Chapter 196
Chapter 196
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 197
Chapter Title: Part 2 Episode 17
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"First off, sorry for bringing work with me."
I bowed my head in apology to Team 1, who were seated around the conference room.
"No, I was the one who bid on both and suggested we conquer them..."
"If the Guild Master hadn't spoken up, I would've done it myself. Two A-rank gates on bargain sale? Of course we had to snag them. But even so, squeezing two into four days is a brutal schedule, so this is me apologizing in advance."
I cut off Kang Han and laid it all out straight.
Being upfront lightened the load on my heart.
Suddenly, I worried he might be angry.
So I smiled at him, pouring my apology into the look. But Kang Han gazed back with eyes brimming with his own regret.
He must've misunderstood, thinking I'd said something against my feelings because of him.
"A bit tiring, sure, but it'll be fun."
Lee Yu-chan, who'd been griping about boredom lately, flashed a grin that chased away any trace of tedium.
"They're totally different types too. One's a Thunder Dungeon, the other's a Desert Dungeon."
"Yeah, total opposites."
Han Ji-seong voiced what everyone was thinking, and the others nodded, chiming in one by one.
"At least they're both small-scale. That's a relief."
"Heard Thunder Dungeons pour rain nonstop. Shower there, air-dry in the desert?"
"You need a shower, period."
The twins sniped at each other as naturally as breathing.
Worried it'd turn into a real fight, I shifted the topic.
I turned to Yoo Jin-rok.
"Does it rain nonstop in Thunder Dungeons with lightning striking too?"
"Yep. So besides the bolts, watch out for landslides and sinkholes."
"...No wonder it's A-rank."
"The monsters that spawn are pretty straightforward, though. No need to worry too much."
"What kinds come out?"
"Hard to pin down."
Yoo Jin-rok stroked his chin, digging through his memories.
"I've cleared Thunder Dungeons three times, and the monsters were different every single one."
"So to sum up: endless rain and lightning, dodge landslides and sinkholes, all while fighting mystery monsters that could pop up anywhere."
A hollow laugh escaped me.
Shouldn't have gotten all giddy just because we scored cheap A-rank gates.
Sure, the circumstances were a tad different, but 'you get what you pay for' wasn't a saying for nothing.
I sank into gloom over my own carelessness for a moment.
I felt genuinely sorry for everyone gathered in the conference room.
Time to reflect.
I stood from my seat.
"Let's head to the simulation training ground and experience a Thunder Dungeon."
What good was regretting now?
Better to spend the time prepping for the real thing.
The new simulation training ground was exactly four times larger than the old one in the Jongno branch basement.
This time, we'd borrowed Seong Yona's expertise from the ground up, with her involved in the design from day one.
The result? A simulation training ground like nothing else out there.
It didn't just fool the eyes—it tricked every sense, so vividly that sometimes you had to remind yourself you weren't actually inside a dungeon.
And that insane performance was now bringing a Thunder Dungeon to life in excruciating detail.
"Uwaaaa!"
Every raindrop that hit stung like needles on my skin.
At least there was no wind. Small mercies.
If it was just rain, I might get used to it after a while.
I'd barely let that relief sink in when—
BOOM—!
"Ugh!"
The world flashed white for an instant, followed by a deafening slam like someone slamming a massive door right in my face.
Nothing actually hit me but raindrops.
But the sound was so immense my head rang.
This was lightning.
And this was dropping nonstop.
I stood there dazed for a while before raising my head and waving my hand in a big signal.
Click.
Like a switch flipping off, the stinging rain and the endless rumbling sky vanished.
Looking down, my waterlogged clothes—shoulders heavy with it—were back to normal.
Click.
I looked up at the sound of a door opening. Kang Han approached, his face grave.
Fluffy heart-shaped affection balloons bobbed above his head.
"How're you holding up?"
His hand gently swept back my damp bangs, worry thick in the touch.
"Made me think I gotta treat the Guild Master right."
"Out of nowhere?"
"Felt like I just relived all the monsters you've taken down. Zap, boom!"
"Haa."
Realizing I was joking, he let out a small sigh of relief.
"Guess you're fine. That's good."
"Not fine! Lightning crashing down outta nowhere!"
"The dungeon we're hitting might be even worse than that."
Kang Han spoke in a low voice.
"Don't get mad—just come inside. Nayeo-ju-ssi, you weren't thinking of staying outside the gate, were you...?"
"Earplugs! If nothing else, we need earplugs."
I chopped his words off clean.
"And whatever else. Gotta sleep at night, so tents, drinking water..."
I deliberately walked out of the simulation alone, pulling out my phone to list essentials.
What use was a healer camped outside the gate? No way they'd leave me behind.
That 'protected' tag had him clucking like a mother hen.
But I wasn't his fledgling.
I was his comrade.
Kang Han read my intent in that, gave a wry smile, and followed.
"Sorry."
He was good at apologies.
"Yeah, you better be."
I snapped back once, then resumed walking.
"C'mon. Time to clear a gate."
"Way more intense than the simulation."
That was my first impression stepping into the reinforced A-rank Thunder Dungeon.
It was raining, sure—but lighter than the sim, and lightning struck far less often.
This I could handle.
I poked at the earplugs I'd gotten via dawn delivery, mulling it over.
Wouldn't block thunder completely, but the psychological boost was real.
No more flinching at lightning.
I tugged at Kang Han's sleeve, who stood beside me.
"Rain like this—do monsters still roam around?"
Rather than answer, he gazed out at a distant plain.
"What? There is something."
Following his line of sight, I spotted it vaguely wriggling through the downpour.
"But... it's huge."
If it looked that big from here, how massive was it up close?
Intimidation hit before the fight even started.
"That's probably the boss. So here's the plan."
Kang Han's finger swept along the endless forest ringing the plain.
"We circle around, thin out the mobs as much as possible, then take the boss."
The Justice Guild assault Team 1 members—including me—nodded.
One by one, they began prepping for battle.
Jang Su-ho drew his eternal iron shield. Lee Yu-chan slung a massive bow onto his back.
Lee Yu-eul test-swung her machete, slicing raindrops. Yoo Jin-rok sheathed his dagger at his waist and flicked water from its thirsty blade. There was something almost sacred in their motions.
"Can conserve mana this time."
Han Ji-seong smiled, turning endless rain into needle-sharp ice shards.
While everyone struck cool poses gearing up, I just pulled two bottles of Im Cheong-su's tonic from my sub-space and stuffed one in each uniform pocket.
Healer life was simple.
Just stay alive.
Pretending to peel rain-matted hair from my cheek, I checked if the broadcast cam was capturing the Justice Guild properly.
And yep.
It was zoomed way in on Kang Han.
He hadn't drawn his dark spear. Just reached into empty air.
More precisely: brilliant yellow currents crackled and leaped each time his long fingers slashed the void.