Chapter 39
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Into the Dungeon
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Towers rose unannounced across the Earth.
People called them 'dungeons'.
And each one was a completely different world inside.
Regardless of height, number of floors, or difficulty, every dungeon had its own unique order and laws.
Some were filled with low-level monsters like goblins or orcs, straight out of a game. Others were prowled by bizarre figures that were nearly indistinguishable from humans.
On floors where only an endless ocean stretched out, merfolk thrived. Beyond that, indescribably alien creatures appeared, each forming their own distinct ecosystems.
And four months ago, the dungeon that appeared in Jongno-gu, Seoul, had an especially tricky trait.
It was a haunt for ghost-type monsters immune to all physical attacks.
Not that the enemies were particularly strong—it was just that normal methods couldn't touch them, making it a nightmare to conquer up to now.
Right around then, Saintess Kim Sohee of the Goddess Church visited Korea.
True to her status as the saintess of the world's sole religion, she lacked direct combat ability, but her holy energy was irreplaceable by any hunter.
Thanks to that power, the Jongno-gu high-rank dungeon—which hadn't seen any progress in four months—rushed straight to the final conquest phase.
But the problem was now.
With the final boss right in front of them, Saintess Kim Sohee suddenly collapsed from 'poor condition', freezing the entire party in place.
That's where I came in.
Her dedicated counselor. Psychiatrist Kim Seungbin.
"Uh... but do I really need to go into the dungeon myself?"
I asked, genuinely puzzled.
"If the Saintess wants counseling, she can just come out of the dungeon and visit me."
To sum it up simply:
—Jongno-gu dungeon stalled for four months.
—Ghost-type monsters, almost no counters.
—Called in holy specialist Saintess Kim Sohee.
—But she hit a mental breakdown at the endgame.
—Needs her assigned counselor: me.
...All good so far. The issue was the delivery method.
I was just a civilian. A regular guy with zero combat ability.
Yet they wanted me to enter the dungeon personally, climb floor by floor, and hunt down the Saintess who might be anywhere?
It felt utterly inefficient.
"Wouldn't it be better for the Saintess to come down quickly, get counseled on the surface, and head back up?"
I pointed out the obvious.
But Branch Chief Yoo Geumhui shook her head, as if she'd anticipated it.
"Afraid that's impossible."
"Pardon? Why not?"
"Dungeons only allow three entries once you step inside."
"...What?"
I parroted blankly.
It was news to me, a non-hunter.
In other words, Saintess Kim Sohee, already inside the Jongno dungeon, couldn't exit or re-enter without a full clear.
"Truth is, she'd already joined the raid before we even met you."
"Ah, I see..."
"She came to Korea specifically for this. We're desperately short on holy-affinity hunters here. Had to borrow the Goddess Church's power."
Now it clicked.
Why Korea had been dragging its feet on the Jongno dungeon for four months.
And why the Saintess was their last resort.
The catch: the Goddess Church's Saintess wasn't someone you summoned lightly.
Holy power meant authority, and authority demanded a steep price.
"...So what did the Association offer?"
I asked cautiously, and the Chief averted her gaze with a wry smile.
"You."
"Me?"
"Somehow, word of you reached the ears of the utterly broken Saintess."
"......"
"Of course, I tried refusing to the end—for my granddaughter's sake! But with the recent mine incidents and all, there are too many places needing her... Argh! Still, I protected your 'chastity'. Pretty good deal, right?"
I swallowed a hollow laugh.
Ultimately, the reason I'd been dragged here was simple.
I was the only counselor—or rather, 'tutor' with hands-on experience—who could anchor the deranged Saintess's mind.
But did that make any sense?
Sure, I was Kim Sohee's dedicated counselor.
As a doctor, I had a duty to follow my patient anywhere they hurt—even the brink of hell.
But this was actual hell?
A 73-floor high-rank dungeon swarming with ghosts.
And they wanted combat-zero civilian guy A to climb it under the pretense of patient care?
