A Sincere Apology from the One Who Could Not Be Honest (Part 2)
The team had, fortunately, spent the entire night without a single mishap. There was nothing else to say except that luck had been on their side. Yet that luck had run out exactly at this point.
It felt as though the atmosphere itself had shifted. The moment the group stepped onto the next stretch of passage, monsters began to blanket the ground like a tide. For the past several days, no other teams had passed this way. Thanks to that, the members had been drenched in death. …Kang-jun, of course, had no idea he had been deliberately pushing them into these grueling conditions.
Especially Zhuxi. She was in a particularly wretched state. Even though it was little more than a trial run, Kang-jun had refused to ease up on her. The more he subjected her to the rigors, the stronger his own strength grew. Yet every time he felled a monster, her stats climbed. Perhaps it was the reward that kept her pushing on with dogged determination.
Ogerman and Hye-mi, too, had grown noticeably more proficient in actual combat. Ogerman, whose combat sense was already excellent, quickly became adept at drawing aggro from the monsters. Hye-mi, meanwhile, had suffered multiple instances of exhaustion, but her timing for applying healing and her choice of recovery amounts had clearly improved. She was no major supporting character in the novel, yet she had still earned her name.
*He’s just one stat away from first awakening…*
Ogerman’s speed now hovered right on the cusp of twenty. It was possible he would reach the awakening condition by the time this expedition ended.
After walking for a long stretch and killing countless monsters, they finally crossed into the tenth region around three in the afternoon. From then on it was the seventeenth region.
The seventeenth region was a vast common area linked by multiple passageways, so the chances of encountering other teams were high. In other words, the monsters that lived here had already been thinned out to a dangerous degree.
Of course, Kang-jun had never intended to hunt monsters here. He had chosen this place as little more than a temporary stop, much like a convenient rest area. …Even though it was on the large side for a stopover.
Kang-jun deliberately steered clear of other teams. There was no reason to meet anyone now.
“Where next?”
Hye-mi scanned the branching passageways, each like a sperm tail, and asked Kang-jun for his opinion. There were quite a few options. At least five passageways looked usable.
The original plan had been the twentieth region, average level 140. Given the members’ growth rate, however, a slightly higher level might be advisable.
“Let’s head to the twenty-first region.”
Money was certainly a reason to push forward, but personal growth mattered more right now. The third-grade dungeon would only yield a modest allowance at best. For normal people it might be big money, but to a dungeon team with enormous maintenance costs it was hardly appealing. Still, some groups did push deeper for real hunting, though they were rare.
More valuable than the bones of monsters were their cores. Beginning at level 200, some monsters occasionally dropped mana cores. Finding even one would end that day’s earnings. True profit only started after that. Selling bones was barely enough to clean your teeth.
Of course, Kang-jun still couldn’t easily take on level-200 monsters. If he poured every drop of mana into a single shot, he might kill one, but such hunts were absurdly inefficient. It would be far better to harvest several level-140 monsters instead.
“We’ll camp near the entrance of the passage. We can enter the next area early tomorrow.”
From then on the march resumed. Zhuxi, who had grown accustomed to the cold, looked far less miserable than before. Of course, compared to Kang-jun she still suffered, but the difference was noticeable.
Kang-jun chose a decent spot for camp. As expected, no monsters lurked nearby. Since entering the seventeenth region they had seen neither a single monster nor even monster scraps. This place truly was bone-dry.
…Again, nothing out of the ordinary happened overnight. The members’ faces looked utterly exhausted when they woke, yet no one appeared injured.
After a hearty breakfast they entered the twenty-first region. This was their final destination.
“Senior-nim, there’s something in the passage.”
“Don’t touch anything carelessly. It could be dangerous.”
Kang-jun warned the members. As Hye-mi had said, an odd, sticky substance coated the wall of the passage. The viscous slime was a visual that no one would want to touch even if instructed.
“This is part of a gri-nom. Touching it will melt you away, so be careful.”
The gri-nom was a monster with exceptionally high resistance to physical attacks. Fitting its name as the dungeon’s cleaner, its sticky body dissolved and absorbed everything it touched. Its weapons moved slowly, but its organic parts decomposed in an instant. Because it split as it was cut, teams usually simply passed by without handling it. After all, there was nothing to eat.
They soon spotted a gri-nom crawling along the passage wall. Kang-jun exchanged a glance with the others, signaling to ignore it. The team slipped past the creature quickly.
Monsters in the twenty-first region averaged level 150. Fortunately, these ones did not travel in packs. That made it easy for Ogerman to draw aggro.
Still, the slightly higher level meant Ogerman found the impact quite taxing. Every time his body collided, his expression twisted. If Hye-mi had not kept healing him, he would have lasted far longer.
This time Zhuxi struck the monster’s torso with flame magic. She had timed it perfectly after forcing the creature to commit. As soon as it connected, the attack was devastating. Despite being several levels higher than her, the monster’s torso exploded and burned in a single blow.
This was the first time she had landed a solid hit, and Zhuxi looked surprised. She glanced at Kang-jun with eyes that seemed to beg for praise.
“Good work this time. …So, you’ve got the hang of it now, right?”
“Yes.”
One could not become a high-level mage by simply chanting and casting spells. A mage had to think three or four moves ahead. Flame magic especially demanded that. Its high area damage came at the cost of noticeably slower speed compared to other schools. …Of course, they could not cast meteors inside a dungeon.
