In the Dungeon
There was a time when I thought that way.
Until the muscle pain took over my entire body.
“Ugh... ah...”
The next day, my limbs were sore and stiff.
It was the price of pushing myself too hard from the very beginning. The cost of a sudden workout.
“Sehyun, you knew it would turn out like this.”
Sehyun looked at me with pity.
“I’m an awakened hunter, so I should have good recovery. Why am I suffering from this trivial muscle pain...?”
I groaned while patching up my body with bandages.
Compared to Sehyun, I was like a weakling with no stamina whatsoever.
“Even if you awaken abilities, there are big differences between people. Well, no one can become a superhuman.”
“You’re boasting because you’re S-rank, huh? You liar. Die.”
I glared at Sehyun resentfully.
If only I could get superhuman strength like him.
“It’s not that great. There’s a hidden penalty.”
Sehyun gave a bitter smile at my complaint.
His face hid the painful truth.
“U-uh... I see.”
I nodded solemnly.
I had been blabbing too much. Sehyun was also a victim who had experienced loss, like me.
I, whose gender had been reversed by the price of awakening.
What had this guy lost instead of his ability?
He hadn’t told me about it.
He must be enduring the pain alone.
“Why are you suddenly in such a mood by yourself, you idiot.”
“W-what?!”
Sehyun raised the atmosphere.
I responded in kind with a loud groan.
“You should rest quietly. I’m going to do some exercise since it’s been a while.”
“Are you going to the dungeon?”
“Yeah. I heard there’s a good dungeon on the list. I got approval right away.”
Sehyun nodded at my question.
I sparkled like a miner who had struck gold.
The battlefield of an S-rank hunter.
As a hunter trainee, it had learning value.
“I’m going too! Take me! I want to see!”
I raised my hand toward Sehyun.
Like a student asking a teacher for permission.
“You’re saying you have muscle pain?”
“Don’t treat me like an invalid patient! I’m completely fine!”
“No, you’re going to a dungeon!? It’s not a vacation.”
I actively promoted myself as a partner.
But Sehyun pushed me away with an unpleasant face.
“You know, do I look like a newbie? I’ve experienced countless sites while working at Black Wolf Guild.”
Even so, I was an experienced person who had done all sorts of odd jobs.
Black Wolf was exploiting labor terribly.
I had entered and exited the dungeon several times.
It was against regulations, but Black Wolf said to do it if I wanted.
“Absolutely not. It’s dangerous.”
“I’m going to the dungeon! I’m going with you!!!”
Sehyun firmly refused, but I persisted.
I clung to Sehyun while throwing a tantrum.
“You’re really clingy today. Why are you doing this? I’ve told you several times it’s dangerous!”
A fight without any compromise followed.
Sehyun glared at me angrily.
“I just want to help you a little.”
I honestly expressed my feelings.
Sehyun stared at me silently for a while.
“Haa... I lost. Do as you wish.”
Finally, he accepted my demand with a look of resignation.
There were many things to say, but what could I do in front of a stubborn person.
“Waaah! As expected, only you. Sehyun, I love you! I love you so much, oppa!”
“Why are you acting like this, crazy guy!? Don’t cling!”
Why wasn’t he following the script? Too arrogant.
“Anyway, it’s necessary to have a capable advisor like Zhuge Liang for a hero like me.”
“Why me?”
“You suit it. You’re a room-bound Zhuge Liang.”
“I’ll leave you behind.”
We headed to the destination noisily.
Sehyun was a hunter without guild affiliation.
He looked for jobs on the Association’s raid request list.
His preferred job was solo dungeon exploration.
If an S-rank hunter, B-rank or lower dungeons were approved for solo raids by the Association.
If I targeted A-rank or higher dungeons as a guild member, I would earn enormous money...
But that was impossible for Sehyun, who was picky.
But it wasn’t bad earnings.
After all, how many hunters soloed B-rank dungeons?
At least Sehyun was qualified.
And with me, it might be possible to do even higher someday.
I smiled bashfully while recalling Affection’s Touch.
I could maximize Sehyun’s potential.
It would enhance his stats too. Sehyun would become stronger in proportion to my affection.
But how do I express affection?
Affection is an unobservable factor.
It doesn’t act visually like watering flowers.
If I rely on words to express affection, what would happen?
I cautiously grabbed Sehyun’s sleeve.
It would be easier to concentrate if I felt connected.
Like. I like this guy. Like. I really like... Wait.
My stomach churned from the feeling. I felt like vomiting.