"...Honestly, won't I get shredded by random mobs first?"
I finally voiced my fear.
The Chief's eyes lit up like she'd been waiting, and she patted my shoulder.
"No worries. You're not a hunter, so monsters won't aggro you much!"
"What kind of logic is that...?"
"Plus, I heard the Saintess drools and follows you like a puppy. She's a total perv! Without someone to rein her in, she'll rampage solo and wipe the party in seconds."
I narrowed my eyes at the Chief... no, this damn loli granny con artist.
"...You're guilting my doctorly sense of duty to make me risk my life in there, right?"
"Bingo! Smart as always."
She planted hands on hips triumphantly, snorting like a kid and clearing her throat with a smug 'Ahem!'.
I sighed deeply.
Whenever I counseled patients back to normalcy, the sessions often devolved into vulgar, lewd madness instead.
So maybe I didn't 'treat patients' so much as 'get swept up and go mad with them'.
...And this loli granny was dragging a perfectly sane doctor straight to hell with her schemes.
'Damn... I have to protect my patient, but that dungeon—'
The dilemma didn't last.
The Chief's mumble over my shoulder was the knockout blow.
"Who else can handle the Saintess but you? Without you, the party's probably already caught in her heat show and ghost chowder by now."
I bit my lip hard.
...Yeah.
That masochist Saintess had no one to handle her but me.
In the end, I clutched another hellbound ticket to curb a patient's madness.
"Oh, and don't worry. Kim Seungbin Counselor, the party assisting the Saintess is holding at the 10th floor below, prepped for your arrival."
Small mercy: Kim Sohee's party had secured a position inside.
Even low floors were monster central, so a civilian like me would get ripped apart fast—hence the dedicated escort hunter.
'...Okay, with a hunter escort, I can relax a bit.'
As I steeled myself, the Chief handed me something.
A transparent vial of oddly viscous yellow liquid.
"Here... just in case, slather this on before you go."
"...What's this?"
I tilted my head, taking the vial.
And finally, the entrance to the Jongno dungeon.
The massive tower I'd only seen from afar, piercing the sky.
Now I faced the rune-carved stone door at its base.
Not man-made at all, despite being the 'entrance'.
Touch it, and you're forcibly pulled inside—they said. I swallowed hard involuntarily.
"This is the dungeon...?"
"Yes. Crossing the door teleports you to another dimension."
Explaining beside me was A-Rank Hunter Cha Yunha.
Handpicked by Branch Chief Yoo Geumhui as my escort, and an executive of Moonlight Sword House.
Her steel-muscled frame in military-style combat gear made her look like a warrior fresh from the battlefield.
And now, she stood ready to guard me.
"Honestly, you must be disappointed. Just me for your escort."
"N-No! Not at all!"
I waved it off.
Of course I'd be lying if I claimed zero anxiety, but an A-Rank executive? Reliable.
Yunha added:
"These dungeon monsters are all ghosts—physical attacks don't work. Too many escorts would just slow us down. So I'm solo for speed."
"Ah... got it."
She nodded, then casually turned and crouched.
"So, Counselor, hop on my back. That's how we'll move fast."
"...Pardon?"
I froze for a second.
But she added in a perfectly calm tone:
"No need to be shy. Even if... certain male parts touch my back while piggybacked, I'll stay silent."
"......"
...Why bring that up now?
I wouldn't have thought about it if you hadn't said it—now it's stuck in my head and even more embarrassing!
No choice, I surrendered to her sturdy back.
Surprisingly firm and broad shoulders.
The moment we pressed close, I was enveloped in a soldier's sweat and leather scent.
For any emergencies, I gripped the vial of yellow liquid from the Chief tight in my hand.
Best if I never needed it, but my gut screamed it was my last insurance.
"Alright, entering the dungeon now!"
With Yunha's short, firm shout, my hand touched the coldly glowing stone door.
Instantly, the world lurched dizzily, everything twisting.
And at last, the dungeon swallowed me whole.