the rear."
His words were polite, but there was no respect in them. Jae-hoon hyung lowered his voice while putting on his helmet.
"There's always that type."
"Leave it. We just do our job."
So-rin adjusted her helmet and added quietly, "The atmosphere feels a bit off today."
Team Leader Jang Tae-wook finished checking the supply team and walked over to Team Leader Yoo Mira.
"Team Leader, front-line maintenance is complete. We'll enter first."
"Understood. We'll follow from the rear."
Team Leader Jang Tae-wook nodded lightly and turned away, with Han Ji-on following silently behind him. His posture was loose, but his gaze didn't linger on us. A moment later, Jang Tae-wook confirmed again.
"We'll proceed in the established order. Hyunmu Team 3 in front, investigation team maintaining the rear."
"Yes, we'll do that."
Hyunmu Team 3's Cheongryong SUVs and Hyunmu bikes departed first. We mounted our bikes and followed. The moment we passed through the C-rank gate, the air rippled briefly, and a vast grassland unfolded before us. The wind was steady, the view stretching far into the distance. I glanced around and muttered, "...It's bigger than I thought."
We matched our speed to Hyunmu Team 3's line ahead and moved slowly. Then a transmission came from the scouting bike that had gone ahead. It was Han Ji-on reporting to Team Leader Jang Tae-wook.
"Multiple Night Wolves confirmed ahead. Prepare for combat."
Team Leader Jang Tae-wook's voice followed.
"Investigation Team 3, assume combat formation as well, just in case."
Team Leader Yoo Mira responded immediately.
"Understood, Team Leader Jang. Please handle the front. We'll prepare for combat in the rear and stand by."
Two of Hyunmu Team 3's Cheongryong SUVs accelerated and stopped at an appropriate distance from the wolf pack. Doors opened, and team members quickly dismounted, spreading evenly to the sides and front to form their formation. The scouting bike returned and joined them. Their movements were precise—the coordination of a team that had fought together for a long time.
At that moment, Han Ji-on glanced back at us and smirked briefly. He didn't speak, but his expression was clear: 'Watch closely. This is what a real hunter looks like.'
Two front-line members simultaneously pulled out mana stone bombs. A brief flash erupted, scattering fragments across the grassland, and several wolves nearby collapsed instantly. As the remaining wolves lowered their bodies to charge, side members raised their swords and precisely cut down the scattered individuals. There were no excessive movements, and the formation held steady.
Team Leader Jang Tae-wook's transmission opened again.
"Front cleared. Investigation Team, advance."
"Whew... They really went all out to show off. That was for us to see, right?"
"Yeah. Still, they did well."
"They did well, but... the attitude is something else."
"Let's just watch for today. Getting involved will only make things tiring."
We slowly rode our bikes forward and stopped at the rear position Hyunmu Team 3 had cleared for us. The supply team's vehicle arrived shortly after and began collecting the fallen wolves. Scattered across the grassland floor among the low grass were resources commonly found in C-rank dungeons. Jae-hoon hyung opened his bag.
"Jihoon, I see some mana grass over there. Let's grab those."
"Right."
I pushed aside the grass and checked the leaf color. "There's a light leaf herb here too. Looks good."
"Oh, we're lucky today. Those don't come out often."
So-rin lifted another leaf nearby. "Team Leader, this is... silver root herb, right? Not much quantity, but the roots are intact."
"That's right. Collect that too. It's enough for the report."
We gathered only what we needed—several mana grass, one light leaf herb, and one silver root herb—and stored them away. Most grassland resources were just this level. While the supply team continued their collection, we quietly organized our gathering records and waited for the next move.
Hyunmu Team 3 was the first to detect movement in the sky. Two SUVs quickly spread out and took formation at the front. While we organized our rear line, the sky suddenly darkened. A flock of Shade Hawks scattered in a circle before diving down in an instant.
Team Leader Jang Tae-wook opened communications.
"Thirty Shade Hawks confirmed approaching from the front. We'll handle the front. Investigation Team, just stay on standby in the rear."
Long shadows stretched across the ground, striking toward Hyunmu Team 3 all at once. Mana stone bombs exploded in the sky, sending black wings plummeting in clusters, while Hyunmu Team members caught the scattered individuals and continued the fight.
Then ten of the flock turned toward our investigation team.
"Ten incoming from the rear!"
The Shade Hawks flew toward our formation. So-rin raised her hand first. Two thin wind blades sliced through the air, and two birds fell as if crashing. Then three fireballs from Team Leader Yoo Mira exploded in succession, sending three more crashing to the ground. When Do-yoon hyung pressed his palm downward, three more hardened and dropped to the earth, their movements becoming sluggish.
I didn't miss the opening. I slipped between the three Shade Hawks embedded in the ground, weaving through them and dispatching them in sequence. The path flowed naturally, like water. The last two hesitated in their attack. Jae-hoon hyung raised an electric arrow and fired it upward in a bounce. Current spread through their wings, and both fell almost simultaneously.
"Rear cleared."
Jae-hoon hyung immediately removed his helmet and turned his gaze toward Hyunmu Team 3's front line—specifically toward Han Ji-on. He slightly raised the corner of his mouth in a 'Did you see that?' expression. Han Ji-on saw it too. Their eyes met briefly during the battle, and his face hardened. His lips twisted ever so slightly. Then he immediately turned away and swung his sword faster. His trajectory quickened by a beat, and he put too much force into his strikes. It was a forced acceleration beyond his usual pace.
Hyunmu Team 3's front formation remained stable. Mana stone bombs exploded again, dropping the remaining creatures, and the team members finished them off in unison. Han Ji-on cut down the last few with unnecessary force.
When the front battle ended, several Hyunmu Team members naturally looked our way. Seeing the investigation team line that had cleared ten birds in an instant, a brief look of surprise crossed their faces, followed by quiet acknowledgment. Jae-hoon hyung met their gazes, then looked back at Han Ji-on. Han Ji-on also locked eyes with him, his expression stiffening.
Team Leader Jang Tae-wook opened communications.
"Front cleared. Investigation Team, clean up the area and gather resources."
The investigation team nodded and slowly moved toward the corpses. The grassland was littered with Shade Hawk bodies, while Hyunmu's supply team worked on separating mana stones from the front. We organized the rear corpses and continued our team's sample collection. Ten Shade Hawks lay scattered across the grassland, and while the supply team finished their work at the front, we quietly gathered only what we needed.