Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Moon Kang-un (2)
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The Hunter Association was in chaos. A dungeon set up for the promotion exam had gone berserk.
Dungeon breakouts were always man-made—either through external interference like a Breakout Stone or internal triggers when the boss met certain special conditions.
Naturally, they investigated external interference first and quickly identified the culprit.
Daily part-timer and E-rank hunter Nam Min-soon. But he had an ironclad alibi. CCTV footage clearly showed him playing games with friends at a PC bang at the exact time. As if he'd planned it to be caught on camera.
He even shouted that he'd never applied for the gig and accused the Association of someone stealing his identity, turning the tables on them.
Like they hadn't even checked properly.
Of course, it was all an act. He'd lent his identity to some mysterious entity for cash and deliberately got himself on CCTV to create that alibi.
The Association could dig deeper if they wanted, but with no solid proof yet, pushing too hard risked backlash. So they waited.
"Damn it."
Inspection Division 5 Team Leader Park Seo-ha stared at the dungeon ahead, rubbing her temples in frustration.
It was indeed berserk, pulsing erratically—expanding, contracting, and flashing wildly.
It was completely cut off from the outside and unstable, much like a dungeon black hole. But the key difference came if clearance failed.
A black hole would reopen its gates, recruiting the next wave. A berserk dungeon? No second chances—it just exploded.
A literal explosion. The rampaging mana turned into a bomb, laying waste to everything around it.
That was why Breakout Stones were banned worldwide. Possession or use meant the maximum penalty, no exceptions.
An explosion inside the Association's own dungeon.
This was terrorism. Whoever the madman was, declaring war on the Association itself.
"Tsk. Ah... this is a real headache."
Aside from Inspection Division 5, the exam site was deserted. No one knew when it'd blow, and F-ranks sure as hell couldn't survive it anyway.
Luckily, it was such a low-grade dungeon that C- rank or higher could withstand the blast, so they could stay.
"Clearing it would be ideal."
But probably impossible, right?
Appraising the berserk dungeon pegged it at advanced A+ rank.
Clearance required at least one D- rank or three E+ ranks.
Obviously, demanding that from E- rank promotion hopefuls was out of the question. The explosion was inevitable.
That's why they'd installed every suppression device they could to contain the blast as much as possible.
It was bitterly frustrating. Inside was that guy she'd met recently—the one her uncle, the Association President, had personally taken an interest in.
A dragon she'd thought would soar brilliantly, falling without even spreading its wings once.
"Sigh. What a shitty life you have."
Word was he was the child of that heroic couple her uncle often mentioned. As a fan who'd cheered them on and mourned their downfall, she felt genuinely sorry for him.
That's how they were killing time when the dungeon finally changed.
The pulsing glow calmed, the gates opened, and a human tumbled out.
"Cleared!"
"The berserk dungeon's cleared!"
"Medical team! Medical! Check him now!"
Park Seo-ha bit through the cigarette in her mouth without realizing. Unbelievable. Cleared this?
How? Her eyes locked on the man sprawled on the ground, catching his breath.
She assessed his body and condition.
No anomalies. Minor scratches, but those weren't from monsters. With her years in Inspection, she could tell monster wounds apart blindfolded.
His breathing even hid stability beneath the ragged gasps.
In other words, it was all an act. He was hiding something.
Park Seo-ha's lips curled into a sly grin.
"Now this guy's interesting."
An E- rank promotion candidate had solo-cleared an advanced A+ dungeon. And emerged without a single real injury.
Park Seo-ha's gaze met Shin Juha's in the air. Silent words passed between them.
You're fun. What are you? What's the secret?
Get these guys out of here quick. I have something to say.
Agreement reached. Park Seo-ha spat out her mangled cigarette and approached Shin Juha.
"That's enough. He's not in critical condition—I'll take him."
No one objected. The Association's mad dog bit anyone who got in her way. No one wanted to get dragged into pointless drama.
Besides, the patient was fine anyway. The medics backed off, and Park Seo-ha supported Shin Juha to her office.
This time, not an interrogation room. One of the safest spots, checked daily for bugs—no one could eavesdrop.
