What a Shitshow!
The moment they stepped into the dungeon, So Euneung shouted.
"What a shitshow!"
Seoya, on the other hand, scanned the dungeon interior with wide, curious eyes.
Didn't we just enter a dungeon?
But this place was...
"Why are we still inside the department store?"
When Seoya asked that, So Eunsu and So Euneung stared at her like she was speaking nonsense.
"'Cause this is a real-type dungeon, duh?"
"Real-type dungeon?"
Seoya's voice sounded utterly clueless, so So Eunsu explained what a real-type dungeon was.
"Yeah, dungeons come in two flavors: virtual-type and real-type. Virtual ones lead to weird made-up places like jungles, polar regions, deserts, or labyrinths when you go through the gate. Real-type ones are exact copies of the environment where the gate spawned."
"Ah."
It was dungeon knowledge Seoya hadn't known before.
"At least real-type dungeons give you better survival odds. Familiar turf means it's easier to find hiding spots. If you're lucky, there's food stocked up, so you can hole up long-term."
"Yeah! And there's a random chance the electricity and water stay on!"
So Eunsu and So Euneung took turns explaining.
"Electricity and water don't cut out?"
Seoya started doubting all the science books she'd read on Earth. Dungeons were cut off from the outside world—how the hell was that possible?
To her question, So Euneung chirped back brightly.
"Nobody knows the principle behind it, but hey, dungeons are full of impossible crap anyway!"
"Not every real-type dungeon's like that—it's just luck."
After briefing Seoya on dungeons, they turned to face forward. They were standing right in the center of the first floor of the department store, exactly where they'd been before entering the gate. Since this dungeon was a perfect replica of the store's interior, every display rack and fixture matched the original down to the last detail.
And through the wide-open central atrium ceiling, they could see people screaming and scrambling chaotically across the upper floors.
"What a real shitshow..."
So Eunsu muttered that, then gripped a long staff that had appeared out of nowhere in one hand.
"The folks dragged in when the dungeon first spawned probably landed on the first floor, so they've likely fled elsewhere."
Just as he said, there wasn't a soul on the first floor.
"Yeah, or maybe the Sprout Guild already rescued whoever was down here!"
So Euneung said, clutching a small, adorable pink wand.
"I think I know why they ran."
Seoya, who'd been looking around, pointed calmly at one corner.
So Eunsu and So Euneung followed her gaze, then let out sounds of realization.
"Aha..."
In the corner of the first floor lay zombies torn to shreds and sprawled across the floor. Grayish discolored skin, bizarrely bulging veins. They were straight out of Earth's zombie movies—no doubt about it. Different from mutants, though.
Gazing at the wreckage, So Eunsu and So Euneung said casually,
"Looks like Sprout Guild already cleared the first floor."
"Eww, zombies this time, huh!"
"Zombies are B-rank monsters. Since this dungeon's A-rank overall, they're probably just the regulars. Boss monster's gotta be somewhere else."
Listening to them, Seoya glanced up toward the screams echoing from the upper floors of the department store.
So Eunsu nodded and bolted toward the escalator.
"Let's move!"
They raced up the escalator and arrived on the second floor. Zombies were shambling around groaning here and there, while people hid from them or tried to flee to higher floors.
The second they burst onto the second floor with a racket, every civilian and zombie turned to stare.
"It's Asteroid!"
"Help us!"
Even the people who'd been hiding in familiar faces cried out desperately.
So Eunsu, looking flustered, held up his palms to signal everyone to calm down—but the monsters, riled by the sudden noise, charged straight at them.
So Euneung stepped forward to face the horde head-on.
Star Power - Love Attack
So Euneung raised her wand with a serious face and chanted the incantation. Light burst from the wand, shooting toward the charging zombies. Red hearts fired out like soap bubbles from a gun.
They packed more punch than they looked—the zombies hit by the hearts flew backward.
Seoya watched her skill with a bemused expression.
That kinda looks like... those magical girls from Earth's anime...?
Eagle of the Seventh of July
Then So Eunsu, standing behind Seoya, swung his staff dramatically and shouted. Tiny points appeared in the air, aligning perfectly into an eagle shape. With another grand swing of his staff, the star-like eagle transformed into a real one and soared toward the zombies across the way.
