I'll Commute to the Dungeon!
Beep-beep-beep! Beep-beep-beep!
Baek Seol and Shin Seoyun's smartphones screamed in unison. It wasn't a mere alarm or ringtone. It was the [Code: Red] alert reserved solely for national emergencies or disasters of equivalent scale. Both women's gazes snapped to their screens. The lingering tension and personal grudges from moments ago evaporated in an instant. All that remained was the icy resolve of S-rank hunters upholding the Republic of Korea.
"The Infinite Corridor..." Baek Seol bit her lip. It was the worst labyrinthine gate that had wiped a small European nation off the map three years ago. And now, of all times, it had opened right over central Seoul.
"This is bad. We've got just over three hours until the gate fully opens."
Seoyun's assessment was swift. She immediately called for a helicopter via her secretary, coolly scanning the situation report.
"Brute force deployment is off the table."
Her eyes darted sharply. The key phrase for this gate was [unstable]. Paradoxically, it was the worst matchup for S-rank hunters wielding overwhelming power.
Raw strength will only disrupt the waves further.
A dungeon that couldn't be solved by force alone. That was the true dilemma of this crisis.
Her gaze locked onto Siu, who was eyeing the situation nervously from the corner of the room.
"We need to bring him."
"What?"
Baek Seol's eyebrow twitched.
"I'm saying we take Han Siu. He's the key card for this raid."
"...Have you lost your mind?"
Baek Seol growled, stepping in front of Siu. "This isn't even an official S-rank—it's confirmed S+. A graze means instant death. You wanna drag an F-rank kid in there as meat shield or what?"
"Don't get emotional, Baek Seol."
Seoyun shot back coldly. "Didn't you read the report? 'Mana waves unstable.' Know what that means? Standardized skills from mages or healers won't work. It's a chaotic mess where the internal rules shift constantly."
She pointed at Siu. "Only one person in Korea can calculate those variables in real-time and pin them down as constants. No matter how perfectly you hurl your ice spears, if the laws of physics flip, they miss. You need a navigator to compensate."
It was logically airtight. But Baek Seol wouldn't budge. To her, Siu wasn't some efficiency tool—he was her person, someone to protect.
"Don't make me laugh. I'll go in alone, smash everything, and come out. He's staying home. I won't let a single hair on his head get hurt."
"Didn't you hear me? Even if your abilities are top-tier... what if they're nullified against the targets? You'd just be fancy ice cubes. Variables demand counter-variables."
Siu nodded vigorously from behind Baek Seol's back.
Please! She's right! I'll cheer from home!
The standoff was tense. Ice and capital were seconds from reigniting their war.
"I'm with you on that."
A voice cut in suddenly, and space warped. Crackle! The dank basement air dried up in a flash, red flames flickering in midair. A shadow emerged, scorching the void. An alluring rose scent wafted with a familiar voice.
She grinned. "Hey, everyone? I think taking Siu is the right call too."
Hong Yeonhwa, clad in a skin-tight black leather combat suit, had arrived. Fresh from gearing up, she radiated killing intent, yet her lips curved in a leisurely smile.
"Hong Yeonhwa... what the hell are you doing here?"
"Why? Worried about my baby, so I came. Hey, Siu. Miss me?"
"......"
She'd gotten the dungeon alert too and flown straight to Siu's place. Seoyun's into this kid too...? Yeonhwa quickly read the room and sidled up to Siu naturally.
And Siu spotted it: a white fabric scrap tied like a ribbon at her slim waist, clashing wildly with the combat suit.
Wait, that's... my shirt?!
It was the dress shirt she'd swiped yesterday for his interview. Now worn like a trophy or lucky charm around her waist.
Baek Seol's eyes caught it too, sharpening instantly.
"You. Untie that from your waist. Now."
"Aw, why? It smells like my man—total combat buff."
Yeonhwa stroked the shirt hem provocatively. Cracking sounds came from Baek Seol's fist.
Ignoring the aggression, Yeonhwa backed Seoyun. "Baek Seol, you're way too overprotective. Gotta raise a man tough. And..."
She leaned into Siu's ear, whispering. "Dungeons are chaos, right? No CCTV, no prying eyes. Might get some cozy 'us time' in there."
"I heard that. Try it if you wanna die."
Baek Seol's icy glare shifted to Siu.
"......"
A chill ran down Siu's spine. This woman was plotting to kidnap or pounce amid the chaos—ice prison via Baek Seol inevitable.
"Decide. No time."
Seoyun checked her watch, cutting through the tension.
Baek Seol ground her teeth, forced to choose: Seoyun's logic, Yeonhwa's support, and the harsh reality that without Siu's skills, the raid might fail outright.
"...Fine."
She gripped Siu's shoulder bruisingly. "But conditions. From entry to exit, stay within one meter of my back. Even bathroom breaks need my say-so."
"Uh, sure. Obviously."
Siu replied like swallowing bitter herbs. Quitting time was toast. Survival was the new goal.
Ten minutes later. Haesung Group HQ rooftop helipad.
The massive military transport chopper's rotors battered their eardrums.
"Put this on. I'll cover your worth."
Seoyun handed Siu a large hard case. Inside gleamed a [Lightweight Tactical Suit] with faint mana glow and custom [Smart Goggles].
"Whoa..."
Siu's eyes widened. Prototype military gear unavailable commercially. Exoskeleton boosted F-rank physique to B-rank, with built-in shock-absorbing shields.
Trembling, Siu donned the goggles. Bzzzt. Lenses overlaid nearby hunters' mana levels, chopper specs, wind data—in real-time. Leagues beyond his old glasses film.
"Like it?"
"Boss... I'm yours. This is the real deal."
Back at the bookstore, he'd pegged her as a spoiled rich flower throwing cash around. But this decisive grip, shoving her agenda through? Yeah, it caught his eye—beyond just the wealth bending him.
And... this feel...
Siu fiddled with the goggles, geeking out. For a gear-obsessed nerd, no better carrot. Fear dulled slightly under equipment hype.
"Load up."
At Baek Seol's order, the four boarded.
⊳ Main Tank/Dealer: Baek Seol (S-rank Freeze)
⊳ Sub Dealer/Utility: Hong Yeonhwa (S-rank Flame)
⊳ Supporter/Command: Shin Seoyun (S-rank Buffer)
⊳ Strategist/Interpreter: Han Siu (F-rank Recorder)
Korea's top three S-rank beauties, plus one F-rank guy huddled like baggage. An absurd combo.
Whump-whump-whump! The chopper lifted toward Seoul skies.
Outside was hellscape: massive purple vortex over Gangnam, space cracking like shattered glass.
"Mana waves at record highs. Expect spatial distortion on entry."
Seoyun briefed via tablet. Yeonhwa yawned boredly, slyly resting a hand on Siu's thigh—promptly smacked off by Baek Seol, who yanked him closer.
Catfight raged even in the chopper. Siu sighed at the purple maelstrom outside.
Tonight's dinner was bulgogi...
Marinated meat taunted from the fridge. If he survived, instant rice x2 for sure.
"Entering! Brace!"
The pilot's shout—chopper sucked into the vortex core, the Infinite Corridor.
Vision drowned purple, gravity flipping Siu's world. The real ordeal began: overtime for survival, not quitting.
Siu's eyes met Baek Seol's. He grinned, shouting.
"We will get back—and eat that bulgogi!"
Baek Seol smirked back. "Yeah! You bet!"