The members handled each monster with increasing skill. They clearly possessed talent. They soaked up experience like sponges and applied it immediately in combat. Of course, mistakes still occurred, but no one could expect to feel full after only a few spoonfuls.
When they had slain the third monster, Ogerman announced that his speed had reached twenty. He had finally completed the conditions for first awakening.
“Not yet. When we get back home, wait until we have time.”
“Understood, boss.”
The troll girl was once again crowing about how wonderful her boyfriend was.
Hye-mi and Zhuxi’s stats continued to rise. Strength and speed remained steady, but intelligence and mana grew rapidly. Stamina fluctuated upward.
With this growth rate, they should reach first awakening after roughly six more expeditions. It was growth they could never have dreamed of before, thanks to meeting the right people.
After spending a day in the twenty-first region they returned to the seventeenth region. The thought of leaving the dungeon behind lifted everyone’s spirits.
“The dungeon isn’t truly finished until you exit completely. Many die from complacency like this, so stay sharp.”
Kang-jun played the strict boss to perfection. He showed iron resolve wrapped in gentleness.
Zhuxi’s gaze toward him had changed completely. The earlier hesitant trust had solidified into something unshakeable. She found him extremely reliable—someone who knew everything and possessed superb skill. She was certain he would rise far higher in the future.
*I must not miss this chance.*
Zhuxi knew she could not let him slip away. He was a thick rope. If she grabbed it, he would climb by himself.
“Senior-nim, you’re amazing, aren’t you?”
“…Huh? Ah, yes.”
“You will never regret entering. He’s truly remarkable. …In every way.”
As she spoke, Hye-mi’s face flushed. Even a stranger could tell she liked him very much. …It was only natural. Handsome, capable, and kind besides.
“Come on, everyone. Just a little longer. We’re almost done. If we die here, I’ll regret it and never sleep again.”
Kang-jun clapped his hands to rally the team. He tightened the reins when needed and loosened them just enough. His way of handling subordinates was not ordinary. …What kind of person had he been in Earth? Zhuxi’s gaze naturally drifted toward him.
*He’s only two ranks ahead of me…*
Zhuxi kept thinking of Kang-jun. Even when she lay down to sleep. No, she shook her head hard. The moment she arrived she had sworn she would not fall in love here.
The more she fought the thought, the colder she became toward him. Perhaps he hated her? Hye-mi’s suspicion grew. So whenever she had time, she would go to Zhuxi and praise Kang-jun. How wonderful he was.
“You don’t have to worry. I’m joining the team.”
“Really?! That’s great! …I was afraid your team wasn’t very good.”
“That’s not it. Don’t worry.”
She smiled faintly. Hye-mi giggled along. The cheerful girl showered praise on Zhuxi’s appearance.
“But you’re really pretty, unni. Why couldn’t I see you at the training center?”
“Thank you.”
“You’d make a perfect idol!”
Zhuxi let out a small laugh. No one who was praised as beautiful would hate it. She stole a glance at Kang-jun. He was focused on something else.
“Let’s get close, unni! You can speak casually with me.”
“No need. This is fine.”
Hye-mi was delighted by her new pretty unni. Zhuxi could feel her sincerity. She was pure. Comparable to herself. She had thought she was too dirty to be compared… but now she saw she was not.
…Anyway, after two more days of hardship, the team finally emerged from the dungeon. They were all filthy from lack of washing. Hye-mi wiped her chest and sighed in relief because it was night. If the sun had been shining, her ugly face would have been on full display.
They headed straight to the management office. The troll girl slammed her enormous load of bones down with a thud. The weight was hundreds of kilos.
Kang-jun sold everything at the official stall. The members left the office feeling light as air.
“Whoa, it’s so warm outside!”
Hye-mi breathed in the outside air deeply and shouted. Everyone felt the same. Outside was cold, but compared to the frozen dungeon inside, it was merely refrigerated. The temperature difference was so extreme that warmth felt like a luxury.
“You all worked really hard.”
“Senior-nim did the most, though.”
“No, you all followed so well that it was easy for me.”
Kang-jun had erased the image of the strict boss and become a gentle man. He gave each of them a word of thanks.
“Zhuxi worked hard too. …I mean, you worked hard.”
“You can speak casually. You’re the team leader.”
“…Have you decided?”
“Yes.”
Zhuxi glanced at the other members and then looked Kang-jun straight in the eyes.
“I’ll join the team. If you’ll have me.”
“Of course I will. I made the offer.”
Kang-jun smiled. He extended his hand. Zhuxi looked down for a moment, then took it and shook it up and down.
“Our team house is in region 34. If you want, you can move in. Oh, the rooms…”
Kang-jun glanced at Hye-mi. She quickly took the cue.
“You can use it with me!”
“…If that’s what you want, then it’s fine to come. Once we earn more money we’ll move to something bigger.”
“Okay.”
“You know it’s better for the team to live together, right?”
Such a good woman had to act fast. Of course she had an ulterior motive. On the surface she was the kindest person in the world, but that was a lie.
“I’ll clean up first.”
“Yeah.”
The five of them headed to the subway station in their filthy state. People stared at them like sights.
“Next time we should buy a car. Riding the subway in this state is exhausting.”
“I agree!”
Hye-mi immediately agreed.
“Then we should split here. We’re going this way.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you for your hard work. See you later.”
“Yeah. Take care.”
They split into two pairs. After walking for a while, Zhuxi turned back in the middle. Her gaze landed on the backs of the other four, who seemed so close.
*I’ll be joining them soon…*
Zhuxi turned around and quickened her lonely steps.