The Sobbing Serin
After Han Serin finally offered her panties to Kang Cheonhu, Yoo Miyeon, Seong Ye-eun, Serin, Yoo Jinseok, and all the members of Team Valkyrie returned home in a state of utter misery and gloom.
From the moment they left Kang Cheonhu's base camp set up by Team Tempest until they made it back to Team Valkyrie's mobile base trailer, no one exchanged a single word.
"Euhh... H-heuk... Euhhheuk."
Only the sound of Serin sobbing uncontrollably, like she was breaking down in tears, echoed through the air.
Jinseok sat beside her, gently stroking her shoulders and hair in an attempt to comfort her, but Serin showed no signs of stopping.
Jinseok couldn't find any words to say to her either.
(Ugh... I couldn't do a damn thing to help Serin. I feel so pathetic.)
Jinseok felt utterly wretched about his failure to protect Serin. No, it wasn't just Serin—Miyeon and Ye-eun too. He hadn't been able to help any of them.
While Team Valkyrie's beauties endured their humiliation, all he had done was collapse and wail like a coward.
"But who the hell is that guy?"
"Heh heh. That's the loser Yoo Jinseok. Apparently the little brother of that bitch Yoo Miyeon."
"Kekeke. I heard Team Valkyrie had some deadweight who forced his way in despite being way out of his league. Guess that's him."
"They announced he was dating Han Serin not long ago, and now look at the sorry state he's in. Uhahahaha."
Even the Tempest porters were whispering and snickering as they eyed Jinseok.
They saw him as a total joke, and their murmurs stabbed into his chest like knife blades. What hurt even more was that he couldn't refute a single word of their gossip.
"Euhhuk— H-heukheuk— Euhhheuk—"
Even after returning to the trailer, the heavy atmosphere in Team Valkyrie lingered.
Serin's sobs grew even more heartbroken, and Jinseok's attempts to hold her were useless.
Gazing at her, Jinseok felt a deepening sense of helplessness—he could do absolutely nothing.
"Haa..."
"Hoo..."
Miyeon and Ye-eun hung their heads in gloom, letting out occasional sighs without saying a word.
The humiliation at Kang Cheonhu's hands had clearly left deep scars on them too.
The mood inside the trailer was nothing like Team Valkyrie's usual bright confidence. It was more like a pathetic cage for females whose pride had been trampled after being raped and defiled.
And Jinseok, completely broken in spirit, tried to comfort Serin while drowning in his own powerlessness and agony.
"Let's head back, Jinseok."
"Y-yeah."
After sitting in silence for a long while, Miyeon gave the order to return.
Among the team members, only Jinseok could drive the massive trailer.
He was suffering too, but he had no choice—he climbed into the driver's seat.
The trailer had some autonomous driving features, but in unstable, complex environments like dungeon interiors rather than regular roads, it wasn't reliable.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Despite his dour mood, the trailer operated smoothly, thankfully. Team Valkyrie's trailer slowly moved out of the dungeon, passed through the gate, and returned to Earth.
...
Rumble—!
Emerging from the gate back to Earth, they found that time had passed and it was now full daylight.
Unable to sense Earth's time flow inside the dungeon, the sudden brightness felt strangely disorienting.
Miyeon stepped out of the trailer and approached Major Jang, who was guarding the gate.
Now in a no-panties state with just her tight hot pants, she felt oddly exposed, but she had to ask.
"Major Jang. Team Tempest suddenly showed up inside the dungeon. What happened?"
"Ah, you mean Kang Cheonhu's team. They said they'd coordinated with Team Valkyrie in advance, so I let them through."
"If they'd coordinated with us, I would've been told ahead of time. Isn't bringing porters a violation? There are safety regulations."
"Well, they're an S-rank hero team too. If they insist on entering, it's hard for me to stop them..."
"But isn't gate access for hero teams your responsibility, Major? I thought we all had to follow government oversight regardless of rank."
"Yes. I authorized it under my authority. Team Tempest is an S-rank hero team after all. I figured they'd be helpful. If there's a problem, I'll take responsibility."
Miyeon sparred lightly with Major Jang.
Team Tempest bringing porters into a freshly opened dungeon felt off somehow.
But since he'd authorized it on his own authority and taken responsibility, she couldn't press further.
Dungeon expeditions had rules. To prevent civilian supporters like porters from getting hurt, there were regulations barring them from entering during initial scouting and reconnaissance phases.
Without such rules, hero teams might overwork and sacrifice civilian supporters. Since dungeons were practically lawless zones, safety protocols were enforced at entry.
Kang Cheonhu and Team Tempest's actions blatantly ignored those safety regs—lawless behavior.
However, the rules allowed dungeon overseers to grant exceptions in special cases. If Major Jang had approved it for whatever reason, Miyeon had no grounds to argue.
(This feels weird... He seemed so upright before. Did I misjudge him?)
Major Jang's demeanor was nothing like the stern, by-the-book soldier he'd seemed before entering the dungeon. Now he looked like some sloppy, airheaded middle-aged guy. His flushed face even suggested he'd been drinking.
...
Right after Team Valkyrie entered, Team Tempest rolled up to the gate with a bunch of armored vehicles and trucks.
Major Jang moved to block them.
"What the hell? Do you know who I am?"
"I do. You're Kang Cheonhu from Team Tempest, right? I'm Major Jang Tae-seung, in charge of this gate op. Team Valkyrie is currently scouting the dungeon. No other hero teams are allowed in yet."
"What? Some soldier blocking me even though you know who I am? Pretty ballsy. Can't you just let us in?"
"Those trucks have civilian porters, don't they? I absolutely can't allow civilians inside."
Kang Cheonhu clashed with Major Jang in his arrogant manner. Relying on his S-rank status and power, he tried to bulldoze through, but Jang cited the rules and refused.
(If I let Kang Cheonhu in, something bad might happen...)
Major Jang knew full well of Kang Cheonhu's notoriety for leaving destruction in his wake like a storm. As a monster-hunting special forces officer, he had to stay informed on heroes to do his job.
Unsure what chaos Cheonhu might cause inside, Jang was determined to stop him.
"Don't be so picky. How about a little chat?"
"Chat...?"
"Yeah, yeah. Civilized folks negotiate with words. Wanna grab a drink?"
"I'm on duty. Can't drink."
"Tch. So damn rigid."
Kang Cheonhu clicked his tongue in annoyance. Then, a woman suddenly approached from beside him.
She wore a deep-brimmed hat and a leather coat that covered her entirely—an odd getup.
"Kukuku. He probably doesn't want booze alone. How about with a beauty?"
"Gulp."
Kang Cheonhu grinned sleazily and pulled the woman forward. She held a bottle of premium whiskey.
As she appeared, Major Jang swallowed hard. Despite being bundled in the coat, an overwhelming erotic aura emanated from her.
Even over the coat, her curves were obvious, and below it, her long bare legs stretched out in high heels—slender, alluring legs.
"Hee hee hee. How about a drink together, soldier boy?"
"H-Huh?!"
Like an exhibitionist, the woman flung her coat wide open. Inside, she was completely naked.
Nothing under the coat at all.
"Song Jia-e?!"
Major Jang recognized her instantly. She was Song Jia-e, the top actress turned Kang Cheonhu's sex slave—and recently transformed into a succubus kaijin.
A massive celebrity, especially a top star for men his age—he couldn't not know her.