Dungeon Team Formation
Kang-jun pointed to the empty room. “This is your room.”
The room wasn’t large, but it was more than enough for one person to sleep in. She swept the space with a single glance, then turned back and asked, “What about Kumba’s room?”
“Kumba?” Kang-jun blinked. “Why? Uh… why?”
“Not for any particular reason.”
Nevertheless, after months of eating modern conveniences, the troll girl had already adapted well to dungeon life. The wild instincts that had once made her look like a boar had mostly faded, though every now and then a flash of old instinct would still appear.
“So, what am I supposed to do?”
“Porter. You just carry the gear. We’ll handle the fighting.”
“Understood.”
Even after adjusting to this world, she still wouldn’t have lasted a day at a convenience store or a café. Her temper was too rough. Still, she needed money to eat, so the only place that had accepted her was the construction site. With her massive size and raw strength, she worked better than most men.
After months of rough labor and making decent money, Kang-jun had contacted her exactly two days ago. The moment she heard his offer to join his dungeon team, she accepted. Part of it was because Oger-nam was there too.
Her original job had always been heavy labor anyway, so she felt no real resistance to being a porter. Besides, Kang-jun and Oger-nam were far stronger than her, so it was only natural that the weak carried the weight. That was how troll tribes worked.
With the troll girl’s addition, Kang-jun’s dungeon team finally had a full roster. Once Tzush added them, a full week in the dungeon would be no problem at all.
The day the troll girl moved in, she went straight to Oger-nam’s room like she’d been waiting. The two of them mated like animals. The sounds were so loud that Kang-jun and Hye-mi heard everything next door. He couldn’t stay silent either, so he stormed into Hye-mi’s room and pinned her down like he was competing.
…And from the next day on, they began serious formation training. Though the troll girl was only the porter, she couldn’t just sit in the back staring at her fingers the whole time. With the team still small, she needed to know how to protect herself.
Kang-jun explained every possible scenario and, each time, gave Oger-nam detailed orders on what he had to do. He didn’t forget Hye-mi either. Even though she might not learn the buffs later, he taught her anyway.
“The guard’s role is very important, but the healer’s role is equally important. Without a healer the team will die. That means your job is that critical.”
“Yes!”
“When the guard blocks, you need to heal those wounds quickly. Don’t let them pile up. But if you overuse one spot, your mana will run out too fast, so keep it moderate.”
“Th-that’s… how much is moderate?”
“It depends on the situation, but… to put it simply, don’t die before the fight ends. As long as you’re alive, you can find a way to heal later.”
The word “moderate” was annoyingly vague. Knowing exactly how to heal while also watching your own mana was not easy. That required real experience.
Of course, no amount of training could replace actual combat.
“Five days from now we’re heading to the 35th Zone Dungeon. Everyone, get ready thoroughly.”
The 35th Zone Dungeon was also a rank-3 dungeon like the 37th. If Kang-jun kept an eye on it, there was almost no chance of dying. Of course, he had no intention of coddling his teammates like treasure. The last time had been a casual first taste; this time he planned to be ruthless.
‘Tzush is joining too.’
He couldn’t go on a picnic like usual and ruin her pride. He would have to kill her halfway and leave her half-dead from the start.
He sent the plan to Tzush and received an answer a while later. Since the schedule was on a weekday without weekends, she would need to request time off from work… Of course it was a little late, but pre-planning a month-long exploration in a small dungeon team wasn’t easy.
‘Whatever. She’ll figure it out.’
He didn’t need to bend over backward just because he was entering on a weekday. No need to stuff weekends in to show mercy; that would be against his personality.
For the next four days Kang-jun threw himself into preparation. With the troll girl as porter he could bring extra supplies.
…And the morning of the exploration day arrived.
Kang-jun gathered the team and left the team house. The 35th Zone Dungeon sat between the 34th and 35th zones, so no train was needed.
The four of them walked the dark path in the freezing dawn, feeling the cold air on their skin. It was only 7 a.m. and the air was already pitch-black.
Hoof… hoof. Every breath left a trail of white mist. Today was especially cold.
After about thirty minutes they reached the entrance to the 35th Zone Dungeon. Tzush, who had taken the train, arrived at the entrance soon after. She gave Kang-jun a casual wave.
“Ah, you’re here. Well, the other team members. You know the one from before, and this side is Kumba, and this side is Selah.”
The air between them was stiff. Kang-jun handed Tzush a separate backpack. It was surprisingly heavy. Inside were the bare minimum survival items she would need for the five-day expedition. She opened the bag, glanced inside, and closed it again. Kang-jun pointed at it with his chin.
“That’s your burden now. Don’t lose it. …And from now on we’re dropping formalities, so understand that.”
“Yeah.”
Tzush’s gaze swept over everyone—the troll girl’s massive pack, Oger-nam’s shield, Hye-mi’s staff, and finally Kang-jun’s sword. Then it landed on her own empty hands.
“Um… is it okay if I have nothing?”
“Well, we don’t have extras.”
The five of them sat down for a moment to warm their bodies with hot oden broth. Oger-nam then gobbled down five oden skewers on the spot.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Kang-jun showed the entry permit and passed through the gate. Unlike the 37th Zone, this dungeon sloped downward at a steep angle. If the entire thing were covered in snow it would have been perfect for sliding down on a sled.
