Chapter 37: Is It Wrong to Seek an Erotic Situation in a Dungeon? (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 37: Is It Wrong to Seek an Erotic Situation in a Dungeon? (6)
I had just finished changing and stepped out of the men's locker room when the door to the women's room opened.
“Oh, Yu-jeong.”
It seemed Shin Yu-jeong, who said she’d come right after class, had already arrived and changed.
She was wearing armor made of what looked to be heavy steel.
Every time she moved, the silver armor glinted in the sunlight. It looked cooler than I expected.
“Hey, you…”
Shin Yu-jeong’s eyes widened when she heard my voice and saw what I was wearing.
It wasn't because she was smitten with my new look or anything. It was probably just the robe.
I gave an awkward smile and spread my arms.
“Does it look weird?”
She quickly shook her head.
“No, it’s not that…”
Shin Yu-jeong pointed a finger at my clothes and asked.
“That’s a robe, right?”
“Yeah, it is.”
“I heard those are really expensive.”
She seemed curious where a guy who was practically a parasite, living in her family's rooftop room for cheaper-than-average rent, could have gotten a robe like this.
I pointed to Yoon Ji-an, who was standing a little ways behind me.
“She lent it to me.”
Yoon Ji-an stepped forward and handed her business card to Shin Yu-jeong.
“I’m Yoon Ji-an, from the Hunter Association.”
“Ah… I’m Shin Yu-jeong.”
Shin Yu-jeong introduced herself, looking a little dazed.
Yoon Ji-an then posed a question to her.
“I heard you’re a talented student at Korea University.”
“Yes, a freshman.”
“Hmm… It would have been better if you were a sophomore or junior, but at this point, you must have finished your practical training, so you should have some real combat experience.”
Shin Yu-jeong frowned at her tone.
She must have been pissed off by the woman's evaluative tone.
Sensing this, Yoon Ji-an seemed to realize her mistake and quickly bowed her head.
“Ah! I apologize if I offended you. Mr. Kim Do-jin is under the Hunter Association's special management, so we must be extra cautious about his safety. I hope you understand.”
Her respectful tone seemed to quell some of Shin Yu-jeong’s anger.
No, judging by the way she was looking at me, something else might have caught her attention.
“Kim Do-jin is… under the Association’s special management?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Hmph…”
The look in her eyes as she stared at me deepened.
She probably never imagined I was important enough for the Hunter Association to place under special management.
And now that she knew, I was all the more tempting.
You’re probably thrilled, aren’t you?
You must be brimming with schemes about how to tame a guy like that for your own purposes.
Not a chance in hell, kid.
“Well, if that’s the case, I understand. But I heard the dungeon we’re going to is the Trial of Kallashu.”
“That’s right. We chose a low-difficulty one, considering this is Mr. Kim Do-jin’s first time in a real dungeon.”
In response, Shin Yu-jeong pointed to the shield that was as large as her torso and declared with a triumphant expression.
“Dozens of goblins could swarm me and I wouldn't budge, so leave his safety to me.”
True… goblins would be no match for Shin Yu-jeong.
Unless dozens of them attacked her all at once.
I knew that slender body of hers was packed with muscle. She was a workout fiend.
I stood behind Yoon Ji-an and backed Shin Yu-jeong up.
“Yu-jeong’s right, Ms. Ji-an. She’s incredibly strong, so you don’t have to worry.”
With my added assurance, the last trace of anxiety in her eyes vanished.
“If you say so, Mr. Do-jin, then I’ll trust her.”
“Thanks for trusting us.”
As I was smiling and talking with Yoon Ji-an, I felt a poking sensation from my side. I turned to see Shin Yu-jeong glaring at me with a strange look in her eyes.
What’s with her?
“Why are you looking at me like that…?”
When I asked cautiously, Shin Yu-jeong shot back in a low voice only I could hear.
“Are you close with that woman?”
It clearly wasn't jealousy.
Was it anxiety that someone else was getting close to the guy she was trying to wrap around her finger?
Even if it wasn't romantic jealousy, I figured this could be useful, so I gave a vague answer.
“Hmm, I don’t know…”
My ambiguous response prompted another question.
“How often do you see her?”
“I see her every time I go to the magic academy… so at least three times a week?”
“What? Why is she there? I thought she was with the Hunter Association. Doesn’t she work?”
She was practically having a fit.
The sight was so fresh and cute it sent a shiver down my spine.
Ah, I wonder what she’ll be like when she’s finally honest with herself.
Will she be like the ajumma, or different?
I answered her question while indulging in some dark fantasies.
“How should I know…? But I asked her once, and she said being there was her job.”
“Is that so…”
She glanced at Yoon Ji-an, who was handling the dungeon entry procedures for us.
Hearing that we meet often must have put her on guard.
Then, Shin Yu-jeong’s glare suddenly returned to me.
“Wait, if it’s at least three times, does that mean you see her at other times, too?”
“Uh… Ms. Ji-an told me to call her anytime if something comes up. So sometimes we talk, have dinner together…”
That was a lie.
Lately, I’d been trying to avoid seeing her outside of the magic academy.
Getting favors from that woman wasn't free, you know.
Shin Yu-jeong’s eyes went wide.
“You… you talk to her about your problems and stuff?”
I could feel a subtle anger simmering beneath her calm tone.
She seemed a little pissed that I was doing things with Yoon Ji-an that I never did with her.
In that case, the only thing for me to do was fan the flames.