"Phew. I'm beat."
He collapsed onto the sofa like a ragdoll. Fatigue hit him all at once.
Park Seo-ha watched him with inscrutable eyes, then leaned back on the opposite sofa and spoke.
"What the hell? How are you even alive? This was a death sentence."
"Tell me about it. I'm grateful to be breathing myself."
His needling tone crumpled her expression, but Shin Juha just chuckled and pulled an item from his inventory, handing it over.
"Horn flute? What is this? What am I supposed to do with it?"
"Someone triggered the berserk to kill me and sent in assassins disguised as team members."
Park Seo-ha stared at him and the item alternately in disbelief, then sighed.
With anyone else, she'd call it paranoia, threaten to cut off their lying tongue. But somehow, she was convinced it was true.
"So who was it?"
"No idea. Moon Kang-un? Some psycho with a grudge against me, apparently. Never even heard the name."
Not just a stranger, but someone whose name he didn't know had put a hit on him?
"Payment was probably a rare skillbook. They rigged the dungeon selection too, meddling in the exam. Whole setup—team, dungeon, everything. Though I bet someone bankrolled Moon Kang-un and helped with the setup..."
Meaning there was at least one Association insider involved.
Even for F-rank exams, security was tight...
"Find him and investigate, please. I'm curious why he wants me dead too."
"So you killed all the assassins?"
"Should I have spared them and held hands on the way out? With monsters they controlled via items trying to kill me? Facing two groups at once?"
She had no comeback. He was right on every point.
Then...
"In that kind of danger, you'd normally be beat to hell. But you don't have a scratch. Explain that."
Shin Juha opened his inventory like it was his answer, lining up dozens of potions in front of her like a display.
"Fine, fine. Can't win against you. Put 'em away quick."
Only then did he satisfiedly store the potions, flopping back like he'd used up all his energy.
"Transfer me to Miracle Guild's VIP room, please."
He closed his eyes. Park Seo-ha genuinely wanted to punch that smug face, but he was still the victim here.
"Grr! Damn bastard."
She called the medics again, ordering them to escort him to Miracle Guild as requested, then headed straight for Intelligence.
Bang!
The door flew open like it might shatter, and she stormed in. Intel staff flinched, eyes dropping to the floor.
"What? Not gonna welcome me?"
She could barely speak around Shin Juha, but to other Association staff, she was a walking disaster.
Once again, the team leader—the head and responsible party—had to face her.
"What is it this time...?"
"Moon Kang-un. Investigate him. Now."
"That's... we can't just probe civilians on a whim."
"Suspect in the Association berserk dungeon terror. Straight from the survivor."
The team leader's face lit up, then hardened fast.
"That lunatic?! I'll check immediately!"
"He probably has a deep grudge against survivor Shin Juha. Look into connections."
Jackpot! A terrorism case against the Association. Nail it, and the President's praise was guaranteed—maybe even a promotion.
From team leader to division chief. Hell, Intel Control Room to Intel Control Division!
No one cared about rank—everyone dug into Moon Kang-un. In just 10 minutes, they had a hit.
"Got him. Former Star Cloud Guild scout team leader Moon Kang-un. Ah! The guy behind the case you were chasing, Team Leader Park. Kicked out for that, then bled dry with massive compensation—totally broke now."
"Bingo. These types never blame themselves—always someone else's fault. Now dig into terror links. Probably bought four rare skillbooks and one rare item. And check his backer too."
"Leave it to us! What are you waiting for? Pull his 24-hour logs!"
Intel agents' eyes flew across screens. They split tasks, working efficiently and flawlessly.
About three hours later, they had a tail.
"Found it. Whoa, his backer's a big fish."
"Who?"
"Cheongsung Group third-gen, hunter Shin Seong-i Ji-yong. Went right to his house. Tried covering tracks, but no dice. We recover everything these days. Hunter powers ain't shit for that!"
Park Seo-ha smirked wickedly. A real whale.
Ammo not just for her and the Association, but her uncle the President too.
Who knew that slimy git would come in handy?
Satisfied, she ordered a deeper dig, full report, then headed to the top floor—Association President's office.