Chapter 13
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: First Dispatch
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Nice ride.
The driver's seat looked bigger than in a regular sedan, and the back seat was at least one and a half times larger.
Is this how all limos are?
With soft jazz playing quietly in the background, it didn't even feel like we were in a car.
"Is there anything making you uncomfortable?"
"Pardon? No... It's great."
"Haha, glad to hear it. We should arrive in about ten minutes."
The driver flashed a gentle smile as he smoothly accelerated onto the highway.
Today was my first official dispatch assignment. Most hunters drove their own cars or took public transport to the site, but from S-Rank and up, the association provided a limo.
I leaned my head against the large window, gazing at the scenery whipping by.
Hongcheon 4km
The B-Rank Myth Dungeon in Hongcheon—that was today's dispatch site. It was themed around a dragon palace straight out of a fairy tale, and I'd heard it dropped some pretty good items.
'To get my combat senses back quickly, I'll need to hit up extra dungeons on my own time, beyond the mandatory dispatches.'
I sank fully into the plush seatback and closed my eyes for a bit.
"We've arrived."
The car pulled up in front of a container box midway up the mountain. I gave the driver a quick bow as I got out, and the scent of dew-soaked grass hit me, accompanied by someone humming a tune.
I cautiously moved toward the sound. A woman in hiking gear was leisurely doing stretches around the container box.
Since she'd made it all the way here, she couldn't be a civilian... Probably my fellow hunter.
'Time to test out that knockoff ability from the Creator.'
I formed a circle with my fingers and peered through the gap at her back. Violet letters floating around her came into view.
'If the knockoff shows this much, how brutally detailed must the real ability be?'
Way more info than I'd expected—it sent a chill down my spine for some reason. I released the ability and approached Kim Hee-young Hunter. Only then did she turn to me with a bright smile.
"SS-Rank!"
"Ahaha... I'm Shin Ji-ui."
"Nice to meet you! I'm Kim Hee-young."
We shook hands. Even in that brief grip, I could feel the strength in her hold.
"DF Ranking 1 must find this dungeon boring."
"I barely have any dungeon experience. Looking forward to working with you."
"Sorry I'm late."
As we exchanged greetings, a youthful voice piped up from behind me. I turned to see a boy about my height standing there awkwardly.
'A minor?!'
He looked no older than a middle schooler. With his hands shoved in his hoodie pockets, he sulked over to Kim Hee-young Hunter.
"Min A-seop, you always late like this?"
"I was up late doing homework till yesterday. Couldn't help it."
"You two know each other...?"
Kim Hee-young Hunter nodded.
'They don't look like parent and kid. Relatives maybe?'
As I puzzled over it, she ruffled Min A-seop Hunter's hair and spoke up.
"He's my student. I used to teach middle school math before awakening."
"Oh..."
"For dungeon dispatches, minors need guardian approval and go with an assigned supervisor from the association, so I'm looking after A-seop."
"Teacher, cut it out!"
Min A-seop Hunter swatted her hand away and fixed his hair. As the two bickered playfully, I discreetly scanned him with the ability.
A healing-type hunter.
Kim Hee-young Hunter's gaze shifted back to me, and I quickly relaxed my fingers. She opened the container box door and gestured for us to enter.
"Alright, let's head in. Should take about four to six hours."
While the staff scanned our items, I stared at the gate ahead.
They said it was a dragon palace dungeon, and sure enough, the gate resembled grand palace doors. Two massive pillars flanked it, carved with fish statues, and the door itself looked like polished jade, adorned with vibrant underwater murals.
"You're good to enter now."
"Opening the door."
"Yes!"
As the gate swung open, a briny sea breeze rushed out, mingled with bubbling sounds that tickled my ears. The ground was soft mud, sucking at my feet with every step. Not ideal for close-quarters combat.
Kim Hee-young Hunter strode ahead, casually spinning a dagger she'd somehow drawn in one hand.
"I'm water-attribute, so I won't deal much damage to this dungeon's monsters. A-seop and I will draw their aggro—you handle the attacks, Shin Ji-ui Hunter. That okay?"
"Yes!"
"The regular mobs before the palace are mostly fish. They're insanely fast and hard to hit. Use your AoE attacks often if you have them, and..."
Suddenly, she furrowed her brow and tapped her forehead.
"I'm talking too much, huh? It's been over five years since I quit teaching, but old habits die hard."
"Not at all. It's actually helpful."
"Really? Good to know."
She smiled, her eyes crinkling.
'Then I'll shatter the fish with AoE to throw off their balance, then clean up with projectiles.'
I ran a mental sim as we ventured deeper.
Shiiik.
Suddenly, a long shadow streaked past us like a bullet. If it'd hit dead-on, we'd have been sent flying. I drew Ego and scanned for the shadow.
"Shin Ji-ui Hunter, get ready!"
"Yes!"
Her form rippled like water, then she shot upward, merging with the surrounding seawater. Her powerful, fish-like swimming drew out swarms of black shadows.
I held Ego's trigger down long—waves pulsed out faster than usual. The bullet-like shadows faltered, trembling in place.
'Eels?'
The eels flipped belly-up, thrashing. I squeezed the trigger again to finish them.
Plop, plop.
[Item Acquired]
[Flesh Fragment / Byproduct]
Just byproducts.
There's always a market for them somewhere—tossed them in my inventory for now.
"Whew!"
Kim Hee-young Hunter swam back down and reverted to her original form. Turning her body to water for defense, but using it like that... Veterans really had that seasoned vibe.
"That weapon and skill are insane. SS-Rank firepower?"
"Kim Hee-young Hunter, your water transformation is super cool!"
"Haha, thanks. A-seop, heal my shoulder, teacher."
"Got it."
Min A-seop Hunter dashed out from behind a giant kelp frond. He blew wind on her bleeding shoulder—green light enveloped it, staunching the blood. She rolled her shoulder a couple times, smiled in satisfaction, and thumbs-upped him.
'Heal―me―plz'
'What?'
Ego spoke up after ages. But the connection was too weak for proper talk—signal quality sucked.
'Say one word right for once.'
'A-seop.'
'A-seop? You mean Min A-seop Hunter?'
Bzzz, bzzz, bzzz.
Ego vibrated in my hand. What was this, twenty questions...?
I glanced at Min A-seop Hunter. Skinny build, pale face—he didn't scream outdoorsy.
What was his deal, anyway?
"Teacher, answer one question later?"
"Sure. But studies are great and all—do some exercise too?"
"I hate exercise..."
"Studying's an endurance sport eventually~"
Seemed like a model student buried in books. Still, if Ego mentioned him, I'd have to keep an eye out...
Vroooom.
A massive shadow passed overhead. I instinctively looked up. A long-tailed manta ray glided above us, circling lazily for a while.
'Why isn't it attacking?'
We all tensed, staring up at it. I cautiously scanned it with the ability.
Alarms blared in my head. White currents sparked around the manta ray's body—it began shuddering violently.
'No way!'
"Get out of its shadow NOW!!"