Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Guerrilla Jungle Dungeon
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As Yang Hwa-yeon had been informed in advance by the Gate Prediction Management Headquarters, the guerrilla dungeon that opened at Dongdaemun was indeed a jungle type.
What is a jungle?
A forest densely packed with towering trees.
And the kind of environment where trees could grow that large was usually hot and humid.
My impression upon encountering a jungle-type dungeon for the first time was straightforward.
"I just want to burn it all down."
Who knew the Justice Guild lacking a fire mage would be such a regrettable thing.
"Wait, can't Guild Master Yang Hwa-yeon just torch the whole thing?"
Yang Hwa-yeon giggled at my question before answering.
"We might end up burning too."
"Ha, that won't do."
Better to be quietly devoured at the apocalypse than burned alive.
Amid all this, only Nayeo-ju and I had the leisure to sightsee the jungle dungeon.
The moment we entered the dungeon, Guild Master Kang Han's strategy command mode had activated.
"We'll have to push through the underbrush, so move in single file. Yu-eul takes point, followed by Jang Su-ho, me, and at the rear, Yu-chan will escort Nayeo-ju-ssi and Ji-seong hyung."
Normally Jang Su-ho would lead, but it seemed Kang Han planned to cover him in case of any surprises.
Everyone nodded firmly at Kang Han's instructions.
"Yang Hwa-yeon, you're on your own."
"Ah, must be tough being a hunter from another guild."
Yang Hwa-yeon grumbled playfully, but Kang Han didn't even respond.
He simply pointed toward the dense foliage slightly to the right of the gate and alerted the guild members.
"Boss monster's presence is in that direction. Lots of other movements around too. Better to carve a path straight through for efficiency than search for one."
The key difference between guerrilla gates and formal gates was how to close them.
Formal gates required eliminating all monsters inside and removing the mana stone somewhere in the boss room.
But guerrilla gates cleared upon defeating just the boss monster.
Thus, the standard strategy for guerrilla gates was to reach and eliminate the boss with minimal fights in the shortest time.
I looked at Kang Han with renewed curiosity and asked.
"You can sense monster presences from that far?"
S-rank combat awakeners' superhuman abilities never ceased to amaze me.
"......Everyone does this much."
As Kang Han gave a curt reply, I spotted Lee Yu-eul picking something up from the ground behind him.
"Feels like a waste using my sword for brush clearing. This should do, right?"
It was a worn but sturdy machete, perfect for hacking a path.
A broad blade curved gently upward—ideal for trailblazing.
'Oh, that's not bad.'
Knowing from the later parts of that this was Lee Yu-eul's main weapon, I nodded eagerly.
"That direction, right?"
Lee Yu-eul twirled the machete a few times before slashing into the waist-high undergrowth, forging a path ahead.
A few minutes of just hearing her chopping sounds made me almost forget we were inside a dungeon.
The deepening humidity as we neared the boss only tightened my chest.
Ignoring the sweat dripping down, I poked at Kang Han's broad back walking ahead of me.
"What kinds of monsters usually come out in places like this?"
Kang Han glanced back as if confirming it was me before answering.
"Jungle types typically spawn venomous insects, snakes, crocodiles, and such. If something bites your leg, dodge immediately and call out."
"Of all things, the ones I hate most."
"You hate snakes?"
"Snakes? Yeah. Reptiles, anything scaly."
"......"
What? Why the sudden gloom?
I couldn't see his face, just that massive back, but Kang Han's reaction felt off.
'Ah!'
It hit me.
"Of course, our Baek Young is the exception."
"......Is he?"
"Absolutely. Baek Young's no snake."
The guy who understood human speech would squeak indignantly every time someone called him a 'snake' for a reason.
"He's a familiar, but Baek Young is still a snake."
"Hmm. I've never seen another snake as pretty, cute, and adorable as him."
Now Kang Han's back seemed embarrassed.
What a chatty expanse of muscle.
"Let's take a short break."
Our pace couldn't be fast.
We had to hack a path nonstop, and with venomous bugs or snakes possibly striking anytime, we couldn't relax into just walking.
Kang Han spotted a large rock perfect for sitting and called for rest.
Probably considering my fatigue and Han Ji-seong's.
"Here, everyone drink some water."
I pulled out chilled bottles I'd prepared in my sub-space and handed them around.
"Ahh, that's the stuff!"
Jang Su-ho downed a whole bottle in gulps and let out a refreshing shout.
The other guild members did the same.
Even Yang Hwa-yeon, resistant to heat as a fire mage, drained her bottle gratefully before tilting her head.
"Weird. First guerrilla dungeon this big for me."
"At least mid-sized."
Kang Han agreed.
Guerrilla dungeons were usually small to medium-small.
That's why even small guilds or rookies could tackle them—relatively low clear difficulty.
I couldn't commiserate with the two growing serious over the atypical size.
'Compared to the changes coming, this is nothing.'
The world didn't end just because hunters rampaged to death.
Gates had evolved unpredictably over decades, making fools of complacent peace.
I closely examined the low trees encircling the rock.
Broad, pointed leaves bore clusters of red berries.
Small cherries, tempting.
Oh my, what's this?
True to Korean form—anything good for the body goes in the mouth—I reached to pluck and taste one.
Grab.
Until Kang Han caught my wrist.
"What are you doing?"
His sharp gaze, brows furrowed, felt unfamiliar.
"Dungeon produce isn't safe to eat casually. Especially not for someone as frail as you, Nayeo-ju-ssi."
"Well...... you're right, but."
If something went wrong, I could just heal myself, no?
Maybe raising the twins had made him overprotective.
Anticipating this, I pulled out the guidebook from Maestro I'd prepared and flipped it open.
'Please be here, please...... There!'
Couldn't risk exposing my info window skill—good thing I'd come ready.
"Look. These are Portia fruits, good for you. Maestro and potion makers buy them at a premium."
Only after showing the page with the printed photo did Kang Han release my wrist.
"Not bad taste either? Not super sweet, but blueberry notes."
The system that warned about potions stayed silent this time.
"Kids, eat these!"
I called out, pointing at the brush, and the twins plus Jang Su-ho grabbed handfuls and popped them in without question.
No hesitation.
Soon Han Ji-seong was tossing three at a time like pills.
'Do they trust me too much?'
The thought flickered, but good was good.
"You guys...... always like this?"
I overheard Yang Hwa-yeon quietly ask Kang Han.
"Mostly."
Kang Han had a red berry in his mouth too as he replied.
"Tasty."
Yang Hwa-yeon murmured after sneaking a taste of her own Portia fruit.
By the time the nearby Portia fruits were stripped bare like a locust swarm had passed—
Whoosh—
We hadn't noticed the sky darkening through the canopy when a deluge suddenly poured down.
Rain so heavy it stung the skin.
"Ow, it hurts."
First rain like this in my life.
"Looks like a building over there. Let's shelter from the rain."
Kang Han somehow spotted it through the near-zero visibility and led us to a spot beyond the rock.
The place we reached was an ancient-looking stone structure.
"Like a temple or something?"
Lee Yu-chan said, wringing out his soaked outer layer.
"Yeah. But it's been collapsed for ages. Look at these vines and branches growing right through."
Jang Su-ho blinked in wonder, scanning around.
A ruined temple nestled in the jungle.
And on one relatively intact wall, a massive carving of a crocodile—and a man piercing its belly.
"Ah, this place."
I knew it.