Into the Dungeon
"Huh? Yoo Jinseok, right?"
Seeing Jinseok salute, Major Jang Tae-seung recognized him too. Back in the special forces, Jinseok had been a standout soldier. He was only around C-rank at the time, but as an ability user with iron discipline and top marks in all specialties, he'd been treated like an ace. The military had even urged him to stay on with the special forces if possible.
Jinseok probably would have chosen to remain in the army if it hadn't been for his sister Miyeon.
"Salute! Yes, sir. Major Jang—no, Lieutenant Colonel Jang, sir."
Jinseok shouted his salute and greeted the major in return. He'd found his old superior a bit tedious back in service, but running into a familiar face after so long—even in the midst of operations—lifted his spirits.
"You two know each other?"
Miyeon glanced back and forth between Jinseok and Major Jang, asking the question. It was her first time meeting the major, so she was surprised to hear him speak of Jinseok like an old acquaintance.
"Yeah, sis. Major Jang was my CO when I was in the army."
"Jinseok helped me out a ton back then. I begged him to stay with the unit, but he left to become a hero. Anyway, ending up on a team like Team Valkyrie—you're a credit to our unit, Jinseok."
Major Jang explained the situation, expressing his joy at seeing his former subordinate succeed as a hero. The military offered good pay, bonuses, and pensions to monster-response special forces, but it paled in comparison to the wealth and fame of solo hero work.
The major felt a swell of pride watching Jinseok thrive. It wasn't just him—the whole unit would boast about their "homegrown hero" whenever Jinseok popped up on the news or broadcasts.
"Ah, I see."
Miyeon broke into a gentle smile. Seeing her little brother praised by Major Jang warmed her heart. She cherished Jinseok as family, so watching him earn respect from others always made her happy.
"Who would've thought we'd run into your old unit here."
There were multiple monster-response special forces units. Jinseok had expected some spec-ops teams on standby, but reuniting with his old outfit was a pleasant surprise. A small coincidence, but a welcome one amid the tension.
"From Jinseok's unit? Perfect timing, then. Oh, and I should share these comfort kits too."
"Ah, thank you so much. Bringing comfort kits on top of everything. Every time you visited Jinseok, sis, the whole unit's morale would skyrocket."
The coincidence pleased Miyeon too. She always packed comfort kits for Jinseok's visits, and she'd prepared some this time for the ops teams on standby. Major Jang expressed his gratitude—they'd boost spirits during the night op.
…
"Hey, pull personnel from each unit to come grab the comfort kits."
"Yes, sir!"
At Major Jang's order, his subordinate officer rounded up reps from the various standby units. They were bored out of their minds guarding the gate at night, so the word "comfort kits" had them swarming eagerly.
The kits were mostly late-night snacks for the troops: drinks, chicken, pizza, and the like. As the trailer bay opened, delicious aromas wafted out.
"Team Valkyrie was kind enough to bring these. Give thanks to Sergeant Yoo Jinseok—our unit alum now with Valkyrie—and salute him!"
"Sergeant Yoo Jinseok, sir! Thank you! Loyalty!"
"Haha, come on. Loyalty!"
At Major Jang's command, the troops lined up for rations, thanking and saluting Jinseok. Their eyes shone with genuine respect and admiration, leaving him a bit embarrassed as he returned the salutes.
"And thanks and salutes to his sister, Yoo Miyeon—leader of Team Valkyrie!"
"Miyeon noona! Thank you! Loyalty!"
"Whoa, it's Miyeon noona! We love you!"
"Oh my. Hehe."
The fervor for Miyeon burned even hotter. The soldiers unabashedly called her "noona" and cheered like fans at an idol concert. Her popularity in the military was legendary. Miyeon wore a pleased, contented smile—she clearly didn't mind.
…
As gate-opening prep continued, the kit recipients enjoyed a brief snack break. Troops and even the scientists manning the gate device munched and sipped, taking a moment to unwind.
Once the short rest ended, gate ops resumed. Prep was already complete, but with Team Valkyrie arrived, they moved to final checks. The moment the gate opened, the mission began.
"Gate's opening soon. Let's get ready."
"Yes, Miyeon unnie. All set."
"Finally, time for the dungeon raid."
Team Valkyrie—Miyeon, Serin, and Ye-eun—boarded their large exploration trailer, prepping for gate entry. Jinseok sat in the driver's seat, running final checks on all systems. A breakdown inside the dungeon would spell disaster, so he double-checked everything.
"Jinseok, gear status?"
"Yup. All good. Green across the board."
Checks complete, Jinseok gave Miyeon the thumbs-up. Team Valkyrie was fully prepped.
With maintenance done, the gate finally activated.
Vwoooom—!
"Gate operational!"
"Dimensional link stable! No monsters detected!"
The gate device hummed to life. Space warped inside the metal ring, forming a portal to another dimension. Through the spacetime ripples, the otherworldly landscape blurred into view.
Nearby soldiers launched recon drones through the gate, relaying data to Team Valkyrie.
"Drone recon report: Interior environment nominal. No monsters detected around gate. Situation clear."
"Good. Jinseok, prep to enter."
"Got it."
Miyeon issued the order after the recon brief. Jinseok drove the trailer up to the gate.
Rumble rumble rumble—!
The heavy trailer rolled forward with a deep growl, stopping right at the gate's edge.
Before entry, Miyeon messaged her secretary, Oh Hyeji, left alone outside.
"Hyeji, comms will cut out once we're in. If anything urgent comes up, call for backup at your discretion."
"Understood."
Hyeji responded calmly and dutifully. As Miyeon's loyal secretary, her admin skills were top-notch—trusted implicitly. But as a C-rank with near-civilian abilities, she handled rear support rather than fieldwork.
"Alright, let's go!"
"Here we go! Buckle up tight and hold on!"
Rumble rumble rumble—!
At Miyeon's signal from inside, Jinseok floored the accelerator. The trailer gained speed, plunging through the gate.
…
Thud—!
"Ugh?! Th-this is the other dimension?!"
Passing through the gate disoriented Jinseok—space rippled, his senses spun, and his body felt flipped inside out. But the dizziness faded quickly, and the trailer emerged on the far side, beyond spacetime.
"Whoa—! It's like an alien planet…. So this is where monsters live?"
The view through the reinforced glass was utterly bizarre. Jinseok had fought plenty of monsters, but this was his first time in another dimension. Jagged rocks littered the barren wasteland, sheer cliffs plunged into deep chasms. The sky swirled with purple and crimson vortices, eerie and unnatural.
This was it—the monsters' home, the dungeon. A landscape so alien it stole Jinseok's breath. He stared, transfixed.