Chapter 8. The Hero. (1)
Kang-jun shielded his face from the blazing sunlight pouring down on him. A woman waiting restlessly at the hospital entrance spotted him and immediately dashed over. His dedicated manager, Kang So-mi.
She clung tightly to his side, body pressed close as she asked, “Are you okay? There’s no injury, right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. No wounds at all.”
“We were really worried, Team Leader and I. Who could’ve guessed an accident would strike right then? It’s infuriating…”
Her expression wasn’t fake. She meant every word. Kang-jun offered a light laugh, unbothered. The waiting van’s door slid open smoothly. Team members were already inside, waiting for him. Kang-jun had been held back longer than the rest because of the report filing.
He stepped into the van and shut the door. Kang So-mi immediately pressed her fidgeting lips together.
“What were you asking?”
The engine rumbled to life and the van pulled away. Kang-jun let out a long breath before answering the question.
“Nothing major. Just some simple questions about what happened inside, how we got out alive, that sort of thing.”
“No suspicions at all?”
“None.”
The government investigator across from him clearly viewed Kang-jun’s team as the lucky ones. They had survived similar near-misses before. This time they were writing it off as another lucky case.
When the question about how he killed that powerful monster came up, Kang-jun tensed slightly. He explained as carefully as possible, especially the part about receiving buffs. The investigators were field agents, not experts in dungeons or buffs. Communication between the site and headquarters had always been messy, whether on Earth or inside a dungeon.
Still, a full day’s rest at the hospital left his body feeling as light as ever. The team members who had been groaning in agony from near-death wounds now all looked perfectly healthy.
“By the way, what happened to the Mana Core?”
Kang-jun leaned back against the seat, eyes closing for a moment. The thought of the Mana Core made him snap upright again. Kang So-mi recognized the reference immediately.
“You mean the Mana Core? I got it back. We can’t avoid the taxes, though.”
A mocking chuckle escaped Kang-jun. He had hidden the thing deep in his luggage bag, planning to deceive them. It had failed, just like always. These bastards. Even after taxes, the expensive Mana Core would still leave a huge cut. But since it would go through the organization’s sales agency, they could at least maximize the profit.
“If it hadn’t been for that, this expedition would’ve been a complete disaster.”
Kim Hye-mi spoke with genuine relief. She pushed him up as she added, “If it weren’t for you, Senior, we’d all be dead.”
“That guy was incredibly strong. When he moved, you could barely see him at all.”
“What level was he?”
Kim Hye-mi and Liang Zixu couldn’t even guess. The ogre and the troll girl, who had weaker mana than them, hadn’t even asked. Kang So-mi looked at Kang-jun, hoping for an answer. He leaned back, eyes and mouth tightly shut, sending clear signals to stay quiet.
The van sped for a long time before stopping in front of Kang-jun’s team house. The team members stretched their stiff bodies the moment they stepped out. The spring weather outside was gorgeous. After spending so long underground, this felt like paradise.
Before parting, Kang-jun discussed the borrowed equipment with Kang So-mi. Some items had to be left behind because of weight, but the truly valuable ones had all been brought along safely. She assured him the incident would be covered by insurance, so he didn’t need to worry about lost goods.
“Thank goodness you all made it out safely.”
“I wasn’t dead yet, apparently.”
They exchanged a light handshake before they split. The manager waved politely, telling them to rest well. She checked that they entered the house, then climbed back into the van.
Kang-jun tossed his luggage into the corner of his room and collapsed face-first onto the bed. His body rocked pleasantly up and down before settling. He was finally back. He had wanted a month of pure relaxation with no missions. But early in the playthrough, every day felt like gold, so he had to shelve that impossible dream.
‘One or two days of rest… I’m only human. After everything I’ve suffered, some downtime is the least I deserve.’
No one was leaving their rooms. Everyone seemed lost in their own imagined heaven.
Kang-jun stared at the red sunset painting the wallpaper like pastel, then closed his eyes. He slept again. The hospital bed was nowhere near as comfortable.
· · ·
“Connection failed… beeeeeep.”
Velita slammed the button in irritation. Why wouldn’t he pick up! She had sent five messages already, and still nothing. She bit her lower lip hard. Is this guy insane? He had been waiting in the car for over an hour.
Her manager, sitting in the driver’s seat, finally mustered the courage to speak.
“Shouldn’t we just leave today…?”
“Shut up and stop yapping!”
Velita snapped irritably and typed again. Her messages came out cruder than usual. She nearly sent one, then deleted and rewrote everything in polished language. When she checked the read status, it showed as read immediately. Read! She had expected an instant reply. After waiting a long time, nothing came. Textbook ghosting.
Wow, look at this bastard.
