The Promotion I Never Wanted
"Are you Sung Jinwoo or something?"
With a loud whoosh, the sealed gate swung open, and a figure emerged. The field staff, who had been on edge all night, erupted into cheers at the sight.
"I can't believe this dungeon was actually cleared! This is the place where the Gangnam branch lost two entire parties!"
"As expected of Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo! I never imagined he’d actually pull off a clear!"
"If every member of the Special Dungeon Management Team were like Assistant Manager Shin, we wouldn't have to worry about dungeon breaks at all! Hahahaha!"
GN-493688 was an S-class dungeon on the verge of a dungeon break. The field staff had been terrified of the outcome; if this attempt failed, they would have had to immediately prepare for an S-class dungeon break. But contrary to their all-night anxiety, the dungeon had been cleared.
The staff felt ashamed for having doubted Shin Jiwoo. Of course. If it’s Assistant Manager Shin, he must have had a plan when he took over the dungeon. He really is an unstoppable genius.
However, the cheering didn't last long.
"...Is that it?"
There had been over thirty party members when they entered. Only six returned. With Kim Yeo-won being the last to step out, the gate began its dissipation process.
"Party Leader! The dungeon is..."
"The clear is successful. However, all hunters except for the six of us... have perished."
Ah... Kim Yeo-won bowed her head as she answered. Even this was a miraculous result, but delivering news of death was never easy.
"...I will provide a detailed briefing when the Dungeon Management Team staff arrives for their shift. For now, let's proceed with the on-site cleanup."
"Y-yes, understood."
"Still, I guess a perfect clear was too much to ask..."
"Hey, be grateful it was cleared at all with that party. It wiped out two teams before."
"That's true. I'm just curious what on earth happened in there."
The cleanup proceeded in a somewhat somber atmosphere. Knowing they had been through a grueling battle, the staff let the hunters rest. The survivors gathered inside a tent, accepting blankets and tea from the staff.
"Shall we talk about it? We have to explain how we cleared it when we file the report later."
"How on earth did you know about the dungeon, Jung Shin-woo?"
"This dungeon is..."
Jung Shin-woo told them everything he knew. From the brief information he’d read long ago about the 'Giant Temple' of the 1960s to Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo's intentions. The party members couldn't close their mouths after hearing it all.
"Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo... what kind of person is he? Your son."
"I don't know either."
"H-he's amazing, but it's terrifying. To think he predicted all of that and formed the party..."
"That crazy bastard..."
The party members were filled with awe and shock simultaneously. Jung Shin-woo just nodded, understanding their reaction. He had been just as stunned when he first grasped Shin Jiwoo's intent.
"So you're saying Assistant Manager Shin expected this dungeon and intentionally formed the party like this? Sacrificing the other hunters so the S-class hunters could take down the weakened boss."
"...That is the only logical conclusion. No one in their right mind would form such a ragtag party for an S-class dungeon. Furthermore, it's astonishing that he adjusted the power level just enough to reach the boss room."
"He intended to sacrifice everyone after reaching the boss room...?"
Kim Eunji muttered with a look of shock. Kim Yeo-won took her hand.
"Mom...? N-no, Party Leader..."
Kim Eunji turned her head toward Kim Yeo-won. Kim Yeo-won was looking at her with eyes that seemed strangely sorrowful. And only after seeing that gaze could she begin to think.
"Shin Jiwoo is..."
Jiwoo was destined to be expelled if this clear failed. Moreover, the only reason he started this bet was because of Kim Eunji and Kim Yeo-won. He was born as a non-awakened in the Shin family, living his life ignored by hunters. Yet, even amidst that pain, he was a child with a straight heart who thought of his family. Jiwoo's own life was on the line, too. And it was all for his family. Jiwoo had decided to become ruthless. To protect himself and those precious to him. He had accumulated enough malice to endure even such sacrifices. And the ones who made Jiwoo this way were none other than Kim Yeo-won and Kim Eunji.
Yet, they couldn't blame him or think he was evil for poisoning his own heart to protect such a family. It was just guilt. And being moved. And regret. And agony. To protect this pathetic family, how much must he have suffered to make such a decision? Knowing that heart, calling Jiwoo ruthless was an act of selfishness.