I, holding my best friend’s sleeve and spouting “like” repeatedly.
Wow, even I think it’s crazy. Am I normal?
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“Kyaa!?”
Sehyun turned and asked.
I jumped like a kid caught playing with fire.
“It’s distracting. You’re muttering something like casting an evil spell from behind.”
No, it’s the opposite. I was thinking about liking you.
For a close friend, it’s like a curse.
“I’m infusing the victory spell. How is the feeling?”
“Well? It’s nothing special.”
“...Tch.”
It was a waste. I gave up the plan disappointedly.
Expressing “like” is a difficult emotion.
We were friends connected by friendship.
The way emotions work is similar yet different from affection.
That’s why I can’t express affection.
I just skimmed the surface of my tongue with words that seemed familiar but not quite.
“The coordinates are near here. B-rank dungeon, Anomaly-718.”
Anomaly-718 was the identification code for the dungeon.
Anomaly was the dungeon type. 718 was the assigned order.
Explaining it fully: This year’s 718th registered Anomaly dungeon (B-rank).
Anomalies had relatively few and weak monsters.
In terms of combat difficulty, it was easier than its rank suggested.
The occurrence frequency was low, so the competition was fierce.
There were even professional hunters who only targeted Anomalies.
This should be no problem for Sehyun alone.
My goal was to observe an S-rank hunter’s dungeon handling.
And incidentally, support Sehyun.
Eventually, we arrived at the dungeon entrance coordinates.
“Huh?”
There was a group that had selected the dungeon.
A makeshift command post set up with tents near the entrance.
There were familiar faces mixed in.
Could it be these humans...!?
I checked the emblem engraved on the command post.
The roaring black wolf. Black Wolf Guild.
“Who is this? It’s Cha Siha.”
A disgusting voice pretended to recognize me.
The Dungeon Analysis Department Head of Black Wolf Guild, Kang Jiseob.
The absolute bastard who had tormented me ruthlessly inside the guild.
“I’d like to know what’s going on.”
“What’s the problem? As you can see, it’s a dungeon raid execution in accordance with regulations and procedures.”
From the start, his tongue was long. It stank.
I glared at Jiseob and argued.
“The raid approval for this dungeon was granted to Hunter Lee Sehyun. There’s even the approval document?”
I shoved the raid approval document at Jiseob.
The dungeon gave priority raid rights to those who received Association approval.
Also, dungeon raids could not be approved simultaneously or redundantly.
To prevent waste of manpower and confusion.
Therefore, as long as the raid approval document I held was valid,
Black Wolf had no right to intrude into this dungeon.
“Cha Siha, why are we acting like this among people who know each other? That little approval document, we have it too.”
Jiseob shoved a raid approval document at me.
It was not a forgery. It was a valid document.
So I was even more infuriated.
“You’re using some trick. You think I wouldn’t know?”
It was exploiting the weakness of the dual system.
The external network used by hunters without affiliation.
And the internal network used by guilds.
Approvals from the external network were reflected late in the internal network.
By exploiting that gap, they pulled off the trick.
The system was designed to favor guilds.
The difference in approval processes between internal and external was also a culprit, but explaining it would make me boil with anger.
In summary:
The damn bastard was selling drugs somewhere.
I, who knew the industry well, couldn’t be fooled.
“Cha Siha, I wish you had compromised with good words.”
“You’re the one who wants to act like a bully? I’ll file a complaint with the Hunter Association. I know the procedures well.”
When I pushed, Jiseob’s expression twisted.
I had to have exploited him badly,
Monopolizing credits, dumping responsibilities on others, the villainous scum.
“You know the raid regulations, Cha Siha? It’s judged that the dungeon has already reached over 50% progress, so the right to claim...!”
“That’s a regulation for unregistered dungeons. Don’t spout irrelevant nonsense.”
“You’ve been getting aggressive lately? Arrogant girl.”
Since the argument was losing, he was trying to attack the messenger.
I shot Jiseob sharply.
“You’re talking nonsense. Do you still think I’m your subordinate?”
“I’m your senior in the industry. You’d be glad if something bad happened to you too.”
This prideful bastard always acted that way.
He always arrogantly trampled on others’ personalities.
“Useless thing. When the guild is in trouble, you run away and cause all kinds of trouble, and now you’re shouting loudly?”
I had never run away. You expelled me.
My emotions surged.
I wanted to grab Jiseob by the collar and vent my frustration.
But I couldn’t.
There was a preemptive action.
“Aaaah!? W-what!?”
Already, Sehyun had grabbed that bastard by the collar.