It pecked out one zombie's eye relentlessly. Once that one collapsed, it shredded the next before vanishing smoothly.
The people cowering right in front of the zombies cheered at the spectacle.
And Seoya eyed that too with bemusement.
Why are these two so...
They both looked straight out of Earth's comics or anime! Flashy skills and chants, those wands, the huge gestures... Like cartoon characters come to life.
No wonder people were cheering.
Shaking off her momentary fluster at their unexpected fighting styles, Seoya followed So Eunsu and So Euneung as they mowed down zombies from different directions, sweeping more away with her mana.
"Hm..."
It really felt similar to mutants. These zombies seemed even weaker since they lacked black energy.
Now clutching a dagger tightly in one hand, Seoya leaped around like she was flying, slicing zombie necks.
Treating them like mutants made the dagger feel right at home in her grip.
Then, the item in her left hand vibrated.
"Ah."
Seoya checked the monster rank detector she'd momentarily forgotten about.
Wavelength: 341
Rank:B
Remembering So Eunsu had said zombies were B-rank, the device seemed to be working fine.
Soon, all the second-floor zombies were gone. Seoya dismissed the flurry of system windows announcing B-rank zombie kills, then approached So Eunsu and So Euneung.
They were checking on people who'd been hiding around the floor.
"Aigoo! That must hurt so bad! Hang in there a sec~!"
Blood was gushing from the arm of the woman So Euneung was bandaging.
"Ah, she... got bit by a zombie, I think."
Noticing the onlookers, So Euneung awkwardly used formal speech with Seoya.
Seoya kept quiet to hide her voice too.
"It's not like the movies—this is just a monster bite, so no actual infection. The wound's all."
So Euneung explained to Seoya, while So Eunsu rummaged in his bag and pulled out a red potion for the woman.
"HP potion here. Even non-hunters feel better from injuries if they drink it. Prevents dizziness from blood loss too."
The woman drank it, and once So Euneung had fully bandaged her arm, she signaled So Eunsu it was time to go.
"What about the people?"
Seoya whispered low near their ears.
"Should we take 'em with?"
"Yeah, usually we do—monsters can pop up anywhere."
Seoya started to reply but instead used detection around them. As expected, no monster or human presences on the first, second floors, or basement. They were all clustered upstairs.
"Monsters are all upstairs."
"Then better leave 'em here this time."
So Eunsu caught on.
"Safer that way. We've still got a boss monster to fight."
After relaying the decision to the people they'd rescued on the second floor, they dashed up to the upper levels. Lives were on the line up there—every minute, every second counted.
"Is there always this much to do?"
As they bounded up the escalator, Seoya asked. So Eunsu and So Euneung answered in turn.
"Yeah, just the three of us right now. It's an emergency dungeon, so more hunters will keep coming in behind us—they'll handle the folks we left below."
"We could ignore the civilians running from zombies and just hunt the boss straight off, but we don't do that!"
Seoya nodded.
"Right, we've gotta help people."
"Yup yup, exactly!"
Then Seoya and So Euneung spoke at the same time.
"Can't just ignore the injured—we've got the power to help."
"'Cause if we blow past without helping, we'll catch hell after clearing the dungeon!"
Seoya and So Euneung locked eyes, both blinking like what did you just say?
"Huh?"
"What'd you say?"
Seeing Seoya's flustered face, So Euneung gaped as if remembering who she was.
"Knew it! You're super upright, total Neverending Guild type—like Lee Gayeon or Yena!"
"But obviously we help people first."
Seoya stated the obvious, but So Euneung reacted differently.
"Ah, I'm kinda misanthropic!"
Seoya made a sour face, but zombies appeared ahead, cutting off any retort. They cleared the monsters on the third and fourth floors side-by-side, helped the people there, and headed to the fifth.
"What the hell are those Sprout Guild idiots doing? No sign of 'em anywhere but the first floor?"
As So Euneung grumbled and turned her head...
"...What the heck are they doing?"
So Eunsu muttered blankly.
Right before their eyes, a few hunters were boldly charging up to the sixth floor, shoving past people fleeing zombies.