"Wait... I'm sorry."
Kim Yeo-won suddenly turned her head and left the tent. A few tears had fallen where she had been sitting. A moment later, she returned, and the conversation resumed.
"Ahem. Anyway, so that's why Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo didn't say anything. If it were a dungeon where someone had to be sacrificed, no one would have wanted to enter."
"I think so. And perhaps, if a dungeon break had occurred, the damage would have been even greater. Honestly, it looked like the full-strength Ginteon could only be taken down by an S+ class hunter."
Everyone nodded at Jung Shin-woo's words. This clear was purely thanks to the other hunters who had been offered as sacrifices. If it had been a Ginteon at full strength, they couldn't even estimate how many more S-class hunters would have been needed to clear it.
"Perhaps Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo calculated all of that and made a rational choice..."
Pi Yuri muttered. Thinking about it again, he couldn't just be labeled a cold-blooded man who sacrificed hunters. Considering the aftermath of a potential dungeon break, this might have been the best possible choice.
"Seriously, he's amazing. Your son. I don't know if I should call him cold-blooded or rational."
"That's right. Jiwoo is truly amazing... and a kind person. It must have been hard for him to make this decision."
Kim Yeo-won felt a little more at ease at the words of Pi Yuri and Lee Jiyoo. Surely, it must have been difficult for Shin Jiwoo as well. But he was a capable person who could make the decision regardless. She wondered if the apple didn't fall far from the tree.
"But if that's the case, why did he include Jung Shin-woo..."
"I suspect that was also predicted by Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo. He must have seen my name in the Hunter Association's data access records. He might have included me after seeing that I had accessed the data on the 'Giant Temple' dungeon. Since he couldn't tell us the clear method directly, he probably wanted to include at least one person who knew about the dungeon."
"Come to think of it... if Jung Shin-woo hadn't been there, I think I would have stopped the hunters from going out the door."
"What do you mean by that, Lee Jiyoo?"
"Actually, at that time... I could see it. The energy existing outside the door was in the shape of Ginteon opening its maw. So I tried to stop them, but Jung Shin-woo blocked me."
Lee Jiyoo had also known the true nature of the trap with her own eyes. The open door seen by the ordinary hunters was just an illusion. Only Lee Jiyoo knew that Ginteon was waiting behind it with its mouth open. But if Lee Jiyoo had stopped the other hunters there, they would have ended up wiped out anyway.
"...It was an unavoidable choice. We had to do that to clear it."
Jung Shin-woo also felt guilty about sacrificing the other hunters. Kim Yeo-won, the party leader, said to the bowing Jung Shin-woo,
"There's no need to feel guilty, Jung Shin-woo. If you hadn't, we would have been wiped out. Still, that's definitely not the judgment of an F-class. Usually, an F-class would have a hard time keeping their sanity in that situation."
"...It is nothing."
"Anyway, we cleared it, so isn't that enough? Let's stop with the gloomy talk!"
As the atmosphere sank, Kim Eunji clapped her hands and said. She was right. For now, they could be happy about achieving an impossible feat. Once the situation was settled, the party began to rest in earnest. And a short while later, at the start of the workday, Shin Jiwoo arrived at the scene.
Upon arriving at the site, the field staff welcomed me with cheers. Everyone had a word for me, but I didn't have the mental energy to respond to them one by one. What on earth happened to cause such a ruckus again? I was even starting to feel afraid. I headed straight for the tent where the hunters were.
"What on earth happened! A clear..."
Whoosh-
A clear? What kind of nonsense is that! Just as I was about to rip open the tent and shout that, someone tackled me.
"Mother...?"
It was my mother. For some reason, she was hugging me so tightly I thought I might break, and she wouldn't let go. She wasn't the type of person to do something like this. My head, which had been boiling with heat, cooled down in an instant. My younger sister, who had approached at some point, was also sending me a strange look. Her pupils, which looked moist, were shaking violently. Why are you looking at me like that?
"A-Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo."
"You are...?"
Just then, a man I was seeing for the first time approached me, and my mother pulled away. My mother, who was acting as if nothing had happened, had ears that were slightly red. Because the man started talking immediately, I couldn't ask my mother about what just happened.
"My name is Jung Shin-woo."