Haha, Velita let out a mocking laugh. She tried calling again. This time it rang once before rejecting the call. She had no choice but to get out of the car. “Neyestani-nim!” the manager called urgently. Her angry shout cut off in the middle as the door slammed shut.
Velita, dressed to perfection from head to toe, marched straight to Kang-jun’s team house. She pressed the doorbell. No answer. She pressed it again. Still nothing.
Alright, let’s see who blinks first.
She kept pressing until the door finally opened. An insanely handsome face appeared, looking annoyed. Like, “Who’s the crazy girl?” Velita’s eyes kept drifting over his face. A man like that walking beside her on the street would make her happy… Wait, what am I thinking? She snapped out of the fantasy and focused.
“Why won’t you answer the phone?! I even read the messages!”
“How did you find out? The number too.”
“Heroes have sources, don’t they?”
She had actually dug it up through someone in the Hero Association. The dungeon in Zone 48 was managed by the organization, so Kang-jun’s team records existed. It was technically illegal, but that’s how things worked behind the scenes.
He sighed deeply. At the entrance he turned, closing the door with a heavy thud. Because of his height, she had to look up slightly.
“Use your eyes a little…”
Kang-jun muttered loud enough for her to hear. Velita’s eyebrows shot up. What the hell! She almost stormed off, cursing him out, but held it in. She had finally learned some patience!
“Here.”
She held out a single business card with her index and middle fingers, turning her head away coolly. Kang-jun lowered his gaze and stared at it without touching. She shook the card impatiently.
“Just take it already!”
“Did you start all this just to give me this card?”
“Then answer the phone from the beginning!”
“A hero like me doesn’t have the luxury of a free schedule…”
Velita bit her lip in frustration. Actually, the one who was feeling the pain was her. She had to admit, she had gone easy on him for a reason.
She had listened to the buff sorcerer’s account of the dungeon incident and was stunned. The monster had been so overwhelmingly powerful that she had panicked and tried to flee… but he had killed it instead. At first she thought her ears were playing tricks. Even B-rank heroes would struggle against something that strong on their own!
‘Yet this man claimed he did it alone.’
Velita wondered if she had misheard. She had even told the investigators she couldn’t confirm the level.
But when she heard about the Mana Core, everything clicked. This guy was no ordinary monster. He must have noticed the danger the moment he took down a Level 200 solo.
She had checked if he was already registered with the organization. He wasn’t. She dug deeper, but there was nothing more. All she could do was speculate.
‘He must have been part of the 10th Dungeon Team… something forced him out.’
Even she couldn’t find out the internal records of the 10th Dungeon Team. This was the most reasonable guess she could make. A veiled, beautiful man… She couldn’t stop her mouth from watering.
That was why Velita had decided to recruit him. Such talent would be a huge help to her.
Of course, “recruit” was just a polite way of saying she wanted him as her lover. Having a talented man as a girlfriend would give her serious status. How many heroines chased 10th Dungeon Team members, all for that power. It worked both ways. This world ran on mutual exploitation. Kind of like noise marketing.
“Just take it already!”
“Take it, then what?”
“How about we grab a coffee together and talk?”
“I have nothing to say.”
“I do. I want to hear about what happened that day… or can’t we even talk? Why are you acting so expensive?!”
Velita was a pain in the ass. Kang-jun frowned. She was clearly trying to eat whatever leftovers he had left. Heroes obsessed with power would do anything for their own promotion.
He hesitated. Seeing her desperation, he knew words wouldn’t work. This crazy woman was going to be annoying. Maybe he should’ve just left her to die in the dungeon after all.
“It’s not that big a deal. Let me treat you. …If I say no today, we can do it another time.”
Even though Kang-jun kept refusing rudely, she kept offering. He glanced up and down at her. She turned her head slightly, subtly emphasizing her full breasts. Her face and figure weren’t ugly, and with some makeup she looked quite presentable.
‘Fine, if you insist on opening the way, I might as well taste it. I’ve never refused a woman who came crawling on her own.’
“Alright, let’s go. Then.”
She had said it earlier. The bastard was really stubborn. She was secretly proud that emphasizing her chest had been the decisive factor. No matter who you compared her to, she was in the top tier for looks and body. When she made the first move, she never lost.
Velita walked ahead with elegant steps. Kang-jun’s gaze kept drifting to her swaying hips. She was showing off on purpose, too.
‘Tsk, men are all the same in the end.’
Kang-jun figured he might as well let himself be seduced. Simple Velita’s foul mood had vanished without a trace.
They climbed into the car. The manager glanced in the rearview mirror at Kang-jun. This woman is totally hooked again. Everyone knew she had an extreme case of blind love. She thought she was tempting him, but the second he left she’d cling even more desperately. She should’ve brought out the popcorn.
“Start the engine.”
The engine roared back to life. The luxury sedan glided smoothly away.
The man and woman on opposite sides of the car were each lost in their own dreams.