They stomped down the metal stairs. Signs warning about slippery surfaces hung everywhere, creaking back and forth as the cold wind hit them.
They hadn’t even entered the dungeon yet, but the air already felt icy against their cheeks. The cold was brutal. Maybe because the sun hadn’t risen.
“You’ll have trouble moving if you wear too much.”
“I didn’t wear that much. Just one set of underwear…”
But the cold wasn’t something a single layer of underwear could handle. She was already feeling intense shivering.
“It’s going to be really cold.”
“I’ll manage.”
When Hye-mi sounded worried, Tzush answered casually that she was fine. Hye-mi couldn’t stop looking at her with concern, though. She had experienced it herself before.
After walking down for about twenty minutes, they reached the final gathering point. Bright lights glowed from various spots. Aside from Kang-jun’s team, only two other dungeon teams were present. It was almost empty compared to weekends.
They were huddled around a central fire, completely bundled up.
Before entering, Kang-jun handed each of Hye-mi and Tzush two hot packs. For the ones with low stamina, it was practically a necessity.
“Inside.”
Kang-jun’s team stepped into the dungeon. The moment they entered the passageway Tzush looked like she had arrived in Antarctica. It was that cold.
Kang-jun checked the map on his phone. Unlike the 37th Zone, the passages here were a complicated labyrinth, like an ant nest. That was why there were so many regions.
He set the route around an average level of 130. The path twisted like a chili pepper.
“Over here.”
He decided on a direction and pointed with his finger. The layout was roughly the same as their first exploration. Kang-jun in the lead as guide, followed by Hye-mi, Tzush, the troll girl, and finally Oger-nam carrying the lamp.
Because the temperature was below zero, long icicles hung from the ceiling in many places. Water on the floor had frozen into slippery patches. Hye-mi and Tzush moved carefully, which slowed them down.
They walked for about an hour and took a short break. Each sat on a mat and pressed hot packs against their skin.
“Let’s move.”
Kang-jun rested for exactly ten minutes then continued. They had just passed Region 3. This area had many branch points at the end of each region, and each branch point had its own region number.
The nearby area had already been completely cleared by another team. To hunt monsters they would need to go much deeper.
They walked another two hours. Tzush’s face showed real pain. Kang-jun announced a one-hour break. He pulled a thick blanket from the supply box and wrapped it around her body.
“Warm up your body.”
“Thank you…”
“Take your shoes off and warm your feet too. You’ll get frostbite otherwise.”
Tzush followed his advice and removed her shoes. Though she had never experienced it before, she looked far more comfortable than Hye-mi, who had.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine!”
“If you’re really struggling, tell me right away. If you hide it, it can get much worse.”
“Yes, senior.”
The words were meant for Hye-mi, but Kang-jun had said them loud enough for Tzush to hear. The troll girl, new to the terrain, seemed completely unfazed. The difference in origins was obvious.
After an hour of warming, Tzush regained her energy. They continued walking for another two hours and reached Region 6.
Kang-jun kicked an empty can lightly. It rolled away with a clattering sound. The team’s gazes flicked toward the noise, then returned to their leader’s back.
“Leader, when do you think we’ll see monsters?”
Oger-nam asked during a break. Kang-jun guessed they would start seeing one or two around Region 10.
“They’re rare on day trips. Plenty of teams just do one-day raids.”
Rank-3 dungeons had especially many day-trippers. They could earn decent pocket money if they managed to catch one or two.
They took another large break in Region 7. It was already 5 p.m. They ate a simple dinner, walked another two hours from 6 p.m., and prepared to camp.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay.”
“Are you cold?”
“Yeah…”
Tzush rubbed her red nose and nodded. This was the first time she had ever suffered in such cold. A scorching summer day flashed through her mind.
Of course Kang-jun was laughing inside. This level of hardship barely counted as hardship. Only after enduring hunger, cold, and fear for days and nights would one truly understand how heaven the surface really was.
After dinner the team took exactly one hour of rest, then continued. Hye-mi, who had been relaxed at first, now looked quite tired. Seeing her and Tzush struggling, he stopped after one hour. They would have to camp here tonight.
“Let’s sleep here tonight.”
Hye-mi’s face brightened instantly. Even Tzush, who usually showed few emotions, looked quite happy.
They each set up their tents. How to keep the inside warm was up to each person. Kang-jun distributed two hot packs per person.
“Let’s decide on night watch. We wake up at 6 a.m. tomorrow, so from 8 p.m. tonight until 6 a.m. tomorrow is ten hours. Two hours per person.”
Kang-jun volunteered for the hardest third slot. He put Tzush in first. The other team members had no complaints. They were willing to show that much consideration.
The night watch order was set: Tzush, Oger-nam, Kang-jun, Hye-mi, troll girl. Of course Kang-jun spread his mana wide to check for any nearby monsters. There were none. He should be safe while Tzush was on watch.
“Don’t fall asleep. If you hear or see anything suspicious, tell me immediately. …And wake the next person ten minutes early.”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Rest well.”
Kang-jun patted her shoulder lightly, then crawled into the tent. As soon as he lay down, sweet sleep rushed over him. He fell asleep instantly.