Korea's Strongest: Kang Sung-gi (21)
We each got assigned our own rooms at the hotel and gathered at the top-floor restaurant for dinner.
"Seriously, this is ridiculous."
Kim Eun-bi said it while gazing out at the view through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The vast expanse of Gangwon-do's landscape was refreshing to anyone who looked upon it. The weather was perfect today, too. Even the menacing silhouette of the dungeon rising not far off blended into the vista, somehow making everything feel even more invigorating.
If that dungeon became someone's personal property...
It wasn't certain yet. Korea had a total of three S-rank dungeons, and if an SS-rank one appeared, that would make four top-tier dungeons in all. Whether they'd become the private assets of individual S-rank hunters or shared property among them all remained to be seen.
If an individual S-rank hunter owned an S-rank dungeon... it wouldn't be like simply owning a whole mountain. From a historical perspective, it would be akin to possessing an entire nation outright. No need for the headaches of governance—just endless wealth rolling in from ownership alone. A tiny country that printed money forever.
No wonder they're so obsessed...
Park Hyun-jun had crossed lines out of his infatuation with Kim Seol-bi, but that kind of lust paled in comparison to the material greed of owning a dungeon.
They won't sit still for this.
Kang Dong-kwon and Han Cheol-gwan had backed off for today, but of course they wouldn't just give up. Staring down at the dungeon from the hotel's top floor only solidified that conviction.
Kang Mancheol had hated handing over his company more than losing his life. If the prize was a dungeon... his life wouldn't mean a thing. At least from an A-rank hunter's perspective, it was a goal worth betting your entire existence on.
The reason Kim Eun-bi called it ridiculous was simple. The hotel facilities here surpassed five-star level. The building S-rank hunters used for occasional meetings was top-tier in terms of setup and maintenance. But this place was even more blatant. Smaller in scale, yet every single element screamed luxury. It looked all the more surreal against the sparse scattered homes nearby.
The Hongcheon locals had poured into the streets to welcome us, but their numbers barely reached fifty in total. Probably about that many staff and officials kept the hotel running.
Considering S-rank dungeon raids happened roughly every three months, it wasn't like the place operated 24/7 year-round. But knowing all this looped back into taxpayer money? Yeah, it felt like an absurd waste.
The food was impeccably exquisite and delicious, too—enough to instantly wash away the sour mood from dealing with Kang Dong-kwon and Han Cheol-gwan.
"The world really does revolve around S-rank hunters," Kim Se-in said with a sigh laced in her words.
She, more than anyone, had lived a grueling life, so she had every right to say it. How tragic would it have been if she'd lost her life to a plot by someone like Kang Mancheol?
"Pretty much."
Park Hye-na, who'd been an S-rank hunter for years, said it almost apologetically. Then she added,
"Raiding an S-rank dungeon isn't a walk in the park. The patterns are known, so the hunting itself is straightforward, but it drains your stamina like crazy. Let's eat up good and proper first."
Her words acted like a signal—no more unnecessary table talk after that. What we needed to do right now was fill our bellies solidly and gear up fully for the dungeon raid.
Kang A-jin quietly stared out the window. Her sparkling eyes held nothing but the S-rank dungeon. I couldn't guess what visions her shaman side was conjuring, but it was clear she was pinning her hopes on this raid. A chance to grow and broaden her horizons.
I felt excited, too. Choi Yunmi—who'd never even set foot in an S-rank dungeon—claimed there was zero worry about the raid. If she said it, it had to be true.
My first time leading an S-rank dungeon raid. This was the opening step to truly shifting the power balance.
The Korean hunter world that Jo Dong-geun had dominated. The moment he was gone, Baek Seonghun revealed his black underbelly. And the greedy eyes gleaming alongside him, hungry for material gain.
The women eating at this table with me—we'd change that flow. No doubt about it. Our Korea would be far more livable than one swallowed whole by those bastards.
That alone was reason enough to set aside worries and savor the meal and the view.
The air inside the S-rank dungeon felt different from the moment we stepped in. A crushing gravity that pinned down the body. Of course, it wasn't actual gravity—it was the mana density.
Any hunter below A-rank wouldn't even be able to breathe. I was a bit startled by the pressure at first, but it grew familiar as time passed.
We were all equipped with gear Choi Yunmi had handpicked. She'd anticipated something like this and prepared custom fits in advance. After my call, she'd added extras for a few more.
Having become an emotion hunter, her eye for gear seemed completely transformed. Though I'd never heard the mechanics of her ability, maybe her business mindset—prioritizing cost-effectiveness—had shifted to pure performance evaluation. No matter how sharp your appraisal, pricey materials and gear always get that psychological boost.
That's why the equipment and weapons she chose this time were less flashy than her previous recommendations. Still, I preferred these new ones over what I'd worn before. Hunters sense a gear's true value the moment they suit up.
I probably have it, too.
I figured the emotion hunter ability had taken root in me. I'd had sex with Choi Yunmi, after all. Her mana was surely nestled inside me now. Even if it hadn't manifested concretely yet, I expected it to emerge soon.
Kim Seol-bi wore gear designed by Choi Nari. It looked stunning on her—anyone would gasp in admiration.
"Unnie, you look so pretty! That's Nari's design, right?"
"Yeah, I got lucky. It's not just pretty to look at. You really feel its worth once you wear it."
"I'm so jealous~~"
To Kim Eun-bi, who was pouting her lower lip enviously, I said,
"No need. Nari's agreed to help us from now on. If things go according to plan, we'll all end up with gear she makes."
"That's music to my ears."
Park Hye-na, who'd been listening in, chimed in with admiration. As a long-time S-rank hunter, she'd surely heard the reputations of Choi Nari and Kim Yeonhwa. Even S-rank hunters struggled to get gear touched by their hands.
Sure, you could snag famous foreign designers' or technicians' work, but nothing beat local masters customizing after seeing you in person.
Kim Seol-bi's current gear was a prime example. Wearing something from Choi Nari and Kim Yeonhwa... It hit me anew just how valuable and thrilling the work ahead would be.
The S-rank dungeon air was firing me up. I'd rarely had chances to flex my combat prowess. Most times I'd used my abilities, it was with the women. Bed battles were my main arena.
How far can I go?
Over thirty manas swirled inside me. Using them aptly in the moment wasn't easy.
We formed up. Kim Seol-bi and Kim Eun-bi took point. Seol-bi for her speed, Eun-bi for accessing spots normal hunters couldn't.
Kang A-jin cast sorcery on them. Talismans fluttered, forming a bluish barrier around their bodies. A protective shield.
"It's definitely different..."
Kang A-jin murmured, staring at her palms after the spell. Mana holes dotted her ten fingers and palms—for channeling sorcery.
"Probably because it's a dungeon. Hunter abilities get amplified inside, right?"
Looking at the barriers around Kim Seol-bi and Kim Eun-bi, I could tell Kang A-jin's sorcery was on another level from usual.
"Good call coming here."
A smile tugged at Kang A-jin's lips. I felt a storm of inspirations raging within me, too. Not just combat skills—shamanism, poison, emotion, and more clamored for development.
Kim Se-in and Park Hye-na formed the second line. Both damage specialists. Kim Se-in wielded a sword as a close-range dealer; Park Hye-na handled guns firing mana bullets.
Kang A-jin behind them, me at the rear. My role: support the whole team.
Together, we took our first step into the S-rank dungeon raid—day one.