“Well, she’s a senior in the industry… I thought she could be helpful.”
“……”
After hearing my answer, Shin Yu-jeong fell silent, lost in thought.
What could she be thinking?
Judging by her darkened expression, she was probably thinking that her current approach wasn't going to cut it.
While Shin Yu-jeong was pondering and I was curiously watching her expression, Yoon Ji-an returned.
“My apologies. It took a little longer because it was the first time processing your entry.”
I smiled and shook my head.
“Not at all. You did something we were supposed to do. We should be thanking you.”
Why would I be sorry when she was doing the annoying work while we were just shooting the shit?
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
It might not be a bad idea to make Yoon Ji-an my personal secretary later on.
Unless she had some deep-seated loyalty to the company, it seemed entirely possible, as long as I could prove I was a better lifeline than the Association.
“Shall we go, then?”
She took the lead, guiding the two of us.
It was a sturdy, stone-built building.
Passing through the two guards stationed at the front, we entered a spacious area.
This building wasn't made for people to live in.
Its only purpose was to hide the massive rift in the air from the public.
It looked as if someone had grabbed the empty air with two hands and ripped it apart.
In Korea, we call this a gyunyeol [rift].
What did the foreigners call these things?
Oh, right.
They call them ‘gates.’
They say it’s because a completely different world unfolds once you cross over, so the rift serves as a kind of passage.
Anyway.
Mana constantly seeped out of this rift.
The amount was higher than the average concentration of mana in the air, which could be harmful to ordinary people, so it was contained like this to prevent it from leaking out.
A secondary reason was to protect against any rats who might try to sneak into the dungeon without their permission.
It was much easier to guard a single entrance than an open space.
“Shall we head in?”
Thwack!
Just as I was about to touch the rift, Yoon Ji-an quickly blocked my hand.
“Mr. Kim Do-jin.”
“Yes.”
As I answered, she took out a round, gold-foil-wrapped pill from the inner pocket of her suit with her other hand.
“A Woohwang Cheongsimhwan. Are you sure you don’t need one?”
“I’m fine.”
I’ve been doing this for years; why would I be nervous over something like this?
Ah, right. They wouldn't know that.
“There’s one last thing I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“I am accompanying you into this dungeon for two reasons.”
Yoon Ji-an held up two fingers.
“One is for protection, and the other is for evaluation.”
“I get the protection part, but an evaluation?”
An evaluation, all of a sudden?
Did she want to see how my talent would manifest in a real battle?
“Yes, I will be evaluating how well you and Ms. Shin Yu-jeong navigate the dungeon together.”
“I see.”
That was understandable.
There were more people than you’d think who had tons of talent but completely screwed up in a real fight.
But she wasn't finished.
“If you clear the dungeon without any major issues, Mr. Kim Do-jin, we will provide you with the full set of equipment you are currently wearing.”
Oh.
That was an unexpected reward.
“Provide? You mean… you’re giving all this equipment to him?”
Shin Yu-jeong, standing next to me, seemed just as surprised as I was and asked the question for me.
Yoon Ji-an gave an awkward smile in response.
“It would be better to think of it as an… indefinite loan.”
Of course.
I hadn't said it out loud, but those bastards at the Hunter Association were incredibly cheap.
To be precise, it wasn't the Association, but the Chairman.
I don't know if he was overly patriotic or just hated spending money.
It wasn't even his own money, but he hoarded it like a dragon.
I’d gotten into more than a few shouting matches with that old miser over his stinginess.
“That’s good enough. If there’s no deadline, that means I can use it as long as I want before giving it back, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. You can return it when you’ve grown stronger and moved on to higher-tier equipment, and no longer have a need for it.”
There was another trick hidden in there.
Since it was an indefinite loan, I’d still have to return it eventually, which meant I couldn't use it as recklessly as if it were my own.
Besides, it was a win for them if they got it back at any point, and if it got damaged, I’d bear some responsibility.
They wouldn't directly ask for compensation, but it was their way of putting me in their debt.
Like a cunning old Scrooge.
Ugh, just thinking about it is annoying.
I’ll just use it as much as I can, as quickly as I can, and return it in pristine condition.
“So, shall we really get going now?”
“Yes, let’s.”
She moved a good distance away from us.
She said she wouldn't interfere unless our lives were in danger, so she’d probably follow us from that distance.
“Hey.”
As I was about to reach for the rift, Shin Yu-jeong nudged me in the side with her elbow.
“Yeah?”
When I turned my head, she spoke to me with an awkward smile.
“That, uh, thing. The e-evaluation that woman was talking about.”
What’s this?
Why is she stuttering?
“If you pass it… I’ll give you a reward, too.”
“…A reward?”
“Yeah, a reward.”
Heh heh.
Forcing myself to hold back a grin, I asked casually.
“Can I ask what kind of reward…?”
“It’s…”
Shin Yu-jeong started to answer, then suddenly ruffled her own hair in frustration.
“Ah, anyway, there’s something! S-Something good!”
Then she suddenly slammed her hand down on my shoulder.
WHAM!
“Ugh!”
For a second, my eyes watered.
Did this bitch just hit me with a gauntleted hand?
As I was about to glare at her in annoyance, she touched the rift before I could.
Shin Yu-jeong’s face was bright red as her body slowly faded away.
“This is a sure thing.”
My head and my dick were both screaming that the reward was definitely her body.
Ah, those goblin bastards are so fucking dead.
I placed my hand on the rift and followed Shin Yu-jeong inside.