"Ah, that F-class...!"
The man's identity was Jung Shin-woo, the F-class hunter I had selected. I had heard on the way here that only 6 people survived the clear, and this guy was one of them? I didn't wish for them to die, but is that even possible? Are you Sung Jinwoo or something?!
"...Since the Party Leader seems very exhausted, I will explain the clearing process. As you know, I am F-class, so I essentially didn't do any fighting at all."
"...Yes. Let's hear it."
Since I had more than one or two questions, I decided to listen to Jung Shin-woo's story first. As Jung Shin-woo's explanation continued, my head went blank.
"...That is how we were able to defeat the weakened Ginteon."
"U-ugh..."
I couldn't close my mouth at the unexpected clearing process. I was so flustered that I couldn't even speak. But it seemed my behavior was interpreted differently by these people.
"You are truly amazing. How you calculated all of this so meticulously and made such bold decisions. I have no words other than that you are truly great..."
"Honestly, I was suspicious when I only heard rumors recently, but after this experience, I know for sure, Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo. You really are Yeo-won's son."
"Jiwoo, you're amazing too!"
Pi Yuri and Lee Jiyoo were also admiring me, following Jung Shin-woo's lead. No, what's so amazing? How can you think of all that and work? I'm busy as hell all day, so where would I find the time to look through things like ancient documents! And the F-class hunter I picked out read such ancient documents? Why is an F-class hunter so interested in hunter history, you knowledge-hungry brat!
"It was certainly amazing... With this result, Shin Chi-hyun won't be able to pick a fight with you anymore. And you will surely be recognized to some extent by the family as well. Even I didn't think you would meticulously examine all that information. This is work even hunters can't do."
"No, I don't need anything like that."
"I know you have complaints about the family, but... you are that great. I won't let you fight alone anymore."
What is this woman saying now? In the first place, I didn't even intend to fight; I intended to lose miserably. I was so dumbfounded by my younger sister, who was muttering with a determined expression, that I couldn't even continue the conversation. I really don't need recognition from the family, so why won't you listen to me? And I didn't do it! Would I be crazy enough to pick only weak hunters with the intention of sacrificing them from the start? And only maintaining enough power to reach the boss room? Isn't that psychopathic?
"Assistant Manager Shin! The on-site cleanup is almost finished!"
Just as I was feeling dumbfounded, a field staff member appeared and called me. It seemed the site was finally being wrapped up. The site would be completely closed after the Dungeon Management Team staff finished the approval process. I picked up my laptop and went outside first. I could wait for the system to update the information, but seeing the site in person was faster and more certain. Since the field staff could only leave once I gave my approval, I started inspecting the site quickly.
"Hmm. It's been perfectly processed. We can conclude this dungeon now. Good work."
Clap clap clap clap clap-
"As expected of Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo! The work is perfect!"
"It would be nice if Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo were one of our people. The Dungeon Management Team staff at the Gangnam branch all have so many problems."
"You've done it again this time!"
The field staff were happy, perhaps because they could get off work early. If I had known this, I should have finished it late on purpose. To at least ruin my reputation. But that would be too mean, so I tried to finish all the work. But at that moment.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-
A sudden gale began to blow. I looked up and saw a helicopter hovering above my head. And a man in a black suit jumped out of that helicopter.
Tap-
The man landed in a perfect posture without a single flaw. It was Shin Chi-hyun.
"Inspecting the site yourself from the morning. You are certainly different from ordinary Dungeon Management Team staff."
Adjusting his clothes, Shin Chi-hyun approached me. I just ran here because I couldn't believe this dungeon had been cleared, so what kind of misunderstanding are you having?
"I heard the situation roughly on the way here. I certainly cannot help but acknowledge it."
"No, wait, there's some misunderstanding..."
"I have lost the bet. We will discuss the details of the bet later at the family estate, but for now, I think it is more important to deliver some happy news to you."
"...Happy news?"
"Yes."
Happy news? For some reason, it felt like it wouldn't be happy news for me at all. I had a very uneasy feeling. And just as I expected, Shin Chi-hyun's following words were horrific.
"Assistant Manager Shin Jiwoo. I am appointing you as the team leader of the newly established 'Special Dungeon Management Team'."