Department Store Dungeon Break
At those words, Lee Gayeon began pondering who to send with Seoya.
"...Wait a sec. How about going with Park Haejun once he gets back?"
"Haejun oppa's busy."
Seoya shook her head firmly. She knew Neverending Guild was swamped these days competing with Na Seong's guild. Besides, to enter a dungeon with her, they had to know her true identity—and within Neverending, only the guild's most vital hunters were in on that secret. Pulling them away would be a waste of manpower. Seoya had no desire to disrupt them during such a hectic time.
"Th-then how about Jeong Sira?"
"I know they're all busy."
Lee Gayeon shot Ji Sein a glare. It was a look that said, You're the one slacking off—why don't you go with her? But Ji Sein just shrugged nonchalantly and pretended not to notice.
Growing frustrated, Seoya decided to suggest someone herself.
"Can't I just contact someone else?"
"Someone else who?"
"Hmm, well... Kwon Yooseok, for starters..."
"No way!"
"Absolutely not!"
"Out of the question!"
Lee Gayeon, who had been listening; Ji Sein, who had been feigning ignorance; and even Park Haejun, who had just entered the room—all shouted in unison, making Seoya flinch.
"As you know, the atmosphere between guilds is pretty cutthroat right now. BlackPen Guild is one of the most aggressively involved in the power struggles, so Hunter Kwon Yooseok is a hard no."
Park Haejun presented a convincing reason, and Seoya backed down. It was true that BlackPen was deeply entangled in the power plays. Of course, they just didn't like Kwon Yooseok as a person.
"Hmm, then... Go Heejae? Nah, not really."
Seoya grimaced and shook her head at her own suggestion. Ibin had taught her not to discriminate, but Go Heejae was just kinda sleazy...
And he pries too much.
Next, Na Seonghyeon popped into her mind, but recalling his manic devotion made her shudder. Plus, he was the one clashing most fiercely with Neverending right now.
Gwak Mansu's in Busan.
Too far. Seoya crossed him off the list too.
Then, two names flashed in her head.
"So Eunsu and So Euneung!"
At least to Seoya, they seemed pretty level-headed, and more importantly, they knew her secret.
"Hmm... Tricky."
Lee Gayeon let out a groan. Truth be told, she didn't love handing Seoya off to outsiders, but her guild was busy, and the So siblings were reliable enough. Especially since...
"Asteroid Guild stays out of the power struggles, right? I think it'd be fine."
Park Haejun, standing behind Lee Gayeon, chimed in.
"Yeah, you're right... They're still kids, after all."
So Eunsu, Asteroid's guild master, was just a year older than Baek Yena or Ji Sein, who Lee Gayeon still saw as immature. Vice Guild Master So Euneung was a minor, so no contest there. True to their young roster, Asteroid members seemed more focused on growing their YouTube subscribers and TV appearances than guild expansion. They were the hunters who showed up on TV the most.
In any case, Asteroid was the only one of Korea's five major guilds with zero involvement in the power fights.
After agonizing over it, Lee Gayeon finally nodded.
"Yeah, they'll do."
"Got it! I'll contact them!"
"Asteroid doesn't operate much in Seoul proper, and with their huge numbers, they're spread nationwide. No clue where Hunter So Eunsu and Hunter So Euneung are right now, though..."
"Oh, I saw on YouTube!"
Ji Sein, lounging on the sofa fiddling with a monster grade analyzer, piped up brightly.
"They're holed up in a hotel in Namyangju these days!"
"That's drivable from here. Not too far."
Seoya's face lit up as she fired off a chat message to them. She could gather magic stones and test the analyzer to help Neverending—two birds with one stone!
***
"Seoya! I'm so touched!"
So Euneung squealed beside her, clasping her hands with sparkling eyes.
"Aww~ We were needed, huh~?"
Seoya flinched at the back-slapping. This felt... off.
"Euneung, don't treat Seoya like a pet."
So Eunsu shot his bubbly sister a weary look.
Knew it...
'Pet' had to refer to that grandma's dog they'd mentioned last time. Sure enough, So Euneung was handling Seoya like a lapdog...
"Why the hotel stay, anyway?"
Seoya changed the subject to probe why they were crashing there. Unlike most guilds basing out of their buildings, they'd booked a Namyangju hotel for the foreseeable future.
"Oh, that? It's our YouTube concept~."
"Huh?"
"Touring the country~ That's our gimmick~."
"If we hit their hometowns, subscribers feel closer, and it draws nationwide interest."
So Euneung winked cheekily, and So Eunsu followed up.
"Plus, we stick to spots our members already cleared, avoiding other guilds' turf. No drama."
"Uh, yeah..."
Seoya nodded dazedly at their wildly unconventional approach.
"We'll stick around Namyangju for a week, hunting locally. Might head to Uijeongbu or Guri too."
Seoya agreed to hang at their hotel during the day. Commuting from Seoul took too long once a dungeon alert hit, so basing here made sense. Though Lee Gayeon's iron rule meant heading home at night.
While waiting for dungeon news, Seoya tinkered with the monster grade analyzer she'd brought. It was a bulky black device like an oversized camera; step within a meter of a monster, and its screen displayed rough wavelength readings and rank.
So Euneung, perched beside her and studying Seoya intently, asked,
"What's Sein up to these days?"
"Eating ice cream at home."
"Heehee, so consistent!"
So Euneung, who seemed tight with Ji Sein, giggled at the news.
"And Yena?"
"Still grinding away. Looks wiped."
"Hmm, total opposites!"
Unlike Baek Yena, who got flak for being prickly, So Euneung just smiled softly at her update—maybe found her intimidating.
She added,
"Yena's super cool, though! But I like Sein more!"
"Right..."
Seoya pictured So Euneung and Ji Sein bickering around her. Even imagining it, they seemed like a chaotic, perfect match...
"Not gonna ask why?"
"Does there need to be a reason?"
Seoya grumbled, and So Euneung burst into laughter again.
"Sein's smart—that's why! Total opposite of me!"
They seem pretty similar to me...
As Seoya started to voice her bewilderment, So Eunsu's phone buzzed. He checked it and darkened instantly.
"Shit, big trouble..."
"What, oppa? Where'd the dungeon pop?"
So Euneung yanked her hair into a ponytail and jumped up.
"...Uijeongbu. Gotta move now. As fast as possible! Too many trapped inside!"
Face paling, So Eunsu bolted for the door without elaborating. So Euneung and Seoya scrambled after him to the parking lot.
"What? Where?"
"Department store!"
"What?!"
Even So Euneung blanched. Only then did Seoya grasp their panic. A department store meant crowds. If a gate sucked people in...
They have to survive till we get there...
Pulling her cloak tight, Seoya clutched the analyzer and prayed desperately for as many lives saved as possible.
***
They burst out of the car at Uijeongbu's massive department store, scrambling without a word.
"Damn..."
So Eunsu muttered at the enormous gate dominating the first-floor entrance. Shelves that should've lined the area were gone—sucked in too.
Before entering, So Eunsu rapid-fired questions at a Dungeon Safety Bureau official.
"Any estimate on civilians inside?"
"Ah...! Hunter So Eunsu! The foot traffic was huge, and this gate's pull was unusually strong..."
His face fell.
"At least forty, maybe up to sixty. And it's the weekend—extra busy..."
"Oppa, hurry...!"
So Euneung gripped Seoya's hand tight. As they moved for the gate, the official yelled,
"Wait, hunters! Six from Sprout Guild are already inside—heads up!"
"Got it!"
So Eunsu nodded and plunged through. Seoya and So Euneung followed right behind.